Flyer

Abstract

To provide a fryer which is provided with an oil tank for storing oil for deep frying, an oil filtering mechanism for filtering the oil to remove impurities from the oil, and a pump for sending the oil from the oil tank to the oil filtering mechanism, and which can prevent oil leakage and suppress reduction of oil in the oil tank without taking any measures when the pump stops abnormally while filtering the oil while circulating it. [Solution] The fryer 1 includes an oil tank 2, an oil filtering mechanism 3 for filtering the oil to remove impurities from the oil, and a pump 4 for sending the oil from the oil tank 2 to the oil filtering mechanism 3. The oil filtering mechanism 3 includes a filtering container 8 for storing the oil therein. The filtering container 8 is located above the oil level L in the oil tank 2, and the filtered oil flows from the filtering container 8 to the oil tank 2 by gravity. At least a portion of the pump 4 is located above the oil level L in the oil tank 2.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a fryer for deep-frying food by placing ingredients in oil. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, fryers having a storage tank that stores oil for frying food ingredients are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The fryer described in Patent Document 1 includes a centrifuge for filtering the oil to remove impurities from the oil, an oil tank that collects the oil separated by the centrifuge, and a pump for returning the oil in the oil tank to the storage tank. The centrifuge, oil tank, and pump are arranged in the path of an oil circulation pipe that connects an oil discharge port formed at the bottom of the storage tank with an oil return port formed above the oil level in the storage tank. A solenoid valve is arranged in the path of the oil circulation pipe between the discharge port and the centrifuge.

[0003] In the fryer described in Patent Document 1, the centrifuge and pump are located below the storage tank. The oil tank is located below the centrifuge. Oil flows from the storage tank to the centrifuge by gravity, and oil flows from the centrifuge to the oil tank by gravity. In the fryer described in Patent Document 1, when deep-frying is temporarily stopped or after deep-frying is completed, the solenoid valve is opened to allow oil to flow into the centrifuge and filter the oil, and the filtered oil is stored in the oil tank and the pump is driven to return the oil stored in the oil tank to the storage tank. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-167348 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the fryer described in Patent Document 1, if the pump malfunctions and stops abnormally for some reason while the solenoid valve is open and the pump is driven to circulate and filter the oil, there is a risk that the oil will accumulate in the oil tank and overflow and leak from the oil tank unless the solenoid valve is quickly closed. Also, in the fryer described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to filter the oil while circulating it by opening the solenoid valve and driving the pump even during deep-frying, but when filtering the oil while circulating it during deep-frying, there is a risk that the oil in the storage tank will decrease and deep-frying will not be able to continue if the solenoid valve is not quickly closed when the pump stops abnormally.

[0006] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a fryer that includes an oil tank for storing oil for deep-frying, an oil filtering mechanism for filtering the oil to remove impurities, and a pump for sending the oil from the oil tank to the oil filtering mechanism, and that can prevent oil leakage and suppress the loss of oil in the oil tank without taking any measures if the pump abnormally stops while the oil is being filtered while circulating. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the fryer of the present invention comprises an oil tank for storing oil for deep-frying, an oil filtering mechanism for filtering the oil to remove impurities from the oil, and a pump for sending the oil from the oil tank to the oil filtering mechanism, the oil filtering mechanism comprising a filtering container for storing the oil therein, the filtering container being positioned above the oil level in the oil tank, the filtered oil flowing from the filtering container to the oil tank by gravity, and at least a portion of the pump being positioned above the oil level in the oil tank.

[0008] In the fryer of the present invention, the filter container of the oil filtration mechanism is located above the oil level in the oil vat, and at least a portion of the pump is located above the oil level in the oil vat. Therefore, in the case where the pump stops abnormally while circulating oil and filtering, no special measures are required. This prevents oil leakage from the filter container and the pump and prevents the loss of oil in the oil vat. Furthermore, in the case where the pump stops abnormally while circulating oil and filtering, no special measures are required. Therefore, even if the pump stops abnormally while circulating oil and filtering during deep frying, deep frying can continue in the oil vat without any special measures.

[0009] In this device, for example, the oil filtration mechanism is a centrifugal filtration mechanism that includes a cylindrical basket that is housed in a filtering container and into which unfiltered oil is poured from above, and a rotation mechanism for rotating the basket relative to the filtering container.

[0010] In this device, the oil filter mechanism includes a basket, an outer basket formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom and a tubular portion, and a cylindrical inner basket disposed on the inner periphery of the outer basket, and it is preferable that a filter material made of filter paper or filter cloth is disposed between the inner periphery of the outer basket and the outer periphery of the inner basket and above the bottom of the outer basket. With this configuration, the filter material is disposed inside the rotating outer basket, making it possible to remove fine impurities from the oil by the filter material.

[0011] On the other hand, because the filtration material is disposed inside the rotating outer basket, if the filtration material is disposed offset relative to the outer basket's rotational axis, the rotational balance of the outer basket may be disrupted and the outer basket may vibrate when the outer basket rotates. However, with this configuration, the oil filter mechanism includes an inner basket disposed on the inner periphery of the outer basket, and a portion of the filtration material is disposed between the inner periphery of the outer basket and the outer periphery of the inner basket, making it possible to suppress the filtration material from becoming offset relative to the outer basket's rotational axis. Therefore, even if the filtration material is disposed inside the rotating outer basket, it is possible to suppress the vibration of the outer basket when the outer basket rotates.

[0012] In this invention, for example, the pump includes an impeller and a motor that rotates the impeller, the motor includes a motor body and an output shaft that protrudes downward from the motor body and to which the impeller is fixed, the motor body is positioned above the oil level in the oil tank, and the impeller is positioned at approximately the same vertical position as the oil level in the oil tank. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] As described above, in this invention, in a fryer equipped with an oil tank for storing oil for deep-frying, an oil filtration mechanism for filtering the oil to remove impurities, and a pump for sending the oil from the oil tank to the oil filtration mechanism, if the pump stops abnormally while the oil is being circulated and filtered, it is possible to prevent oil leakage and suppress the loss of oil in the oil tank without taking any measures. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of a fryer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the oil filtering mechanism shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] (Flyer configuration) Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of a fryer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of an oil filter mechanism 3 shown in Fig. 1.

[0017] The fryer 1 of this embodiment is a device for deep-frying food by placing ingredients in oil, and is a commercial fryer installed in a store or the like. The fryer 1 includes an oil tank 2 for storing oil for deep-frying, an oil filtering mechanism 3 for filtering the oil to remove impurities from the oil, and a pump 4 for sending the oil from the oil tank 2 to the oil filtering mechanism 3. In the fryer 1, oil discharged from the bottom of the oil tank 2 is sent to the oil filtering mechanism 3 by the pump 4. The oil tank 2 is formed in a box shape with an open top. In the oil tank 2, deep-fried food is made using high-temperature oil.

[0018] The oil filtering mechanism 3 is a centrifugal filtering mechanism and includes an outer basket 6 formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom 6a and a cylindrical portion 6b, a cylindrical inner basket 7 arranged on the inner periphery of the outer basket 6, an oil receiving container 8 that houses the outer basket 6 and the inner basket 7, and a rotation mechanism 9 for rotating the outer basket 6 and the inner basket 7 relative to the oil receiving container 8.

[0019] The outer basket 6 and the inner basket 7 have a large number of through holes formed therein. For example, the outer basket 6 and the inner basket 7 are formed from punched metal, and a large number of small punched holes are formed throughout the entire outer basket 6 and the inner basket 7. The tubular portion 6b of the outer basket 6 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The tubular portion 6b is arranged so that the axial direction of the tubular portion 6b coincides with the up-down direction. The bottom portion 6a is formed in a disk shape. The bottom portion 6a is connected to the lower end of the tubular portion 6b. The inner basket 7 is formed in a bottomless cylindrical shape consisting only of the cylindrical tubular portion 7a. Unfiltered oil is poured into the outer basket 6 and the inner basket 7 from above.

[0020] The oil receiving container 8 is formed in the shape of a cubic or rectangular box with an open top. A lid is attached to the upper end of the oil receiving container 8 to cover the opening at the top. The oil receiving container 8 is positioned above the oil tank 2. In other words, the oil receiving container 8 is positioned above the oil level L in the oil tank 2. The oil receiving container 8 stores filtered oil. An oil outlet 8a is formed at the lower end of the oil receiving container 8, through which the filtered oil is discharged. The oil discharged from the outlet 8a flows into the oil tank 2 by gravity. In other words, the filtered oil flows from the oil receiving container 8 to the oil tank 2 by gravity. The oil receiving container 8 in this embodiment is a filtering container that stores oil inside.

[0021] The rotation mechanism 9 rotates the outer basket 6 with the vertical direction as the axis of rotation. The rotation mechanism 9 includes a motor 11 as a drive source, a rotating shaft 12 fixed to the bottom 6a of the outer basket 6, and a power transmission mechanism 13 that connects the motor 11 and the rotating shaft 12. The rotating shaft 12 is fixed to the center of the bottom 6a. The power transmission mechanism 13 includes, for example, a pulley fixed to the rotating shaft of the motor 11, a pulley fixed to the lower end of the rotating shaft 12, and a belt stretched between the two pulleys. The power transmission mechanism 13 is disposed below the oil receiving container 8. A through-hole is formed in the bottom of the oil receiving container 8, through which part of the rotating shaft 12 is disposed.

[0022] A filter material 15 made of filter paper or filter cloth is disposed inside the outer basket 6. Specifically, the filter material 15 is disposed between the inner peripheral surface of the outer basket 6 (specifically, the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 6b) and the outer peripheral surface of the inner basket 7, and above the bottom portion 6a. The filter material 15 is formed of, for example, nonwoven fabric. At least a portion of the filter material 15 is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the outer basket 6 (specifically, the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 6b) and the outer peripheral surface of the inner basket 7. In other words, a gap is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the outer basket 6 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner basket 7 that is just large enough to accommodate the filter material 15.

[0023] Before being placed inside the outer basket 6, the filter material 15 is formed, for example, in the shape of a square or rectangular sheet. When placing the filter material 15 inside the outer basket 6, first, the filter material 15 is placed above the outer basket 6 and the oil receiving container 8. Then, the inner basket 7, which is placed above the filter material 15, is pushed into the inner periphery of the outer basket 6. When the inner basket 7 is pushed into the inner periphery of the outer basket 6 from above the filter material 15, the filter material 15 is placed between the inner periphery of the outer basket 6 and the outer periphery of the inner basket 7 and above the bottom 6a, as shown in FIG. 2 .

[0024] Oil discharged from the oil tank 2 is supplied to the inside of the inner basket 7 from above the inner basket 7. When the outer basket 6 rotates with oil inside the inner basket 7, the oil inside the inner basket 7 passes through the filter material 15 and the tubular portion 6b due to the action of centrifugal force. The oil inside the inner basket 7 also passes through the filter material 15 and the bottom portion 6a due to the action of gravity. The filtered oil that has passed through the filter material 15 and the outer basket 6 accumulates in the oil receiving container 8 and is discharged from the discharge port 8a.

[0025] The pump 4 is connected to the oil tank 2 via piping. The pump 4 is, for example, a centrifugal pump. The pump 4 includes an impeller 17 and a motor 18 that rotates the impeller 17. The impeller 17 is disposed within a pump chamber 19. The motor 18 includes a motor body 20 and an output shaft 21 that protrudes downward from the motor body 20 and to which the impeller 17 is fixed. The axial direction of the output shaft 21 coincides with the vertical direction. The motor body 20 is disposed above the oil level L in the oil tank 2. The impeller 17 is disposed at approximately the same position as the oil level L in the oil tank 2 in the vertical direction. In other words, a portion of the pump 4 is disposed above the oil level L in the oil tank 2.

[0026] (Main effect of this form) As described above, in this embodiment, the oil receiving container 8 is disposed above the oil level L in the oil vat 2, and a portion of the pump 4 is disposed above the oil level L in the oil vat 2. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the pump 4 abnormally stops while oil is being circulated and filtered, it is possible to prevent oil leakage from the oil receiving container 8 and the pump 4 and to suppress the loss of oil in the oil vat 2 without taking any measures if the pump 4 abnormally stops while oil is being circulated and filtered. Furthermore, in this embodiment, even if the pump 4 abnormally stops while oil is being circulated and filtered, it is possible to suppress the loss of oil in the oil vat 2 without taking any measures. Therefore, even if the pump 4 abnormally stops while oil is being circulated and filtered during deep-frying, it is possible to continue deep-frying in the oil vat 2 without taking any measures.

[0027] In this embodiment, the filter material 15 is disposed inside the rotating outer basket 6. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to remove fine impurities from the oil by the filter material 15. On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the filter material 15 is disposed inside the rotating outer basket 6, if the filter material 15 is disposed in an offset state with respect to the axis of rotation of the outer basket 6, there is a risk that the rotational balance of the outer basket 6 will be lost and the outer basket 6 will vibrate when it rotates.

[0028] However, in this embodiment, the inner basket 7 is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the outer basket 6, and a portion of the filtration material 15 is disposed between the inner peripheral surface of the outer basket 6 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner basket 7. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to suppress deviation of the filtration material 15 with respect to the axis of rotation of the outer basket 6. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the filtration material 15 is disposed inside the rotating outer basket 6, it is possible to suppress vibration of the outer basket 6 when the outer basket 6 rotates.

[0029] (Other embodiments) In the above-described embodiment, the impeller 17 may be disposed above the oil level L in the oil tank 2. That is, the entire pump 4 may be disposed above the oil level L in the oil tank 2. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the pump 4 may be a pump other than a centrifugal pump. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the oil filtering mechanism 3 may be a filtering mechanism other than a centrifugal type. In this case, for example, the oil filtering mechanism 3 does not include the rotation mechanism 9, and the outer basket 6 is fixed to the oil receiving container 8 so as not to rotate relative to the oil receiving container 8.

[0030] In the above-described embodiment, a cylindrical filter material with a bottom made of filter paper or filter cloth may be disposed on the inner periphery of the inner basket 7. In this case, fried foods and fried food scraps scooped up from the oil tank 2 are placed inside this filter material and the outer basket 6 is rotated, thereby making it possible to remove unnecessary oil from the fried foods and fried food scraps. In other words, the oil filter mechanism 3 can be used as an oil removal device for fried foods and fried food scraps. In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the outer basket 6 may be formed of a wire mesh, and the inner basket 7 may be formed of a wire mesh. In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the oil filter mechanism 3 does not necessarily have to include the inner basket 7. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1 Flyer 2 Oil tank 3 Oil filtration mechanism 4. Pump 6 outer basket (basket) 6a bottom 6b Cylinder part 7 Inner basket (basket) 8 Oil receiving container (filtering container) 9 Rotation mechanism 15 Filter media 17 Impeller 18 Motor 20 Motor body 21 Output shaft L Oil level in oil tank

Claims

1. an oil tank for storing oil for deep frying; an oil filtering mechanism for filtering the oil to remove impurities from the oil; and a pump for sending oil from the oil tank to the oil filtering mechanism; The oil filter mechanism includes a filter container in which the oil is stored, The filtering container is disposed above the oil level in the oil tank, The filtered oil flows from the filtering vessel to the oil tank by gravity; A fryer characterized in that at least a portion of the pump is disposed above the oil level in the oil tank.

2. 2. The fryer according to claim 1, wherein the oil filtering mechanism is a centrifugal filtering mechanism including a cylindrical basket housed in the filtering container and into which the unfiltered oil is poured from above, and a rotation mechanism for rotating the basket relative to the filtering container.

3. The oil filter mechanism includes, as the basket, an outer basket formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom having a bottom portion and a tubular portion, and a cylindrical inner basket arranged on an inner peripheral side of the outer basket, 3. The fryer according to claim 2, wherein a filter material made of filter paper or filter cloth is disposed between the inner peripheral surface of the outer basket and the outer peripheral surface of the inner basket and above the bottom of the outer basket.

4. The pump includes an impeller and a motor that rotates the impeller. The motor includes a motor body and an output shaft that protrudes downward from the motor body and to which the impeller is fixed, 4. The fryer according to claim 1, wherein the motor body is disposed above the oil level in the oil tank.

5. 5. The fryer according to claim 4, wherein the impeller is disposed at a position substantially flush with the oil level in the oil tank in the vertical direction.

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