Insect degreasing press and insect degreasing method

Abstract

This invention provides an insect degreasing press and an insect degreasing method suitable for degreasing insect materials. [Solution] An insect degreasing press 2 according to one embodiment includes a cylindrical holder 7 with its axial direction in the vertical direction into which insect material is fed, a bottom filter capable of covering the opening on the lower side of the holder 7, and a hydraulic cylinder 3 that presses the insect material toward the bottom filter within the holder 7. The bottom filter includes a plurality of round bars arranged horizontally so as to be in line contact with each other. When the insect material is pressed by the hydraulic cylinder 3, only the fat extracted from the insect material is discharged through the minute gaps between the round bars of the bottom filter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an insect degreasing press and an insect degreasing method.

Background Art

[0002] As a countermeasure against the food crisis as the world population increases, the aquaculture industry is expected to increase in the future. In the aquaculture industry, fish meal may be used as feed, but since fish meal is a natural product, there are concerns about supply instability and price hikes. From this perspective, the use of insects as an alternative protein to fish meal has begun to attract attention.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When using insects as feed in marine aquaculture, insect powder obtained by crushing insects may be used. To use insect powder as feed, it is necessary to degrease the insect powder or the insect material itself before crushing. To degrease the insect material, it is conceivable to press the insect material at high pressure using a hydraulic cylinder.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 does not relate to the degreasing of insect materials, but discloses an extractor for extracting active ingredients from solid materials using an extractant. The extractor includes a cylindrical column having an axial direction in the vertical direction, a bottom perforated plate covering the opening on the lower side of the column, and an upper perforated plate that moves in the vertical direction while rotating within the column.

[0006] The bottom perforated plate has perforations with a diameter of 0.5 mm to 10 mm for the extraction liquid to pass through. The top perforated plate has projections for crushing or grinding solid material and perforations with a diameter of 0.5 mm to 20 mm for the extraction liquid containing the active ingredients extracted from the solid material to pass through.

[0007] When pressing insect material with a hydraulic cylinder, if a perforating plate is used, as in the extraction device described in Patent Document 1, the insect material will leak out through the perforations in the perforating plate, making it impossible to use a perforating plate.

[0008] Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide an insect degreasing press and an insect degreasing method suitable for degreasing insect materials. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] This disclosure provides an insect degreasing press comprising, from one side, a cylindrical holder oriented axially in the vertical direction into which insect material is fed; a bottom filter capable of covering the lower opening of the holder; and a hydraulic cylinder for pressing the insect material toward the bottom filter within the holder, wherein the bottom filter includes a plurality of round bars arranged horizontally so as to be in line contact with each other.

[0010] This disclosure provides an insect degreasing method, which involves pressing insect material toward a bottom filter comprising a plurality of round bars arranged horizontally so as to be in line contact with each other. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] This disclosure provides an insect degreasing press and an insect degreasing method suitable for degreasing insect materials. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a side view of an insect degreasing press according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a front cross-sectional view of the main part of the insect degreasing compressor, showing the state in which insect material has been placed inside the holder. [Figure 3]This is a perspective view of the top filter, side filter, and bottom filter. [Figure 4] These are cross-sectional views of the top filter, side filter, and bottom filter. [Figure 5] This is a front cross-sectional view of the main part of the insect degreasing compressor, showing the state in which the insect material is pressed inside the holder by the extension of the hydraulic cylinder. [Figure 6] This is a front cross-sectional view of the main part of the insect degreasing compressor, showing the hydraulic cylinder in a shortened state. [Figure 7] This is a front cross-sectional view of the main part of the insect degreasing compressor, showing the holder in the raised position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Figure 1 shows an insect degreasing press 1 according to one embodiment. The insect degreasing press 1 includes a frame 2 that forms a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, a holder 7 positioned inside the frame 2, and a hydraulic cylinder 3 and a lifting mechanism 4 attached to the frame 2.

[0014] Frame 2 includes a base substructure 21, an upper structure 23 that serves as a ceiling located above the substructure 21, and a number of support columns 22 interposed between the substructure 21 and the upper structure 23. The hydraulic cylinder 3 is attached to the upper structure 23 by bolts and nuts so as to extend downward and shorten upward.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the holder 7 has a cylindrical shape with its axis oriented vertically, and the insect material 11 is placed inside the holder 7. The insect material 11 may be insect powder obtained by crushing insects, or it may be the insects themselves before crushing. In this embodiment, the insect material 11 is placed inside the holder 7 wrapped in cloth 12.

[0016] The squeezing machine 1 for defatting insects also includes a bottom filter 8 that can cover the opening on the lower side of the holder 7. The hydraulic cylinder 3 described above presses the insect material 11 toward the bottom filter 8 within the holder 7. In this embodiment, an upper surface filter 9 is attached to the tip surface of the rod 31 of the hydraulic cylinder 3. For example, the bottom filter 8 and the upper surface filter 9 are made of metal.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the hydraulic cylinder 3 includes a cylinder tube 32 having an axial direction in the vertical direction with both ends closed by covers, a piston that partitions the inside of the cylinder tube 32 into a lower rod side chamber and an upper head side chamber, and a rod 31 that penetrates the lower cover from the piston.

[0018] For example, the rod side chamber and the head side chamber of the hydraulic cylinder 3 are connected to a two-way pump so as to form a closed circuit. The two-way pump is driven by, for example, a servo motor, and the hydraulic cylinder 3 extends or contracts by switching the rotation direction of the two-way pump.

[0019] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the holder 7 includes a side filter 7A that constitutes the inner peripheral surface of the holder 7 and a holder body 7B that surrounds the side filter 7A from the radially outer side. For example, the side filter 7A and the holder body 7B are made of metal.

[0020] The length of the holder body 7B is longer than the length of the side filter 7A, and the holder body 7B projects downward from the side filter 7A. The side filter 7A is fixed to the holder body 7B by bolts 75 that are screwed into screw holes provided on the upper surface of the holder body 7B.

[0021] The lifting machine 4 described above lifts and lowers the holder 7 between the press position shown in FIG. 2 and the take-out position shown in FIG. 7. In this embodiment, the holder 7 is attached to a horizontal lifting plate 51. While a circular center hole is provided in the lifting plate 51, a notch is provided at the peripheral edge of the upper end surface of the holder body 7B, and the peripheral edge of the center hole in the lifting plate 51 engages with the notch.

[0022] The four corners of the lifting plate 51 are passed through four shafts 52 that rise from the lower structure 21 of the frame 2. The lifting plate 51 slides vertically along the shafts 52. A compression coil spring 53 is also positioned on each shaft 52 to bias the lifting plate 51 upward. The compression coil spring 53 functions as a cushion when the holder 7 is lowered.

[0023] In this embodiment, the elevator 4 raises and lowers the holder 7 via the lifting plate 51 by winding and unwinding the wire 42 using a winch 41. The frame 2 is fitted with the winch 41 and a pulley 43 through which the wire 42 is stretched. A hook 44 is provided at the end of the wire 42, and the hook 44 engages with an eyebolt 54 attached to the lifting plate 51.

[0024] A holder support 61 is attached to the lower structure 21 of frame 2, which receives the holder 7 when it descends. In other words, the pressing position described above is the position where the holder 7 is received by the holder support 61.

[0025] The holder receiver 61 includes a flange portion 61b that abuts against the lower end surface of the holder body 7B and a protrusion 61a that fits into the interior of the lower part of the holder body 7B. A thick, disc-shaped block 63 is placed on the protrusion 61a of the holder receiver 61, and the thin, disc-shaped bottom filter 8 described above is placed on the block 63.

[0026] The diameter of the bottom filter 8 is set to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the lower end of the side filter 7A, so that in the pressed position, the bottom filter 8 fits inside the lower end of the side filter 7A. In other words, in the pressed position, the lower opening of the holder 7 is covered by the bottom filter 8. On the other hand, the diameter of the block 63 is about the same as the outer diameter of the lower end of the side filter 7A.

[0027] Block 63 has a central hole, and is fixed to the holder receiver 61 by bolts 67 placed inside the central hole. A cover 66 is also positioned above the bolts 67 inside the central hole of block 63.

[0028] As described above, when the insect material 11 is pressed by the hydraulic cylinder 3, the fat extracted from the insect material 11 is discharged through the bottom filter 8. The block 63 is provided with a plurality of pores 65 extending from the top surface of the block 63 to a position about half the height of the block 63, and a plurality of openings 64 extending from the aforementioned height position to the bottom surface of the block 63, each communicating with some of the plurality of pores 65.

[0029] Furthermore, the upper surface of the protrusion 61a of the holder receiver 61 is provided with a plurality of grooves, each communicating with some of the plurality of openings 64. In addition, the holder receiver 61 is provided with a plurality of flow channels 62 extending from the plurality of grooves to the outer circumferential surface of the flange portion 61b.

[0030] The grease discharged through the bottom filter 8 is discharged through the pores 65 and openings 64 of the block 63, as well as the grooves and flow paths 62 of the holder receiver 61.

[0031] Next, the structures of the top filter 9, side filter 7A, and bottom filter 8 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 3 and 4.

[0032] The side filter 7A is cylindrical with its axial direction in the vertical direction. More specifically, the side filter 7A includes a plurality of round bars 71 arranged circumferentially so as to be in contact with each other, an upper ring 72 to which the upper ends of the round bars 71 are fixed, and a lower ring 74 to which the lower ends of the round bars 71 are fixed.

[0033] The upper ring 72 is a horizontally flat annular plate. The outer diameter of the upper ring 72 is set to be larger than the diameter of the circle that circumscribes all the round bars 71. Multiple recesses 73 for engagement with the bolts 75 described above are formed on the outer edge of the upper ring 72.

[0034] A notch for engagement with the round bar 71 is formed on the inner peripheral edge of the lower surface of the upper ring 72. In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the upper ring 72 is set to be larger than the diameter of the circle inscribed in all the round bars 71, but the inner diameter of the upper ring 72 may be equal to the diameter of the circle inscribed in all the round bars 71. Furthermore, the inner diameter of the upper ring 72 may be smaller than the diameter of the circle inscribed in all the round bars 71, as long as it is larger than the diameter of the upper filter 9.

[0035] In this embodiment, the lower ring 74 has an L-shaped cross-section and contacts the lower end surfaces of all the round bars 71 and also contacts the lower ends of all the round bars 71 from the radially inward side.

[0036] The top filter 9 includes a plurality of round bars 91 arranged horizontally so as to be in line contact with each other, and a ring 92 to which the round bars 91 are fixed. The ring 92 is a horizontally flat annular plate. The outer diameter of the ring 92 is set to be slightly smaller than the diameter of the circle that is inscribed in all the round bars 71 of the side filter 7A.

[0037] Each round bar 91 has a length approximately equal to the length of the dividing lines obtained when the circle defined by the contour of the ring 92 is divided at a pitch equal to the diameter of the round bar 91. In other words, the length of the central round bar 91, which is located in the center of the round bars 91, is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the ring 92, and the lengths of the other round bars 91 decrease as they move away from the central round bar 91.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, notches equal to the thickness of the ring 92 are formed along the entire length of the outermost round bar 91, and at both ends of the other round bars 91, and the ring 92 engages with these notches. As a result, the upper surface of the ring 92 and the vertices of all the round bars 91 lie on the same plane.

[0039] The bottom filter 8 includes a plurality of round bars 81 arranged horizontally so as to be in line contact with each other, a ring 82 to which the round bars 81 are fixed, and a support plate 83 that supports the ring 82. The ring 82 is a horizontally flat annular plate, and the support plate 83 is a horizontally flat disc. The outer diameter of the ring 82 and the diameter of the support plate 83 are equal to each other and are set to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the lower ring 74 of the side filter 7A.

[0040] Each round bar 81 has a length approximately equal to the length of the dividing lines when the support plate 83 is divided at a pitch equal to the diameter of the round bars 81. In other words, the length of the central round bar 81, which is located in the center of the round bars 81, is approximately equal to the diameter of the support plate 83, and the lengths of the other round bars 81 decrease as they move away from the central round bar 81.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, notches equal to the thickness of the ring 82 are formed along the entire length of the outermost round bar 81, and at both ends of the other round bars 81, and the ring 82 engages with these notches. As a result, the upper surface of the ring 82 and the vertices of all the round bars 81 lie on the same plane.

[0042] The support plate 83 is provided with through holes 84 for further draining the grease that is discharged through the minute gaps between the round bars 81 downwards. In other words, there is at least one through hole 84 between adjacent round bars 81.

[0043] Next, the operation of the insect degreasing press 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 2, 5, 6, and 7.

[0044] First, as shown in Figure 2, the rod 31 rises due to the shortening of the hydraulic cylinder 3, and the holder 7 is lowered to the pressing position by the elevator 4, at which point the insect material 11 wrapped in cloth 12 is placed into the holder 7.

[0045] Next, as shown in Figure 5, the hydraulic cylinder 3 is extended to lower the rod 31 and press the insect material 11 while it is wrapped in the cloth 12. This extracts the fat from the insect material 11, and the extracted fat is discharged through the bottom filter 8, the side filter 7A, and the top filter 9. More specifically, in the bottom filter 8, the fat is discharged through the tiny gaps between the round bars 81 that are in line contact with each other and through the holes 84 in the support plate 83. In the side filter 7A, the fat is discharged through the tiny gaps between the round bars 71 that are in line contact with each other, and in the top filter 9, the fat is discharged through the tiny gaps between the round bars 91 that are in line contact with each other.

[0046] As described above, the grease discharged through the bottom filter 8 flows into the flow path 62 of the holder receiver 61 through the pores 65 and openings 64 of the block 63. The grease discharged through the side filter 7A flows into the flow path 62 of the holder receiver 61 through the substantially triangular space formed between adjacent round bars 71 and the inner circumferential surface of the holder body 7B, the gap between the outer circumferential surface of the block 63 and the holder body 7B, and the groove formed on the upper surface of the protrusion 61a of the holder receiver 61. The grease discharged through the top filter 9 flows from the substantially triangular space formed between adjacent round bars 91 of the top filter 9 and the tip surface of the rod 31 into the substantially triangular space formed between adjacent round bars 71 of the side filter 7A and the inner circumferential surface of the holder body 7B, and then flows into the flow path 62 of the holder receiver 61 in the same way as the grease discharged through the side filter 7A.

[0047] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 6, the hydraulic cylinder 3 is shortened to raise the rod 31, and finally, as shown in Figure 7, the holder 7 is raised to the removal position by the elevator 4. At the removal position, the lower end of the holder 7 is positioned above the bottom filter 8. Therefore, the degreased insect material 11 remaining on the bottom filter 8 can be removed sideways.

[0048] As described above, in the insect degreasing press 1 of this embodiment, the bottom filter 8 includes round bars 81 that are in line contact with each other. Therefore, when the insect material 11 is pressed by the hydraulic cylinder 3, only the fat extracted from the insect material 11 is discharged through the minute gaps between the round bars 81 of the bottom filter 8. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the discharge of the insect material 11 through the bottom filter 8, and all of the degreasing insect material 11 can be obtained without waste.

[0049] Incidentally, when wrapping the insect material 11 with cloth 12, it is possible to use a perforated plate instead of the bottom filter 8, but there is a risk that the cloth 12 will tear as it is pushed into each perforation during pressing. In contrast, if a bottom filter 8 including round bars 81 that are in line contact with each other is used, tearing of the cloth 12 can be prevented.

[0050] <Variation> This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of this disclosure.

[0051] For example, the insect material 11 does not necessarily have to be placed into the holder 7 wrapped in cloth 12; the insect material 11 may be placed directly into the holder 7.

[0052] Furthermore, the configuration of the elevator 4 can be modified as appropriate. For example, the elevator 4 may include a hydraulic cylinder interposed between the lower structure 21 and the lifting plate 51.

[0053] Furthermore, the top filter 9 may be omitted, and the tip surface of the rod 31 of the hydraulic cylinder 3 may directly press the cloth 12 that wraps the insect powder 11 or insect material 11. In this case, the side filter 7A may also be omitted, and the holder 7 may consist only of the holder body 7B. However, if the side filter 7A and the top filter 9 are used as in the above embodiment, the fat extracted from the insect material is discharged not only through the bottom filter but also through the side filter and the top filter, thus enabling efficient degreasing with a high degreasing rate.

[0054] Furthermore, as in this embodiment, if the side filter 7A includes round bars 71 that are in line contact with each other, and the top filter 9 includes round bars 91 that are in line contact with each other, it is possible to prevent the discharge of insect material 11 through the side filter 7A and the top filter 9. Moreover, the roughly triangular space in cross-section formed between adjacent round bars 71 of the side filter 7A and the holder body 7B, and the roughly triangular space in cross-section formed between adjacent round bars 91 of the top filter 9 and the rod 31 can be used as a flow path.

[0055] <Summary> In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides an insect degreasing press comprising, from one side, a cylindrical holder oriented axially in the vertical direction into which insect material is fed; a bottom filter capable of covering the lower opening of the holder; and a hydraulic cylinder for pressing the insect material toward the bottom filter within the holder, wherein the bottom filter includes a plurality of round bars arranged horizontally so as to be in line contact with each other.

[0056] With the above configuration, when the insect material is pressed by the hydraulic cylinder, only the fat extracted from the insect material is discharged through the tiny gaps between the round bars of the bottom filter. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the discharge of insect material through the bottom filter, and all of the degreased insect material can be obtained without waste.

[0057] In a second embodiment, the insect material may be placed in the holder wrapped in cloth, as in the first embodiment. When the insect material is wrapped in cloth, a perforated plate can be used instead of a bottom filter, but the cloth may tear as it is pushed into each perforation during pressing. In contrast, if a bottom filter including round bars that are in line contact with each other is used, tearing of the cloth can be prevented.

[0058] In a third embodiment, in the first or second embodiment, the holder includes a side filter constituting the inner circumferential surface of the holder and a holder body surrounding the side filter, and a top filter may be attached to the tip surface of the rod of the hydraulic cylinder. With this configuration, the fat extracted from the insect material is discharged not only through the bottom filter but also through the side filter and the top filter, enabling efficient degreasing with a high degreasing rate.

[0059] In a fourth embodiment, in the third embodiment, the side filter may include a plurality of round bars arranged circumferentially so as to be in line contact with each other, and the top filter may include a plurality of round bars arranged horizontally so as to be in line contact with each other. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the discharge of insect material through the side filter and the top filter. Moreover, the space with a substantially triangular cross-section formed between adjacent round bars of the side filter and the top filter and other members can be used as a flow path.

[0060] In a fifth embodiment, in any of the first to fourth embodiments, the insect degreasing press may further include a lifting mechanism that moves the holder up and down between a pressing position where the lower opening of the holder is covered by the bottom filter and a removal position where the lower end of the holder is located above the bottom filter. With this configuration, by raising the holder to the removal position using the lifting mechanism, the degreased insect material remaining on the bottom filter can be removed sideways.

[0061] In a sixth aspect, the disclosure provides an insect degreasing method comprising pressing insect material toward a bottom filter comprising a plurality of round bars arranged horizontally so as to be in line contact with each other.

[0062] With the above configuration, when the insect material is pressed, only the fat extracted from the insect material is discharged through the tiny gaps between the round bars of the bottom filter. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the discharge of insect material through the bottom filter, and all of the degreased insect material can be obtained without waste.

[0063] In a seventh embodiment, the insect material may be pressed while wrapped in cloth, as in the sixth embodiment. When the insect material is wrapped in cloth, a perforated plate can be used instead of a bottom filter, but the cloth may tear as it is pushed into each perforation during pressing. In contrast, if a bottom filter including round bars that are in line contact with each other is used, tearing of the cloth can be prevented. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0064] 1. Insect degreasing press 11 Insect material 12 Cloth 3 Hydraulic Cylinder 31 Rods 4 Elevators 7 holders 7A Side Filter 7B Holder body 71 round bar 8. Bottom filter 81 round bar 9. Top filter 91 round bar

Claims

1. A cylindrical holder with its axial direction being vertical, into which insect material is inserted, A bottom filter capable of covering the lower opening of the holder, The holder comprises a hydraulic cylinder for pressing the insect material toward the bottom filter, The bottom filter includes a plurality of round bars arranged horizontally so as to be in line contact with each other, in an insect degreasing press.

2. The insect degreasing press according to claim 1, wherein the insect material is placed into the holder while wrapped in cloth.

3. The holder includes a side filter that constitutes the inner circumferential surface of the holder and a holder body that surrounds the side filter. The insect degreasing press according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an upper filter is attached to the tip surface of the rod of the hydraulic cylinder.

4. The side filter includes a plurality of round bars arranged circumferentially so as to be in line contact with each other, The insect degreasing press according to claim 3, wherein the top filter includes a plurality of round bars arranged horizontally so as to be in line contact with each other.

5. The insect degreasing press according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a lifting mechanism that moves the holder up and down between a pressing position in which the lower opening of the holder is covered by the bottom filter and a removal position in which the lower end of the holder is located above the bottom filter.

6. An insect degreasing method that involves pressing insect material towards a bottom filter containing multiple round bars arranged horizontally so as to be in line contact with each other.

7. The insect degreasing method according to claim 6, wherein the insect material is pressed while wrapped in cloth.

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