Vacuum cooling device

Abstract

To provider a technique for appropriately draining washing water from a processing tank.SOLUTION: A vacuum cooling device 10 includes: a processing tank 12 defined by a wall part 100 and having an internal space SP where a cooled object is arranged; a vacuum device for sucking gas from the internal space SP; and a washing device 18 for supplying washing water into the processing tank 12. The processing tank 12 has: a washing water inflow port 102 for communicating the internal space SP with the outside; and a drain port 108 provided at a lower portion of the wall part 100 constituting a peripheral side face of the internal space SP for draining the washing water to the outside of the processing tank 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a vacuum cooling device. [Background technology]

[0002] The vacuum cooling device sucks air from the processing tank to reduce the internal pressure, vaporizes the moisture in the object in the processing tank, and rapidly cools the object by the heat of vaporization. Patent Document 1 describes a vacuum cooling device for cooling food. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-221546 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Although not disclosed in Patent Document 1, cleaning of the inside of the treatment tank has traditionally been done manually. It is conceivable to automate cleaning by supplying cleaning water into the treatment tank. However, if automatic cleaning is performed with the treatment tank door closed, the cleaning water will accumulate inside the treatment tank, and a large amount of water will be discharged when the door is opened. A drainage pit is usually provided where the treatment tank is installed, but if a large amount of water is discharged at once, the drainage capacity of the drainage pit may be temporarily exceeded. If automatic cleaning is performed with the door slightly open, cleaning water will splash out through the gap in the door.

[0005] The technology disclosed in this specification aims to provide a technology that can properly discharge cleaning water from a treatment tank. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This specification discloses a vacuum cooling device comprising: a treatment tank having an internal space partitioned by walls in which a cooling target is placed; a vacuum device for suctioning gas from the internal space; and a cleaning device for supplying cleaning water to the treatment tank, wherein the treatment tank has an inlet for the cleaning water that connects the internal space to the outside, and an outlet provided in a lower part of the wall that forms a peripheral side surface of the internal space and that discharges the cleaning water to the outside of the treatment tank. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The technology disclosed in this specification provides a technology that allows for the appropriate discharge of cleaning water from a treatment tank. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a vacuum cooling device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the treatment tank according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the outlet of the treatment tank according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the discharge of cleaning water from the treatment tank. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the door of the processing tank is opened after cleaning. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a modified example in which an outlet is provided on one of the lateral side surfaces. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments. The components of the embodiments described below can be combined as appropriate. In addition, some components may not be used.

[0010] [Vacuum cooling device overview] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vacuum cooling device 10 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of a treatment tank 12 according to an embodiment. The vacuum cooling device 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a treatment tank 12, a vacuum device 14, a pressure recovery unit 16, and a cleaning device 18. In the vacuum cooling device 10, a cooling target such as food is placed in the treatment tank 12, the treatment tank 12 is sealed, and the vacuum device 14 is used to reduce the pressure by sucking and discharging the fluid inside the treatment tank 12 to the outside. When the pressure inside the treatment tank 12 is reduced, the moisture in the cooling target evaporates. The temperature of the cooling target decreases due to the heat of vaporization of the moisture. After reducing the pressure inside the treatment tank 12, the vacuum cooling device 10 introduces outside air into the treatment tank 12 using the pressure recovery unit 16 to make the pressure approximately the same as the outside air, allowing the cooling target to be removed from the treatment tank 12. When cleaning the inside of the treatment tank 12 when no cooling target is placed in the treatment tank 12, the cleaning device 18 cleans the inside of the treatment tank 12 by supplying cleaning water to the treatment tank 12.

[0011] The processing tank 12 is a hollow container that can withstand reduced pressure in the internal space, and can be opened and closed with a door 130 (see Figure 2). The processing tank 12 has an internal space SP in which an object to be cooled is placed. The processing tank 12 is formed in a roughly rectangular box shape, and the opening at the front can be opened and closed with a door 130 (front side portion 118). By opening the door 130, food can be put in and taken out of the internal space SP, and by closing the door 130, the opening of the processing tank 12 can be closed airtight.

[0012] The vacuum device 14 sucks fluid (mainly gas, specifically air or steam) from the internal space of the treatment tank 12 and discharges it to the outside of the treatment tank 12, thereby reducing the pressure inside the treatment tank 12. The vacuum device 14 sucks gas from the internal space SP. The vacuum device 14 is equipped with an exhaust path (vacuum pipe) 20 connected to the treatment tank 12. The vacuum device 14 has an ejector 22, a heat exchanger 24 for steam condensation, a vacuum valve 26, and a vacuum pump 28 arranged in this order on the exhaust path 20. An exhaust path 30 is connected to the downstream end of the exhaust path 20 via the vacuum pump 28. The exhaust path 30 branches at a branch point 32 into an exhaust pipe 34 and a drainage pipe 36.

[0013] The ejector 22 is provided in the exhaust path 20 and is connected to a steam supply path 40. When steam is supplied from the steam supply path 40 from the upstream side to the downstream side of the exhaust path 20, the ejector 22 sucks in fluid on the treatment tank 12 side (upstream side) of the exhaust path 20 by the ejector effect and discharges it together with steam to the downstream side of the exhaust path 20. A steam supply valve 42 is provided in the steam supply path 40. By operating the steam supply valve 42 to open or close, the supply of steam to the ejector 22 can be controlled, and the ejector 22 can be switched between operating and not operating.

[0014] The heat exchanger 24 is disposed in the exhaust path 20 and performs heat exchange between the steam flowing through the exhaust path 20 and the coolant, thereby cooling the steam. The supply of the coolant will be described later. The heat exchanger 24 is an indirect heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the fluid in the exhaust path 20 and the coolant without mixing them. The steam in the exhaust path 20 is cooled and condensed by the heat exchanger 24.

[0015] The vacuum valve 26 is disposed between the heat exchanger 24 and the vacuum pump 28 in the exhaust path 20. The vacuum valve 26 is an on-off valve that controls the opening and closing of the exhaust path 20.

[0016] The vacuum pump 28 is, for example, a water-sealed type and is operated while being supplied with water called seal water. Water is supplied to the vacuum pump 28 via a seal water supply path 50. The seal water supply path 50 is provided with a seal water shutoff valve 52 and a seal water control valve 54. Seal water can be supplied to the vacuum pump 28 by opening the seal water shutoff valve 52. The seal water control valve 54 controls the flow rate of the seal water flowing through the seal water supply path 50. When the vacuum pump 28 is operated with the seal water shutoff valve 52 and the seal water control valve 54 open, the vacuum pump 28 draws in fluid from the exhaust path 20 and exhausts and drains the fluid to the discharge path 30. The gas and liquid of the fluid discharged to the discharge path 30 are branched at the branching portion 32, with the gas being discharged through the exhaust pipe 34 and the liquid being drained through the drain pipe 36. The vacuum pump 28 may be on / off controlled or inverter controlled.

[0017] The water supply system to the heat exchanger 24 and the vacuum pump 28 will now be described. The heat exchanger 24 and the vacuum pump 28 can be supplied with either room temperature water or cold water by switching between them. Cold water is water that has been cooled to a predetermined temperature by a chiller or the like. Room temperature water is water that has not passed through a cooling device such as a chiller.

[0018] The water supply path 56 supplies room temperature water. The water supply path 56 is equipped with a room temperature water control valve 58 and a check valve 60. The water supply path 56 sends room temperature water toward the heat exchanger 24 and the vacuum pump 28. The room temperature water control valve 58 switches between supplying and stopping room temperature water by switching it on and off, and controls the amount of room temperature water supplied by adjusting its opening. The check valve 60 prevents room temperature water from flowing back from the heat exchanger 24 and vacuum pump 28 toward the supply source. The cold water supply path 62 supplies cold water. The cold water supply path 62 is connected to the water supply path 56 downstream of the check valve 60. The flow path downstream of the point where the water supply path 56 and the cold water supply path 62 join becomes a common water supply path 64. The common water supply passage 64 is connected to the heat exchanger water supply passage 66 and the seal water supply passage 50, and supplies cold water and room temperature water as coolant to the heat exchanger 24 and the vacuum pump 28. The vacuum device 14 can control the temperature and flow rate of the coolant supplied to the heat exchanger 24 and the vacuum pump 28 by controlling the amount of cold water and room temperature water supplied.

[0019] The heat exchanger supply channel 66 connects the channel through which steam from the heat exchanger 24 passes to a channel that performs indirect heat exchange. The heat exchanger supply channel 66 supplies coolant to the heat exchanger 24 and discharges the coolant that has been heat exchanged. The coolant discharged from the heat exchanger 24 is discharged to a drain channel 68 or a cold water discharge channel 74. The drain channel 68 or the cold water discharge channel 74 is connected to the heat exchanger supply channel 66 downstream of the heat exchanger 24.

[0020] The drainage channel 68 discharges the discharged coolant to the outside. A drainage shutoff valve 70 and a drainage control valve 72 are arranged in the drainage channel 68. The drainage shutoff valve 70 is switched between open and closed to switch whether or not to discharge the coolant from the drainage channel 68. The drainage control valve 72 has an adjustable opening degree to control the flow rate of the coolant discharged from the drainage channel 68.

[0021] Chilled water discharge path 74 returns the coolant discharged from heat exchanger 24 to the chilled water tank (the chiller's water supply source). A chilled water control valve 76 is disposed in chilled water discharge path 74. Chilled water control valve 76 is adjustable in opening / closing and opening degree to control the flow rate of coolant discharged from chilled water discharge path 74. By adjusting the opening / closing and opening degrees of drain shutoff valve 70, drain control valve 72, and chilled water control valve 76, vacuum device 14 can control whether the coolant discharged from heat exchanger 24 is discharged to the outside, returned to the chiller, or stopped from circulating, etc.

[0022] The pressure recovery unit 16 introduces outside air into the depressurized treatment tank 12 to restore the pressure inside the treatment tank 12. The pressure recovery unit 16 includes an air intake path 80, an air intake control valve 82, a check valve 86, an air filter 87, and a manual release valve 88. The air intake path 80 is connected to the treatment tank 12, and has the air intake control valve 82 and air filter 87 disposed therein. The air intake control valve 82 is capable of opening and closing and its opening degree is adjustable, and controls the flow rate of outside air flowing through the air intake path 80 and supplied to the treatment tank 12.

[0023] The check valve 86 is connected to the treatment tank 12. The check valve 86 is a valve that allows gas to flow in the direction in which it is discharged from the treatment tank 12 to the outside air, but does not allow gas to flow in the direction from the outside air toward the treatment tank 12. The check valve 86 discharges gas inside the treatment tank 12 to the outside when the pressure inside the treatment tank 12 becomes higher than the outside air. The manual release valve 88 is connected to the treatment tank 12. The manual release valve 88 is a valve that can be manually switched on and off by an operator. The manual release valve 88 opens to supply outside air into the treatment tank 12 when, for example, the air supply control valve 82 malfunctions.

[0024] The vacuum cooling device 10 is equipped with sensors for detecting temperature and pressure in various parts. The pressure sensor 202 detects the pressure inside the treatment tank 12. The condensed water temperature sensor 204 is disposed between the heat exchanger 24 and the vacuum pump 28 in the exhaust path 20 and detects the temperature of the fluid cooled and condensed by the heat exchanger 24. The seal water temperature sensor 206 is disposed in the vacuum pump 28 and detects the temperature of the seal water supplied to the vacuum pump 28. The feed water temperature sensor 208 is disposed in the water supply path 56 and detects the temperature of the room temperature water flowing through the water supply path 56. The feed water pressure sensor 210 is disposed in the water supply path 56 and detects the pressure of the room temperature water flowing through the water supply path 56. The temperature sensor 220 is disposed in the ejector 22 and detects the temperature of the fluid passing through the ejector 22. The heat exchanger outlet temperature sensor 230 is disposed downstream of the heat exchanger 24 in the heat exchanger water supply path 66. The heat exchange outlet temperature sensor 230 detects the temperature of the coolant that has exchanged heat with the steam in the heat exchanger 24. The vacuum cooling device 10 performs cooling operations by operating various valves and pumps based on the detection results of these sensors.

[0025] [Overview of cleaning equipment] The cleaning device 18 supplies cleaning water to the treatment tank 12. The cleaning device 18 cleans the inside (internal space SP) of the treatment tank 12 with the supplied cleaning water. Protein stains and oil stains from the food to be cooled and the like adhere to the internal space SP of the treatment tank 12. The cleaning device 18 cleans the inner surface of the treatment tank 12 by supplying cleaning water into the inside of the treatment tank 12.

[0026] The cleaning device 18 is connected to the internal space SP of the treatment tank 12 by a cleaning water supply path 90. A cleaning valve 92 is provided in the cleaning water supply path 90. The cleaning valve 92 is a switching valve that opens and closes the cleaning water supply path 90. When the cleaning valve 92 is opened during tank cleaning, cleaning water can be supplied from the cleaning device 18 to the treatment tank 12. When the cooling operation is performed, the cleaning valve 92 is closed, thereby blocking the cleaning water supply path 90.

[0027] The interior space SP of the treatment tank 12 is partitioned by a wall 100, and a cooling target is placed therein. The treatment tank 12 includes a cleaning water inlet 102 that connects the interior space SP to the outside. The inlet 102 is provided in the wall 100, and a cleaning water supply channel 90 is connected to the inlet 102. A nozzle 104 that discharges cleaning water can be attached and detached to the inlet 102. That is, the nozzle 104 is configured as a detachable attachment and can be attached and detached to a mounting portion provided on the inlet 102. The nozzle 104 is fluidly connected to the inlet 102 by attaching a tube portion 106 of the nozzle 104 to the mounting portion. The nozzle 104 is disposed near the center of the interior space SP via the rod-shaped tube portion 106. The nozzle 104 is, for example, a rotary type. The nozzle 104 changes the direction of discharge of cleaning water by the supply pressure of the cleaning water supplied to the nozzle 104 or the discharge reaction force of the cleaning water discharged from the nozzle 104. By rotating, the nozzle 104 can eject cleaning water onto the entire surface of the internal space SP centered on the nozzle 104. Therefore, the cleaning device 18 can clean the entire inner surface of the internal space SP by causing the flow of cleaning water to directly collide with it.

[0028] The washer 18 can supply hot water at a temperature suitable for cleaning protein stains and oil stains from food and the like. The temperature of the hot water is, for example, 80°C or higher. The washer 18 may inject detergent or chemicals into the hot water. The washer 18 may switch between a washing operation using wash water containing detergent and a rinsing operation using wash water not containing detergent. The washer 18's supply of wash water and the switching operation of the wash valve 92 are automatically controlled.

[0029] The cleaning device 18 can be equipped with, for example, a hot water tank that stores hot water to be used for cleaning water. Alternatively, the cleaning device 18 may be connected to the water supply line 56 and the steam supply line 40. In this case, the cleaning device 18 generates hot cleaning water from water (room temperature water) supplied from the water supply line 56 and steam supplied from the steam supply line 40. For example, the cleaning device 18 adjusts the temperature of the cleaning water by mixing water and steam. The cleaning device 18 may also be equipped with a heat exchanger that generates hot water by heat exchange without mixing water and steam.

[0030] The cleaning device 18 cleans the treatment tank 12 in one pass (flowing) without circulating the cleaning water. In other words, the cleaning water ejected from the nozzle 104 cleans the interior space SP of the treatment tank 12 and then is discharged to the outside of the treatment tank 12. In this embodiment, the treatment tank 12 has an outlet 108 that discharges the cleaning water supplied to the interior space SP to the outside of the treatment tank 12. The outlet 108 is provided in the lower part of the wall portion 100 that forms the peripheral side surface of the interior space SP.

[0031] [Treatment tank] As shown in FIG. 2, the wall 100 of the treatment tank 12 includes a top surface 110, a bottom surface 112, a pair of side surface portions 114 and 116, a front surface portion 118, and a rear surface portion 120. Of these, the peripheral side surface of the internal space SP is composed of four side surface portions: the pair of side surface portions 114 and 116, the front surface portion 118, and the rear surface portion 120. An outlet 108 for discharging cleaning water may be provided in any one or more of the four side surface portions constituting the peripheral side surface. The top surface 110, the bottom surface 112, the pair of side surface portions 114 and 116, the front surface portion 118, and the rear surface portion 120 have a generally flat plate shape. In this embodiment, the top surface 110, the bottom surface 112, and the pair of side surface portions 114 and 116 form a cylindrical structure connected by corners 122. The front side surface portion 118 and the rear side surface portion 120 are provided so as to close the opening at one end and the opening at the other end of the tubular structure.

[0032] At least one of the front side surface portion 118 and the rear side surface portion 120 is configured as an openable / closable door 130. In the example of Fig. 2, the front side surface portion 118 is configured as an openable / closable door 130, and the rear side surface portion 120 is provided as a fixed (non-openable) wall. Note that both the front side surface portion 118 and the rear side surface portion 120 may be configured as doors 130. In this case, for example, food can be stored in the internal space SP from the front side surface portion 118 facing the cooking chamber, and the cooled food can be removed from the rear side surface portion 120 facing the work chamber where food is plated, etc.

[0033] In the example of FIG. 2, the door 130 is a sliding door type, and is held by guide rails 132 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction (the direction in which the pair of lateral side surface portions 114, 116 face each other). An annular gasket 134 is provided on the open end surfaces on the front sides of the top surface portion 110, the bottom surface portion 112, and the pair of lateral side surface portions 114, 116. When the door 130 slides in the opening direction, it opens the front of the internal space SP to the outside. When the door 130 slides in the closing direction, it comes into surface contact with the entire periphery of the gasket 134, sealing the front of the internal space SP. The door 130 is provided with a handle 138 to be gripped when sliding.

[0034] In this embodiment, the discharge outlet 108 is disposed at the bottom of the door 130. One discharge outlet 108 is provided at the bottom of the door 130 that constitutes the front side surface portion 118. In FIG. 2, the position of the discharge outlet 108 when the door 130 is closed is indicated by a dotted line. The discharge outlet 108 is disposed at the center of the door 130 in the width direction, but the position of the discharge outlet 108 in the width direction is arbitrary. The discharge outlet 108 is a through-hole that passes through the door 130 (front side surface portion 118) in the thickness direction. This allows cleaning water to be discharged to the outside while the door 130 is closed and the internal space SP is sealed.

[0035] The exhaust port 108 is closed so as to block the flow of fluid (air) from the outside of the treatment tank 12 toward the internal space SP, at least during the cooling operation of the vacuum cooling device 10. The exhaust port 108 allows the flow of fluid (cleaning water) from the internal space SP toward the outside of the treatment tank 12, at least during cleaning of the treatment tank 12 (when cleaning water is supplied). For this purpose, the treatment tank 12 has a check valve 136. The check valve 136 is provided in the exhaust port 108. The check valve 136 closes the exhaust port 108. The check valve 136 is, for example, a wafer-type valve with a small thickness. The check valve 136 is provided so as to be embedded in the exhaust port 108. The check valve 136 is fixed to the door 130 by a flange portion 136A.

[0036] The check valve 136 allows the flow of fluid out of the internal space SP through the discharge port 108 and blocks the flow of fluid into the internal space SP through the discharge port 108. As a result, the check valve 136 prevents air from flowing into the internal space SP through the discharge port 108 when the internal space SP is depressurized by the vacuum device 14. The check valve 136 allows the cleaning water to be discharged from the discharge port 108 to the outside of the treatment tank 12 when cleaning water is supplied to the internal space SP by the cleaning device 18. Instead of the check valve 136, a manual opening / closing valve may be provided, or a plug that seals the discharge port 108 may be attached and detached to the discharge port 108. Compared to these methods, the check valve 136 can prevent air from flowing in from the outside and discharge the cleaning water from the internal space SP without operator operation (manual work).

[0037] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the discharge outlet 108 of the treatment tank 12 according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a front view with the door 130 closed, and the surface of the pair of lateral side portions 114, 116 and the bottom portion 112 is indicated by dotted lines. If the discharge outlet 108 is located above the bottom portion 112, cleaning water that cannot be completely discharged from the discharge outlet 108 will remain in the area between the bottom portion 112 and the discharge outlet 108. To reduce the amount of remaining cleaning water, the discharge outlet 108 is preferably located at the same position as the bottom portion 112 or at a position lower than the bottom portion 112. From the viewpoint of ensuring airtightness and mechanical strength, if the discharge outlet 108 is located at a position higher than the bottom portion 112, it is preferable that the discharge outlet 108 be closer to the bottom portion 112.

[0038] In this embodiment, the pair of side surface portions 114, 116 and the bottom surface portion 112 are connected via curved corners 122. The surfaces (interior panels) of the pair of side surface portions 114, 116 facing the interior space SP and the surface (interior panel) of the bottom surface portion 112 facing the interior space SP are integrally formed by bending at least an area including the corners 122. This makes it easy to realize a structure that ensures airtightness and strength of the corners 122. On the other hand, forming a through hole (exhaust outlet 108) in the curved corners 122 is difficult to process in order to ensure airtightness and strength. Therefore, when the exhaust outlet 108 is provided in the side surface portions 114, 116, it is reasonable to position the exhaust outlet 108 above the upper ends of the corners 122. However, in this case, the distance from the bottom surface portion 112 becomes large, which tends to increase the amount of remaining flush water. Therefore, in this embodiment, the outlet 108 is provided on the door 130 instead of on the side surface portions 114, 116, so that the outlet 108 is positioned lower than the upper end of the corner portion 122. The lower end of the outlet 108 is positioned at a height between the bottom surface portion 112 and the upper end of the corner portion 122.

[0039] Specifically, the height H1 from the bottom surface 112 to the outlet 108 is smaller than the height H2 from the bottom surface 112 to the upper end of the corner 122. This makes it possible to place the outlet 108 as close as possible to the bottom surface 112 while taking into consideration structural constraints.

[0040] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the discharge of cleaning water from treatment tank 12 when cleaning water is supplied. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the state in which door 130 of treatment tank 12 is opened after cleaning. Both Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 are schematic diagrams of a vertical cross section passing through outlet 108 as viewed from the side of lateral side surface portion 116.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4, when the treatment tank 12 is being cleaned (when cleaning water is being supplied), the supplied cleaning water accumulates on the bottom surface 112, and when the water level WL of the cleaning water reaches the position of the discharge outlet 108, the cleaning water is discharged from the discharge outlet 108. At the installation site of the vacuum cooling device 10, a drainage pit DP is usually provided on the floor near the door 130 to allow for drainage during manual cleaning. The cleaning water flowing out from the discharge outlet 108 flows into the drainage pit DP. During cleaning of the treatment tank 12, cleaning water continuously flows out from the discharge outlet 108 as shown in FIG. 4 at a flow rate that depends on the supply flow rate from the cleaning device 18 and the inner diameter of the discharge outlet 108. The water level WL at the end of cleaning is at the position of the discharge outlet 108.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 5, when the operator opens the door 130 after the cleaning is completed, the front side of the internal space SP is opened to the outside. The cleaning water remaining in the height range from the bottom surface 112 to the discharge port 108 is discharged to the outside through the opening that is opened as the door 130 moves. The bottom surface 112 (the upper surface of the bottom surface 112) slopes downward toward the edge where the door 130 is provided. In other words, the bottom surface 112 slopes so that its height monotonically decreases from the edge on the rear side to the edge on the front side. This improves the drainage performance of the bottom surface 112. Since the purpose of the slope angle of the bottom surface 112 is to discharge the cleaning water, a very small angle is sufficient. For convenience of explanation, the slope angle of the bottom surface 112 is exaggerated in FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0043] The flushing water flowing out from the front side of the internal space SP flows into the drainage pit DP. Here, if there is no drain outlet 108 or the drain outlet 108 is located at a high position and a large amount of flushing water remains in the internal space SP, a large amount of flushing water will be discharged all at once when the door 130 is opened. In this case, the flow rate of flushing water discharged from the treatment tank 12 may temporarily exceed the discharge capacity of the drainage pit DP, which may result in flooding of the floor where the vacuum cooling device 10 is installed. In this embodiment, the drain outlet 108 is located near the bottom surface 112, which reduces the amount of flushing water remaining in the internal space SP, so that the discharge flow rate of flushing water when the door 130 is opened is well within the range of the discharge capacity of the drainage pit DP.

[0044] It is also possible to provide a drain outlet 108 on the bottom surface 112. However, in this case, if the cleaning water is simply discharged from the drain outlet 108, the floor directly below the treatment tank 12 will be flooded. Since it is difficult to perform cleaning work directly below the treatment tank 12, measures to prevent water damage are necessary. To avoid discharging water directly below the treatment tank 12, it would be necessary to provide the drain outlet 108 on the bottom surface 112 and then connect piping to the drain outlet 108, which would complicate the configuration and unnecessarily increase the overall height of the treatment tank 12 to ensure space for the piping. The embodiment can avoid such inconveniences.

[0045] [Cooling Operation of Vacuum Cooling Device 10] Next, we will explain the cooling operation of the vacuum cooling device 10. During cooling processing, the nozzle 104 of the vacuum cooling device 10 is removed from the processing tank 12. The vacuum cooling device 10 places the object to be processed in the processing tank 12 and closes the door 130. The object to be processed may be, for example, food to be cooled.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 1 , the vacuum cooling system 10 opens the steam supply valve 42 to supply steam from the steam supply line 40 to the ejector 22. The vacuum valve 26 is also opened, and the vacuum pump 28 is operated to generate a fluid flow from the treatment tank 12 toward the heat exchanger 24 within the exhaust line 20. The vacuum cooling system 10 also supplies coolant from the water supply line 56, the cold water supply line 62, the common water supply line 64, and the heat exchanger water supply line 66 to the heat exchanger 24. Based on the detection results of the water supply temperature sensor 208, the water supply pressure sensor 210, and the heat exchanger outlet temperature sensor 230, the vacuum cooling system 10 controls various valves and pumps to adjust the flow rates of room-temperature water and cold water, thereby adjusting the amount and temperature of the coolant supplied to the heat exchanger 24. The coolant that has passed through the heat exchanger 24 is recovered to the cold water supply unit via the cold water discharge line 74 or discharged to the outside via the drain line 68.

[0047] The vacuum cooling device 10 supplies steam from the steam supply path 40 to the ejector 22, thereby drawing the fluid in the treatment tank 12 into the exhaust path 20 by the ejector effect. The fluid flowing through the exhaust path 20 is pushed by the force of the steam, sucked by the vacuum pump 28, and flows toward the heat exchanger 24. The fluid flowing through the exhaust path 20 is cooled by the heat exchanger 24, whereby at least a portion of the fluid is liquefied and its volume is reduced. This can further increase the effect of the ejector 22 in drawing gas from the treatment tank 12. Furthermore, the reduction in the volume of the fluid after passing through the heat exchanger 24 can increase the effect of the vacuum pump 28 in drawing the fluid in the exhaust path 20.

[0048] The vacuum cooling device 10 sucks the fluid in the treatment tank 12, reduces the pressure inside the treatment tank 12, evaporates the moisture contained in the treatment object, and cools the treatment object with the heat of vaporization generated during evaporation. After cooling of the treatment object is completed, the vacuum cooling device 10 stops the supply of steam, opens the air supply control valve 82 of the pressure recovery unit 16, makes the pressure inside the treatment tank 12 approximately the same as the outside air, opens the door 130 of the treatment tank 12, and removes the treatment object.

[0049] [Method for cleaning the vacuum cooling device 10] Next, a method for cleaning the vacuum cooling device 10 will be described. The vacuum cooling device 10 evaporates and discharges moisture from the food or other object to be cooled contained in the processing tank 12, so protein stains, oil stains, and the like derived from the object to be cooled and carried with the air may adhere to the wall 100 of the processing tank 12. The cleaning device 18 cleans the wall surface of the wall 100 that defines the internal space SP of the processing tank 12.

[0050] In preparation for the cleaning process, the worker installs the nozzle 104 and closes the door 130 of the processing tank 12 to partition the internal space SP from the outside. In this state, the cleaning operation is started.

[0051] The vacuum cooling device 10 opens the cleaning valve 92, causing the cleaning device 18 to supply cleaning water to the inlet 102 of the treatment tank 12. The cleaning device 18 supplies cleaning water at a predetermined temperature and at a predetermined pressure. The nozzle 104 connected to the inlet 102 sprays the cleaning water around it while changing the spray direction according to the supply pressure of the cleaning water. As a result, the nozzle 104 sprays the cleaning water onto the entire wall surface of the wall portion 100 that defines the internal space SP of the treatment tank 12. The sprayed cleaning water removes dirt adhering to the wall surface of the wall portion 100.

[0052] The discharged cleaning water accumulates on the bottom surface 112 of the treatment tank 12. When the liquid level of the cleaning water reaches the installation position of the discharge port 108, the check valve 136 opens and the cleaning water is discharged from the discharge port 108 to the outside of the treatment tank 12. Note that although the cleaning water containing dirt passes through the check valve 136, the amount of dirt contained in the cleaning water decreases as the cleaning operation progresses, so even if dirt adheres to the check valve 136 during the discharge process, the check valve 136 is also eventually cleaned by the discharged cleaning water.

[0053] The vacuum cooling device 10 operates the cleaning device 18 to supply cleaning water for, for example, a predetermined time. After the predetermined time has elapsed, the vacuum cooling device 10 stops the supply of cleaning water to the cleaning device 18 and closes the cleaning valve 92. This ends the cleaning operation. If the supply flow rate of cleaning water is greater than the discharge flow rate from the discharge port 108, the cleaning water level WL temporarily rises during cleaning. However, after the supply of cleaning water stops, the cleaning water level WL drops to the height of the installation position of the discharge port 108. After the cleaning operation is completed, the operator opens the door 130 of the treatment tank 12. As the door 130 is opened, the cleaning water remaining in the internal space SP of the treatment tank 12 is discharged from the opening of the treatment tank 12. The operator removes the nozzle 104 from the treatment tank 12. This completes the cleaning method for the vacuum cooling device 10.

[0054] [effect] As described above, the vacuum cooling device 10 of this embodiment includes a treatment tank 12, which is partitioned by a wall 100 and has an internal space SP in which a cooling target is placed, a vacuum device 14 that sucks gas from the internal space SP, and a cleaning device 18 that supplies cleaning water to the treatment tank 12. The treatment tank 12 has a cleaning water inlet 102 that connects the internal space SP to the outside, and an outlet 108 that is provided at the bottom of the wall 100 that forms the peripheral side of the internal space SP and discharges the cleaning water to the outside of the treatment tank 12. This allows the cleaning water to be discharged from the treatment tank 12 to the outside through the outlet 108 even when the treatment tank 12 is closed. This prevents the cleaning water from splashing during cleaning. The cleaning water supplied to the treatment tank 12 is discharged from the outlet 108 at the bottom of the wall 100, thereby reducing the amount of cleaning water remaining in the treatment tank 12. This prevents a large amount of cleaning water from flowing out, which would exceed the discharge capacity of the drainage pit DP, when the treatment tank 12 is opened after cleaning is completed. As a result, according to this embodiment, the cleaning water in the treatment tank 12 can be appropriately discharged.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wall portion 100 includes a top surface portion 110 and a bottom surface portion 112, a pair of lateral side surface portions 114, 116, a front surface portion 118 and a rear surface portion 120. At least one of the front surface portion 118 and the rear surface portion 120 is configured as an openable and closable door 130. The discharge port 108 is located at the bottom of the door 130. This allows the outflow location of the cleaning water to be concentrated at the door 130 when cleaning water is discharged from the discharge port 108 and when residual cleaning water is discharged by opening the door 130. This makes it easier to treat wastewater at the installation location of the treatment tank 12, and eliminates the need to provide drainage pits DP in various locations.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pair of lateral side portions 114, 116 and the bottom portion 112 are connected via curved corners 122. The height H1 from the bottom portion 112 to the discharge outlet 108 is smaller than the height H2 from the bottom portion 112 to the upper ends of the corners 122. This makes it easy to provide the discharge outlet 108 at a position lower than the upper ends of the corners 122 and very close to the bottom portion 112. As a result, the amount of cleaning water remaining inside the treatment tank 12 can be effectively reduced. Because the amount of remaining cleaning water is reduced, the amount of cleaning water discharged when the door 130 is opened can also be reduced.

[0057] In this embodiment, the bottom surface 112 slopes downward toward the edge where the door 130 is provided. This improves drainage performance when flushing water remaining after the door 130 is opened is discharged.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the treatment tank 12 has a check valve 136 that allows the flow of fluid out of the internal space SP through the outlet 108 and blocks the flow of fluid into the internal space SP through the outlet 108. This ensures airtightness of the internal space SP when the vacuum cooling device 10 is operating (cooling), while allowing cleaning water to be discharged from the internal space SP during cleaning. Furthermore, since an operator does not need to manually operate a valve or attach or detach a plug to open and close the outlet 108, great convenience is provided for the user.

[0059] In this embodiment, the inlet 102 is provided in the wall portion 100, and a nozzle 104 that discharges cleaning water can be attached or detached. In order to reduce variations in the cleaning effect, it is preferable to position the nozzle 104 near the center of the internal space SP of the treatment tank 12, but the nozzle 104 gets in the way of putting in and taking out the object to be cooled. Therefore, by configuring as described above, the nozzle 104 can be removed when the vacuum cooling device 10 is operating (during cooling), so that the nozzle 104 does not get in the way during the cooling operation, and a high cleaning effect can be achieved.

[0060] [Other embodiments] In the embodiment, the discharge outlet 108 is provided in the door 130 that constitutes the front side surface portion 118. However, the discharge outlet 108 may be provided in the rear side surface portion 120 or in either of the pair of side side surface portions 114, 116, as long as the wall portion 100 constitutes the peripheral side. FIG. 6 shows a modified example in which the discharge outlet 108 is provided in one of the side side surface portions 114. In FIG. 6, the discharge outlet 108 is indicated by a dotted line. In the example of FIG. 6, the discharge outlet 108 is provided in a position near the upper end of a corner portion 122 of the side side surface portion 114.

[0061] In the embodiment, the pair of lateral side portions 114, 116 and the bottom portion 112 are connected via curved corners 122, but curved corners 122 do not have to be provided. The pair of lateral side portions 114, 116 and the bottom portion 112 may be formed as flat plates and connected to each other by welding or the like to provide right-angled corners. In this case, even when the discharge outlet 108 is provided on the lateral side portion 114 or 116 as in the example of FIG. 6, the discharge outlet 108 can be located sufficiently close to the bottom portion 112.

[0062] In the embodiment, the treatment tank 12 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, but there is no particular limitation on the shape of the treatment tank 12. The treatment tank 12 may have any three-dimensional shape, such as a cylindrical shape.

[0063] [Contribution to the United Nations-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)] This disclosure includes matters that contribute to the realization of Goal 8 of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), "Decent Work and Economic Growth," as well as matters that contribute to the realization of Goal 12, "Responsible Consumption and Production." [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 10...vacuum cooling device, 12...treatment tank, 14...vacuum device, 16...pressure recovery unit, 18...cleaning device, 20...exhaust path, 22...ejector, 24...heat exchanger, 26...vacuum valve, 28...vacuum pump, 30...exhaust path, 32...branch, 34...exhaust pipe, 36...drainage pipe, 40...steam supply path, 42...steam supply valve, 50...sealing water supply path, 52...sealing water shutoff valve, 54...sealing water control valve, 56...water supply path, 58...room temperature water control valve, 60...check valve, 62...chilled water supply path, 64...common water supply path, 66...heat exchanger water supply path, 68...drainage path, 70...drainage shutoff valve, 72...drainage control valve, 74...chilled water discharge path, 76...chilled water Control valve, 80...air supply passage, 82...air supply control valve, 86...check valve, 87...air filter, 88...manual release valve, 90...cleaning water supply passage, 92...cleaning valve, 100...wall portion, 102...inlet, 104...nozzle, 106...pipe portion, 108...outlet, 110...top portion, 112...bottom portion, 114, 116...side surface portions, 118...front surface portion, 120...rear surface portion, 122...corner portion, 130...door, 132...guide rail, 134...gasket, 136...check valve, 208...supply water temperature sensor, 210...supply water pressure sensor, 230...heat exchanger outlet temperature sensor, DP...drainage pit, SP...internal space.

Claims

1. a treatment tank having an internal space partitioned by a wall portion and in which a cooling target is placed; a vacuum device that sucks gas from the internal space; a cleaning device that supplies cleaning water to the treatment tank, The treatment tank has an inlet for the cleaning water that connects the internal space with the outside, and an outlet that is provided in a lower part of the wall portion that constitutes the peripheral side surface of the internal space and that discharges the cleaning water to the outside of the treatment tank. Vacuum cooling device.

2. The wall portion includes a top surface portion, a bottom surface portion, a pair of lateral side surface portions, and a front surface portion and a rear surface portion, At least one of the front side surface portion and the rear side surface portion is configured as an openable / closable door, The outlet is located at the bottom of the door. The vacuum cooling device according to claim 1 .

3. The pair of lateral side surface portions and the bottom surface portion are connected via curved corner portions, The height from the bottom surface to the outlet is smaller than the height from the bottom surface to the upper end of the corner. The vacuum cooling device according to claim 2 .

4. The bottom surface portion is inclined downward toward the edge where the door is provided. The vacuum cooling device according to claim 2 .

5. the treatment tank has a check valve that allows a fluid to flow out of the internal space through the outlet and blocks a fluid from flowing into the internal space through the outlet. The vacuum cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The inlet is provided in the wall portion, and a nozzle for discharging the cleaning water can be attached / detached to the inlet. The vacuum cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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