Drying device

Abstract

To provide a drying device capable of drying a food material and cleaning a conveying conveyor moving within a drying chamber at the same time.SOLUTION: A plurality of conveying conveyors 30, by arranging an end part of an upstream side in a conveyance direction of the conveying conveyor 30 so as to extend beyond the end part of a downstream side of the conveyance conveyor 30 neighboring at an upper side, drop a food material moved to the end part of a downstream side in the conveyance direction of the conveyor 30 to an upper surface of a conveyance members 31 of the conveyance conveyor 30 neighboring at a down side, and the food material is moved in order from the conveying conveyor 30 located at the uppermost to the conveying conveyor 30 located at the lowermost, a cleaning mechanism 50 cleans the conveyance members 31 located on an end part side of an extension part from the end part of the downstream side of the conveying conveyor 30 neighboring at a vertical direction of the conveying conveyor 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drying device used, for example, in the production of rice crackers and other rice snacks, for drying food materials having seasonings applied to the outer surface thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] A known conventional drying device includes an apparatus main body having a drying chamber and multiple transport conveyors arranged vertically within the drying chamber, and, for example, during the production of rice snacks, etc., food materials with seasonings applied to their outer surfaces are transported by the multiple transport conveyors and dried within the drying chamber (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-195493 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the drying device described in Patent Document 1, the conveyor having a wire mesh belt that moves between the inside and outside of the drying chamber can wash the wire mesh belt with a washing liquid in a washing liquid tank installed outside the drying chamber, so that the conveyor can wash the wire mesh belt while conveying the food material. On the other hand, the conveyor having a wire mesh belt that moves only inside the drying chamber only removes food debris attached to the wire mesh belt by a gas injection means, a sprocket that meshes with the wire mesh belt, etc., so the wire mesh belt needs to be washed periodically. For this reason, when washing the wire mesh belt that moves only inside the drying chamber, the drying device described in Patent Document 1 stops drying of the food material and washes the wire mesh belt of the stopped conveyor. Therefore, the drying device described in Patent Document 1 stops drying of the food material to wash the wire mesh belt that moves only inside the drying chamber, making it difficult to improve the processing efficiency of the food material.

[0005] In addition, the drying device described in Patent Document 1 uses a chainless wire mesh belt as a conveyor belt that is stretched over the drive roller and driven roller of the transport conveyor. For this reason, the drying device described in Patent Document 1 requires dedicated drive rollers and driven rollers that have teeth that mesh with the wire mesh belt, which may increase the manufacturing cost of the transport conveyor. Therefore, it is conceivable to use a wire mesh belt with a chain that meshes with a general-purpose gear provided on the drive roller and driven roller as the conveyor belt that is stretched over the drive roller and driven roller in the drying device described in Patent Document 1. However, when the wire mesh belt with the chain is washed with the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank, the chain part is also immersed in the cleaning liquid, so that the lubricating oil applied to the chain is washed away by the cleaning liquid, which may deteriorate the driving condition of the transport conveyor.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a drying apparatus which is capable of drying food materials and simultaneously cleaning a transport conveyor which moves within a drying chamber. Another object of the present invention is to provide a drying device capable of suppressing deterioration of the driving condition of the transport conveyor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The drying device according to the present invention is a drying device comprising an apparatus main body, a plurality of transport conveyors, and a cleaning mechanism, wherein the drying device dries food materials transported within the apparatus main body by the transport conveyors and cleans the transport conveyors by the cleaning mechanism, the apparatus main body has a drying chamber capable of accommodating food materials, the transport conveyors have endless transport members, and the transport members are rotated to transport the food materials in a predetermined transport direction, the plurality of transport conveyors are each arranged vertically within the drying chamber, and the transport direction of the transport conveyors adjacent to each other on the upper side is longer than that of the transport conveyors. The conveyor is positioned so that its upstream end in the conveying direction extends beyond the downstream end in the conveying direction of the adjacent conveyor above, so that food materials moved to the downstream end in the conveying direction of the conveying conveyor fall onto the upper surface of the conveying member of the adjacent conveying conveyor below, and the food materials are moved in sequence from the conveying conveyor located at the top to the conveying conveyor located at the bottom, and the cleaning mechanism cleans the conveying member located on the end side of the part of the conveying conveyor that extends beyond the downstream end in the conveying direction of the conveying conveyor adjacent in the vertical direction.

[0008] In addition, in the drying apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the drying chamber has a first space which is a space in which food materials transported by the multiple conveying conveyors are located, and a second space which is a space in which a portion of the conveying member which is cleaned by the cleaning mechanism is located, and that the pressure in the second space is smaller than the pressure in the first space.

[0009] In addition, it is preferable that the drying device of the present invention comprises a first exhaust section that exhausts air in the first space to outside the drying chamber and a second exhaust section that exhausts air in the second space to outside the drying chamber, and that the amount of air exhausted from the second space to outside the drying chamber by the second exhaust section is greater than the amount of air exhausted from the first space to outside the drying chamber by the first exhaust section.

[0010] In the drying device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the cleaning mechanism cleans the transport member with a liquid.

[0011] In addition, a drying device according to the present invention is a drying device comprising an apparatus main body, a plurality of conveying conveyors, and a cleaning mechanism, wherein the drying device dries food materials transported within the apparatus main body by the conveying conveyors and cleans the conveying conveyors by the cleaning mechanism, the apparatus main body has a drying chamber capable of accommodating food materials, the conveying conveyor has a conveying member formed endlessly, and conveys the food materials in a predetermined conveying direction by rotating the conveying member, the conveying member having a mesh-like conveyor belt on which the food materials are placed, and a chain provided on the widthwise end side of the conveyor belt to which a driving force for rotating the conveyor belt is transmitted, and the cleaning mechanism has a liquid spraying section that sprays liquid for cleaning the conveyor belt directly onto the conveyor belt.

[0012] In the drying device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the cleaning mechanism has a scraper for scraping off deposits adhering to the conveyor belt.

[0013] In the drying device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the cleaning mechanism has a gas jetting unit that removes liquid adhering to the conveyor belt by jetting gas.

[0014] In addition, it is preferable that the drying device according to the present invention further comprises a shielding plate that is provided on an extension of the direction in which the liquid is sprayed from the liquid spraying unit and that blocks the path of the liquid sprayed from the liquid spraying unit and passing through the conveyor belt. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, when food materials are transported by multiple transport conveyors, the transport members that move on the parts of the transport conveyors where food materials are not transported are washed, so that the food materials are transported by the multiple transport conveyors and the transport members can be washed at the same time, so there is no need to stop the drying process of the food materials to wash the transport members, and it is possible to improve the processing efficiency of the food materials. In addition, of the conveyor belt and chain that constitute the transport members, only the conveyor belt is washed by the washing mechanism, and the lubricating oil applied to the chain is not washed off by the washing liquid, so it is possible to suppress deterioration of the driving condition of the transport conveyor. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view illustrating the structure of a drying device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the drying device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a front view of the drying device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view of a cleaning mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a front view for explaining a liquid ejecting unit and a shielding plate of a cleaning mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view for explaining a gas ejection unit of a cleaning mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Figures 1 to 6 show one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 is a schematic side view explaining the structure of the drying device, Figure 2 is a plan view of the drying device, Figure 3 is a front view of the drying device, Figure 4 is a side view of the cleaning mechanism, Figure 5 is a front view for explaining the liquid injection part and the shielding plate of the cleaning mechanism, and Figure 6 is a front view for explaining the gas injection part of the cleaning mechanism.

[0018] The drying device 1 of this embodiment is used, for example, in the production of rice crackers and other rice snacks, and is for drying food materials having seasonings applied to the outer surface side thereof.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the drying device 1 comprises an apparatus main body 10, an input conveyor 20 for transporting food materials into the apparatus main body 10, a plurality of transport conveyors 30 for transporting food materials within the apparatus main body 10, an output conveyor 40 for transporting food materials from the apparatus main body 10, and a cleaning mechanism 50 for cleaning the transport members of the plurality of transport conveyors 30, which will be described later.

[0020] The device body 10 is formed in a hollow box shape and has a drying chamber 10a therein for drying food materials. The drying chamber 10a is formed so that the size in the direction in which the food materials are transported by the multiple transport conveyors 30 is larger than the size in the direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction of the food material transport, and a first space 10a1 is disposed at the center in the direction in which the food materials are transported, and second spaces 10a2 are disposed on both sides of the first space 10a1.

[0021] In addition, the device main body 10 is equipped with a plurality of return air sections 11 for drawing in air from the drying chamber 10a, heating the drawn-in air, and supplying it to the drying chamber 10a, and an exhaust section 12 for discharging the air from the drying chamber 10a to the outside of the drying chamber 10a.

[0022] Each of the return air sections 11 includes a return air fan 11a, a return air duct 11b that connects the drying chamber 10a to the suction port of the return air fan 11a, and an air supply duct 11c that connects the return air fan 11a to the drying chamber 10a. The return air section 11 draws air from the drying chamber 10a into the return air duct 11b using the return air fan 11a, heats the drawn air using a heater (not shown), and supplies it to the drying chamber 10a via the air supply duct 11c. The temperature of the drying chamber 10a is adjusted to, for example, about 90°C.

[0023] The exhaust section 12 is composed of a first exhaust section 12a for exhausting the air in the first space 10a1 in the drying chamber 10a to the outside of the drying chamber 10a, and a second exhaust section 12b for exhausting the air in each of the two second spaces 10a2 to the outside of the drying chamber 10a. As shown in FIG. 2, the first exhaust section 12a is composed of three first exhaust fans 12a1. Also, each of the two second exhaust sections 12b is composed of one second exhaust fan 12b1. The amount of air exhausted from the two second exhaust sections 12b to the outside of the drying chamber 10a is adjusted to be larger than the amount of air exhausted from the first exhaust section 12a to the outside of the drying chamber 10a. As a result, the pressure in the second space 10a2 is adjusted to be smaller than the pressure in the first space 10a1, and air flows from the first space 10a1 toward the two second spaces 10a2.

[0024] The carry-in conveyor 20 has an endless transport member 21, and a drive roller 22 and a driven roller 23 between which the transport member 21 is stretched. The carry-in conveyor 20 has the transport member 21 disposed across the drying chamber 10a side and the outside of the device body 10, and carries food materials into the upper side of the drying chamber 10a.

[0025] Similar to the carry-in conveyor 20, each of the multiple transport conveyors 30 has an endless transport member 31, a drive roller 32 and a driven roller 33 around which the transport member 31 is stretched.

[0026] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the conveying member 31 has a conveyor belt 31a formed like a metallic mesh, and chains 31b provided on both widthwise ends of the conveyor belt 31a to transmit a driving force for rotating the conveyor belt 31a.

[0027] The driving roller 32 and the driven roller 33 are each formed in a cylindrical shape, and have gears on both axial sides thereof with which the chain 31b of the transport member 31 meshes.

[0028] The multiple transport conveyors 30 are disposed vertically within the drying chamber 10a, and the transport direction of the food materials is opposite to that of the adjacent transport conveyor 30 above. The multiple transport conveyors 30 are disposed such that the upstream end in the transport direction extends beyond the downstream end of the adjacent transport conveyor 30 above. As a result, the multiple transport conveyors 30 drop food materials that have moved to the downstream end in the transport direction of one transport conveyor 30 onto the upper surface of the conveyor belt 31a of the transport member 31 of the other adjacent transport conveyor 30 below, and move the food materials horizontally in order from the transport conveyor 30 located at the top to the transport conveyor 30 located at the bottom.

[0029] Here, the food materials transported by the multiple transport conveyors 30 move in a serpentine manner from the upper side to the lower side in the first space 10a1 of the drying chamber 10a.

[0030] Similar to the input conveyor 20, the output conveyor 40 has an endless transport member 41, and a drive roller 42 and a driven roller 43 around which the transport member 41 is stretched. The output conveyor 40 has the transport member 41 disposed across the lower side and outside of the device body 10, and transports the food materials out of the device body 10.

[0031] The cleaning mechanism 50 is disposed on the end side of the portion of each of the conveyors 30 that protrudes from the end of the downstream side of the conveying direction of the conveyors 30 adjacent in the vertical direction. That is, the cleaning mechanism 50 is disposed in the second space 10a2 in the drying chamber 10a. As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the cleaning mechanism 50 has a liquid injection unit 51 for injecting a cleaning liquid as a liquid for cleaning the conveyor belt 31a toward the conveyor belt 31a, a scraper 52 for scraping off the deposits remaining on the conveyor belt 31a cleaned by the cleaning liquid, a gas injection unit 53 for removing the deposits and the cleaning liquid by injecting a gas toward the conveyor belt 31a, and a shielding plate 54 for blocking the path of the liquid injected from the liquid injection unit 51 and passing through the conveyor belt 31a. Here, the deposits attached to the conveyor belt 31a are, for example, powdered or liquid seasonings to be applied to food materials.

[0032] 4 and 5, the liquid spraying unit 51 is made of a cylindrical member extending in the width direction of the conveyor belt 31a, and a plurality of nozzles for spraying cleaning liquid are provided at intervals along the axial direction of the outer circumferential surface. The liquid spraying unit 51 washes off deposits adhering to the conveyor belt 31a by spraying cleaning liquid over the entire width direction of the conveyor belt 31a located on the end side of the portion protruding from the end on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the vertically adjacent transport conveyors 30.

[0033] 4, the scraper 52 is made of a plate-like member having a width dimension substantially equal to that of the conveyor belt 31a, and is disposed in front of the conveyor belt 31a in the rotation direction in the vicinity of the liquid spraying unit 51. The scraper 52 has a tip end in contact with the conveyor belt 31a, and scrapes off deposits adhering to the conveyor belt 31a onto which the cleaning liquid has been sprayed by the liquid spraying unit 51, together with the cleaning liquid.

[0034] 4 and 6, the gas injection unit 53 is made of a cylindrical member extending in the width direction of the conveyor belt 31a, and has a plurality of nozzles for injecting gas provided at intervals along the axial direction of the outer circumferential surface. The gas injection unit 53 is disposed forward in the rotation direction of the conveyor belt 31a in the vicinity of the scraper 52. The gas injection unit 53 removes the cleaning liquid adhering to the conveyor belt 31a by injecting air across the width direction of the conveyor belt 31a.

[0035] 4 and 5, the shielding plate 54 is made of a plate-like member having a width dimension substantially equal to that of the conveyor belt 31a, and is provided inside the endless conveyor belt 31a on an extension line of the spraying direction of the cleaning liquid from the liquid spraying unit 51. The shielding plate 54 prevents the cleaning liquid sprayed from the liquid spraying unit 51 from passing through the part of the conveyor belt 31a to be cleaned and adhering to other parts of the conveyor belt 31a or other members.

[0036] In the drying apparatus 1 configured as described above, the food material to be dried is carried into the upper side of the drying chamber 10a of the apparatus main body 10 by the carry-in conveyor 20. The food material carried to the downstream end of the carry-in conveyor 20 in the carrying direction falls onto the upper surface of the conveyor belt 31a of the carrying conveyor 30 that is located at the top of the multiple carrying conveyors 30.

[0037] The food material that has fallen onto the upper surface of the conveyor belt 31a of the uppermost conveyor 30 is transported horizontally to the downstream end in the transport direction, and then falls onto the upper surface of the conveyor belt 31a of the adjacent conveyor 30 below. The food material that has fallen onto the upper surface of the conveyor belt 31a of the adjacent conveyor 30 below is transported in the opposite direction to the transport direction of the adjacent conveyor 30 above. In this way, the food material brought into the drying chamber 10a moves horizontally through the first space 10a1 of the drying chamber 10a in order from the conveyor 30 located at the top to the conveyor 30 located at the bottom.

[0038] The food materials that fall onto the upper surface of the conveyor belt 31a of the transport conveyor 30 located at the lowest position are transported horizontally to the downstream end in the transport direction, where they fall onto the upper surface of the conveyor belt of the discharge conveyor 40 and are then transported from the drying chamber 10a to outside the drying chamber 10a by the discharge conveyor 40.

[0039] Moreover, while each conveyor belt 31a of the plurality of transport conveyors 30 conveys the food materials, it is simultaneously cleaned by a cleaning mechanism 50 in the second space 10a2 of the drying chamber 10a, as shown in Figs.

[0040] More specifically, the conveyor belt 31a located in the second space 10a2 is sprayed with the cleaning liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting unit 51. As a result, any deposits attached to the conveyor belt 31a are washed off from the conveyor belt 31a by the cleaning liquid, or remain attached to the conveyor belt 31a while containing the cleaning liquid.

[0041] In addition, the tip of the scraper 52 is in contact with the conveyor belt 31a located in the second space 10a2. As a result, the scraper 52 scrapes off any deposits, including cleaning liquid, adhering to the conveyor belt 31a.

[0042] Furthermore, the conveyor belt 31a located in the second space 10a2 is sprayed with cleaning liquid, and the adhering matter is scraped off by the scraper 52, and then air jetted from the gas jetting part 53 is blown onto the conveyor belt 31a. As a result, the cleaning liquid adhering to the conveyor belt 31a is blown off by the air jetted from the gas jetting part 53.

[0043] As described above, the drying device of this embodiment is a drying device 1 including an apparatus main body 10, a plurality of transport conveyors 30, and a cleaning mechanism 50, in which the drying device 1 dries food materials transported within the apparatus main body 10 by the transport conveyor 30 and cleans the transport conveyor 30 by the cleaning mechanism 50, the apparatus main body 10 has a drying chamber 10a capable of accommodating food materials, the transport conveyor 30 has a transport member 31 formed in an endless shape, and transports the food materials in a predetermined transport direction by rotating the transport member 31, and the plurality of transport conveyors 30 are each arranged vertically within the drying chamber 10a, and the transport conveyors 30 are .... The conveyor 30 is positioned in the opposite direction to the conveying direction, and the upstream end of the conveyor 30 in the conveying direction extends beyond the downstream end of the adjacent conveyor 30 in the conveying direction, so that the food material that has moved to the downstream end of the conveyor 30 in the conveying direction falls onto the upper surface of the conveying member 31 of the adjacent conveyor 30 below, and the food material is moved in order from the conveyor 30 located at the top to the conveyor 30 located at the bottom, and the cleaning mechanism 50 cleans the conveying member 31 located on the end side of the part of the conveyor 30 that extends beyond the downstream end of the conveyor 30 in the conveying direction of the conveyor adjacent in the vertical direction.

[0044] As a result, when food materials are transported by multiple conveying conveyors 30, the conveying members 31 that move on parts of the conveying conveyors 30 where food materials are not transported can be cleaned at the same time as the food materials are transported by the multiple conveying conveyors 30.As a result, there is no need to stop the drying process of the food materials to clean the conveying members 31, and the processing efficiency of the food materials can be improved.

[0045] In addition, the drying chamber 10a has a first space 10a1, which is a space in which food materials transported by the multiple conveying conveyors 30 are located, and a second space 10a2, which is a space in which a portion of the conveying member 31 to be cleaned by the cleaning mechanism 50 is located, and it is preferable that the pressure in the second space 10a2 is smaller than the pressure in the first space 10a1.

[0046] This makes it possible to create an air flow from the first space 10a1 to the second space 10a2 within the drying chamber 10a, thereby making it possible to suppress the liquid sprayed from the liquid spray section 51 in the second space 10a2 and the adhesions that have detached from the conveyor belt 31a from entering the first space 10a1, thereby improving the quality of the food materials moving through the first space 10a1.

[0047] It is also preferable that the drying chamber 10a is provided with a first exhaust section 12a that exhausts air in the first space 10a1 to the outside of the drying chamber 10a, and a second exhaust section 12b that exhausts air in the second space 10a2 to the outside of the drying chamber 10a, and that the amount of air exhausted from the second space 10a2 to the outside of the drying chamber 10a by the second exhaust section 12b is greater than the amount of air exhausted from the first space 10a1 to the outside of the drying chamber 10a by the first exhaust section 12a.

[0048] This allows air to be discharged from each of the first space 10a1 and the second space 10a2 to the outside of the drying chamber 10a, making it easy to adjust the environment, such as the temperature and humidity, in the first space 10a1.

[0049] Moreover, it is preferable that the cleaning mechanism 50 cleans the conveying member 31 with a liquid.

[0050] This makes it possible to reliably wash off any deposits adhering to the conveying member 31, thereby making it possible to maintain the sanitary condition of the conveying member 31 for a long period of time.

[0051] Furthermore, according to the drying device of this embodiment, there is provided a drying device 1 including an apparatus main body 10, a plurality of transport conveyors 30, and a cleaning mechanism 50, in which the drying device 1 dries food materials transported within the apparatus main body 10 by the transport conveyors 30 and cleans the transport conveyors 30 by the cleaning mechanism 50, the apparatus main body 10 has a drying chamber 10a capable of accommodating food materials, the transport conveyor 30 has an endless transport member 31 which is rotated to transport the food materials in a predetermined transport direction, the transport member 31 having a mesh-like conveyor belt 31a on which the food materials are placed, and a chain 31b which is provided on the widthwise end side of the conveyor belt 31a and through which a driving force for rotating the conveyor belt 31a is transmitted, and the cleaning mechanism 50 has a liquid spraying unit 51 which sprays liquid for cleaning the conveyor belt 31a directly onto the conveyor belt 31a.

[0052] As a result, of the conveyor belt 31a and chain 31b that constitute the conveying member 31, only the conveyor belt 31a is cleaned by the cleaning mechanism 50, and the lubricating oil applied to the chain 31b is not washed away by the cleaning liquid, making it possible to suppress deterioration of the driving condition of the conveying conveyor 30.

[0053] Moreover, the cleaning mechanism 50 preferably has a scraper 52 for scraping off any deposits adhering to the conveyor belt 31a.

[0054] As a result, even if the cleaning liquid sprayed from the liquid spraying section 51 cannot wash away the deposits on the conveyor belt 31a, the deposits can be scraped off by the scraper 52, making it possible to reliably remove the deposits from the conveyor belt 31a.

[0055] Moreover, the cleaning mechanism 50 preferably has a gas jetting unit 53 that jets gas to remove liquid adhering to the conveyor belt 31a.

[0056] This makes it possible to transport food materials using the conveyor belt 31a in a dry state after cleaning, thereby reducing the amount of adhesion of foreign matter to the conveyor belt 31a and improving the quality of the food materials.

[0057] It is also preferable to provide a shielding plate 54 that is provided on an extension of the direction in which liquid is sprayed from liquid spraying portion 51 and that blocks the path of the liquid sprayed from liquid spraying portion 51 and passing through conveyor belt 31a.

[0058] This makes it possible to prevent the liquid from adhering to undesired parts of the conveyor belt 31a, and thus makes it possible to suppress deterioration in the quality of the food materials.

[0059] In the above embodiment, as an example of a food material, a rice cracker or other rice snack with seasoning applied to its outer surface during production is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. The food ingredient can be any food ingredient that requires drying during its manufacture. In particular, in the case of drying devices used to dry food materials containing highly viscous materials, it has been difficult to clean the drying devices because of the tendency for deposits to form on the drying devices. However, according to the present invention, efficient drying is possible even when drying such food materials. Examples of highly viscous materials include sugars, honey, fruit, rice, soy sauce, and mirin. Specific food materials that can be used include, for example, dough made from wheat flour or the like that is deep-fried in oil and coated with syrup made from brown or white sugar when making karinto, cooked rice when making alpha rice, and pre-dried fruit, dried vegetables, and dried meat when making other foods that require drying during processing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1 Drying device 10. Device body 10a Drying room 10a1 1st space 10a2 2nd space 12 Exhaust section 12a First exhaust section 12b Second exhaust section 30 Transport Conveyor 31 Transporting member 31a Conveyor Belt 31b Chain 50 Cleaning mechanism 51 Liquid injection part 52 Scraper 53 Gas injection section 54 Shield plate

Claims

1. A drying device comprising a device main body, a plurality of conveying conveyors, and a cleaning mechanism, wherein the drying device dries food materials conveyed within the device main body by the conveying conveyors and cleans the conveying conveyors by the cleaning mechanism, the device main body has a drying chamber capable of accommodating food materials, the conveying conveyor has an endless conveying member, and conveys food materials in a predetermined conveying direction by rotating the conveying member, the plurality of conveying conveyors are respectively arranged vertically within the drying chamber, and the conveying direction is opposite to the conveying direction of the conveying conveyor adjacent to the upper side, the upstream end of the conveying direction of the conveying conveyor is arranged so as to protrude from the downstream end of the conveying direction of the conveying conveyor adjacent to the upper side, so that the food materials moved to the downstream end of the conveying direction of the conveying conveyor are dropped onto the upper surface of the conveying member of the conveying conveyor adjacent to the lower side, and the food materials are moved in order from the conveying conveyor located at the uppermost part to the conveying conveyor located at the lowermost part, the cleaning mechanism cleans the conveying member located at the end side of the part protruding from the downstream end of the conveying direction of the conveying conveyors adjacent vertically to the conveying conveyor in the conveying conveyor Drying device.

2. The drying chamber has a first space which is a space where food materials conveyed by the plurality of conveying conveyors are located, and a second space which is a space where the portion of the conveying member cleaned by the cleaning mechanism is located, the pressure in the second space is smaller than the pressure in the first space The drying device according to Claim 1.

3. a first exhaust part for discharging the air in the first space to the outside of the drying device, a second exhaust part for discharging the air in the second space to the outside of the drying device, the amount of air discharged from the second space to the outside of the drying device by the second exhaust part is larger than the amount of air discharged from the first space to the outside of the drying device by the first exhaust part The drying device according to Claim 2.

4. the cleaning mechanism cleans the conveying member with liquid The drying device according to Claim 1.

5. A drying device comprising a device main body, a plurality of conveying conveyors, and a cleaning mechanism, wherein the drying device dries food materials conveyed within the device main body by the conveying conveyors and cleans the conveying conveyors by the cleaning mechanism, The apparatus main body has a drying chamber capable of accommodating food materials. The conveying conveyor has an endless conveying member, and by rotating the conveying member, the food materials are conveyed in a predetermined conveying direction. The conveying member has a net-shaped conveyor belt on which the food materials are placed, and a chain provided on the width direction end side of the conveyor belt and to which the driving force for rotating the conveyor belt is transmitted. The cleaning mechanism has a liquid injection part that directly sprays a liquid for cleaning the conveyor belt onto the conveyor belt. Drying device.

6. The cleaning mechanism has a scraper for scraping off the deposits adhering to the conveyor belt. The drying device according to claim 5.

7. The cleaning mechanism has a gas injection part for removing the liquid adhering to the conveyor belt by injecting gas. The drying device according to claim 5.

8. A shielding plate is provided on the extension line in the direction in which the liquid of the liquid injection part is injected, and the shielding plate shields the path of the liquid that is injected from the liquid injection part and passes through the conveyor belt. The drying device according to claim 5.

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