solids

Abstract

To provide a lyophilized solid matter whose contamination is suppressible, a transport chute, and a manufacturing apparatus.SOLUTION: A solid matter 122 is transported slidingly to a bottom guide 25 and a side guide 26 of a transport chute 21. The solid matter 122 is formed by lyophilizing a content included in a beverage, and has a bottom surface 122a that is slid on the bottom guide 25, and an upper surface 122b formed larger than the bottom surface 122a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a freeze-dried solid product containing the contents of a packaged soup. To things Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] Packaged foods have been known for some time (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Packaged soup is one example of such packaged food. Packaged soup is produced by filling a container such as a can or a pouch with soup, sealing the container, and then subjecting the container to a retort process. The soup preparation is stored in a blending tank and supplied into the container through a supply line including piping connected to the blending tank. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-9938 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The above-mentioned packaged soups may have a strong odor or color due to the preparation liquid, depending on the type of soup. This can result in the odor or color of the preparation liquid adhering to the preparation tank and piping, potentially contaminating the supply line. After producing such soup, it may become necessary to replace the piping on the production line.

[0005] Furthermore, when contents contain pulp or spices, substances derived from these raw materials tend to stick to or settle on pipes, etc., necessitating additional cleaning processes, which takes a lot of time.

[0006] To prevent contamination of the blending tank and piping, it is conceivable to freeze-dry the contents, including pulp and spices, to form a solid material and then supply it directly into the solid material container. However, the freeze-dried solid material may be damaged during transportation and become powder, which may contaminate the transportation route.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention provides a freeze-dried solid that can suppress contamination. Things The purpose is to provide. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, the solid material is slid into a conveying chute. In packaging containers The beverage to be conveyed is a freeze-dried solid material, and the conveyor has a bottom surface that slides on the bottom guide of the conveyor chute and an outer circumferential surface that slides on the side guide of the conveyor chute. and has a top surface formed larger than the bottom surface. . [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, a freeze-dried solid product capable of suppressing contamination is Things can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a packaged soup manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of solids used in the container-packed soup. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the configuration of a packaged soup manufacturing device according to a modified example of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a conveying chute of a granule filling machine used in the manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a chute portion of the conveying chute according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a chute section according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the configuration of a chute section according to a third embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the configuration of a chute section according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 9] 4 is a flow chart showing an example of a method for producing the container-packed soup. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the composition of ingredients for the soup in the container. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the configuration of a solid body according to another embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a solid body according to another embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the configuration of a solid body according to another embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the configuration of a solid body according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An apparatus 1 for producing packaged soup 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. FIG. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of an apparatus 1 for producing packaged soup 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of a solid material 122 used in packaged soup 100, and Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of an apparatus 1 for producing packaged soup 100 according to a modified example of the present invention. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a conveying chute 21 of a granule filling machine 15 used in the production apparatus 1. Figs. 5 to 8 are explanatory diagrams showing a schematic configuration of a chute section 22 used in the conveying chute 21 according to the first to fourth embodiments. Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of a method for producing packaged soup 100, and Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the blending of ingredients for packaged soup 100.

[0014] The production device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is configured to be capable of producing packaged soup 100.

[0015] (100 container soups) First, the packaged soup 100 produced by the production apparatus 1 will be described. As shown in Figure 1, packaged soup 100 is constructed by packaging soup 102 in packaging container 101. Packaged soup 100 is produced by sealing soup 102 in packaging container 101 and sterilizing it by retort processing.

[0016] Specifically, the packaged soup 100 includes a packaging container 101 and soup 102 sealed in the packaging container 101. The packaging container 101 is formed to be sealable. The packaging container 101 is heat resistant to the temperature at which the soup 102 is retorted. The packaging container 101 is a can, a pouch packaging bag, a cup, a bottle, a PET bottle, or the like that can be retorted. In this embodiment, the packaging container 101 is, for example, a can made of a metal material. In the following description, the packaging container 101 will be described as a can 101.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, can body 101 includes body 111, lid 112, and bottom 113. With soup 102 packed inside can body 101, the internal pressure is reduced to a predetermined pressure and then the can is sealed.

[0018] The can body 101 is, for example, a packaging container called a bottle-shaped container or a three-piece welded can, in which a lid body 112 and a bottom body 113 are fixed to a body body 111 by seaming.

[0019] The body 111 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a lid 112 and a bottom 113 are fixed to both open ends thereof, respectively.

[0020] The lid 112 is formed from a flat plate made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy or steel. A flange portion provided on the outer periphery of the lid 112 is seamed to one open end of the body 111, thereby hermetically fixing the lid 112 to the body 111. For example, the lid 112 is a cap configured to be able to seal the opening by being seamed and fixed in place over the opening provided on the body 111 of the can body 101. Furthermore, for example, the lid 112 is a so-called stay-on-tab (SOT) can lid, which has a tab that, when operated, breaks a score line to form a drinking spout.

[0021] The bottom body 113 is formed of a flat plate made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy or steel. The bottom body 113 is formed in a disk shape, and a flange portion on its outer periphery is fastened to the other open end of the body 111, so that the bottom body 113 is airtightly fixed to the body 111.

[0022] In such a can body 101, the ingredients of soup 102 are filled into the container body 103, which is a combination of the body 111 and the lid body 112, or the body 111 and the bottom body 113, and then the bottom body 113 or the lid body 112 is rolled up and seamed.

[0023] Soup 102 is produced by blending ingredients. Soup 102 contains, for example, ingredients with a strong odor and / or color, or ingredients in the form of particles. Examples of these ingredients include spices, Chinese herbal medicine, and pulp. These ingredients are specific ingredients that may contaminate lines, such as pipes, by attaching their odor or color to the lines, or by leaving particles such as pulp or spices in the lines. To distinguish these ingredients from the other ingredients (ingredients) that make up soup 102, in this embodiment, these ingredients will be described below as specific ingredients. Here, pulp refers to, for example, fruit particles or vegetable fibers. Curry soup is a typical example of such soup 102.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the soup 102 is produced, for example, by mixing a preparation liquid 121 and a solid 122 obtained by freeze-drying and solidifying a specific inclusion. The soup 102 reaches product characteristic values such as pH value, salt concentration, and sugar content by dissolving the solid 122 in the preparation liquid 121.

[0025] The preparation liquid 121 is prepared from raw materials other than the specific inclusion among the raw materials of the soup 102.

[0026] The solid 122 is produced by freeze-drying a specific inclusion. That is, the solid 122 is a raw material of the soup 102 solidified by freeze-drying the specific inclusion. The solid 122 contains, in addition to the above-described specific inclusion as a raw material of the soup 102, a binder for solidification. The binder includes at least one of polysaccharides, gelling agents, proteins, or additives that form a crosslinked structure. Typical examples of the binder include cellulose, starch, dextrin, and the like.

[0027] The solid 122 contains, for example, at least one of spices, Chinese herbs, seasonings, and pulp. In the present embodiment, since the soup 102 is a curry soup, the solid 122 is obtained by adding a binder to spices and subjecting them to freeze-drying and solidification.

[0028] Such a solid 122 slides on the bottom surface 122a and the outer peripheral surface (side surface) 122c in a shoot portion 22 described later during production, and the upper surface 122b is conveyed without sliding (non-contact). For example, in the solid 122, the surface roughness S1 of the bottom surface and the surface roughness S2 of the outer peripheral surface 122c are set to be smaller than the surface roughness S3 of the upper surface 122b. Further, for example, in the solid 122, the surface roughness S1 of the bottom surface 122a is set to be smaller than the surface roughness S2 of the outer peripheral surface 122c.

[0029] [[ID=

[0030] For example, the solid 122 has a top surface 122b larger than the bottom surface 122a, or the bottom surface 122a and the top surface 122b have the same shape or area. For example, the maximum width and / or area of ​​the bottom surface of the solid 122 is smaller than the maximum width and / or area of ​​the top surface. It is preferable that the bottom surface and the top surface of the solid 122 have the same shape.

[0031] (Solids 122) Next, a specific configuration of the solid body 122 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0032] 2, the solid 122 has a bottom surface 122a and a top surface 122b that are circular, and is formed in a truncated cone shape with the diameter of the bottom surface 122a being smaller than the diameter of the top surface 122b. Furthermore, the diameters of the bottom surface 122a and the top surface 122b of the solid 122 are smaller than the opening of the container body 103.

[0033] For example, the solid body 122 has a taper angle with respect to the central axis of the solid body 122, in other words, an inclination angle of the outer peripheral surface 122c with respect to the central axis of the solid body 122, set to 5° or more. Also, for example, the solid body 122 may have a configuration in which the ridges of the bottom surface 122a and the outer peripheral surface 122c are chamfered into a flat or curved shape.

[0034] (100 container soup manufacturing equipment) Next, the apparatus 1 for producing the packaged soup 100 will be described with reference to FIG. The manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a rinser 11, a liquid filling machine 12, a blending tank 13, piping 14, a granule filling machine 15, a sealing machine 16, a retort processing machine 17, and a conveying device 18. The manufacturing apparatus 1 is installed in a factory and forms a mass production line for packaged soup 100.

[0035] The rinser 11 is a washing machine that washes a container body 103 such as a can body (packaging container) 101 before filling it with raw materials for making soup 102. For example, the container body 103 before filling it with raw materials for making soup 102 is formed by integrally winding and seaming a body 111 and a lid body 112.

[0036] The liquid filling machine 12 is a so-called filler that fills a predetermined amount of liquid into the container body 103. In this embodiment, the liquid filling machine 12 fills a fixed amount of the preparation liquid 121 supplied from the preparation tank 13 into the container body 103.

[0037] The blending tank 13 stores the blended liquid 121. The blending tank 13 may be used to blend the blended liquid 121, or may have a function of measuring ingredients of the blended liquid 121 and blending a predetermined amount of the measured ingredients. The piping 14 supplies the blended liquid 121 stored in the blending tank 13 to the liquid filling machine 12. The blending tank 13 and the piping 14 form a supply line for the blended liquid 121 to the liquid filling machine 12.

[0038] The granular filling machine 15 fills the container body 103 with solid material 122. The solid material 122 filled into the container body 103 by the granular filling machine 15 may be solid material 122 solidified in advance by a freeze-drying device for freeze-drying and supplied to the granular filling machine 15, or the manufacturing apparatus 1 may have the freeze-drying device, and the freeze-drying device and the granular filling machine 15 may be connected by a conveying line for the solidified solid material 122. In this embodiment, the granular filling machine 15 includes a storage section 15a that stores the solid material 122, and a line 15b that conveys a predetermined number of solid materials 122 from the storage section 15a.

[0039] The granular filling machine 15 is provided on the secondary side of the rinser 11. The granular filling machine 15 is also provided on the secondary side of the liquid filling machine 12. The granular filling machine 15 may be provided on both the primary and secondary sides of the liquid filling machine 12, as in the manufacturing apparatus 1 according to a modified example shown in FIG. 3, and may be configured to be provided on the primary side of the liquid filling machine 12, for example. In the manufacturing apparatus 1 according to a modified example, for example, the granular filling machine 15 provided on the primary side of the liquid filling machine 12 and the granular filling machine 15 provided on the secondary side of the liquid filling machine 12 have the same device configuration, but different raw materials are used for the solid material 122 to be conveyed.

[0040] The granule filling machine 15 fills the opening of the container body 103 with the solid material 122 in an orientation where one end of the solid material 122 with a small diameter faces downward and the other end of the solid material 122 with a large diameter faces upward. Here, the orientation of the solid material 122 where one end of the solid material 122 with a small diameter faces downward and the other end of the solid material 122 with a large diameter faces upward includes an orientation where the central axis of the solid material 122 is aligned with the direction of gravity and an orientation where the central axis of the solid material 122 intersects with the direction of gravity.

[0041] Next, a specific example of such a granular filling machine 15 will be described. As a specific example, as shown in Figure 4, the granular filling machine 15 has a conveying chute 21 at the end side of a line 15b connected to a storage section 15a of the granular filling machine 15. The granular filling machine 15 may also be configured, for example, to have a turret and multiple pockets below the conveying chute 21. The granular filling machine 15 may be configured, for example, to sequentially convey the container bodies 103 at predetermined intervals using a turret or the like, or may not have a turret or multiple pockets and may instead supply solid material 122 to the container bodies 103 that are closely packed and sequentially conveyed.

[0042] The transport chute 21 transports the solids 122 from the storage section 15a to the container body 103. The transport chute 21 includes, for example, a solids dispensing section, a chute section 22 that transports the solids 122 supplied from the solids dispensing section toward the container body 103, and an injection device 23 that injects a predetermined number of solids 122, for example, one solid 122, into the container body 103. The solids dispensing section supplies the solids 122 to the chute section 22 in an orientation in which the bottom surface 122a of the solids 122 faces downward and the top surface 122b of the solids 122 faces upward.

[0043] The chute section 22 slides the bottom surface 122a and outer peripheral surface 122c of the solid material 122, which is oriented with the bottom surface 122a facing downward. The chute section 22 is provided at least on the terminal side of the line 15b. The chute section 22 is inclined with respect to the direction of gravity, and its end is located above the opening of the container body 103. The chute section 22 includes, for example, a bottom guide 25 that moves the solid material 122 in the inclined direction, and a side guide 26 that extends along the longitudinal direction of the bottom guide 25.

[0044] The bottom surface 122a of the solid object 122 slides on the bottom guide 25. The bottom guide 25 has a friction coefficient that can prevent the solid object 122 from collapsing. The bottom guide 25 makes point or line contact with a portion of the bottom surface of the solid object 122. The bottom guide 25 is formed so that the solid object 122 placed on top can move along the inclined direction.

[0045] The outer peripheral surface 122c of the solid object 122 slides on the side guide 26. The side guide 26 has a friction coefficient set to prevent the solid object 122 from crumbling. The side guide 26 makes point or line contact with a portion of the outer peripheral surface 122c of the solid object 122 at two locations in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the bottom guide 25. As a specific example, the side guide 26 has a pair of guide bodies 26a that respectively make contact with the outer peripheral surface 122c of the solid object 122 and against which the outer peripheral surface 122c of the solid object 122 slides. The side guide 26 is provided along the bottom guide 25 and abuts against the outer peripheral surface 122c of the solid object 122 to guide the movement direction of the solid object 122. The pair of guide bodies 26a make point or line contact with the outer peripheral surface of the solid object 122.

[0046] Furthermore, such a chute section 22 is formed so as to be able to transport the solid objects 122 even when the solid objects 122 supplied from the solid object dispensing section are in a position where the bottom surface 122a faces upward and the top surface 122b faces downward.

[0047] Next, an embodiment of such a chute section 22 will be described with reference to FIGS. The chute section 22 according to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 5 will be described. As shown in Fig. 5, the bottom guide 25 is, for example, a rail extending along the conveying direction of the solid objects 122. The bottom guide 25 has an apex 25a at its upper end, and its side surfaces slope from the apex 25a, with the bottom surfaces 122a of the solid objects 122 sliding along the apex 25a. The side guide 26 has a pair of guide bodies 26a extending along the conveying direction of the solid objects 122.

[0048] The guide bodies 26a are, for example, rails that form lateral peaks that protrude toward the outer peripheral surface 122c of the solid object 122 and whose tips (peaks) come into contact with the outer peripheral surface 122c of the solid object 122. The pair of guide bodies 26a are formed in a shape such that only the tips come into contact with the outer peripheral surface 122c of the solid object 122 even when the bottom surface 122a of the solid object 122 is positioned upward and the top surface 122b is positioned downward.

[0049] Next, a chute section 22 according to a second embodiment shown in FIG. 6 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, for example, the bottom guide 25 has the same configuration as the bottom guide 25 of the first embodiment. The side guide 26 has a pair of guide bodies 26a. The ends of the guide bodies 26a that protrude toward the outer peripheral surface 122c of the solid object 122 extend in the conveying direction, and have a circular cross-sectional shape in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction. The pair of guide bodies 26a are shaped so that only the tips of the guide bodies 26a contact the outer peripheral surface 122c of the solid object 122 even when the bottom surface 122a of the solid object 122 is facing upward and the top surface 122b is facing downward.

[0050] Next, a chute section 22 according to a third embodiment shown in Fig. 7 will be described. As shown in Fig. 7, for example, the bottom guide 25 is formed by a plurality of rollers 25b whose rotation axes are perpendicular to or intersect with the conveying direction of the solid objects 122. When the solid objects 122 slide over the top of the rollers 25b, the rollers 25b come into line contact with the bottom surfaces 122a of the solid objects 122. The side guides 26 may have the same configuration as either the first or second embodiment described above.

[0051] Next, a chute section 22 according to a fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 8 will be described. As shown in FIG. 8, for example, the bottom guide 25 includes a base 25c and a plurality of balls 25d rotatably supported by the base 25c. When the solid object 122 slides over the top, the plurality of balls 25d come into point contact with the bottom surface 122a of the solid object 122 at a plurality of locations. The arrangement of the plurality of balls 25d is determined appropriately depending on the shape of the bottom surface 122a of the solid object 122 and the shape of the balls 25d. The side guide 26 may have the same configuration as any of the first to third embodiments described above.

[0052] Although the first to fourth embodiments of the chute section 22 have been illustrated, the configuration of the chute section 22 is not limited to these configurations, and can be set as appropriate as long as the bottom guide 25 and the side guide 26 contact the bottom surface 122a and outer peripheral surface 122c of the solid object 122 at a point or a line and allow the solid object 122 to slide.

[0053] The input device 23 is, for example, a gate that opens and closes, and the opening and closing method of the input device 23 can be set appropriately. For example, the input device 23 detects the moving container body 103 being transported using one or more sensors 23a, and opens and closes based on the detection results. The input device 23 may also be configured by a turret, a pocket, or a member provided on the turret.

[0054] The sealing machine 16 seals the packaging container 101 filled with the prepared liquid 121 and the solid matter 122. In this embodiment, the sealing machine 16 seals the can body 101 by covering the container body 103, which is composed of the body 111 and the lid body 112, with the bottom body 113 and then seaming it.

[0055] The retort processor 17 retorts the sealed can bodies 101 filled with the prepared liquid 121 and the solid matter 122. The retort processor 17 includes a retort kettle and heats the can bodies 101 housed in the retort kettle at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time to perform retort sterilization. The retort processor 17, for example, performs the retort treatment by leaving the can bodies 101 housed in the retort kettle stationary, or has an agitation function that rotates or rocks the can bodies 101, thereby performing the retort treatment while agitating the can bodies 101 housed in the retort kettle.

[0056] The conveying device 18 sequentially conveys the container bodies 103 from the collecting section 18a that collects the multiple container bodies 103 to the rinser 11, the liquid filling machine 12, the granular filling machine 15, the sealing machine 16, and the retort processing machine 17. The conveying device 18 is, for example, a conveyor formed of rollers, belts, etc. The conveying device 18 constitutes a conveying line for the container bodies 103 between each device. The conveying device 18 may further include a configuration for conveying a bottom body 113 that seals the container bodies 103 in the sealing machine 16.

[0057] (Production method of packaged soup 100) Next, a method for producing the packaged soup 100 will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG.

[0058] First, the container body 103, which does not have a bottom body 113 (or a lid body 112) and is formed by a body 111 and a lid body 112 (or a bottom body 113) and has one open end, is transported to the rinser 11 by the transport device 18. The rinser 11 cleans the container body 103 transported to the rinser 11 by the transport device 18 (step ST11).

[0059] Next, the container body 103 cleaned by the rinser 11 is transported by the transport device 18 to the liquid filling machine 12 and the granule filling machine 15. Then, the liquid filling machine 12 and the granule filling machine 15 fill the container body 103 with the prepared liquid 121 and the solid matter 122, respectively (step ST12). Specifically, the liquid filling machine 12 fills the transported container body 103 with a predetermined amount of the prepared liquid 121 supplied from the blending tank 13 via the piping 14. Furthermore, the granule filling machine 15 fills the transported container body 103 with a predetermined amount of the solid matter 122.

[0060] 1, when the granule filling machine 15 is disposed on the secondary side of the liquid filling machine 12, the prepared liquid 121 is first filled into the container body 103, and then the solid material 122 is filled into the container body 103. When the granule filling machines 15 are disposed on both the primary side and the secondary side of the liquid filling machine 12, as shown in FIG. 3, the solid material 122 is first filled into the container body 103, then the prepared liquid 121 is filled into the container body 103, and finally the solid material 122 is filled into the container body 103.

[0061] The prepared liquid 121 is prepared in the preparation tank 13 or in a tank separate from the preparation tank 13. The solids 122 are set to a predetermined size, and the granule filling machine 15 fills a predetermined number of them into the container body 103. The size and number of solids 122 to be filled are set appropriately. The shape and surface roughness of the solids 122 enable them to be dissolved and homogenized in the prepared liquid 121 when filled into the packaging container 101 together with the prepared liquid 121 and subjected to a retort process, which will be described later, and to be prevented from crumbling during storage, transportation, and filling until they are filled into the container body 103 by the granule filling machine 15.

[0062] Next, the container body 103 filled with the mixed liquid 121 and the solid matter 122 is transported by the transport device 18 to the sealing machine 16. Then, the sealing machine 16 seals the container body 103 (packaging container 101) (step ST13). When the packaging container 101 is a can body 101, like the packaging container 101 of this embodiment, the sealing machine 16 places a bottom body 113 on the container body 103 and seams the bottom body 113 to the body 111 of the container body 103, thereby sealing the can body 101.

[0063] Next, the conveying device 18 conveys the sealed can body 101 to the retort processor 17. The retort processor 17 retorts the sealed can body 101 (step ST14). For example, the retort processor 17 heats the sealed can body 101 at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time to perform retort sterilization and dissolves the solid matter 122 in the preparation 121.

[0064] Here, the solid matter 122 is dissolved in the prepared liquid 121 by retort treatment or by agitating the prepared liquid 121 and the solid matter 122 by retort treatment and rotation or shaking of the can body 101 during the retort treatment.

[0065] Next, the can body 101 is cooled in the retort processor 17 or outside the retort processor 17 (step ST15). The can body 101 may be cooled naturally or forcibly using a cooler. Through these steps, the packaged soup 100 is produced.

[0066] (An example of an ingredient in Soup 102) Next, an example of the blending of ingredients for soup 102 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. An example of ingredients for soup 102 and an example of the blending of prepared liquid 121 and solids 122 for each ingredient are shown in Fig. 10. As an example of soup 102, curry soup will be described.

[0067] 10, examples of ingredients for soup 102 include vegetable paste, vegetable and fruit puree, emulsified oils and fats, nut paste, curry paste, coconut milk powder, honey, vegetable extract, salt, curry powder and spices, chicken extract powder, thickener, pH adjuster, emulsifier, flavor oil, antioxidant (vitamin C), and water. Note that the ingredients for soup 102 are not limited to those mentioned above, and may include various other ingredients and solid ingredients such as granulated corn.

[0068] Solid material 122 is formed by freeze-drying the spices, such as curry paste, curry powder, spices, and flavor oil, which are the specific ingredients mentioned above among the ingredients of soup 102. Note that preparation 121 is prepared using ingredients other than the ingredients contained in solid material 122. Note that solid material 122 may be configured to include, for example, vegetable paste containing pulp, or vegetable and fruit puree.

[0069] According to the thus configured apparatus 1 for producing container-packed soup 100 and solid matter 122, the surface roughness of the bottom surface 122a and the outer peripheral surface 122c of solid matter 122 is set smaller than the surface roughness of the top surface 122b. In addition, the orientation of solid matter 122 conveyed by sliding in chute section 22 is set such that bottom surface 122a faces downward.

[0070] As a result, the bottom surface 122a and outer peripheral surface 122c of the solid object 122, which have relatively small surface roughness, slide against the bottom guide 25 and side guide 26 of the chute portion 22. This reduces the coefficient of friction between the solid object 122 and the chute portion 22, preventing the solid object 122 from crumbling during transport, i.e., preventing it from being damaged and turning into powder.

[0071] In addition, the surface roughness of the bottom surface 122a of the solid object 122 is set smaller than the surface roughness of the outer peripheral surface 122c. This makes the bottom surface 122a of the solid object 122 that comes into contact with the bottom guide 25 in the direction of gravity relatively small, which further prevents part of the solid object 122 from turning into powder.

[0072] Furthermore, the chute section 22 is configured so that the bottom guide 25 and the side guide 26 come into contact with the solid material 122 at a point or a line, thereby minimizing the area of ​​damage to the solid material 122 due to friction, etc. This makes it possible to prevent part of the solid material 122 from becoming powder.

[0073] As described above, in the production of packaged soup 100, specific ingredients of soup 102 that may contaminate production apparatus 1 are formed as solid matter 122, and filled into container 103 separately from blended liquid 121. Production apparatus 1 and solid matter 122, conveying chute 21, and production apparatus 1 can prevent a portion of solid matter 122 from turning into powder, thereby preventing contamination of the equipment.

[0074] Furthermore, preventing solid matter 122 from turning into powder can prevent variation in the ratio of solid matter 122 to blended liquid 121 in packaged soup 100. Therefore, production apparatus 1 and solid matter 122 can maintain the quality of packaged soup 100 constant, and prevent the packaged soup 100 produced from becoming defective.

[0075] Furthermore, in the manufacturing apparatus 1, the prepared liquid 121 that comes into contact with the transfer lines, such as the blending tank 13 and the piping 14, does not contain any substances that would contaminate these transfer lines. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 1 and the manufacturing method can prevent the blending tank 13, the piping 14, etc. from being contaminated. Therefore, when changing the type of soup 102 to be manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus 1, there is no need to replace the blending tank 13 and the piping 14, and the time and steps for cleaning, etc. can be reduced.

[0076] Furthermore, by appropriately setting the solubility and strength of solid material 122 depending on soup 102 or the like, solid material 122 can be suitably dissolved in preparation 121 during retort treatment. Furthermore, by setting the strength of solid material 122 to a predetermined strength, it is possible to prevent solid material 122 from crumbling when freeze-dried solid material 122 is transported or filled, and to prevent the manufacturing apparatus 1 from being contaminated by the specific ingredient that is crumbled solid material 122.

[0077] Furthermore, by making the bottom surface 122a of the solid object 122 smaller than the top surface 122b and supplying the solid object 122 to the container body 103 with the bottom surface 122a facing downward, the tip of the solid object 122 can easily enter the opening of the container body 103. This makes it possible to prevent the solid object 122 from colliding with the opening of the container body 103, and therefore it is possible to prevent the solid object 122 from colliding with the container body 103, breaking down, and scattering part of the solid object 122 outside the container body 103, thereby preventing contamination of the conveying device 18 and the outer surface of the container body 103.

[0078] Furthermore, by making the solid 122 frustum-shaped, even if the outer surface of the end of the larger diameter side of the solid 122 collides with the mouth of the container 103 when it enters the container 103, part of the force at the time of collision is converted into a radial force of the solid 122.

[0079] Therefore, the solid material 122 can be moved toward the center of the mouth of the container body 103, and even if the solid material 122 collides with the outer surface of the end side of the large diameter portion of the mouth of the container body 103, the solid material 122 can be prevented from crumbling and scattering.

[0080] Furthermore, by making the solid object 122 frustum-shaped, when the solid object 122 is transported, it is possible to reduce the area where the end face on the small diameter side and the outer peripheral surface of the solid object 122 come into contact with the chute section 22 for transporting the solid object 122, members other than the chute section 22, and adjacent solid objects 122. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the solid object 122 from crumbling due to contact with other members or other solid objects 122, and therefore it is possible to prevent contamination of the surroundings of the path along which the solid object 122 has moved.

[0081] As described above, the apparatus 1 for producing packaged soup 100 and the solid material 122 according to one embodiment of the present invention can suppress contamination.

[0082] In the above example, the arithmetic mean roughness (arithmetic mean height) has been described as an example of the surface roughness of the solid object 122, but the surface roughness of the solid object 122 is not limited to this. That is, the surface roughness may be any one of the arithmetic mean roughness, ten-point mean roughness, maximum height, root-mean-square height, skewness, kurtosis, maximum peak height, and maximum valley depth, or may be a combination of two or more of these.

[0083] In the above example, the solid object 122 is formed in a truncated cone shape, but this is not limiting. For example, the bottom surface 122a and the top surface 122b of the solid object 122 may be formed to have the same shape. As a specific example, as shown in FIG. 11, the solid object 122 may be formed in a cylindrical shape in which the bottom surface 122a and the top surface 122b are formed to have a circular shape and the outer diameter of the outer peripheral surface 122c is curved so that it gradually increases from both end portions (both surfaces 122a and 122b) toward the center in the axial direction. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12, the solid object 122 may be formed in a cylindrical shape in which the outer diameter of the outer peripheral surface 122c is the same.

[0084] 13, the solid 122 may have a bottom surface 122a and a top surface 122b that are circular, and an outer diameter of the outer peripheral surface 122c that gradually increases in the axial direction from both ends (both surfaces 122a and 122b) toward the center, forming an abacus spherical shape. Here, the abacus spherical shape is a shape in which two truncated cones are combined one above the other with their larger diameters integrated. Furthermore, the solid 122 shown in FIG. 13 preferably has a curved top at the center, where the outer diameter of the outer peripheral surface 122c is greatest.

[0085] 14, the solid object 122 may have a configuration in which the edges of the bottom surface 122a, the top surface 122b, and the outer peripheral surface 122c are chamfered into a curved shape. The solid object 122 may also have a configuration in which the corners are chamfered into a flat shape. The shape of the solid object 122 is not limited to the above-described shape and can be set as appropriate. While the example in which the bottom surface 122a and the top surface 122b of the solid object 122 are formed into a circular shape has been described, the circular shape includes not only shapes with the same radius of curvature, but also elliptical shapes with different radii of curvature.

[0086] That is, in the above example, the solid object 122 has a curved outer circumferential surface 122c so as to ensure rolling properties during transport. However, the solid object 122 may have a chamfered portion or a recessed portion on the outer circumferential surface 122c, and this chamfered portion or recessed portion may be configured to preferably position the solid object 122 during transport. Furthermore, the solid object 122 may have a shape that faces a fixed direction during transport due to the chamfered portion or recessed portion.

[0087] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments may be implemented in appropriate combinations, in which case the combined effects can be obtained. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by combining selected elements from the disclosed elements. For example, if the problem can be solved and the desired effect can be obtained even if some elements are deleted from all elements shown in the embodiments, the configuration from which these elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention. The following is a description equivalent to the invention described in the original claims of the present application. [1] The beverage contains freeze-dried solid matter that slides along a conveying chute and is conveyed. a bottom surface that slides on the bottom guide of the conveying chute; an outer peripheral surface that slides on the side guide of the conveying chute; A solid having [2] The solid body according to [1], having an upper surface formed larger than the bottom surface. [3] The solid material according to [2], wherein the bottom surface is formed in a circular shape and the top surface is formed in a truncated cone shape with a larger diameter than the bottom surface. [4] The solid body according to [1], having an upper surface formed to the same size as the bottom surface. [5] A solid body according to any one of [2] to [4], wherein the surface roughness of the bottom surface and the surface roughness of the outer circumferential surface are smaller than the surface roughness of the top surface. [6] The solid body according to [5], wherein the surface roughness of the bottom surface is smaller than the surface roughness of the outer circumferential surface. [7] A conveying chute for conveying freeze-dried solids contained in a beverage, a bottom guide that contacts a portion of the bottom surface of the solid object and on which the bottom surface of the solid object slides; a side guide that contacts a part of the outer circumferential surface of the solid object and on which the outer circumferential surface slides; A conveying chute comprising: [8] The conveying chute according to [7], wherein the solid has an upper surface formed larger than the bottom surface. [9] The conveying chute described in [8], wherein the solid material has a circular bottom surface and a truncated cone shape with a larger diameter than the bottom surface.

[10] The conveying chute described in [7], wherein the solid has an upper surface formed to the same size as the bottom surface.

[11] A conveying chute according to any one of [8] to

[10] , wherein the surface roughness of the bottom surface and the surface roughness of the outer peripheral surface of the solid object are smaller than the surface roughness of the top surface.

[12] The conveying chute according to

[11] , wherein the surface roughness of the bottom surface of the solid material is smaller than the surface roughness of the outer peripheral surface.

[13] A conveying chute according to any one of [7] to

[12] , wherein the bottom guide extends along the conveying direction of the solid material.

[14] The conveying chute described in

[13] , wherein the bottom guide has a top at its upper end, the side surfaces of which are inclined from the top, and the solid object slides along the top.

[15] A rinser for cleaning the container; a blending tank for storing a blended liquid for producing soup; a liquid filling machine for filling the container with the prepared liquid; a pipe for supplying the mixed liquid from the mixed liquid tank to the liquid filling machine; a granule filling machine having a conveying chute according to any one of [7] to

[14] for supplying the freeze-dried solid material that produces the soup together with the preparation liquid into the container; a sealing machine that seals the container filled with the prepared liquid and the solid material; a retort processor that retorts the sealed container; An apparatus for producing containerized soup, comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1... manufacturing equipment, 11... rinser, 12... liquid filling machine, 13... blending tank, 14... piping, 15... granular filling machine, 15a... storage section, 15b... line, 16... sealing machine, 17... retort processing machine, 18... conveying device, 18a... collection section, 21... conveying chute, 22... chute section, 23... feeding device, 23a... sensor, 25... bottom guide, 25a... top section, 25b... roller, 25c... base section, 25d... bowl, 26... side guide, 26a... guide body, 100... containerized soup, 101... can body (packaging container), 102... soup, 103... container body, 111... body, 112... lid body, 113... bottom body, 121... blended liquid, 122... solid matter, 122a... bottom surface, 122b... upper surface, 122c... outer surface.

Claims

1. The beverage contains freeze-dried solids that slide along a conveying chute and are conveyed to a packaging container. a bottom surface that slides on the bottom guide of the conveying chute; an outer peripheral surface that slides on the side guide of the conveying chute; and A solid object having a top surface that is larger than the bottom surface.

2. 2. The solid material according to claim 1, wherein the bottom surface is formed in a circular shape and the top surface is formed in a truncated cone shape having a diameter larger than that of the bottom surface.

3. 2. The solid body of claim 1, further comprising a top surface formed to be the same size as said bottom surface.

4. The solid material according to claim 1 , wherein the surface roughness of the bottom surface and the surface roughness of the outer circumferential surface are smaller than the surface roughness of the top surface.

5. The solid material according to claim 4 , wherein the surface roughness of the bottom surface is smaller than the surface roughness of the outer circumferential surface.

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