Taro dryer

Abstract

To provide a taro drier capable of processing a large amount of taro in a relatively short time before shipping to improve a ratio of non-defective item of taro during transportation.SOLUTION: A drier 1 of taro T comprises: plural drying units 4 arranged linearly and each including a unit drying chamber 5, a hot air generator 6 disposed above the unit drying chamber 5 and capable of adjusting a temperature of hot air to be supplied, and an exhaust duct 7 disposed below the unit drying chamber 5 and discharging the hot air generated in the hot air generator 6; and a conveyor 3 including a transportation route 3A that runs through a drying chamber 2 constituted by coupling the unit drying chambers 5 arranged linearly in a longitudinal direction. By supplying the hot air generated in the hot air generator 6 to the drying chamber 2 while making the hot air pass through the drying chamber 2 to maintain a temperature in the drying chamber 2 at 50°C or higher, transporting many pieces of taro T by the conveyor 3 along the transportation route to make the taro pass through the drying chamber 2, and drying cutout openings of the taro T, a dried layer is formed on the cutout openings.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a taro dryer used to process taro before shipping. [Background technology]

[0002] The above-mentioned pre-shipment processing method for taro is mainly carried out at taro sorting facilities that collect large quantities of taro from taro producers such as farmers before shipping to retailers such as supermarkets or consumers. This is done to maintain the quality of the taro as best as possible during transportation and after it reaches the consumer.

[0003] Generally, taro roots harvested from fields are collected at taro sorting plants. The collected taro roots are then sorted according to shape, quality, and size at the taro sorting plants, and are then packaged as needed, such as in boxes, before being shipped. However, there have been cases where taro roots shipped from the taro sorting plants have rotted during transportation and become defective products, and these defective products are delivered to retailers and consumers. Therefore, there has been a demand for improving the rate of non-defective taro roots during transportation.

[0004] It has been known that taro decay occurs when dry rot is caused by Fusarium fungi in stored taro. To prevent this dry rot in stored taro, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for preventing dry rot in taro by causing the taro to absorb water and then continuously irradiating the taro with far-infrared rays to raise the surface temperature of the taro to 60-70°C, and maintaining that temperature for 1-5 minutes. Patent Document 1 also discloses a device for preventing dry rot in taro, which comprises a conveyor equipped with a mesh belt on which the taro is placed and transported, heaters installed on both the top and bottom of the mesh belt to irradiate the taro with far-infrared rays, and a control device that controls the output of the heaters and the speed of the conveyor based on pre-determined data so that the surface temperature of the taro is maintained at 60-70°C for 1-5 minutes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 09-023812 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, while the conventional dry rot prevention methods and devices described above may be effective for storing seed taro in a refrigerator for a long period of time, they are not suitable for processing large quantities of collected taro in a short time before shipping so as to maintain the quality of the taro as good as possible during transportation and after it reaches the consumer, as it is necessary to ship the large quantities of taro collected at taro sorting plants as quickly as possible.

[0007] In other words, the conventional dry rot prevention methods described above not only require a long time, such as 24 hours, for the taro to absorb sufficient water, but also require the taro to be immersed in water for a predetermined period of time to absorb the water, which requires equipment such as a water storage tank.

[0008] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned taro dry rot prevention device, far-infrared rays are irradiated onto the taro on the mesh belt of the conveyor from heaters installed above and below the mesh belt to maintain the surface temperature of the taro at the required temperature. However, the amount of far-infrared rays reaching the taro varies between areas of the taro directly exposed to the far-infrared rays and areas in the shade. The angle of incidence of the infrared rays also varies at different parts of the taro surface. Therefore, the entire surface of the taro does not heat up uniformly, and temperature differences may occur between different parts of the taro surface. In particular, if the notch of a taro is moist, it is believed that rot will progress from the notch. Therefore, even if a large amount of taro is transported on a conveyor equipped with a mesh belt and far-infrared rays are irradiated from heaters installed above and below the transport path, uneven drying is likely to occur at the notch of each taro, making it difficult to improve the yield rate of taro during transport.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. The main object of the present invention is to provide a taro dryer that can process a large amount of taro in a relatively short time before shipping so as to improve the rate of non-defective taro during transportation. Means for solving the problem and effects of the invention

[0010] A taro dryer according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a unit drying chamber, a hot air generator arranged above the unit drying chamber and capable of adjusting the temperature of the hot air supplied, and a plurality of drying units arranged in a row, each having an exhaust duct arranged below the unit drying chamber for discharging the hot air generated by the hot air generator; and a conveyor having a transport path that passes through the drying chamber, which is formed by connecting the unit drying chambers arranged in a row in the front-to-back direction.The hot air generated by the hot air generator is supplied to the drying chamber and passes through the drying chamber, while maintaining the temperature inside the drying chamber at 50 degrees Celsius or higher, and a large number of taro are transported by the conveyor along the transport path and passed through the drying chamber, thereby drying the notched openings of the taro and forming a dried layer at the notched openings.

[0011] With this configuration, before shipping a large amount of taro, the taro can be processed in a relatively short time so as to improve the rate of non-defective taro during transportation.

[0012] According to the taro dryer of the second aspect of the present invention, the conveyor is provided with a mesh belt as an endless transport belt on which the taro is placed, and the endless transport belt circulates to return to the transport path via a return path that passes below the drying chamber, and the drying chamber can be configured to have a hot air supply port on the upper side of the drying chamber and a hot air exhaust port on the lower side of the drying chamber, and to have a plate arranged directly below the transport path that prevents the hot air from flowing downward.

[0013] With this configuration, the hot air passing through the mesh belt is received by the plate, and sufficient hot air can be applied to the underside of the taro on the mesh belt, so that the entire surface of a large amount of taro can be efficiently dried, and uneven drying at the cut openings of the taro can be prevented.

[0014] According to the taro dryer according to the third aspect of the present invention, the plate can be configured to be a corrugated plate that is curved in a wave shape in the conveying direction of the taro.

[0015] With this configuration, the hot air that hits the corrugated plate is less likely to escape in the conveying direction of the conveyor, making it possible to more effectively dry the entire surface of the taro, including the notch.

[0016] According to the taro dryer according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the conveying path can be configured to have a step at least at one location in the conveying direction.

[0017] With this configuration, the taro rolls over the step during transportation and is turned upside down, so that the entire taro including the notch can be dried more evenly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of the taro dryer of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the dryer shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is an enlarged photograph of the vicinity of the surface layer of a vertical cross section of a notched opening of a taro according to Comparative Example 1. [Figure 4] 10 is an enlarged photograph of the vicinity of the surface layer of a vertical cross section of a notch of a taro according to Example 4. [Figure 5] 10 is an enlarged photograph of the vicinity of the surface layer of a vertical cross section of a notch of a taro according to Example 6. [Figure 6] This is a graph showing the relationship between the number of days elapsed since treatment and the number of commercially valuable taro and the non-defective rate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The following describes embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are illustrative of a taro dryer embodying the technical concept of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following. Furthermore, this specification does not in any way limit the components set forth in the claims to the components of the embodiments. The dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative locations of components described in the embodiments, unless otherwise specified, are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention and are merely illustrative examples. The size and relative positions of components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity. Furthermore, in the following description, identical names and symbols indicate identical or similar components, and detailed descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the elements constituting the present invention may be configured with the same components, with one component serving multiple functions, or the functions of one component may be shared among multiple components. (dryer)

[0020] 1 and 2 show an example of a taro dryer of the present invention, and this dryer 1 includes a drying chamber 2 and a conveyor 3 having a transport path 3A for the taro T, which passes through the drying chamber 2. The left side of the paper in FIG. 1 is the front side of the drying chamber 2, and the right side of the paper in FIG. 1 is the rear side of the drying chamber 2. The conveyor 3 transports the taro T from the front side to the rear side of the drying chamber 2 along the transport path 3A.

[0021] In this embodiment, the dryer 1 is equipped with six drying units 4 lined up in a row in the direction of conveyance by the conveyor 3 in order to effectively dry the taro T, and each drying unit 4 is equipped with a unit drying chamber 5, a hot air generator 6 arranged above the unit drying chamber 5, and an exhaust duct 7 arranged below the unit drying chamber 5. The drying chamber 2 is constructed by connecting the unit drying chambers 5 of each drying unit 4 in the front-to-rear direction. Note that Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the unit drying chambers 5 and the exhaust duct 7, assuming that the drying chamber 2 is cut along a vertical plane extending in the front-to-rear direction.

[0022] The unit drying chamber 5 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape by being surrounded by plates on the front, back, left, right, top and bottom, and has openings 8a and 8b formed in the front and rear plates for passing the conveyor 3 and the taro T, a supply port 9 formed in the upper plate for introducing hot air generated by the hot air generator 6, and a plurality of exhaust ports 10 formed in the lower plate for discharging the hot air to the exhaust duct 7.

[0023] 2, the hot air generator 6 is configured so that LPG gas is injected into a combustion duct 11 having an air intake 11a by a burner 12 and burned in the combustion duct 11 to generate hot air, which can be sent to the drying chamber 2 by a blower 13. Furthermore, the hot air generator 6 is equipped with a temperature sensor 14 disposed near the hot air supply port 9 to detect the temperature of the hot air supplied to the unit drying chamber 5, and a temperature regulator (not shown) that automatically operates the burner 12 so that the temperature of the hot air detected by the temperature sensor 14 becomes a preset temperature.

[0024] 1, the upper surface of the exhaust duct 7 is open to receive the hot air discharged from the exhaust port 10 of each unit drying chamber 5, and the exhaust ducts 7 of the six drying units 4 are connected to adjacent ones to form a single exhaust path 15. The rearmost exhaust duct 7 has an opening 16 that leads to an exhaust duct (not shown) provided outside the dryer 1. This opening 16 may be provided for each drying unit 4, for example, as needed.

[0025] The conveyor 3 includes an endless conveying belt 17 on which the taro T is placed, a wire mesh belt that allows hot air to pass from the front side to the back side. The endless conveying belt 17 has a predetermined width in the left-right direction of the drying chamber 2, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, and is stretched over rollers 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 18e, 18f, 18g, 18h, and 18i, as shown by the one-dot chain line in FIG. 1. When roller 18h is driven to rotate by a motor 19, the taro T circulates back to the conveying path 3A via a return path 3B that passes below the exhaust duct 7 located below the drying chamber 2. The conveying path 3A is formed by rollers 18a to 18d, and the return path 3B is formed by rollers 18d, 18e to 18i, and 18a. The transport path 3A also has a step 20 that is inclined downward in the transport direction, and this step 20 is formed by roller portions 18b and 18c.

[0026] Taro T is supplied to the front end of the conveyor 3 from outside the dryer 1 at any time by a conveyor not shown, and taro T that has passed through the drying chamber 2 is transported from the rear end of the conveyor 3 to a predetermined position outside the dryer 1 by a conveyor not shown.

[0027] The hot air generated by the hot air generator 6 is supplied to the unit drying chamber 5 through the supply port 9, blown onto the taro T being transported along the transport path 3A, passes from top to bottom through the transport endless belt 17, and is then discharged from the discharge port 10 into the exhaust duct 7. In order to ensure that the hot air that has passed from top to bottom through the transport endless belt 17 can be fully utilized to dry the lower part of the taro T, the unit drying chamber 5 has a plate 21 disposed directly below the transport path 3A. This plate 21 prevents the hot air that has passed through the transport endless belt 17 from flowing directly downward, and is made of a corrugated plate that is curved in a wave-like shape in the transport direction of the taro T on the transport endless belt 17. (How taro is processed before shipping)

[0028] To process taro before shipping using the taro dryer of the present invention, the taro dryer 1 described above is installed, and hot air generated by the hot air generator 6 is supplied to the drying chamber 2. The temperature within the drying chamber 2, i.e., the temperature of the hot air passing through the drying chamber 2, is adjusted and maintained at a predetermined value. A large number of taro T are then transported along the conveying path 3A by the conveyor 3 and passed through the drying chamber 2. As the taro T passes through the drying chamber 2, the notched openings of the taro T are dried, forming a dry layer at the notched openings, as described below. The notched openings of the taro T are the separation surfaces formed when the parent taro and the baby taro, or the baby taro and the baby taro, are separated, or the cut surface formed when the taro is cut. Even if moisture is present on the surface of the taro T's skin, the moisture evaporates as the taro T passes through the drying chamber 2, drying the skin as well. When the pre-shipment processing of the taro T is completed, the supply of hot air from the hot air generator 6 to the drying chamber 2 is stopped and the operation of the conveyor 3 is stopped. [Example]

[0029] In order to understand the changes in the quality of taro treated by the pre-shipment treatment method of the present invention, 300 taro were divided into six groups of 50 taro, and the pre-shipment treatment method for taro was carried out on each of the six groups using the dryer 1, with the temperature in the drying chamber 2 maintained at a different temperature for each group.

[0030] In this dryer 1, the conveyor 3 has a maximum transport weight of 60 kilograms per minute, and the conveyor 3 has a transport speed of 6 meters per minute. The burner 12 is an LPG gas burner, and the air volume supplied to the drying chamber 2 is 480 cubic meters per minute, calculated by summing the air volumes sent out by the blowers 13 for each drying unit 4. The passage time through the drying chamber 2 is 135 seconds. The temperature within the drying chamber 2 was measured for each example using a thermometer 22 installed near the transport path 3A within the drying chamber 2. The temperature within the drying chamber 2 was adjusted so that the measured temperature was 30 degrees Celsius in Example 1, 50 degrees Celsius in Example 2, 60 degrees Celsius in Example 3, 64 degrees Celsius in Example 4, 68 degrees Celsius in Example 5, and 72 degrees Celsius in Example 6. At each adjusted temperature, 50 taro pieces were supplied to the conveyor 3 and passed through the drying chamber 2.

[0031] Furthermore, as Comparative Example 1, 50 taro pieces were supplied to the conveyor 3 and passed through the drying chamber 2 without supplying hot air into the drying chamber 2. The temperature inside the drying chamber 2 at this time was 8 degrees Celsius.

[0032] The 50 taro potatoes used in Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Example 1 were shipped to a taro sorting facility by the same producer one day before the above-mentioned treatment, and from the shipped taro potatoes, those with rotting or decaying notches were removed. (Condition of the notch after processing)

[0033] For each of Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Example 1, the dry state of the notched end of the taro was observed immediately after it was taken out of the drying chamber 2.

[0034] For the taro in Comparative Example 1, no change was observed in the condition of the notched opening of the taro when comparing before being carried into the drying chamber 2 with after passing through the drying chamber 2, and the notched opening of the taro carried out from the drying chamber 2 was glossy with liquid and appeared to be moist with liquid seeping out. In addition, when touching the notched opening with a fingertip and removing the fingertip from the notched opening, a slight adhesive force was felt.

[0035] The taro of Example 1 did not appear to be sufficiently dried, while the taro of Example 2, Example 3, Example 4, Example 5, and Example 6 did not show any liquid seeping out or sheen on the surface of the notch, and appeared to be smooth and dry. Furthermore, when touching the notch with a fingertip and then removing the fingertip, there was no stickiness felt, unlike the notch of the taro of Comparative Example 1. The color of the notch of each of the taro of Examples 1 to 6 appeared closer to white the higher the temperature in the drying chamber 2.

[0036] Furthermore, for the taro of Comparative Example 1, the taro of Example 4, and the taro of Example 6, the notch was cut in a direction approximately perpendicular to the surface, and the surface area of ​​the cut surface of the notch (i.e., the longitudinal cross section of the notch) was photographed using a microscope. Figure 3 is an enlarged photograph of Comparative Example 1, Figure 4 is an enlarged photograph of Example 4, and Figure 5 is an enlarged photograph of Example 6. The taro is shown on the right side of the photographs in Figures 3 to 5, and the background is shown on the left side. In Figure 3, the surface portion of the notch seen near the center of the photograph and the deeper portion seen near the right edge of the photograph have a substantially uniform structure. In Figures 4 and 5, the structure of the surface portion of the taro seen near the center of the photograph is different from the structure of the deeper portion seen near the surface portion. A hollow portion is generated at the location indicated by the arrow in the photograph, i.e., at the boundary between the surface portion of the notch and the deeper portion. These hollow areas near the surface of the notch and the surface layer of the notch are thought to have been created by the drying of the notch, and it is thought that the formation of such a surface layer around the notch inhibits decay of the taro from the notch. Here, the surface layer of the notch, as seen in Figures 4 and 5, will be called the dry layer. In Figures 4 and 5, the darker colored areas near the center of the photographs are thought to be soil that was attached to the surface of the notch. (Verification of the effects of the embodiment)

[0037] Fifty taro pieces each from Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Example 1 that had passed through the drying chamber 2 were placed in separate nylon bags for each example, and then stored in separate boxes at room temperature in a perishable state. The quality of the taro was then observed daily for a set period of time. If any taro pieces were found to have a slimy texture at the notch, had become soft, and appeared to have melted, they were deemed spoiled and therefore had no commercial value, and were removed from the box. The results of this observation are shown in Table 1 and Figure 6. [Table 1]

[0038] Table 1 shows the relationship between the number of days since processing and the number of taro that have developed damage or mold. The numbers in the "damage" column in Table 1 indicate the number of taro that have been damaged and lost their commercial value, and the numbers in the "mold, etc." column indicate the number of taro that have developed mold and lost their commercial value. In addition, "A" to "F" in the "mold, etc." column in Table 1 indicate that some taro have commercial value but show signs of quality deterioration. "A" indicates that red spots have appeared at the notch, "B" indicates that the notch has softened, "C" indicates that an odor has appeared inside the nylon bag, "D" indicates that the notch has become slimy, "E" indicates that the bottom of the taro has softened, and "F" indicates that the taro has wilted.

[0039] As shown in Table 1, in Examples 1 to 6, the time when signs of quality deterioration appeared in the taro was later than in Comparative Example 1. Furthermore, in Example 3, which passed through a drying chamber 2 at 60 degrees Celsius, and Example 4, which passed through a drying chamber 2 at 64 degrees Celsius, the time when signs of quality deterioration appeared in the taro was later than in the other Examples.

[0040] Typically, when taro is shipped from a taro sorting facility to a retailer such as a supermarket, it takes about a week for the taro to be transported, and it takes about a week for the retailer to package the taro and display it in its storefront, for consumers to purchase the taro, and for consumers to consume the taro. Retailers also acknowledge that some taro will be damaged during transportation, and as long as the quality rate of the taro they receive is 95% or higher, they will not file a complaint against the taro sorting facility. Therefore, it is sufficient for the quality rate of taro shipped from the taro sorting facility after undergoing the pre-shipment treatment method of the present invention to be 95% or higher three weeks later, and the taro can be evaluated as maintaining good quality during transportation and after reaching the consumer.

[0041] Fig. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the number of days after processing and the number and quality rate of marketable taro remaining in the box. Looking at the quality rate of taro after one week (7 days) in Fig. 6, one out of 50 taros of Example 1 that passed through the drying chamber 2 at 30 degrees Celsius was damaged, giving a quality rate of 98%. Of the 50 taros of Example 2 that passed through the drying chamber 2 at 50 degrees Celsius, not one was damaged, giving a quality rate of 100%. Of the 50 taros of Example 3 that passed through the drying chamber 2 at 60 degrees Celsius, not one was damaged, giving a quality rate of 100%. Of the 50 taros of Example 4 that passed through the drying chamber 2 at 64 degrees Celsius, not one was damaged, giving a quality rate of 100%. The taro of Example 4, which passed through the drying chamber 2 at 68°C, had no damage out of 50, resulting in a 100% quality rate. The taro of Example 5, which passed through the drying chamber 2 at 68°C, had one damage out of 50, resulting in a 98% quality rate. The taro of Example 6, which passed through the drying chamber 2 at 72°C, had three damage out of 50, resulting in a 94% quality rate. The taro of Comparative Example 1, which passed through the drying chamber 2 in a windless and unheated condition, had three damage out of 50, resulting in a 94% quality rate. Therefore, while the quality rate of the taro of Comparative Example 1 after one week had been 94%, the taro of Examples 1 to 5 maintained a quality rate of 95% or more even after one week, demonstrating that the taro treatments of Examples 1 to 5 were effective. It is believed that the taro of Example 6, which passed through the drying chamber 2 at 72°C, became more susceptible to damage due to heat destruction of the cellular tissue in the surface layer, such as the notch.

[0042] Furthermore, in FIG. 6, when attention is paid to the quality rates of the taro according to Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Example 1 three weeks after shipping, 7 out of 50 taro according to Example 1 that passed through the drying chamber 2 at 30 degrees Celsius were damaged, and the quality rate was 86%. 1 out of 50 taro according to Example 2 that passed through the drying chamber 2 at 50 degrees Celsius was damaged, and the quality rate was 98%. 4 out of 50 taro according to Example 3 that passed through the drying chamber 2 at 60 degrees Celsius was damaged, and the quality rate was 92%. In the case of Example 4, which passed through the drying chamber 2 at 68 degrees Celsius, not a single one of 50 was damaged, and the quality rate was 100%. In the case of Example 5, which passed through the drying chamber 2 at 68 degrees Celsius, 3 out of 50 were damaged, and the quality rate was 94%. In the case of Example 5, which passed through the drying chamber 2 at 72 degrees Celsius, 10 out of 50 were damaged, and the quality rate was 80%. In the case of Comparative Example 1, which passed through the drying chamber 2 in a windless and unheated state, 12 out of 50 were damaged, and the quality rate was 76%. Therefore, the taro of Example 2, which passed through the drying chamber 2 at 50 degrees Celsius, and the taro of Example 4, which passed through the drying chamber 2 at 64 degrees Celsius, each maintained a quality rate of 95% or more even three weeks after treatment, so it can be seen that the treatment of taro in Examples 2 and 4 was effective.

[0043] The taro of Example 3, which passed through a drying chamber 2 at 60 degrees Celsius, and the taro of Example 5, which passed through a drying chamber 2 at 68 degrees Celsius, had a non-defective product rate of 94% and 92% after three weeks, both of which exceeded 90%.Compared to the taro of Comparative Example 1, which passed through a drying chamber 2 in a windless and unheated state, which had a non-defective product rate of 76% after three weeks, these maintain a significantly higher non-defective product rate.

[0044] The taro according to Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Example 1 are stored at room temperature in a state that makes them more susceptible to spoilage after passing through the drying chamber 2, but in reality, large quantities of taro that arrive at taro sorting facilities and retail stores are stored in a state that minimizes spoilage, such as by storing them in a refrigerator. Therefore, if the taro according to Examples 3 and 5 are stored appropriately as usual in the actual distribution process, it can be fully expected that the non-defective product rate will be 95% or more even three weeks after shipping from the taro sorting facility.

[0045] As described above, even when the pre-shipment processing method for taro of the present invention is carried out under conditions worse than the actual management conditions, the taro of Examples 2 and 4 achieves the set condition of a quality rate of 95% or more three weeks after processing, and the taro of Examples 3 and 5 also achieves a quality rate of 90% or more three weeks after processing, so it can be fully expected that the quality rate will be 95% or more even three weeks after shipping.Therefore, if the operating conditions of the dryer 1 are optimized according to the environment, it can be said that this method can be fully practical as a pre-shipment processing method for taro that processes large amounts of taro in a short period of time. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1...Dryer 2…Drying room 3...Conveyor, 3A...Transport path, 3B...Return path 4...Drying unit 5...Unit drying room 6...Hot air generator 7...Exhaust duct 8a, 8b…Aperture 9...Supply port 10…Exhaust port 11...Combustion duct, 11a...Air intake 12...Burner 13...Blower 14...Temperature sensor 15...Exhaust duct 16...Aperture 17...Endless conveyor belt 18a~18i...Roller section 19...Motor 20...Step 21...Plate 22…Thermometer T...Taro

Claims

1. a plurality of drying units arranged in a line, each of which has a unit drying chamber, a hot air generator arranged above the unit drying chamber and capable of adjusting the temperature of the hot air to be supplied, and an exhaust duct arranged below the unit drying chamber for discharging the hot air generated by the hot air generator; a conveyor having a transport path passing through the drying chambers formed by connecting the unit drying chambers arranged in a row in the front-rear direction, The hot air generated by the hot air generator is supplied to the drying chamber and passed through the drying chamber, while maintaining the temperature within the drying chamber at 50 degrees Celsius or higher; A large number of taro plants are transported along the transport path by the conveyor and passed through the drying chamber, The taro dryer is characterized in that the cut opening of the taro is dried to form a dry layer at the cut opening.

2. The taro dryer according to claim 1, The conveyor includes a mesh belt as an endless belt for conveying the taro, the endless conveying belt circulates so as to return to the conveying path via a return path passing under the drying chamber, The drying chamber has a hot air supply port on the upper side of the drying chamber and a hot air exhaust port on the lower side of the drying chamber, and is arranged directly below the conveying path. A taro dryer characterized by having a plate that prevents the hot air from flowing downward.

3. The taro dryer according to claim 2, The taro dryer is characterized in that the plate is made of a corrugated plate curved in a wave shape in the conveying direction of the taro.

4. The taro dryer according to claim 3, The taro dryer is characterized in that the conveying path has a step at at least one location in the conveying direction.

Images