Method and apparatus for freezing fresh food ingredients

Abstract

The aim is to reduce the amount of drip lost during thawing of frozen food, thereby preserving the texture, taste, and nutritional value of fresh food during the freezing process. [Solution] In a device for freezing fresh food ingredients, the device is equipped with a freezing function, a function to apply appropriate mechanical shock vibration, and a function to detect the temperature of the food ingredient to be frozen. During the process of passing through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range during cooling and freezing, a predetermined mechanical shock vibration in the direction of gravity is continuously applied at a predetermined period, thereby breaking down the growth of needle-shaped ice crystals each time and suppressing cell damage caused by needle-shaped ice crystals.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus having a freezing function and a function of applying appropriate mechanical impact vibration when freezing fresh food materials. When freezing the object to be cooled, i.e., the fresh food materials loaded on the apparatus, during the process of the water in the cells of the fresh food materials starting to freeze and passing through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature zone where ice crystals grow, by continuously applying impact vibration in a predetermined mechanical gravity direction, the growth of needle-shaped ice crystals that destroy the cells of the fresh food materials is finely crushed each time, and by suppressing the cell destruction of the fresh food materials by the needle-shaped ice crystals, the amount of drip that flows out when the frozen food materials are thawed is reduced, and it relates to a method for freezing fresh food materials and its apparatus that maintain texture, taste, and nutrition.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when freezing fresh food materials such as beef, as a basic method for suppressing the amount of drip generated by cell destruction due to freezing of the fresh food materials, there is a rapid freezing method of lowering the cooling temperature during freezing as much as possible and increasing the freezing speed by strengthening the cooling air speed to the object to be cooled, which is the fresh food materials. Also, as auxiliary techniques for further improving the freezing and thawing quality, those using supercooling, those using electromagnetic fields, microwaves, or ultrasonic waves have been reported.

[0003] The moisture in fresh food materials starts to freeze from around -1°C and is almost completely frozen at around -5°C. During this period, water generates needle-shaped ice crystals and grows significantly. This temperature range of -1°C to -5°C is called the maximum ice crystal formation temperature zone and is regarded specially. If the passing time through this temperature zone is long and it passes slowly, the ice crystals become larger, and the cell tissue of the fresh food materials is greatly deformed and damaged. Therefore, in order to minimize such damage, it is necessary to pass through it in a short time. As a certification standard for frozen food manufacturing factories, it is stated that 'when the product is frozen, the central temperature of the product passes through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature zone generally within 30 minutes', and this freezing method is called the rapid freezing method. On the other hand, the freezing method that takes time is called the slow freezing method.

[0004] It is a well-known fact that the rapid freezing method described above allows food to pass through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range in about 30 minutes, reducing ice crystal growth and suppressing the destruction of the cellular tissue of fresh food. Therefore, it is considered important in the frozen food industry in various sectors for maintaining the quality of frozen food, and is incorporated as a rapid freezing function in household refrigerators and freezers, serving as one of its selling points. However, in order to temporarily increase freezing capacity, equipment with more freezing performance than necessary or continuous operation is required, which presents challenges in terms of energy saving, and there is also the challenge that variations in frozen quality occur due to differences in the thickness of the food being frozen.

[0005] Patent Document 1 describes a refrigerator that enables rapid freezing for home freezing by providing a rapid freezing container with a metal plate on its bottom surface, a cold air duct above the top opening of the rapid freezing container to discharge cold air to directly cool the food inside the rapid freezing container, and further divides the freezer compartment into three levels with three rapid freezing containers that limit the storage depth to a shallow level.

[0006] In other words, the water in fresh food crystals grows into large ice crystals at the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range of -1 to -5°C, destroying cell tissue. To pass through this temperature range as quickly as possible, cold air is blown directly from above the food, and a metal plate with good heat conductivity is placed at the bottom to facilitate cooling from below as well. Furthermore, the container is divided into three shallow sections to prevent the storage of thick items, forcing the food to be divided into thin, small portions, and is designed to cool the center of the food quickly.

[0007] To further improve the rapid freezing method and enhance the quality of frozen foods, there is a freezing process that utilizes supercooling. Patent Document 2 introduces a method for freezing food in which a pre-cooling step is taken to cool the core temperature of the food to be preserved to 0-3°C, then the food is cooled and preserved in a supercooled state of -10°C, and then the supercooling is released by temperature fluctuations or mechanical shock to instantly start freezing of the entire food, and then the food is preserved at an even lower temperature.

[0008] Similarly, Patent Document 3 also describes a refrigerator that uses a control method to cool food in a supercooled state where it does not freeze even at temperatures below its freezing point, and then rapidly freezes it by increasing the airflow volume or velocity of the incoming cold air after the supercooled state is released.

[0009] According to this freezing method that utilizes supercooling, the entire fresh food is in a supercooled state. When the supercooling is released by some stimulus, tiny ice nuclei are instantly formed inside the cells of the fresh food, initiating freezing. This allows for smaller ice crystals, thereby suppressing damage to the cell tissue of the fresh food.

[0010] Furthermore, Patent Document 4 describes a refrigerator that includes a cooling device for cooling an object to be cooled, a storage chamber for storing the object to be cooled, a microwave generator for applying microwaves, and a control device for controlling them. The storage chamber is provided with a food plate that allows microwaves to pass through and cold air to flow in. By using microwaves and the food plate to freeze the object while suppressing temperature unevenness, the ice crystals throughout the food become small and uniform, enabling high-quality freezing that minimizes damage to the food's cellular structure.

[0011] Furthermore, Patent Document 5 introduces an ultra-rapid freezing method and apparatus that enables long-term storage of food ingredients and other food products while maintaining their freshness. This method comprises the steps of rapidly freezing an object to be frozen by applying a unidirectional magnetic field to the object while cooling the ambient temperature of the object to be frozen to -30 to -100°C, and cooling the object to be frozen with cold air at a speed of 1 to 5 m / sec while superimposing sound waves in the audible frequency range onto the cold air. The strength of the unidirectional magnetic field fluctuates within a predetermined range in the positive and negative directions relative to an arbitrary fixed value in the range of 1 to 20,000 Gs, and at a frequency of 50 or 60 Hz. The advantages of this method are explained as being that by applying a magnetic field during freezing, the molecular motion of water that causes stable supercooling is controlled, thereby breaking down the ice into smaller pieces.

[0012] Furthermore, although it is different from freezing, Patent Document 6 describes a method for thawing frozen goods in a container by applying an AC voltage of 10V to 5kV to the frozen goods so that a current of 1 microA to 1000mA flows through the frozen goods. This method comprises a semi-thawing step in which the temperature inside the container is controlled to thaw the frozen goods to a semi-thawed state where the frozen goods are thawed at a negative temperature between 0°C and -10°C while applying the AC voltage to the frozen goods, and a storage step in which the application of the AC voltage to the frozen goods is stopped and the frozen goods are stored while maintaining the semi-thawed state.

[0013] Although this document concerns a thawing method rather than a freezing method, it controls the frozen product to a semi-thawed state at a sub-zero temperature between 0°C and -10°C. In this temperature range, which is close to the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range, microscopic freezing and thawing are repeated even during the thawing process. If an AC voltage is applied and a small current is passed through to suppress crystal growth during this process, then it has a high relevance as a freezing method and a high potential as a method for improving frozen product quality, making it an easily conceivable method.

[0014] Furthermore, although it is a thawing method similar to the previous literature, Patent Document 7 describes a thawing method for frozen fish and shellfish meat that does not destroy cell membranes during thawing. This method involves placing the object to be thawed on an external vibration device consisting of an electromagnetic vibration generator and a metal thawing plate, placing the metal electrodes of a Joule heater consisting of an electric power supply and metal electrodes on top of the frozen fish meat block, applying micro-vibrations to the frozen fish meat block from the outside, and simultaneously applying electric current to the frozen fish meat block to heat it by Joule. The applied vibration is a micro-vibration with an amplitude of 1 mm or less and is between 10 Hz and 10 kHz.

[0015] One can easily imagine that this thawing method could also be applied to freezing. However, while the aim is to equalize the temperature of the thawed product by applying slight vibrations to the electromagnetic vibration generating part, which vibrates laterally when passing through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range during thawing, it remains questionable whether this method can suppress ice crystal growth during freezing. Basically, there is a big difference in the hardness of the food being thawed and frozen, and it is presumed that this processing condition, while effective for thawing, will not be effective for freezing.

[0016] Furthermore, Patent Document 8 introduces a method for freezing and thawing food using ultrasound, characterized in that food to be stored for a long period of time by freezing is placed in a predetermined state where it can be vibrated by ultrasound, the food is rapidly frozen at a predetermined low temperature while ultrasound is applied to the food, and when thawing the frozen food, the thawing is performed rapidly while ultrasound is applied.

[0017] According to this document, the reason for applying ultrasound during freezing is to reduce the temperature difference between the surface and the interior, minimize the separation of water from the tissue, result in uniform freezing, suppress crystal growth during freezing, and freeze in small crystals, thus preventing damage to the cell tissue.

[0018] Furthermore, Patent Document 9 introduces a cooling storage facility that includes a cooler and a freezer that cools and freezes objects using the cold air from the cooler, characterized in that an ultrasonic transducer is attached to the back of a container placed in the freezer that applies ultrasonic vibrations to the objects being cooled while they are being cooled.

[0019] The role of this ultrasonic transducer is to apply ultrasonic vibrations to the object being cooled. The thermal energy supplied to the object by the ultrasonic transducer is made smaller than the thermal energy removed from the object by the cold air, thereby freezing the object and equalizing the temperature. This reduces the size of the ice crystals and minimizes drip. It is considered sufficient to operate the ultrasonic transducer during the freezing process, specifically during the formation and growth of ice crystals, and it has also been suggested that operation should be limited to the end of the freezing process, when the maximum ice crystal growth temperature range is reached.

[0020] Furthermore, Patent Document 10 describes a method for freezing organic tissue, in which the pressure of the air in contact with the organic tissue is reduced at a rate of approximately -0.03 kg / cm² to approximately -0.07 kg / cm² per minute, to a minimum pressure of approximately 0.9 kg / cm² to approximately 0.6 kg / cm² below atmospheric pressure, thereby releasing approximately half of the gaseous substances dissolved in the tissue with almost no water evaporation from the tissue, while the tissue is cooled to a temperature of approximately -10°C to approximately 0°C, and the tissue is stirred at a rate of approximately 25 to 100 cycles per minute. It is stated that the amplitude of the vibration at that time is a gentle vibration, and that it is obtained by a lateral vibration with a displacement amplitude of approximately 2.5 cm to 25 cm.

[0021] It has been explained that this lateral vibration is intended to promote the formation of small crystal clusters before larger crystals within the cell, and that cooling and depressurization processes are accompanied by stirring and vibration of the cell tissue to facilitate this process.

[0022] Furthermore, Patent Document 11 introduces a method for manufacturing a cooled object, which enables the automatic production of ice cream, sherbet-like frozen desserts, and other frozen desserts with a good texture and aesthetic appeal by automatically stirring and shaping the raw materials in a freezer chamber. The method comprises a cooling tray having a hemispherical recess on its bottom surface for storing liquid or liquid material of the object to be cooled, a freezer chamber for cooling the cooling tray, and a vibration device for applying vibration to the cooling tray.

[0023] As this vibration application, rocking agitation is introduced. By repeating this operation, the ice confectionery raw material is cooled while being sufficiently agitated, and freezing progresses. Freezing starts from the periphery of the ice confectionery raw material and spreads to the upper surface or the inner surface of the cooling plate. These ice crystals are detached by vibration and well mixed with the unfrozen part of the ice confectionery raw material, suppressing the growth and unevenness of the ice crystals, and enabling the production of an ice confectionery with a smoother texture. Also, in order to promote the detachment of the ice formed on the inner surface of the cooling plate, it is stated that the cooling plate may be moved so as to be freely dropped to give an impact vibration to the cooling plate when the cooling plate is lifted and returned horizontally.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0024]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

[0026] Furthermore, while Patent Documents 2 and 3 utilize supercooling to rapidly freeze food from the center, the instability of supercooling and the inability to suppress ice growth after supercooling is released, even when used in combination with rapid freezing, freezing at the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range in the center of the food remains slow. As a result, there are limitations to suppressing the amount of drip after thawing, leading to variations in quality and failing to adequately solve the problem.

[0027] Furthermore, the microwave-based method described in Patent Document 4 uses microwaves to control the molecular motion of water, making it extremely difficult to precisely adjust and control the water temperature inside fresh food. There was a major challenge in that it was unstable in finely suppressing ice crystal formation in the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range.

[0028] Furthermore, the control of water molecules by magnetic fields in Patent Document 5 and the control of water molecules by electric fields in Patent Document 6 lack reproducibility of significant differences depending on their presence or absence, and there are unclear points. The final device that adds a magnetic field has been shown to be effective in ultra-rapid freezing of food with a large volume of air at extremely low temperatures, and the data disclosed regarding the effect of products equipped with electric fields seems to mainly consist of data comparing the amount of drip at slightly frozen and thawed temperatures. In the end, the effect of electromagnetic fields lacks scientific basis, and there is currently no demonstration that the quality of frozen food is improved simply by the presence or absence of an electromagnetic field.

[0029] Furthermore, the thawing method described in Patent Document 7 involves applying micro-vibrations to a frozen fish meat block from the outside and simultaneously applying electricity to the frozen fish meat block to thaw it by Joule heating. Electromagnetic vibration is used as the external vibration device, and the applied vibration frequency is 10Hz to 10kHz with an amplitude of 1mm or less, making it a micro-vibration with lateral vibration. While this method is effective for thawing hard-frozen products as the vibration can be transmitted throughout the food, it is unsuitable for raw foods such as fresh ingredients because the material is soft and lateral vibration of 1mm or less cannot transmit the vibration to the entire food.

[0030] Furthermore, in the freezing methods described in Patent Documents 8 and 9 that use ultrasound to suppress ice crystal growth, if the ultrasound frequency is above the audible range, it is as low as 20 kHz, and the amplitude is only a few microns. Therefore, even if the hard container is designed to resonate, in the case of fresh food products that contain a lot of water in their cell nuclei and are relatively soft, the vibrations are absorbed by the surface of the fresh food product, and it is not possible to transmit vibrations strong enough to break the ice crystals that grow during freezing to the entire object being cooled. Thus, even if logic is constructed to control the temperature by generating heat with ultrasound or to break down water clusters in some areas, it was not possible to consistently obtain the effect of suppressing the amount of drip during the freezing and thawing of fresh food products.

[0031] Furthermore, Patent Document 10 describes a method for freezing organic tissue by applying gentle lateral vibrations while depressurizing the inside of a freezing container. It states that the tissue is stirred at a rate of approximately 25 to 100 cycles per minute, and that this is achieved by lateral vibrations with a displacement amplitude of approximately 2.5 cm to 25 cm. However, this is a smooth lateral vibration that does not produce impact noise, and can uniformly stir liquid objects, but it cannot reliably and stably exert sufficient force to break down water and ice crystals in the cells of fresh food ingredients.

[0032] Furthermore, Patent Document 11 describes a method in which raw materials for ice cream or sherbet-like frozen desserts are placed in a designated cooling dish, and then stirred and shaped by applying oscillating vibrations. The description includes an action of lifting the cooling dish and then dropping it freely to apply impact vibrations to the dish when returning it to a horizontal position, in order to promote the removal of ice formed on the inner surface of the cooling dish. However, this is a limited movement solely for the purpose of removing ice from the cooling dish, and freezing fresh food ingredients with this vibration device does not solve the problem.

[0033] The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a method and apparatus for freezing fresh food that suppresses cell damage, reduces the amount of drip lost when thawing frozen food, and maintains texture, taste, and nutrition, by applying mechanical shock vibrations that appropriately control the growth of ice crystals without damaging the cells of the fresh food during the process of passing through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range when freezing fresh food. [Means for solving the problem]

[0034] Therefore, the present invention provides a stable, reliable, and simpler solution to the problem of suppressing cell damage caused by ice crystal formation during the freezing of fresh food ingredients, which could not be solved by rapid freezing, supercooling, electromagnetic fields, microwaves, ultrasound, stirring, or transverse vibration. This solution involves continuously applying a predetermined mechanical shock vibration in the direction of gravity at a predetermined period during the process in which the water inside the cells of fresh food ingredients begins to freeze and passes through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range where the ice crystals grow. This breaks down the growth of needle-shaped ice crystals that damage the cells of fresh food ingredients each time, thereby suppressing cell damage caused by needle-shaped ice crystals. As a result, the amount of drip lost when thawing frozen food ingredients is reduced, while maintaining texture, taste, and nutrition.

[0035] In other words, in order to solve the above problems, the first aspect of the present invention relates to a method for freezing fresh food ingredients, which involves cooling the food ingredient to be cooled to pass through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range, and then, when freezing and storing it at a temperature below the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range, the method involves lifting the food ingredient to be cooled to a predetermined height and then continuously applying mechanical shock vibrations at a predetermined period, using the force of gravity to lower it, only during the process in which the food ingredient to be cooled is maintained at a temperature including the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range.

[0036] According to this method of freezing fresh food ingredients, when the food ingredient being cooled passes through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range of -1°C to -5°C during freezing, the object being cooled is subjected to mechanical shock vibrations that lift it to a predetermined height and lower it with gravitational acceleration. The entire object being cooled receives these shock vibrations uniformly with a predetermined gravitational acceleration due to its own weight, and the ice crystals growing inside the cells of the food ingredient being cooled are crushed into smaller pieces each time by these shock vibrations, thereby suppressing damage to the cell walls and reducing the outflow of drip after thawing.

[0037] Furthermore, a second aspect of the present invention relates to a method for freezing fresh food ingredients, which involves lifting the fresh food ingredient to be cooled to a predetermined height and continuously applying the mechanical shock vibration, which causes it to descend using the force of gravity, at a frequency of 60 times or more per minute and 600 times or less per minute, to perform the cooling and freezing process.

[0038] According to this method of freezing fresh food ingredients, when the object being cooled passes through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range of -1°C to -5°C during freezing, if the mechanical shock vibrations that lift the object to be cooled to a predetermined height and lower it using gravitational acceleration are less than 60 times per minute, the ice crystals will grow larger than the size of the cells, and the inhibitory effect will be lost. Conversely, if the mechanical shock vibrations are more than 600 times per minute, the elasticity of the object being cooled, which is relatively soft, will cause the shock vibrations to be absorbed by the surface, thus halving the effect, or the elasticity will be lost, causing plastic deformation and damage to the surface.

[0039] Furthermore, a third aspect of the present invention relates to a method for freezing fresh food ingredients, wherein the object to be cooled, which is fresh food ingredients, is lifted to a predetermined height and the mechanical shock vibration is lowered by the force of gravity acceleration, and the predetermined height of the vibration is set to 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less, thereby performing the cooling and freezing treatment.

[0040] According to this freezing method, when the object to be cooled is lifted to a height of 1 mm or more and then lowered, the impact vibration due to gravity acceleration is uniformly transmitted throughout the object. The ice crystals growing within the cells of the fresh food being cooled are finely crushed by the impact vibration, thereby suppressing damage to the cell membrane and reducing the outflow of drip after thawing. Furthermore, by lifting the object to a height of 10 mm or less, damage to the outer surface layer of the soft and relatively fragile fresh food being cooled can be prevented. In other words, by adjusting the lifting height between 1 mm and 10 mm depending on the fragility of the object being cooled, it is possible to adjust the appropriate impact vibration intensity according to the food.

[0041] Furthermore, a fourth aspect of the present invention relates to a method for freezing fresh food ingredients, in which, when cooling a fresh food ingredient to be cooled to pass through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range, and when freezing and storing it at a temperature below the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range, a mechanical shock vibration is continuously applied at a frequency of 60 or more times per minute and 600 or less times per minute, while playing a predetermined pleasant rhythm or melody, to lift the food to be cooled to a predetermined height and lower it with the acceleration of gravity, only during the process in which the food to be cooled is maintained at a temperature including the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range, thereby performing the freezing process.

[0042] According to this method of freezing fresh food ingredients, even if a mechanical shock vibration sound is heard during the freezing process as the food is lifted to a predetermined height and lowered by gravity as it passes through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range of -1°C to -5°C, the listener's attention is drawn to a predetermined pleasant volume and rhythm or melody, drowning out the shock sound. This provides a sense of security and understanding that cooking is taking place, thus reducing the annoyance caused by the shock vibration sound. Typically, the time it takes to pass through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range is 30 to 60 minutes, and the process is completed in a short time even in a living environment.

[0043] Furthermore, a fifth aspect of the present invention relates to a freezing apparatus for fresh food, comprising: a detachable loading container on which fresh food is loaded; a freezing chamber having a freezing function in which the loading container is housed and which is cooled by cold air from a cooler; an impact vibration applicator having the function of lifting the detachable loading container on which the fresh food is loaded to a predetermined height and lowering it with the force of gravitational acceleration to apply mechanical impact vibration in the direction of gravity; and a product temperature detection means having the function of detecting the approximate temperature of the food from the surface temperature of the food, wherein during cooling by the freezing function, the device detects from the approximate temperature that the water in the cells of the fresh food has begun to freeze and has passed the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range in which ice crystals grow, and drives the mechanical impact vibration applicator to continuously apply a predetermined mechanical impact vibration in the direction of gravity at a cycle of 60 times or more and 600 times or less per minute only during that time.

[0044] This system applies mechanical shock vibrations in the direction of gravity to a removable loading container on which fresh food items to be cooled are placed. These vibrations are transmitted to the items to be cooled, and a temperature detection means detects when the items are cooled and pass through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range. Only during this time, appropriate shock vibrations from the mechanical vibration applicator break down the needle-shaped ice crystals that destroy the cells of the fresh food items, thereby suppressing cell damage caused by needle-shaped ice crystals. This reduces the amount of drip lost when thawing frozen food items, resulting in a fresh food freezing device that maintains texture, taste, and nutrition.

[0045] Furthermore, while the effects of the first aspect of the present invention were described as follows: "By continuously subjecting the object to be cooled to mechanical shock vibrations at a frequency of 60 or more and 600 or less per minute, the entire object to be cooled receives shock vibrations uniformly at a predetermined gravitational acceleration due to its own weight, and the ice crystals growing within the cells of the object to be cooled in fresh food are finely crushed by the shock vibrations, thereby suppressing damage to the cell walls and reducing the outflow of drip after thawing. If the mechanical vibrations are less than 60 times per minute, the ice crystals grow larger than the size of the cells, and the suppression effect is lost. If the mechanical vibrations are more than 600 times per minute, the effect is halved because the shock vibrations are absorbed on the surface due to the elasticity of the object to be cooled in fresh food, which is relatively soft." However, if the frequency is 60 or more and 600 or less per minute, it becomes possible to use an electromagnetic solenoid mechanism or an electric cam mechanism for mechanical shock vibration, which is simpler and cheaper to manufacture, thus having an advantage.

[0046] Furthermore, the sixth aspect of the present invention relates to a freezing apparatus for fresh food ingredients, which is a freezing apparatus for fresh food ingredients described in the fifth aspect, and is characterized in that the shock vibration applicator has a function to add mechanical shock vibrations that lift the detachable loading container on which the food ingredients are placed to be cooled to a height of 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less, and then lower it with the acceleration of gravity.

[0047] According to this freezing apparatus, when the object to be cooled is lifted to a height of 1 mm or more and then lowered, impact vibrations due to gravitational acceleration are uniformly transmitted throughout the object. As a result, ice crystals growing within the cells of the object to be cooled are finely crushed by these impact vibrations, thereby suppressing damage to the cell membrane and reducing the outflow of drip after thawing. Furthermore, by lifting the object to a height of 10 mm or less, damage to the soft and relatively fragile outer surface layer of the object to be cooled can be prevented. Moreover, it is possible to use a mechanical impact vibration mechanism using an electromagnetic solenoid or an electrically operated cam mechanism, which is in an impact vibration range that is impossible with electromagnetic fields or ultrasound, and is also advantageous in terms of manufacturing cost. [Effects of the Invention]

[0048] As described above, this device for freezing fresh food ingredients is equipped with a freezing function, a function to add appropriate mechanical shock vibration, and a function to detect the temperature of the food being frozen. When freezing fresh food ingredients, as the water inside the cells of the fresh food ingredients begins to freeze and passes through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range where the ice crystals grow, a predetermined mechanical shock vibration in the direction of gravity is continuously applied at a predetermined period and intensity. This breaks down the growth of needle-shaped ice crystals that would destroy the cells of the fresh food ingredients, thereby suppressing damage to the cell membrane caused by needle-shaped ice crystals. Furthermore, this method and device for freezing fresh food ingredients is designed to eliminate the discomfort of shock noise, and it can reduce the amount of drip lost when thawing frozen food ingredients, while maintaining texture, taste, and nutrition.

[0049] Furthermore, it eliminates the energy-saving challenges of rapid freezing methods and the problems of variations in frozen quality caused by differences in the thickness of the frozen food. It also suppresses the instability of supercooling and the growth of needle-shaped ice crystals after supercooling is released. Unlike microwave or electromagnetic field control, there is no concern about the reproducibility of the effect as with electromagnetic fields. Instead of micro-vibrations such as lateral shaking or ultrasound, it uses vertical impact vibrations utilizing gravity to finely crush ice crystals within cells with the most effective, stable, and uniform impact intensity, thereby reducing the amount of drip lost when frozen food is thawed and maintaining texture, taste, and nutrition. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0050] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view showing a mechanical shock vibration add-on at a lower position of a refrigeration apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view showing a mechanical shock vibration add-on at an upper position in a refrigeration apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This graph shows the relationship between the surface temperature of the object being cooled and the cooling operation according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4]This is a cross-sectional view showing a mechanical shock vibration add-on at a lower position of the refrigeration apparatus according to the second embodiment, and an external view showing the cam position as seen from direction A. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view showing a mechanical shock vibration add-on at an upper position in a refrigeration apparatus according to the second embodiment, and an external view showing the cam position as seen from direction A. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0051] The following describes specific embodiments of the method and apparatus for freezing fresh food ingredients according to the present invention, with reference to Figures 1 to 5. The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and modifications can be made as appropriate, as long as they do not contradict the spirit of the invention.

[0052] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the mechanical shock vibration adder 12 at a lower position 11 of the refrigeration apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the mechanical shock vibration adder 12 at an upper position 13 of the refrigeration apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment. Figure 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the change in surface temperature T of the object to be cooled 14 and the cooling operation according to the first embodiment.

[0053] First, the configuration of the refrigeration apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment will be described sequentially with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

[0054] The refrigeration processing apparatus 10 consists of a freezer body 16 having a freezer chamber 15 in the freezing temperature range, a refrigeration system 17, a circulation air passage 18 through which refrigerated cold air circulates, a mechanical shock vibration applicator 12 that applies shock vibration to a loading container 19 on which objects to be cooled 14 are loaded, and a control device 20.

[0055] The freezer body 16 consists of an insulated box 21 with an open front, an insulated door 23 that allows the opening 22 to be opened and closed, and a freezer compartment 15 which is the space formed by the insulated box 21 and the insulated door 23.

[0056] The refrigeration system 17 consists of a compressor 24, a condenser 25, an expansion valve 26, and an evaporator 27.

[0057] The circulating air passage 18 consists of an intake port 28 of the freezer chamber 15, a duct 29, an evaporator space 30 in which an evaporator 27 is installed, and an exhaust port 31. Cold air 33 is circulated by the operation of a refrigeration fan 32 installed at the exhaust port 31.

[0058] The mechanical shock vibration adder 12 applies vibration to the loading container 19 on which the object to be cooled 14 is placed. It consists of a fixed iron core 34, a coil 35 surrounding it, and a movable iron core 36. When the coil 35 receives a drive current from the control device 20, the fixed iron core 34 becomes magnetic, and the movable iron core 36 is driven by being attracted from the lower position 11 to the upper position 13.

[0059] Furthermore, a vibration table 38 with a fitting jig 37 for detachably mounting a loading container 19 is integrally fixed to the upper part of the movable iron core 36. As the movable iron core 36 is driven, the vibration table 38 and the loading container 19 work together to drive the object to be cooled 14.

[0060] Furthermore, the control device 20 consists of an internal temperature sensor 39 that detects the temperature inside the freezer compartment 17 of the freezer body 16 of the freezer processing device 10, a product temperature detection means 40 such as an infrared sensor that detects the surface temperature of the fresh food items 14 placed on the detachable loading container 19, and a predetermined timer 41. The control device 20 is configured to drive the mechanical shock vibration adder 12 via a signal obtained from the product temperature detection means 40 such as the infrared sensor that detects the surface temperature of the items 14 to be cooled.

[0061] The insulated door 23 of the freezer body 16 is connected to upper and lower hinges 42 that rotate to open and close the opening 22 of the insulated box body 21, and a soft gasket 43 is attached around the entire circumference of the insulated door 23 to block the flow of outside air into the freezer compartment 15 when the insulated door 23 is closed.

[0062] Furthermore, a speaker 44 is attached to the outer surface of the insulated door 23, which emits a predetermined cheerful rhythm or melody for a certain period of time in response to a signal from the control device 20. In addition, impact support 45 that absorbs shocks is provided around the vibration table 38.

[0063] Next, the operation of the refrigeration apparatus 10 with this configuration will be explained.

[0064] When the power cord (not shown) of the refrigeration processing device 10 is connected to the commercial power supply, the compressor 24 starts operating, and the refrigerant in the refrigeration system 17 is compressed in the compressor 24, becoming high temperature and high pressure, and moves to the condenser 25. The high temperature and high pressure refrigerant transported to the condenser 25 is cooled by the low temperature outside air, its temperature drops, and it liquefies. Next, as it passes through the expansion valve 26, the refrigerant vaporizes in the evaporator 27 as its pressure drops rapidly, absorbing heat of vaporization and cooling the evaporator 27. The refrigerant, now at a reduced pressure, returns to the compressor 24, is compressed again, becomes high temperature and high pressure, and circulates within the refrigeration system 17.

[0065] Next, heat exchange is performed by flowing circulating air through the evaporator space 30, which is in contact with the outer surface of the cooled evaporator 27. The circulating air is formed by the refrigeration fan 32, and when the refrigeration fan 32 is driven, it is blown out from the exhaust port 31 into the freezer chamber 15, diffused in the freezer chamber 15, enters the duct 29 from the intake port 28, undergoes heat exchange in the evaporator space 30 to become cold air, and forms a circulating air passage 18 that leads back to the refrigeration fan 32. In other words, heat is exchanged in the evaporator 27, and the circulating air is made into cold air 33 which is blown out into the freezer chamber 15, cooling the entire freezer chamber 15 and the items to be cooled 14 stored there as needed.

[0066] The temperature inside the freezer 15 is measured and controlled by the internal temperature sensor 39 and the control device 20. For example, as shown in the freezer internal temperature curve (a) in Figure 3, if the internal temperature is to be controlled to around -25°C, setting the temperature in the control device 20 to -25°C will allow the refrigeration system 17 and the refrigeration fan 32 to be automatically switched on / off when the internal temperature sensor 39 detects -25°C, thereby maintaining a stable temperature of -25°C.

[0067] Next, we will explain how to store the object to be cooled 14 in the freezing apparatus 10 and how to perform the freezing process.

[0068] First, it is confirmed that the inside of the freezer 15 is cooled, and the front insulated door 23 is rotated on the hinge 42 to open the opening 22. Next, the detachable loading container 19, which is temporarily fixed with the fitting jig 37, is removed from the vibration table 38, the object to be cooled 14 that requires freezing is loaded into the loading container 19, and the loading container 19 is fixed back to the vibration table 38 via the fitting jig 37. After that, the insulated door 23 is closed, and the vibration freezing process is started by pressing the vibration freezing switch (not shown) on the control device 20.

[0069] When the vibration refrigeration process is started, the surface temperature of the object to be cooled 14 is first detected by a temperature detection means 40 such as an infrared sensor. The object to be cooled 14 cools over time, approximating the surface temperature curve (b) of the object to be cooled 14 in Figure 3.

[0070] In other words, the object to be cooled 14 loaded in the loading container 19 is cooled relatively rapidly and its temperature drops due to the ambient temperature in the freezer chamber 15 and the cold air 33 blown out from the exhaust port 31 by the upper refrigeration fan 32.

[0071] Normally, freezing begins when the temperature drops below 0°C. However, in the case of fresh food products 14, the intracellular fluid contains components such as sugars, so freezing may not begin even after passing 0°C, and may not even freeze beyond the freezing point of the fluid. This phenomenon is called supercooling. Generally, supercooling is resolved by further cooling or some kind of stimulus, and the surface temperature rises rapidly to the freezing point around 0°C. If we call this point the supercooling resolution point (K), then simultaneously with the resolution of supercooling, the water in the food product 14 begins to freeze, and the heat of solidification is removed, resulting in a relatively constant temperature during that time. This temperature range is called the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range (C), and foods that pass through this temperature range for 30 minutes or less are classified as rapidly frozen foods by the Frozen Foods Industry Association.

[0072] Once the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range (c) is passed, the surface temperature of the object being cooled 14 decreases relatively rapidly to near the temperature of the freezer chamber 15. As it approaches the temperature of the freezer chamber 15, it stabilizes at an approximate temperature, allowing subsequent frozen storage (B) to continue.

[0073] If the vibration refrigeration process of the present invention has been started, when the surface temperature of the object to be cooled 14 approaches 0°C, the mechanical shock vibration adder 12 starts operating in response to a signal from the control device 20.

[0074] In other words, current flows through the coil 35 of the mechanical vibrator 12, generating magnetism in the fixed iron core 34. This causes the movable iron core 36, which was in the lower position 11, to be attracted upwards, and the movable iron core 36 moves to the upper position 13. The object to be cooled 14, along with the vibration table 38 and the loading container 19 which are integrated with the movable iron core 36, also moves from the lower position 11 to the upper position 13 accordingly.

[0075] Next, by stopping the current flowing through the coil 35, the magnetism of the fixed iron core 34 is eliminated, causing the movable iron core 36 to move and fall to the lower position 11 by its own weight. Similarly, the object to be cooled 14, along with the vibration table 38 and loading container 19 which are integrated with the movable iron core 36, also moves and falls from the upper position 13 to the lower position 11. Although not mentioned in the explanation, the falling movement can be made smoother by attaching springs or springs to assist in the downward movement.

[0076] When the vibration table 38 moves downward to position 11, the impact support 45 provided around the vibration table 38 collides with the lower base surface of the insulated box 21, and the vibration table 38 receives an average impact, which is then transmitted to the loading container 19 and the object to be cooled 14, which are integrated with the vibration table 38, as an impact in the direction of gravity.

[0077] By repeatedly switching the power supply to this coil 35 on and off, the vibration table 38 can be subjected to impact vibrations in the direction of gravity, and these vibrations are transmitted to the loading container 19 and the object to be cooled 14, which are integrated with the vibration table 38, as impact vibrations of vertical movement in the direction of gravity.

[0078] The operation to turn the power to the coil 35 on / off is controlled by the control device 20 in response to a signal from the infrared sensor's temperature detection means 40, and the control device 20 is set to continue operating the mechanical shock vibration adder 12 until the surface temperature of the object to be cooled 14 reaches approximately -10°C. In other words, the mechanical shock vibration adder time (C) is set to include the time (A) for passing through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range, as shown in Figure 3.

[0079] Furthermore, while the on / off cycle of the shock vibration can be freely set in the settings of the control device 20, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the cycle setting is limited to 60 to 600 times per minute.

[0080] Furthermore, the height difference between the lower position 11 and the upper position 13 can be set to 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less by controlling the current flowing through the coil 35.

[0081] In other words, by setting the period during which vibration is applied to a surface temperature of the object being cooled 14 from 0°C to -10°C, the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range of -1°C to -5°C is passed through during that time. This allows shock vibrations to be applied during the growth of ice crystals, and the growing needle-shaped ice crystals can be broken into fine ice crystal states by applying appropriate shock vibrations each time.

[0082] Ice during its growth phase is known to be extremely brittle and can shatter even with a small impact that does not affect the quality of fresh food. Therefore, uniform shock waves from above and below due to the object's own weight are very effective against the needle-shaped ice crystals that form during the growth process of a flattened object 14 being cooled.

[0083] Furthermore, the reason the shock vibration period was set to 600 times per minute or less is that at a finer vibration period, the relatively soft object being cooled 14, which is not yet frozen, acts as a buffer, preventing the shock wave from spreading sufficiently throughout the object and rendering the method ineffective.

[0084] Furthermore, the reason for setting the frequency to 60 times per minute or more is that, even with rapid cooling that freezes a 30mm thick object 14 in 30 minutes, the growth rate of ice crystals is 1mm per minute. Applying 60 vibrations per minute allows for the crushing of crystals to 0.02mm in size, and given the cell size of approximately 0.1mm in diameter, 60 impacts per minute is sufficient to stop cell destruction. Conversely, if the vibration frequency is less than 60 times per minute, the ice crystals will grow larger, and the effect of suppressing damage to the cell walls of fresh food ingredients will not be fully realized.

[0085] To determine the height of the drop impact from the upper position 13 to the lower position 11, the thickness of the object to be cooled 14 must be taken into consideration. Assuming that the object to be cooled 14 has an elasticity of about 1%, if the thickness of the object to be cooled 14 is 50 mm, a height of 1 mm or more is required. If the height is greater than 10 mm, damage to the object to be cooled 14 or a large amount of noise that cannot be adequately addressed by soundproofing materials may occur, so it is appropriate to limit the drop impact height to 10 mm or less.

[0086] Now, even a drop from 10mm would likely produce a considerable amount of impact and vibration noise, but some degree of soundproofing is possible by using soundproof walls and vibration-damping materials. Also, since the time spent passing through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range is thought to be less than an hour, during that time it would sound like cooking noises from freezing, and could be said to be not too bothersome.

[0087] However, to mask the high-pitched, monotonous impact vibrations, it is necessary to either generate a separate percussive sound with a rhythm that resonates with the impact vibrations, or play completely different, pleasant music to distract from the cooking noise. Therefore, while the impact vibrations are being added, playing lively and active rhythmic music through speaker 44 as an active noise control effect helps to create the impression that cooking is currently taking place, thus eliminating the annoyance.

[0088] Next, the refrigeration apparatus 50 of the second embodiment will be described sequentially with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Note that the same parts as those in the refrigeration apparatus 10 of the first embodiment will be omitted or described in a simplified manner.

[0089] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the mechanical shock vibration add-on 52 at a lower position 51 of the refrigeration apparatus 50 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, with a partial configuration diagram viewed from the (M) direction added. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the mechanical shock vibration add-on 52 at an upper position 53 of the refrigeration apparatus 50 according to the second embodiment, with a partial configuration diagram viewed from the (M) direction added.

[0090] The refrigeration apparatus 50 of the second embodiment consists of a freezer body 55 having a freezer chamber 54 in the freezing temperature range, a refrigeration system 56, a circulation air passage 57 through which refrigerated cold air circulates, a mechanical shock vibration applicator 52 that applies vibration to a loading container 59 on which objects to be cooled 58 are loaded, and a control device 60.

[0091] The freezer body 55, the refrigeration system 56, the circulating air passage 57, and the control device 60 have the same component configuration as the refrigeration processing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment, and their description is omitted.

[0092] The mechanical shock vibration adder 52 applies mechanical shock vibration to the loading container 59 on which the object to be cooled 58 is loaded. It consists of a gear motor 61 and a cam 63 fixed to the tip of a rotating shaft 62. The cam 63 rotates together with the rotating shaft 62, and the rotational speed of the gear motor 61 can be changed by inverter control.

[0093] The outer circumference of the cam 63 is in contact with a projection 64 on the loading container 59 that holds the object to be cooled 60, and the rotation of the cam 63 causes the projection 64 to move up and down. In other words, the cam 64 is roughly elliptical in shape, and the vertical distance of the projection 64 is determined by the difference between its long side and its short side.

[0094] The detachable loading container 59 is mounted on a vibrating base plate 65 located at the bottom of the freezer compartment 54. The support 66 of the vibrating base plate 65 and the bearing portion 67 of the loading container 59 are fitted together, and the protrusions 64 of the loading container 59 are fitted together with the cam 63 of the mechanical shock vibration adder 52.

[0095] Furthermore, when the refrigeration apparatus 50 is in the lower position 51, the impact ribs 68 located at the bottom of the loading container 59 are positioned to contact the impact elements 69 on the surface of the vibration base plate 65. In other words, with each vertical movement of the loading container 59, impact vibrations are transmitted to the object being cooled 58 from below due to the collision between the impact ribs 68 and the impact elements 69.

[0096] Next, the operation of the refrigeration apparatus 50 in this configuration will be explained.

[0097] Furthermore, the freezer body 55, the refrigeration system 56, the circulating air passage 57, and the control device 60 have the same component configuration as the refrigeration processing device 10 of the first embodiment, and their operation will not be explained.

[0098] This section describes how to store the object to be cooled 58 in the refrigeration apparatus 50 and the method of refrigeration processing.

[0099] First, confirm that the inside of the freezer 54 is cooled, then detach the bearing portion 67 and the projection 64 of the loading container 59, remove the detachable loading container 59 from the vibrating base plate 65, load the object to be cooled 58 that requires freezing into the loading container 59, and then reattach the loading container 59 to the vibrating base plate 65 via the support 66 and cam 63. After that, press the vibration freezing switch (not shown) on the control device 60 to start the vibration freezing process.

[0100] When the vibration refrigeration process is started, the object to be cooled 58 cools over time in a manner similar to the surface temperature curve (b) of the object to be cooled 58 in Figure 3, just as in the first embodiment.

[0101] In other words, the object to be cooled 58 loaded in the loading container 59 is cooled relatively rapidly and its temperature drops due to the ambient temperature in the freezer chamber 54 and the cold air blown out from above.

[0102] Normally, water begins to freeze below 0°C, but in the case of fresh food products (58), the intracellular fluid contains components such as sugars, so it may not begin to freeze even after passing 0°C, and may not freeze even after passing its freezing point. This phenomenon is called supercooling, but generally, supercooling is resolved by further cooling or some kind of stimulus, and the surface temperature rises rapidly to the freezing point around 0°C. If we call this point the supercooling resolution point (K), then simultaneously with the resolution of supercooling, the water in the food product (58) begins to freeze, and the heat of solidification is removed, so the temperature remains relatively constant during that time. This temperature range is called the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range (c), and foods that pass through this temperature range (A) in 30 minutes or less are considered rapidly frozen foods.

[0103] Once this maximum ice crystal formation temperature range (c) is passed, the surface temperature of the object being cooled 58 decreases relatively rapidly to the temperature of the freezer chamber 54. As it approaches the temperature of the freezer chamber 54, it stabilizes at approximately that temperature, allowing subsequent frozen storage (B) to continue.

[0104] If the vibration refrigeration process of the present invention has been started, the mechanical shock vibration adder 50 will start operating when the surface temperature of the object to be cooled 58 reaches approximately 0°C.

[0105] In other words, current flows through the gear motor 61 of the mechanical vibrator 52, causing the rotating shaft 62 to rotate and the cam 63 to rotate as the tip of the longitudinal cam 63 pushes up the projection 64. As a result, the loading container 59, which was in the lower position 51, moves to the upper position 53, and the object to be cooled 58 also moves from the lower position 51 to the upper position 53 accordingly.

[0106] Next, as the rotation of the rotating shaft 62 continues, the support that the projection 64 on the longitudinal side of the cam 63 provides is lost, and the projection 64 moves from the upper position 53 to the lower position 51, falling rapidly under its own weight due to gravity. Similarly, the loading container 59 and the object to be cooled 58, which are integrated with the projection 64, also move downward from the upper position 53 to the lower position 51.

[0107] Furthermore, when the loading container 59 falls to the lower position 51, the impact ribs 68 on the bottom surface of the loading container 59 hit the impact element 69 of the vibration base plate 65 and receive an impact, and this impact is transmitted evenly to the loading container 59 and the object to be cooled 58 as vertical vibration in the direction of gravity.

[0108] By continuously supplying current to the gear motor 61 of the mechanical vibration adder 52, the rotating shaft 62 is continuously rotated, and the cam 63 is continuously rotated, thereby applying vertical vibration to the loading container 59, which is also transmitted to the object to be cooled 58 loaded in the loading container 59 as an impact vibration of vertical movement in the direction of gravity.

[0109] The operation of energizing the gear motor 61 of the mechanical vibration add-on 52 is set by the control device 60 in response to a signal from the infrared sensor's temperature detection means 40, so that the mechanical shock vibration add-on 52 continues to operate until the surface temperature of the object to be cooled 58 reaches approximately -10°C. In other words, the mechanical shock vibration application time (C) is set to include the time (A) spent in the maximum ice crystal formation temperature zone, as shown in Figure 3.

[0110] Furthermore, the control device 60 allows for the rotation speed of the gear motor 61 of the mechanical vibration adder 52 to be freely set by inverter control of the gear motor 61. In the second embodiment of the present invention, the rotation speed is set to a period of between 60 and 600 rotations per minute.

[0111] Furthermore, the height difference between the lower position 51 and the upper position 53 can be set by the difference between the long side dimension and the short side dimension of the cam 63, and by changing the shape of the cam 63, it can be set to be between 1 mm and 10 mm.

[0112] In other words, by setting the period during which vibration is applied to the surface temperature of the object being cooled 58 from 0°C to -10°C, the object passes through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range of -1°C to -5°C during that time. This allows for the application of shock vibrations during ice growth, and the growing needle-shaped ice crystals can be broken into fine ice crystal states by applying appropriate shock vibrations each time.

[0113] Ice during its growth phase is known to be extremely brittle and can shatter even with a small impact that does not affect the quality of fresh food. Therefore, uniform shock waves from above and below, utilizing gravity to control the growth of ice crystals in a flat-placed object 58, are very effective.

[0114] Furthermore, the reasons for setting the number of impact vibrations to 600 or less per minute, and 60 or more per minute, are the same as those described in the first embodiment, and the reasons for setting the height of the drop impact from the upper position 53 to the lower position 51 from 1 mm or more to 10 mm or less are also the same as those described in the first embodiment, so we will omit the explanation.

[0115] In the second embodiment of the invention, the loading container 59 is structured to be raised and lowered on one side at the rear. However, the effective height of the impact vibration is about 2mm to 3mm, and due to structural and cost challenges, the example uses a lifting impact vibration on one side. It is thought that a structure on both sides would be more effective and have higher reproducibility, so this does not limit the method to lifting on one side.

[0116] Furthermore, in the configurations of the first and second inventions, the surface temperature of the objects to be cooled 14 and 58 is detected using a temperature detection means 40 such as an infrared sensor. When the surface temperature of the objects to be cooled 14 and 58 approaches 0°C, the mechanical shock vibration adders 12 and 52 are activated by a signal from the control devices 20 and 60. The mechanical shock vibration adders 12 and 52 are set to continue operating until the surface temperature of the objects to be cooled 14 and 58 approaches -10°C.

[0117] In other words, the mechanical shock vibration application time (C) is set to include the time (A) for passing through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range, as shown in Figure 3. Even without measuring the surface temperature with the product temperature detection means 40, if the time for passing through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range can be predicted from past experience, it is possible to set the operating time of the mechanical shock vibration adders 12 and 52 to a slightly longer time using the timer 41 and turn them on / off using signals from the control devices 20 and 60. In that case, the product temperature detection means 40, such as an infrared sensor, becomes unnecessary, but there will be unnecessary movement of the mechanical shock vibration adders 12 and 52 around the time they pass through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range. [Examples]

[0118] Next, a simple prototype of a mechanical shock vibration adder 52 similar to the second embodiment was fabricated, and the difference in drip with and without shock vibration was evaluated by freezing the product in a household refrigerator.

[0119] Specifically, a battery-powered gear motor rotating at 180 revolutions per minute was attached to the loading container, designed so that the height difference between the lower and upper positions was 1 mm, and installed so that mechanical shock vibrations in the direction of gravity were applied to the loading container. Thus, mechanical shock vibrations were continuously applied with a period of 180 times per minute, and the loading container was a transparent resin container with a lid, measuring 50 mm x 50 mm x 30 mm in height.

[0120] For the cooling sample loaded into the loading container, we used a konjac sample measuring 25mm x 30mm x 40mm and weighing approximately 30g. This was based on past experience that konjac is the most reproducible and suitable material for evaluating the amount of drip loss as a fresh food ingredient.

[0121] The temperature of a household freezer is approximately -20°C. Konjac was placed in a container equipped with a mechanical shock and vibration device, and with the battery-powered motor running (i.e., with mechanical shock and vibration applied), it was placed in the freezer for 4 hours to confirm that the konjac was frozen. Next, it was left at room temperature for 4 hours to thaw.

[0122] For the control group, using the same container and test samples, and without subjecting them to shock or vibration, the amount of drip was compared and evaluated after 4 hours of freezing and 4 hours of thawing at room temperature, all placed in the same freezer. The same evaluation experiment was repeated 5 times with different test samples.

[0123] As a result, the average drip rate in the shock vibration-treated group was 30% (39%, 27%, 27%, 30%, 26%), while the average drip rate in the control group without shock vibration was 40% (51%, 41%, 31%, 36%, 34%). In all five simultaneous comparisons, the group with shock vibration showed a significant advantage in drip rate, confirming the clear effect of shock vibration.

[0124] This evaluation result assumes an impact vibration frequency of 180 times per minute, but the height difference between the lower and upper positions is 1 mm. This evaluation is at a level where impact vibration in the direction of gravity is relatively weak, and it can be concluded that increasing the height would further enhance the effect of suppressing drip volume.

[0125] Furthermore, while this example involved evaluation using a household refrigerator / freezer and a comparative evaluation of a slow freezing method where the device was simply placed in the -20°C freezer compartment, there is also the possibility of synergistic effects when using rapid freezing methods, such as those utilizing supercooling, or when combined with cooling methods using electromagnetic fields, microwaves, or ultrasound. Therefore, the method is not limited to slow freezing. [Industrial applicability]

[0126] This device, equipped with a freezing function, a function to apply appropriate mechanical shock vibrations, and a function to detect the temperature of the food being frozen, aims to preserve the texture, taste, and nutritional value of fresh food by continuously applying predetermined mechanical shock vibrations in the direction of gravity at a predetermined period during the process of passing through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range during cooling and freezing. This breaks down the growth of needle-shaped ice crystals each time, suppressing cell damage caused by needle-shaped ice crystals, thereby reducing the amount of drip lost during thawing.

[0127] This invention can be used as a new product for household, commercial, and industrial refrigerators and freezers, with a mechanical shock and vibration add-on installed inside the freezer, or it can be commercialized as an externally mounted mechanical shock and vibration add-on for existing freezers. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0128] 10, 50...Freezing treatment device, 11, 51...Lower position, 12...Mechanical shock vibration adder, 13, 53...Upper position, 14, 58...Item to be cooled, 15, 54...Freezing chamber, 16, 55...Freezer body, 17, 56...Freezing system, 18, 57...Circulating air passage, 19, 59...Loading container, 20, 60...Control device, 21...Insulated box, 22...Open section, 23...Insulated door, 24...Compressor, 25...Condenser, 26...Expansion valve, 27...Evaporator, 28...Intake port, 29...Duct, 30...Evaporation space, 31...Discharge port 32...Refrigeration fan, 33...Cold air, 34...Fixed iron core, 35...Coil, 36...Movable iron core, 37...Fixed jig, 38...Vibration table, 39...Temperature sensor, 40...Product temperature detection means, 41...Timer, 42...Hinge, 43...Gasket, 44...Speaker, 45...Impact support, 52...Mechanical impact vibration add-on, 61...Gear motor, 62...Rotating shaft, 63...Cam, 64...Protrusion, 65...Vibration base plate, 66...Support, 67...Bearing part, 68...Impact rib, 69...Impact element 69.

Claims

1. A method for freezing fresh food ingredients, characterized in that, when cooling a fresh food ingredient to be cooled to pass through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range and then freezing and storing it at a temperature below the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range, the cooling and freezing process is performed by continuously applying mechanical shock vibrations at a predetermined period, lifting the food ingredient to be cooled to a predetermined height and lowering it using the force of gravity, only during the process in which the food ingredient to be cooled is maintained at a temperature including the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range.

2. The method for freezing fresh food according to claim 1, characterized in that the object to be cooled, which is fresh food, is lifted to a predetermined height and the mechanical shock vibration is applied to lower it by the force of gravity, continuously at a frequency of 60 times or more per minute and 600 times or less per minute.

3. The method for freezing fresh food according to claim 1 and claim 2, characterized in that the object to be cooled, which is fresh food, is lifted to a predetermined height and lowered by the force of gravity acceleration, and the predetermined height of the mechanical shock vibration is set to 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less, thereby performing the cooling and freezing treatment.

4. A method for freezing fresh food, characterized in that, when cooling a fresh food item to be cooled to pass through the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range and freezing it at a temperature below the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range, the freezing process is carried out by continuously applying a mechanical shock vibration at a predetermined period, while playing a predetermined pleasant rhythm or melody, to lift the food item to be cooled to a predetermined height and lower it with the acceleration of gravity, only during the process in which the food item to be cooled is maintained at a temperature including the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range.

5. A fresh food freezing apparatus comprising: a removable loading container on which fresh food to be cooled is loaded; a freezer having a freezing function in which the loading container is housed and cooled by cold air from a cooler; an impact vibration applicator having the function of lifting the removable loading container on which the food to be cooled is loaded to a predetermined height and lowering it with the force of gravitational acceleration to apply mechanical impact vibration in the direction of gravity; and a product temperature detection means having the function of detecting the approximate temperature of the food to be cooled from the surface temperature of the food to be cooled, wherein, during cooling by the freezing function, the device detects from the approximate temperature that the water in the cells of the fresh food to be cooled has begun to freeze and has passed the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range in which ice crystals grow, and drives the mechanical impact vibration applicator to continuously apply a predetermined mechanical impact vibration in the direction of gravity at a cycle of 60 times or more and 600 times or less per minute only during that period.

6. The fresh food freezing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the mechanical shock vibration applicator, which applies a predetermined mechanical shock vibration in the direction of gravity, has the function of lifting the device to a predetermined height of 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less and then lowering it with the acceleration due to gravity.

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