Frozen dessert manufacturing device and method

Abstract

To provide an ice cream manufacturing apparatus and an ice cream manufacturing method which can reduce raw materials loss until freezer operating conditions stability and collected ice cream.SOLUTION: An ice cream manufacturing apparatus comprises: a storage tank 2 retaining supplied raw materials mixture; a freezer 4 whipping and freezing process liquid supplied from the storage tank to form creamy process liquid; and a return piping unit 8 which can flow back the process liquid passed through the freezer to be formed to be creamy to the storage tank so that the process liquid is blended with the raw materials mixture in the storage tank. The freezer comprises: an air supply unit 44 feeding air for overruns to the process liquid; a freezing unit 42 freezing the process liquid supplied the air for overruns; and a control unit 45 controlling the input of the air for overruns supplied from the air supply unit to the process liquid.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus and a frozen dessert manufacturing method. [Background technology]

[0002] In frozen dessert foods containing air bubbles, such as ice cream, the air content has been important from the viewpoint of the quality and flavor of the frozen dessert food. Therefore, in the manufacturing process of such frozen dessert foods, care is taken to always maintain a constant overrun (volume ratio of air bubbles mixed in) during manufacturing.

[0003] For example, in the case of ice cream, the freezing process in its production involves two steps: freezing and hardening. Freezing is the process of obtaining semi-frozen (creamy) ice cream (soft serve ice cream) containing a moderate amount of air and ice crystals using a freezer (ice cream freezer). In the case of ice cream, the amount of air contained in the mix (prepared liquid, prepared liquid) that has incorporated air bubbles is called overrun, and the overrun is expressed as a percentage as the ratio to the volume of the mix before the air bubbles were incorporated.

[0004] The tester cup method has traditionally been used to measure the overrun of ice cream. This method involves filling a cup of known volume with ice cream, measuring its weight, and calculating its density, which is then used to calculate the overrun value.

[0005] With this tester cup method, overrun is measured at set times during the manufacturing process. However, this method does not allow for continuous monitoring of overrun, and because the tester cup method requires the mix to be extracted from the manufacturing process (line), it is difficult to measure in pressure filling lines, and is not a hygienic method. Furthermore, there is a possibility of measurement errors due to the way the mix is ​​extracted or cut, or adhesion to the sides of the cup.

[0006] Therefore, in a method for producing aerated frozen dessert foods by incorporating air bubbles into a mix, it is desirable to continuously calculate the overrun value in-line, and one such method is known to be the method disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0007] This patent document 1 describes a method for continuously estimating the overrun value (volume ratio of mixed air bubbles) of the cream in-line using the "electrical conductivity" or "density and pressure" of the ice cream mix after it has passed through an ice cream freezer while it is flowing through the pipe, and a method for controlling the amount of air injected into the freezer based on the measured overrun value.This method makes it possible to evaluate the overrun value without extracting ice cream samples from the freezer outlet pipe, which is expected to prevent contamination of the production environment due to sampling and eliminate variations in measurement values ​​between operators. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-39973 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] However, although the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 makes it possible to continuously measure ice cream overrun in-line, the temperature of the raw mix and the air injection pressure of the freezer are unstable immediately after the freezer starts operating, and a considerable amount of mix needs to be passed through the freezer until the target overrun value is reached.As a result, a considerable amount of ice cream needs to be discarded or recovered until the state of the ice cream stabilizes (the specified temperature, overrun reaches within specifications, the inside of the device is sufficiently cooled, and the pressure and flow rate settle down).

[0010] The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and one of its objects is to provide a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus and a frozen dessert manufacturing method that can reduce raw material loss and the amount of ice cream recovered until the freezer operating condition stabilizes. Another object of the present invention is to effectively stabilize the overrun value in such a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus and method. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The above-mentioned object of the present invention is achieved by a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus comprising: a storage tank for storing a raw material mix that is supplied; a freezer that incorporates air bubbles into the liquid to be treated that is supplied from the storage tank and freezes it to form a creamy liquid to be treated; and a return piping section that returns the creamy liquid to be treated that has passed through the freezer to the storage tank and enables the liquid to be mixed with the raw material mix in the storage tank; wherein the freezer comprises an air supply device that supplies overrun air to the liquid to be treated; a refrigeration device that freezes the liquid to which the overrun air has been supplied; and a control section that controls the amount of overrun air supplied from the air supply device to the liquid to be treated; and the control section comprises a first overrun air input amount calculation section that calculates the amount of overrun air to be supplied to the liquid to be treated based on the following equation 1. [Formula 1] OrMv=MxPv×[(OrSv+OrCa)÷100]×(OrCo÷100) where: OrMv: Overrun air input [L / hr] MxPv: Flow rate of the treated liquid supplied to the freezer [L / hr] OrSv: Preset overrun ratio (set value) [%] OrCa: Overrun correction amount [%] set according to the temperature range of the liquid being treated supplied to the freezer OrCo: Overrun coefficient [%], which is a correction value for air contraction under freezing

[0012] In this frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus, it is preferable that the control unit further includes a second overrun air injection amount calculation unit that calculates the amount of overrun air to be supplied to the liquid to be treated based on the following formula 2. [Formula 2] OrMv=MxPv×[(OrSv-OrCr)÷100]×(OrCo÷100) where: OrMv: Overrun air input [L / hr] MxPv: Flow rate of the treated liquid supplied to the freezer [L / hr] OrSv: Preset overrun ratio (set value) [%] OrCo: Overrun coefficient [%], which is a correction value for air contraction under freezing OrCr: Air content ratio [%] in the treated liquid calculated based on the following formula 3 [Formula 3] OrCr=[OrCn×(OrCc÷100)]÷MxPv×100 OrCn: Air content in the treated liquid [L / hr] calculated based on the following formula 4 [Formula 4] OrCn=MxPv-MxCn MxCn: Mix content in the treated liquid [L / hr] calculated based on the following formula 5 [Formula 5] MxCn =MxPv×(MdPv÷MdSt) MdPv: Density of the liquid to be treated supplied to the freezer [kg / m 3 ] MdSt: Density of raw material mix before entrapment of air bubbles [kg / m 3 ] OrCc: Air content correction amount [%] set according to the actual density of the treated liquid supplied to the freezer

[0013] Preferably, the control unit further comprises a third overrun air introduction amount calculation unit that calculates the amount of overrun air introduced into the liquid to be treated based on Equation (6). [Formula 6] OrMv = MxPv × (OrSv ÷ 100) × (OrCo ÷ 100) where: OrMv: Overrun air input [L / hr] MxPv: Flow rate of the treated liquid supplied to the freezer [L / hr] OrSv: Preset overrun ratio (set value) [%] OrCo: Overrun coefficient [%], which is a correction value for air contraction under freezing

[0014] The above-mentioned object of the present invention is also achieved by a method for producing frozen desserts, which includes a raw material mix supplying step of supplying a raw material mix to a storage tank, an aeration freezing step of incorporating air bubbles into the liquid to be processed supplied from the storage tank and freezing it to form a creamy liquid to be processed, and a reflux step of returning the creamy liquid to be processed formed by the aeration freezing step to the storage tank and mixing the liquid to be processed with the raw material mix in the storage tank, wherein the aeration freezing step includes an air supplying step of supplying overrun air to the liquid to be processed, a freezing step of freezing the liquid to which the overrun air has been supplied, and a control step of controlling the amount of overrun air to be supplied to the liquid to be processed in the air supplying step, and the control step includes a first overrun air input amount calculating step of calculating the amount of overrun air to be supplied to the liquid to be processed based on the following equation 1. [Formula 1] OrMv=MxPv×[(OrSv+OrCa)÷100]×(OrCo÷100) where: OrMv: Overrun air input [L / hr] MxPv: Flow rate of the treated liquid supplied from the storage tank in the aerated freezing step [L / hr] OrSv: Preset overrun ratio (set value) [%] OrCa: Overrun correction amount [%] set according to the temperature range of the liquid being treated supplied from the storage tank in the aerated freezing step OrCo: Overrun coefficient [%], which is a correction value for air contraction under freezing

[0015] In addition, in this frozen dessert manufacturing method, it is preferable that the control step further includes a second overrun air injection amount calculation step of calculating the amount of overrun air to be supplied to the liquid to be treated based on the following equation 2. [Formula 2] OrMv=MxPv×[(OrSv-OrCr)÷100]×(OrCo÷100) where: OrMv: Overrun air input [L / hr] MxPv: Flow rate of the treated liquid supplied from the storage tank in the aerated freezing step [L / hr] OrSv: Preset overrun ratio (set value) [%] OrCo: Overrun coefficient [%], which is a correction value for air contraction under freezing OrCr: Air content ratio [%] in the treated liquid calculated based on the following formula 3 [Formula 3] OrCr=[OrCn×(OrCc÷100)]÷MxPv×100 OrCn: Air content in the treated liquid [L / hr] calculated based on the following formula 4 [Formula 4] OrCn=MxPv-MxCn MxCn: Mix content in the treated liquid [L / hr] calculated based on the following formula 5 [Formula 5] MxCn =MxPv×(MdPv÷MdSt) MdPv: Density of the liquid to be treated supplied from the storage tank in the aerated freezing step [kg / m 3 ] MdSt: Density of raw material mix before entrapment of air bubbles [kg / m 3 ] OrCc: Air content correction amount [%] set according to the actual density of the treated liquid supplied from the storage tank in the air-containing freezing step

[0016] Preferably, the control unit further comprises a third overrun air introduction amount calculation step of calculating the amount of overrun air to be supplied to the liquid to be treated based on Equation (6). [Formula 6] OrMv = MxPv × (OrSv ÷ 100) × (OrCo ÷ 100) where: OrMv: Overrun air input [L / hr] MxPv: Flow rate of the treated liquid supplied from the storage tank in the aerated freezing step [L / hr] OrSv: Preset overrun ratio (set value) [%] OrCo: Overrun coefficient [%], which is a correction value for air contraction under freezing [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus and a frozen dessert manufacturing method that can reduce the loss of ingredients and the amount of ice cream recovered until the freezer operating condition stabilizes. Furthermore, in such a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus and method, it is also possible to effectively stabilize the overrun value. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the outline of the configuration of a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus and a frozen dessert manufacturing method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present invention is an apparatus for manufacturing ice creams such as sherbet-based ice cream and cream-based ice cream, and as shown in Fig. 1, is configured to include a storage tank 2, a mixer 3, a freezer 4, a surge tank 5, a pump 6, and a filling machine 7. Here, the storage tank 2 and the mixer 3 are connected by a pipe 91, the mixer 3 and the freezer 4 are connected by a pipe 92, the freezer 4 and the surge tank 5 are connected by a pipe 95, the surge tank 5 and the pump 6 are connected by a pipe 96, and the pump 6 and the filling machine 7 are connected by a pipe 97.

[0020] The storage tank 2 is a tank that stores the raw material mix supplied from a separate aging tank, for example. The raw material mix supplied to this storage tank 2 is not particularly limited to a particular type as long as it is one that is used when producing normal ice creams, but a tank with a structure that includes an internal mixer is preferably used. The raw material mix typically contains, for example, sugars such as sugar, dairy products such as milk and cream, and vegetable oils and fats, to which an emulsifier and stabilizer are appropriately added.

[0021] The mixer 3 is a device for mixing the liquid to be treated supplied from the storage tank 2, and a commonly used mixer can be used.

[0022] Freezer 4 is a device that incorporates air bubbles into the liquid to be treated supplied from storage tank 2 via mixer 3 and freezes it to form a creamy (soft serve ice cream-like) liquid to be treated (hereinafter sometimes referred to as cream), and as shown in FIG. 1, is configured with suction pump 41, refrigeration unit 42, discharge pump 43, and air supply unit 44. Suction pump 41 is a pump 6 that draws the liquid to be treated supplied from storage tank 2 into freezer 4, and refrigeration unit 42 is a freezing cylinder that freezes the liquid to be treated to produce cream. Discharge pump 43 is a pump that guides the liquid to be treated (cream) that has passed through refrigeration unit 42 and been frozen out of freezer 4. Air supply unit 44 is a device that supplies overrun air to the liquid to be treated, causing the liquid to incorporate air bubbles.

[0023] Here, suction pump 41 of freezer 4 is connected to mixer 3 via piping 92, and suction pump 41 and refrigeration unit 42 are connected via piping 93. Furthermore, refrigeration unit 42 and delivery pump 43 are connected via piping 94, and delivery pump 43 is connected to surge tank 5 via piping 95. Furthermore, air supply unit 44 is connected to piping 93 via piping 98, and overrun air supplied from air supply unit 44 is supplied into the liquid to be treated passing through piping 93. Note that a configuration may also be adopted in which air supply unit 44 and refrigeration unit 42 are connected via piping 98, and overrun air supplied from air supply unit 44 is supplied directly into the liquid to be treated in refrigeration unit 42.

[0024] The surge tank 5 is a tank for temporarily storing the cream introduced by the action of the delivery pump 43 of the freezer 4 before it is formed into a predetermined product shape by the filling machine 7 described below. The cream stored in this surge tank 5 is supplied to the filling machine 7 via the pump 6.

[0025] The filling machine 7 is, for example, a device for filling a container of a predetermined shape with cream to produce a product, or for filling a mold with cream to produce ice cream on a stick, and a conventionally known device can be used.

[0026] The present invention is also configured to further include a return piping section 8 that connects piping 97 and storage tank 2. This return piping section 8 includes a return piping 81 and a switching valve 82, and returns the liquid to be treated that has passed through freezer 4 and formed into a creamy consistency to storage tank 2, making it possible to mix the liquid to be treated (the cream after being cooled and aerated) with the raw material mix (the mix before being cooled and aerated) in storage tank 2. Switching valve 82 is provided midway along piping 97. By including this return piping section 8, it is possible to reduce raw material losses (ice cream that is discarded) until freezer overrun stabilizes, as well as the amount of ice cream that is separately recovered and stored.

[0027] In the present invention, the piping 93 connecting the suction pump 41 and the refrigeration unit 42 (freezing cylinder) is provided with a flow rate (flow rate [L / hr] of the treated liquid supplied to the freezer 4) and a density (density [kg / m 3 ]), a thermometer TIA1 for measuring the temperature (°C) of the liquid to be treated, and a pressure gauge PIA for measuring the pressure inside the pipe 93. Furthermore, the pipe 95 connecting the delivery pump 43 and the surge tank 5, and the pipe 97 connecting the pump 6 and the filling machine 7 are provided with thermometers TIA2 and TIA3 for measuring the temperature (°C) of the liquid to be treated passing through each pipe. Furthermore, a control unit 45 is provided for controlling the amount of overrun air introduced to be supplied from the air supply device 44 to the liquid to be treated. This control unit 45 is configured to include a first overrun air introduction amount calculation unit, a second overrun air introduction amount calculation unit, and a third overrun air introduction amount calculation unit.

[0028] The first overrun air input amount calculation unit is a processing unit that calculates the amount of overrun air input to be supplied to the liquid to be treated based on the following formula 1. Note that this first overrun air input amount calculation unit is an overrun air input amount calculation unit that is mainly used to calculate the amount of overrun air input that is suitable when producing sherbet-type ice cream. Note that in this specification, sherbet-type ice cream refers to a frozen dessert that has a relatively low proportion of milk solids and a low overrun value. [Formula 1] OrMv=MxPv×[(OrSv+OrCa)÷100]×(OrCo÷100) where: OrMv: Overrun air input [L / hr] MxPv: Flow rate of the treated liquid supplied to the freezer 4 [L / hr] OrSv: Preset overrun ratio (set value) [%] OrCa: Overrun correction amount [%] set according to the temperature range of the liquid to be treated supplied to Freezer 4 OrCo: Overrun coefficient [%], which is a correction value for air contraction under freezing

[0029] In the above formula 1, MxPv is the actual flow rate [L / hr] measured by the flow meter FICA. Also, OrSv is the preset overrun ratio (set value) [%], as mentioned above, which is the ratio of the amount of air contained in the treated liquid containing air bubbles to the volume of the raw material mix before the air bubbles were trapped, and is the target overrun ratio.

[0030] As described above, OrCa is the overrun correction amount [%] that is set according to the temperature range of the liquid to be treated that is supplied to the freezer 4, and is set, for example, as a value shown in Table 1 below according to the temperature range of the liquid to be treated measured by the thermometer TIA1. The overrun correction amount decreases as the temperature range of the liquid to be treated decreases. Note that the relationship between the temperature range of the liquid to be treated and the overrun correction amount varies depending on the composition and physical properties of the liquid to be treated (mix), and therefore the temperature range of the liquid to be treated and the overrun correction amount for that temperature range are set for each type of liquid to be treated (mix) based on the measurement results using the tester cup method.

[0031] [Table 1]

[0032] As described above, OrCo is the overrun coefficient [%], which is a correction value for air contraction during freezing, and the value related to this overrun coefficient [%] is a fixed value set by the equipment manufacturer depending on the model of refrigeration equipment 42. For example, when using a W08 model manufactured by Glam Equipment as refrigeration equipment 42, the value of the overrun coefficient [%] is 1.14, taking into account the air contraction rate.

[0033] The second overrun air input amount calculation unit is a processing unit that calculates the amount of overrun air input to be supplied to the liquid to be treated based on the following formula 2. This second overrun air input amount calculation unit is an overrun air input amount calculation unit that is mainly used to calculate the amount of overrun air input that is suitable when producing cream-based ice cream. In this specification, cream-based ice cream refers to frozen desserts that contain dairy ingredients, and in particular, frozen desserts that have a relatively high proportion of dairy solids and a high overrun value. [Formula 2] OrMv=MxPv×[(OrSv-OrCr)÷100]×(OrCo÷100) where: OrMv: Overrun air input [L / hr] MxPv: Flow rate of the treated liquid supplied to the freezer 4 [L / hr] OrSv: Preset overrun ratio (set value) [%] OrCo: Overrun coefficient [%], which is a correction value for air contraction under freezing OrCr: Air content ratio [%] in the treated liquid calculated based on the following formula 3 [Formula 3] OrCr=[OrCn×(OrCc÷100)]÷MxPv×100 OrCn: Air content in the treated liquid [L / hr] calculated based on the following formula 4 [Formula 4] OrCn=MxPv-MxCn MxCn: Mix content in the treated liquid [L / hr] calculated based on the following formula 5 [Formula 5] MxCn =MxPv×(MdPv÷MdSt) MdPv: Density of the liquid to be treated supplied to the freezer 4 [kg / m 3 ] MdSt: Density of raw material mix before entrapment of air bubbles [kg / m 3 ] OrCc: Air content correction amount [%] set according to the actual density of the treated liquid supplied to the freezer 4

[0034] MxPv, OrSv, and OrCo in the above formula 2 are the same as MxPv, OrSv, and OrCo in the above formula 1. Furthermore, OrCr in formula 2 is the air content ratio [%] in the liquid to be treated in the pipe 93 calculated based on formula 3 as described above. OrCn in formula 3 is the air content [L / hr] in the liquid to be treated in the pipe 93 calculated based on formula 4 above, and MxCn in formula 4 is the mix content [L / hr] in the liquid to be treated in the pipe 93 calculated based on formula 5 above. MdPv in formula 5 is the density [kg / m 3 ] (density of the liquid to be treated passing through the pipe 93), which is the actual measured value of the density of the liquid to be treated measured by the mass flow meter FICA. Also, MdSt in Equation 5 is the density [kg / m 3 The density of the raw material mix can be measured separately by a mass flow meter installed in the pipe 99 through which the raw material mix supplied to the storage tank 2 passes. Alternatively, it can also be measured by a mass flow meter FICA installed in the pipe 93 immediately after the frozen dessert production apparatus 1 starts operating.

[0035] Furthermore, OrCc in Equation 3 is the air content correction amount [%] that is set according to the measured density band of the liquid to be treated that is supplied to the freezer 4, and is set, for example, as a value shown in Table 2 below, according to the measured value of the density of the liquid to be treated that is measured by the mass flow meter FICA. This air content correction amount increases as the measured density band value of the liquid to be treated decreases. Note that the relationship between the measured density band of the liquid to be treated and the air content correction amount varies depending on the composition and physical properties of the liquid to be treated (mix), so the measured density band of the liquid to be treated and the air content correction amount for that density band are set for each type of liquid to be treated (mix) based on the measurement results using the tester cup method.

[0036] [Table 2]

[0037] The third overrun air input amount calculation unit is a processing unit that calculates the amount of overrun air input to be supplied to the liquid to be treated based on the following formula 6. Note that this third overrun air input amount calculation unit is an overrun air input amount calculation unit that is mainly used at a stage where the overrun value of the liquid to be treated has stabilized due to control by the first overrun air input amount calculation unit and the second overrun air input amount calculation unit, and it has become possible to pass the liquid to be treated through the filling machine 7. [Formula 6] OrMv = MxPv × (OrSv ÷ 100) × (OrCo ÷ 100) where: OrMv: Overrun air input [L / hr] MxPv: Flow rate of the treated liquid supplied to the freezer 4 [L / hr] OrSv: Preset overrun ratio (set value) [%] OrCo: Overrun coefficient [%], which is a correction value for air contraction under freezing It should be noted that MxPv, OrSv, and OrCo in the above formula 6 are the same as MxPv, OrSv, and OrCo in the above formula 1.

[0038] Next, the operation of the frozen dessert production apparatus 1 according to the present invention, configured as described above, will be described. At the start of operation, the production conditions for the creamy processed liquid produced in the freezer 4 are not reached, so the selector valve 82 is operated to set the processed liquid passing through the freezer 4 to return to the storage tank 2, and operations of a pump (not shown) that supplies the raw material mix to the storage tank 2, the mixer 3, the freezer 4, etc. are started. The raw material mix is ​​supplied to the storage tank 2 (raw material mix supply step), and while being agitated by the agitator in the storage tank 2, it is introduced to the mixer 3 for further agitation. The processed liquid introduced to the mixer 3 (raw material mix immediately after the start of operation) is introduced into the freezer 4 by the operation of the suction pump 41 of the freezer 4, and after overrun air is introduced from the air supply device 44 (air supply step), it is introduced into the freezer 4 (freezing step), where air bubbles are incorporated into the processed liquid and it is frozen and agitated to produce a creamy processed liquid (aerated freezing step). The creamy liquid to be treated that is produced is pushed forward of the freezing device 42 (freezing cylinder).

[0039] The liquid to be treated that has been aerated and frozen by refrigeration device 42 is sent to surge tank 5 by delivery pump 43, then guided into piping 97 by pump 6, and returned to storage tank 2 by return piping 81 via switching valve 82 (return step). The liquid to be treated (aerated mix) returned to storage tank 2 is mixed with the raw mix (raw material mix before aeration) in storage tank 2, and this mixed liquid is further mixed uniformly in mixer 3, and is again guided as the liquid to be treated to freezer 4, where the supply of overrun air (air supply step) and freezing (freezing step) are repeated until the overrun value stabilizes.

[0040] Here, the amount of overrun air introduced from air supply device 44 to the liquid being treated is controlled by control unit 45 (control step). In control unit 45, the amount of overrun air introduced is determined by a first overrun air introduction amount calculation step, which calculates the amount of overrun air introduced to the liquid being treated based on the above formula 1, or a second overrun air introduction amount calculation step, which calculates the amount of overrun air introduced to the liquid being treated based on the above formula 2, and this determined amount of overrun air introduced is supplied to the liquid being treated by air supply device 44 (air supply step). By performing such control, it is possible to appropriately prevent excess air from being introduced into the liquid being treated, which is a mixed liquid of an already aerated mix and a raw mix (raw mix before aeration), while repeatedly supplying the liquid being treated from storage tank 2 to freezer 4, aerating the liquid being treated, freezing, and returning it to storage tank 2, thereby stabilizing the overrun value.

[0041] The calculations performed by the first overrun air input amount calculation unit and the second overrun air input amount calculation unit of the control unit 45 are configured to be switchable as appropriate depending on whether the product being manufactured is sherbet-based ice cream or cream-based ice cream.

[0042] Once the creamy liquid has been formed through the above-described steps and is in a stable state, the selector valve 82 is operated to supply the creamy liquid (cream) stored in the surge tank 5 to the filling machine 7, thereby starting production of the final product. Here, the state of the creamy liquid being stable means that the temperature of the liquid is within a specified temperature range, the overrun value is within specifications, and the inside of the device is sufficiently cooled to stabilize the pressure and flow rate. Whether the creamy liquid is in a stable state is determined by whether the actual density value of the liquid measured by the mass flow meter FICA reaches a preset reference value. The system may be configured so that, if the actual density value exceeds the reference value, the selector valve 82 automatically switches to supply the creamy liquid (cream) to the filling machine 7. The preset reference value is the density [kg / m ] of the raw material mix before air bubbles are trapped. 3 The density of the raw material mix before air bubbles are entrapped [kg / m 3 ] can be measured separately by a mass flow meter installed in the pipe 99 through which the raw material mix supplied to the storage tank 2 passes. Alternatively, it can be measured by a mass flow meter FICA installed in the pipe 93 immediately after the frozen dessert production apparatus 1 starts operating.

[0043] Furthermore, when the state of the treated liquid, which has been formed into a creamy consistency, stabilizes and the stage arrives for supplying the treated liquid (cream) to the filling machine 7 to start producing the final product, the control unit 45 calculates the amount of overrun air to be fed by the third overrun air feeding amount calculation unit (third overrun air feeding amount calculation step) instead of performing calculations by the first overrun air feeding amount calculation unit or the second overrun air feeding amount calculation unit, and the air supply device 44 is configured to feed the calculated amount of overrun air to be fed to the treated liquid.

[0044] As described above, the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus 1 and frozen dessert manufacturing method of the present invention are configured to return the treated liquid, which has passed through the freezer 4 and formed into a cream-like liquid, inline to the storage tank 2 upstream of the freezer 4, allowing the treated liquid (cream after cooling and aeration) to be mixed with the raw material mix (mix before cooling and aeration) in the storage tank 2, and then pass the liquid through the freezer 4 again, thereby making it possible to reduce the amount of ice cream (raw material loss) that is discarded until the state stabilizes (production conditions are reached) and the amount of ice cream that is collected and stored separately.

[0045] Furthermore, as described above, until the operating state of the freezer 4 stabilizes, the amount of overrun air to be supplied to the treated liquid is calculated using the above-mentioned formulas 1 and 2, and the calculated amount of overrun air is controlled to be injected into the treated liquid, thereby making it possible to suppress excessive air injection and efficiently stabilize the overrun value.

[0046] The frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus 1 and the frozen dessert manufacturing method according to one embodiment of the present invention have been described above, but the specific configuration of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus 1 is not limited to the above embodiment. In the above embodiment, the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus 1 is configured to include a surge tank 5 and a pump 6, but for example, the surge tank 5 and the pump 6 may be omitted, and the filling machine 7 may be configured to connect the delivery pump 43, which guides the liquid (cream) that has passed through the freezing device 42 and been frozen, to the outside of the freezer 4, via a pipe 95.

[0047] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the air supply device 44 is connected to the pipe 93 via the pipe 98, and the overrun air supplied from the air supply device 44 is configured to be supplied into the treated liquid passing through the pipe 93, but for example, the overrun air supplied from the air supply device 44 may be configured to be supplied directly into the refrigeration device 42. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 Frozen dessert manufacturing equipment 2. Storage tank 3 Mixer 4. Frieza 41 Suction pump 42 Refrigeration equipment (freezing cylinder) 43 Delivery Pump 44 Air supply device 45 Control Unit 5. Surge Tank 6. Pump 7 Filling machine 8 Return piping section 81 Return piping 82 Switching valve

Claims

1. a storage tank for storing the supplied raw material mix; a freezer that incorporates air bubbles into the liquid to be treated supplied from the storage tank and freezes it to form a creamy liquid to be treated; A frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus including a return piping section that allows the liquid to be treated, which has passed through the freezer and formed into a creamy state, to be returned to the storage tank and can mix the liquid to be treated with the raw material mix in the storage tank, the freezer comprises an air supply device that supplies overrun air to the liquid to be treated, a refrigeration device that freezes the liquid to which the overrun air has been supplied, and a control unit that controls the amount of overrun air introduced from the air supply device to the liquid to be treated, The control unit is characterized by having a first overrun air injection amount calculation unit that calculates the amount of overrun air to be supplied to the liquid to be treated based on the following equation 1. [Formula 1] OrMv=MxPv×[(OrSv+OrCa)÷100]×(OrCo÷100) where: OrMv: Overrun air input [L / hr] MxPv: flow rate of the liquid to be treated supplied to the freezer [L / hr] OrSv: Preset overrun ratio (set value) [%] OrCa: Overrun correction amount [%] set according to the temperature range of the liquid being treated supplied to the freezer OrCo: Overrun coefficient [%], which is a correction value for air contraction during freezing

2. The frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit further comprises a second overrun air injection amount calculation unit that calculates the amount of overrun air to be supplied to the liquid to be treated based on the following formula 2: [Formula 2] OrMv=MxPv×[(OrSv−OrCr)÷100]×(OrCo÷100) where: OrMv: Overrun air input [L / hr] MxPv: flow rate of the liquid to be treated supplied to the freezer [L / hr] OrSv: Preset overrun ratio (set value) [%] OrCo: Overrun coefficient [%], which is a correction value for air contraction during freezing OrCr: Air content ratio [%] in the liquid to be treated calculated based on the following formula 3 [Formula 3] OrCr=[OrCn×(OrCc÷100)]÷MxPv×100 OrCn: Air content in the liquid to be treated [L / hr] calculated based on the following formula 4 [Formula 4] OrCn = MxPv - MxCn MxCn: Mix content in the liquid to be treated [L / hr] calculated based on the following formula 5 [Formula 5] MxCn = MxPv×(MdPv÷MdSt) MdPv: Density of the liquid to be treated supplied to the freezer [kg / m ３ ] MdSt: Density of raw material mix before entrapment of air bubbles [kg / m ３ ] OrCc: Air content correction amount [%] set according to the actual density of the treated liquid supplied to the freezer

3. The frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit further comprises a third overrun air injection amount calculation unit that calculates an amount of overrun air to be supplied to the liquid to be treated based on Equation 6. [Formula 6] OrMv = MxPv × (OrSv ÷ 100) × (OrCo ÷ 100) where: OrMv: Overrun air input [L / hr] MxPv: flow rate of the liquid to be treated supplied to the freezer [L / hr] OrSv: Preset overrun ratio (set value) [%] OrCo: Overrun coefficient [%], which is a correction value for air contraction during freezing

4. a raw material mix supply step of supplying the raw material mix to a storage tank; an aeration freezing step of incorporating air bubbles into the liquid to be treated supplied from the storage tank and freezing it to form a creamy liquid to be treated; a reflux step of refluxing the creamy processed liquid formed by the aeration freezing step to the storage tank and mixing the processed liquid with the raw material mix in the storage tank, the aeration freezing step comprises an air supply step of supplying overrun air to the liquid to be treated, a freezing step of freezing the liquid to which the overrun air has been supplied, and a control step of controlling the amount of overrun air introduced into the liquid to be treated in the air supply step, A method for producing frozen desserts, characterized in that the control step includes a first overrun air injection amount calculation step for calculating the amount of overrun air to be supplied to the treated liquid based on the following equation 1. [Formula 1] OrMv=MxPv×[(OrSv+OrCa)÷100]×(OrCo÷100) where: OrMv: Overrun air input [L / hr] MxPv: Flow rate of the liquid to be treated supplied from the storage tank in the aeration freezing step [L / hr] OrSv: Preset overrun ratio (set value) [%] OrCa: Overrun correction amount [%] set according to the temperature range of the liquid being treated supplied from the storage tank in the aerated freezing step OrCo: Overrun coefficient [%], which is a correction value for air contraction during freezing

5. The method for producing frozen desserts according to claim 4, wherein the control step further comprises a second overrun air injection amount calculation step of calculating the amount of overrun air to be supplied to the liquid to be treated based on the following formula 2: [Formula 2] OrMv=MxPv×[(OrSv−OrCr)÷100]×(OrCo÷100) where: OrMv: Overrun air input [L / hr] MxPv: Flow rate of the liquid to be treated supplied from the storage tank in the aeration freezing step [L / hr] OrSv: Preset overrun ratio (set value) [%] OrCo: Overrun coefficient [%], which is a correction value for air contraction during freezing OrCr: Air content ratio [%] in the liquid to be treated calculated based on the following formula 3 [Formula 3] OrCr=[OrCn×(OrCc÷100)]÷MxPv×100 OrCn: Air content in the liquid to be treated [L / hr] calculated based on the following formula 4 [Formula 4] OrCn = MxPv - MxCn MxCn: Mix content in the liquid to be treated [L / hr] calculated based on the following formula 5 [Formula 5] MxCn = MxPv×(MdPv÷MdSt) MdPv: Density of the liquid to be treated supplied from the storage tank in the aerated freezing step [kg / m ３ ] MdSt: Density of raw material mix before entrapment of air bubbles [kg / m ３ ] OrCc: Air content correction amount [%] set according to the actual density of the treated liquid supplied from the storage tank in the aerated freezing step

6. The method for producing frozen desserts according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the control step further comprises a third overrun air injection amount calculation step of calculating the amount of overrun air to be supplied to the liquid to be treated based on Equation 6. [Formula 6] OrMv = MxPv × (OrSv ÷ 100) × (OrCo ÷ 100) where: OrMv: Overrun air input [L / hr] MxPv: Flow rate of the liquid to be treated supplied from the storage tank in the aeration freezing step [L / hr] OrSv: Preset overrun ratio (set value) [%] OrCo: Overrun coefficient [%], which is a correction value for air contraction during freezing

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