Food powdering equipment that shears, grinds, and sterilizes food

Abstract

The device has at least two rollers for shearing and crushing food, an input guide section that guides the food before shearing and crushing, a storage section that stores the food after shearing and crushing, a storage guide section that guides the food after shearing and crushing to the storage section, and a food sterilization section that sterilizes the food to be sheared and crushed either during shearing and crushing or after shearing and crushing, or both processes.The at least two rollers are arranged in series vertically, and at least one of the vertically adjacent rollers is driven to rotate about its longitudinal central axis, and the two rollers are detachably attached to the device body so that a specified gap is formed between the peripheral surfaces of the two rollers that are closest to each other, and food that gets into the gap between the peripheral surfaces of the adjacent rollers is torn and crushed by the shearing and crushing force.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention is directed to the production of food materials such as rice husks harvested in rice-producing regions, various fish caught in fishing areas, and the heads of these fish left over after processing, bulky seaweed such as wakame seaweed which is not currently being used effectively as food, sweet potatoes and other potatoes which are eaten as food before being processed after the outer skin is peeled off and discarded, fruits such as bananas, persimmons, figs, mangoes, and durians which are usually peeled and the inside is eaten, and so-called nuts such as almonds and cashews, which are exemplified by fruits which are eaten without the skin, This relates to a food powdering device that shears and grinds and sterilizes food, which is made into powder by shearing and grinding to a specified fineness while sterilizing it, and which makes it into powder, for example, nuts that are generally discarded because they cannot be processed into food, and vegetables such as carrots, pumpkins, and burdock that are sold in grocery stores as they are if they are in the original shape within the standard, but which have no problem as food, such as carrots that are forked, pumpkins that have a misshapen shape, and burdock that is too short to be sold as food, because they do not meet the appearance standards for sale. [Background technology]

[0002] Known examples of food shearing, grinding and sterilizing pulverization devices that shear and grind food items of a certain size to a specified fineness to produce powder include those described in Patent Documents 1 to 3. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 05-007349 [Patent Document 2] Publication No. 02-125747 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 06-262097 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Both of the cited documents are large-scale facilities that crush and pulverize cement raw materials using a preliminary crusher consisting of, for example, a vertical mill and a main crusher consisting of a ball mill. Therefore, since the objects to be crushed are limited to cement raw materials and the crushing equipment is dedicated and cannot be moved to another location once installed, it is not suitable for crushing lumps or coarse particles other than cement raw materials.

[0005] The objects of the present invention include, for example, foods that are extremely nutritious but cannot actually be distributed and are therefore discarded, such as rice husks and bran, persimmon skins removed when making dried persimmons, banana skins that are left over when making processed banana products, and grape skins removed when making white wine.

[0006] Furthermore, there are foods that are actually distributed as food but cannot be distributed due to their abnormal shape and do not meet the standards, and are therefore unavoidably discarded, such as carrots with forked ends, short burdock roots, small pumpkins, etc. Also, for example, rice husks are currently discarded despite the fact that they contain very high nutritional value.

[0007] Furthermore, the disposal work and costs associated with disposing of such waste during the food distribution process are quite high, placing a burden on producers in rural areas.Similarly, discarding such nutritious parts as they are is an obstacle to making effective use of nature's bounty.

[0008] Similarly, in fishing villages, when large quantities of fish are caught and processed into secondary products or served as fresh food to tourists on the spot, the fish heads themselves are often discarded because they are hard and bony. However, the fish heads are rich in nutrients such as calcium and collagen, so discarding the entire head is problematic in terms of making effective use of nature's bounty.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide a food pulverizing device suitable for gradually reducing to finer form and finally pulverizing various food parts that contain sufficient nutrients but must be removed and discarded as useless parts when various food products are distributed as food, and which is highly versatile and can pulverize highly nutritious parts that are not used at all in the current food distribution process and are discarded to an appropriate fineness suitable for the target food product, by shearing, grinding and sterilizing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the food powdering apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises: A food powdering device that shears, crushes, and sterilizes food, The food pulverization device by shearing and crushing and sterilizing comprises at least two or more rollers for shearing and crushing food, an input guide section for guiding food before shearing and crushing to the shearing and crushing section, a storage section for storing the sheared and crushed food, a storage guide section for guiding the sheared and crushed food to the storage section, an apparatus main body which can be attached by adjusting these components to a preferred positional relationship depending on the type of food to be sheared and crushed, and a food sterilization section which sterilizes the sheared and crushed food either during shearing and crushing or after shearing and crushing, or both processes; The at least two rollers are arranged in series in the vertical direction when viewed from the installed state of the food shearing, crushing, and sterilizing pulverization device; and At least one of the rollers adjacent in the vertical direction is driven to rotate around its longitudinal central axis, and the two rollers are detachably attached to the device body so that a predetermined gap is formed between the circumferential surfaces of the two rollers that are closest to each other, a roller support shaft distance adjusting means for adjusting the distance between the roller support shafts of each of the adjacent rollers to a desired distance, so that the predetermined gap between the peripheral surfaces of the adjacent rollers is narrow enough to allow food entering the gap area from the feed guide section to be torn and crushed by a shearing and crushing force generated by a difference in frictional force acting on the upper and lower surfaces of the food due to a difference in peripheral speed between the two rollers and a compressive force that crushes the food within the gap area due to the weight of the upper roller when the food is sandwiched between the two rollers; The feeding guide portion is provided to feed the food to be sheared and crushed between the uppermost roller and the roller positioned below it, and to guide the food into the gap between the rollers; The storage guide unit is a device for pulverizing food by shearing, crushing and sterilizing, which is provided between the bottom roller and the roller located above it to guide the sheared, crushed and sterilized food discharged from the gap between these rollers to the storage unit and store it in the storage unit. and The food shearing / pulverizing and sterilizing pulverization device includes roller support parts at both ends of each roller, which rotatably support the roller support shafts at both ends of each roller, the roller support portion is composed of a thick, standing plate member and a rotation shaft support member that rotatably supports the roller support shaft; The thick, standing plate member has a slit formed therein that extends from the top to a predetermined height when viewed in use of the food shearing, crushing, sterilizing, and pulverizing device; The combination of the thick, upright plate member and the rotary shaft support member makes it possible to insert and support the rotary shaft support member of a predetermined length and each roller support shaft in order between the roller support shafts in the slits so as to set a predetermined gap between each adjacent roller from the roller that should be located at the bottom to the roller that should be located at the top, and also makes it possible to remove the adjacent rollers in order from the top to the bottom together with the rotary shaft support member interposed between the roller support shafts when replacing them with rollers that are suitable for shearing and crushing depending on the type of food. It is characterized by the following. In addition, the food powdering apparatus according to claim 2 of the present invention includes: A food powdering device that shears, crushes, and sterilizes food, The food pulverization device by shearing and crushing and sterilizing comprises at least two or more rollers for shearing and crushing food, an input guide section for guiding food before shearing and crushing to the shearing and crushing section, a storage section for storing the sheared and crushed food, a storage guide section for guiding the sheared and crushed food to the storage section, an apparatus main body which can be attached by adjusting these components to a preferred positional relationship depending on the type of food to be sheared and crushed, and a food sterilization section which sterilizes the sheared and crushed food either during shearing and crushing or after shearing and crushing, or both processes; The at least two rollers are arranged in series in the vertical direction when viewed from the installed state of the food shearing, crushing, and sterilizing pulverization device; and At least one of the rollers adjacent in the vertical direction is driven to rotate around its longitudinal central axis, and the two rollers are detachably attached to the device body so that a predetermined gap is formed between the circumferential surfaces of the two rollers that are closest to each other, a roller support shaft distance adjusting means for adjusting the distance between the roller support shafts of each of the adjacent rollers to a desired distance, so that the predetermined gap between the peripheral surfaces of the adjacent rollers is narrow enough to allow food entering the gap area from the feed guide section to be torn and crushed by a shearing and crushing force generated by a difference in frictional force acting on the upper and lower surfaces of the food due to a difference in peripheral speed between the two rollers and a compressive force that crushes the food within the gap area due to the weight of the upper roller when the food is sandwiched between the two rollers; The feeding guide portion is provided to feed the food to be sheared and crushed between the uppermost roller and the roller positioned below it, and to guide the food into the gap between the rollers; The storage guide unit is provided between the lowermost roller and the roller positioned above it to guide the sheared, crushed and sterilized food discharged from the gap between these rollers to the storage unit and store it collectively in the storage unit. Food Powdering equipment that shears, grinds and sterilizes ingredients and At least one of the rollers is hollow inside, and after being attached to the device body, water or liquid is poured into the roller from the liquid inlet, and when the roller reaches a predetermined weight, the pouring of liquid is stopped and the liquid is sealed inside the roller, making it possible to change the weight of each roller depending on the type of food to be sheared and crushed. It is characterized by the following. The food powdering apparatus according to claim 3 of the present invention includes: A food powdering device that shears, crushes, and sterilizes food, The food pulverization device by shearing and crushing and sterilizing comprises at least two or more rollers for shearing and crushing food, an input guide section for guiding food before shearing and crushing to the shearing and crushing section, a storage section for storing the sheared and crushed food, a storage guide section for guiding the sheared and crushed food to the storage section, an apparatus main body which can be attached by adjusting these components to a preferred positional relationship depending on the type of food to be sheared and crushed, and a food sterilization section which sterilizes the sheared and crushed food either during shearing and crushing or after shearing and crushing, or both processes; The at least two rollers are arranged in series in the vertical direction when viewed from the installed state of the food shearing, crushing, and sterilizing pulverization device; and At least one of the rollers adjacent in the vertical direction is driven to rotate around its longitudinal central axis, and the two rollers are detachably attached to the device body so that a predetermined gap is formed between the circumferential surfaces of the two rollers that are closest to each other, a roller support shaft distance adjusting means for adjusting the distance between the roller support shafts of each of the adjacent rollers to a desired distance, so that the predetermined gap between the peripheral surfaces of the adjacent rollers is narrow enough to allow food entering the gap area from the feed guide section to be torn and crushed by a shearing and crushing force generated by a difference in frictional force acting on the upper and lower surfaces of the food due to a difference in peripheral speed between the two rollers and a compressive force that crushes the food within the gap area due to the weight of the upper roller when the food is sandwiched between the two rollers; The feeding guide portion is provided to feed the food to be sheared and crushed between the uppermost roller and the roller positioned below it, and to guide the food into the gap between the rollers; The storage guide unit is provided between the lowermost roller and the roller positioned above it to guide the sheared, crushed and sterilized food discharged from the gap between these rollers to the storage unit and store it collectively in the storage unit. Food Powdering equipment that shears, grinds and sterilizes ingredients and At least one of the rollers is hollow, and while the food pulverization device is operating by shearing, crushing and sterilizing the food, a high-temperature liquid is allowed to flow into the roller from one end while maintaining a liquid-tight state, and a liquid at a temperature lower than that at which it flowed out is allowed to flow out from the other end of the roller. By circulating this liquid, the entire circumferential surface of the roller is kept at a high temperature by heat transfer from the high-temperature liquid that accumulates inside the roller, thereby assisting in the overheating drying and sterilization of the food being sheared and crushed by the rollers. It is characterized by the following.

[0011] Furthermore, the claims of the present invention 4 1. A food powdering apparatus for shearing, grinding, and sterilizing food according to claim 1. Any of claims 1 to 3 In the food powdering device described in the above, which is subjected to shearing, grinding and sterilization, The rollers consist of at least three rollers, and when the device for shearing, crushing and sterilizing food to pulverize is installed, the gaps between the peripheral surfaces of vertically adjacent rollers gradually narrow from the upper roller to the lower roller, so that the food being sheared and crushed is sheared and crushed into smaller and finer pieces gradually as it moves from top to bottom, due to the shearing and crushing force applied when it enters the gaps between the peripheral surfaces of adjacent rollers.

[0012] Furthermore, the claims of the present invention 5 1. A food powdering apparatus for shearing, grinding, and sterilizing food according to claim 1. Any of claims 1 to 3 In the food powdering device described in the above, which is subjected to shearing, grinding and sterilization, The sterilizer is characterized in that it is configured to spray high-temperature superheated steam onto the food either during the shearing and grinding process, or after the shearing and grinding process, or both.

[0015] The food powdering device according to claim 6 of the present invention is also a device according to claim 1. Any of claims 1 to 3 In the food powdering device described in the above, which is subjected to shearing, grinding and sterilization, The roller driving means is characterized by comprising either an electric driving means using a motor, a driving means using an internal combustion engine, or an artificial means of turning a handle with human force, and a speed reduction mechanism that reduces the rotational force to rotate the roller. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, there is provided a food pulverizing device suitable for gradually breaking down and finally pulverizing various food parts that contain sufficient nutrients but must be removed and discarded as useless parts when various food products are distributed as food.This device is highly versatile and can pulverize highly nutritious parts that are not used at all in the current food distribution process and are discarded to an optimum fineness appropriate for the target food product. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a food pulverization device through shearing, grinding and sterilization according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a transparent side view of the food pulverization device shown in FIG. 1 through shearing, grinding and sterilization. FIG. [Figure 3] This is a transparent side view showing an upright plate member, two roller support shafts that are fitted into and fixed to slits formed in the plate member, and a rotating shaft support member that is incorporated to rotatably support the shafts of each roller in the slit while maintaining a predetermined distance between the rollers to which these roller support shafts are attached. [Figure 4] FIG. 4(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the horizontal structure of each member shown in FIG. 3 aligned with the axis of the roller support shaft, and FIG. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the horizontal structure of each member shown in FIG. 3 at a height different from the height of the axis of the roller support shaft of the standing plate member, corresponding to FIG. 4(a). [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the rollers and roller support shafts shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, as well as the pulleys at the ends of the roller support shafts, a rotating shaft support member for incorporating these into the slits of the standing plate member to maintain a predetermined distance between the rollers, and a spacer that can change the length of the rotating shaft support member in the direction in which the slits extend to a desired length. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a process diagram illustrating an example of the process from feeding food into the food shearing / pulverizing and sterilizing pulverization device shown in FIG. 1 to pulverizing the food. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the present invention, which uses an apparatus for pulverizing food by shearing, crushing and sterilizing to repeat the same process twice, as an example. It is an explanatory diagram transparently showing from the side the state in which the raw material food to be pulverized is fed into the inlet of the apparatus for pulverizing food by shearing, crushing and sterilizing shown in FIG. 2, and is pulverized by shearing, crushing and sterilization up to the intermediate processing stage, and is temporarily collected. [Figure 8] This is an explanatory diagram showing a transparent side view of the food pulverization device shown in Figure 2, which shears, grinds, and sterilizes food, which is temporarily collected following Figure 7 and has been pulverized to an intermediate stage. [Figure 9] 9(a) is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the present invention being carried out in three repeated steps using an apparatus for pulverizing fish, an example of food, by shearing, crushing and sterilization. The diagram shows, from left to right, the process from when a whole fish is fed into the inlet to when it is pulverized. FIG. 9(a) shows the initial pulverization process by shearing, crushing and sterilization, FIG. 9(b) shows the intermediate pulverization process by shearing, crushing and sterilization, and FIG. 9(c) shows the final pulverization process by shearing, crushing and sterilization. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an exemplary implementation of the present invention in three repeated steps using a powdering device for sweet potato, an example of food, by shearing, crushing, and sterilization. The diagram shows, from left to right, the process from when a whole fish is fed into the inlet to when it is powdered, with FIG. 10(a) illustrating the initial powdering process by shearing, crushing, and sterilization, FIG. 10(b) illustrating the intermediate powdering process by shearing, crushing, and sterilization, and FIG. 10(c) illustrating the final powdering process by shearing, crushing, and sterilization. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an exemplary implementation of the present invention in three repeated steps using a powdering device for wakame seaweed, an example of a food product, by shearing, crushing, and sterilization. The diagram shows, from left to right, the process from when a whole fish is fed into the inlet to when it is powdered, with FIG. 11(a) illustrating the initial powdering process by shearing, crushing, and sterilization, FIG. 11(b) illustrating the intermediate powdering process by shearing, crushing, and sterilization, and FIG. 11(c) illustrating the final powdering process by shearing, crushing, and sterilization. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically showing an apparatus for pulverizing food by shearing, grinding and sterilizing according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically showing an apparatus for pulverizing food by shearing, grinding and sterilizing according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 14(a) is a schematic explanatory diagram illustrating a modified example of a food pulverization device by shearing and grinding that falls within the scope of the present invention, and FIG. 14(b) is a schematic explanatory diagram illustrating another modified example that is different from the modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, which will be referred to as the "pulverization apparatus" or the "apparatus of the present invention" as appropriate, and a method of pulverization using this apparatus. Note that this embodiment merely shows one example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this form. In other words, the shape, dimensions, material, and number of each component element can be changed as appropriate within the scope of the present invention, as long as the effect of the present invention can be achieved.

[0020] In the following explanation, the terms "up-down direction," "left-right direction," "height direction," "width direction," "vertical direction," "horizontal direction," etc. will be explained based on the state in which the device of the present invention is installed as shown in Figure 1. The "longitudinal direction" will be the direction corresponding to the axial direction of each roller, and the "short-side direction" will be the direction perpendicular to the "longitudinal direction."

[0021] Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a food pulverization apparatus by shearing, crushing and sterilization according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a side view transparently showing the food pulverization apparatus by shearing, crushing and sterilization shown in Fig. 1 from the lateral direction.

[0022] The food pulverization apparatus 1 by shearing, crushing and sterilization according to the first embodiment of the present invention comprises two rollers 110, 120 (100) for shearing and crushing food, an input section 350 into which food is input, an input guide section 300 that guides food before shearing and crushing to the shearing and crushing section, a storage guide section 400 that guides the sheared and crushed food to be stored together, a storage section 500 that stores the sheared and crushed food guided by the storage guide section 400, an apparatus main body 10 that can be attached and adjusted to a preferred positional relationship depending on the type of food to be sheared and crushed, and a food sterilization section 610, 620 (600) that sterilizes the sheared and crushed food either during shearing and crushing or after shearing and crushing, or both.

[0023] The two rollers 110, 120 (100) are arranged in series vertically when viewed in the installed state of the food shearing / pulverizing and sterilizing / pulverizing apparatus 1. The rollers 110, 120 are cylindrical or columnar bodies made of durable and corrosion-resistant metal. Each roller 110, 120 has a weight sufficient to achieve the effects of the present invention, as described below, and their circumferential surfaces have a surface configuration sufficient to achieve the effects of the present invention, as described below. That is, when the rollers themselves are cylindrical, they are made of a metal cylinder with sufficient wall thickness. When the rollers themselves are columnar, the overall outer diameter is correspondingly smaller, but they have a reasonable weight. The circumferential surfaces of the rollers 110, 120 may be entirely smooth, or may be entirely uneven to the extent that remaining food residue from the previous sheared / pulverized roller can be easily removed when the rollers are washed and dried between changes in the type of food being sheared / pulverized. Furthermore, when the rollers themselves are made of metal, they may be made wear-resistant by being chrome-plated over the entire outer surface. As for the material of the rollers 110, 120 (100), instead of metal, they may be cylindrical bodies made of a material such as granite, as long as it has sufficient weight, durability, and cleanability.

[0024] In this embodiment, of the rollers 110, 120 (100) arranged adjacent to each other in the vertical direction, the lower roller 110 is driven to rotate about its longitudinal center axis. In this embodiment, the lower roller 110 is driven by an appropriate known electric motor and gear reduction mechanism (which are schematically shown in FIG. 1). Note that the type of power means introduced as the power source for rotational drive in this invention is not limited to an electric motor, but may also be a simple steam boiler or hydraulic drive means.

[0025] The two rollers 110, 120 are detachably attached to the device body 10 so that a predetermined gap is formed between the peripheral surfaces of the two rollers 110, 120 that are closest to each other.

[0026] The predetermined gap between the peripheral surfaces of adjacent rollers is narrow enough to allow food entering this gap area from the feed guide section 300 to be torn and crushed by the shearing and crushing forces generated by the difference in frictional force applied to the upper and lower surfaces of the food from the peripheral surfaces of each roller due to the difference in peripheral speed between the two rollers 110, 120, and the weight of the upper roller (roller 110 in this embodiment) acting on the food when it is sandwiched between the two rollers 110, 120 (100), which acts on the peripheral surface of the lower roller (roller 120 in this embodiment) through the food sandwiched between them.

[0027] Small-diameter roller support shafts 710, 720 (700), whose axes coincide with the axes of the rollers 110, 120, protrude from both end faces of the rollers. A shaft rotation smoothing member 750, shown in Fig. 5, is fitted into a portion of the roller support shafts 710, 720 (700). The shaft rotation smoothing member 750 is a cylindrical body made of resin or a metal with excellent wear resistance. Its inner diameter is sized to allow smooth relative rotation between the roller support shafts 710, 720 and the shaft, and its outer diameter is sized to fit snugly into a semicircular recess formed in the rotating shaft support member 900, allowing smooth relative rotation between the rollers.

[0028] The food shearing / pulverizing and sterilizing pulverization device 1 is configured to appropriately select the rotary shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) described below so that the food being sheared / pulverized is sheared and pulverized while being sandwiched between the rollers 110, 120 and the lower roller 110 in a tightly packed state at the narrowest peripheral surface, which is the gap between the rollers, as described above.

[0029] The food pulverization apparatus 1 by shearing, crushing and sterilizing is provided with roller support units 80 on both ends of each roller 110, 120 (100), which rotatably support the roller support shafts 710, 720 (700) on both ends of each roller 110, 120. The roller support units 80 have standing plate members 800 made of a sufficient thickness. Rotation shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) are provided at predetermined positions on each roller support unit 80. The standing plate members 800 have a sufficient thickness, and a slit 810 extending from the top to a predetermined height is formed in the standing plate member 800 (see Figures 3 and 4) when the food pulverization apparatus 1 by shearing, crushing and sterilizing is in use.

[0030] In addition, guide grooves 811 are formed in the slits 810 of the standing plate member 800, each of which is made up of a rectangular recess provided on the inner wall surface facing the slit 810 and has a smooth surface extending over the entire vertical direction from the upper opening to the lower end of the slit 810. The upper and lower roller support shafts 710, 720 (700) are fitted into the slits 810 and the guide grooves 811 provided in the slit 810 in a predetermined order together with the rotating shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900).

[0031] More specifically, by combining a thick, plate-shaped standing plate member 800 with rotating shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900), the rotating shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) of a predetermined length and each roller support shaft 710, 720 (700) are inserted and supported in a predetermined specific order in the slit 810 between each roller support shaft 710, 720 (700) so that the gap between adjacent rollers 110, 120 (100) from the roller that should be located at the bottom (roller 110 in this embodiment) to the roller that should be located at the top (roller 120 in this embodiment) is a predetermined gap.

[0032] In addition, when replacing the rollers 110, 120 with rollers 110, 120 suitable for shearing and crushing depending on the type of food, it is possible to remove the rollers in order from the top (the upper roller in this embodiment) to the bottom (the lower roller 110 in this embodiment) together with the rotating shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) interposed between the adjacent roller support shafts 710, 720 (700).

[0033] Because the food shearing and crushing pulverization device according to the present invention has such a configuration, when the roller support shafts 710, 720 are rotatably inserted and supported in the slits 810 of the standing plate members 800 provided on both ends of the rollers, the circumference (length) of the rotating shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) which are inserted into the slits 810 while being interposed between the roller support shafts 710, 720 of the adjacent rollers 110, 120, or which are inserted into the slits 112 while being positioned either above or below the roller support shafts 710, 720 can be appropriately selected and changed.

[0034] This allows the narrowest gap between adjacent rollers 110, 120 to be appropriately selected depending on the type of food to be sheared and crushed.In addition, each roller 110, 120 can be replaced with the desired roller 110, 120 suitable for the food to be sheared and crushed into powder depending on the size, hardness, and type of food.

[0035] In this embodiment, since the rollers 110, 120 are simply arranged vertically one above the other, when assembling the food pulverization device 1 by shearing, crushing and sterilizing food, the rotating shaft support member 910 is inserted into the slit 810 first, followed by the lower roller support shafts 710, 720 (700) in the slit 810, then the rotating shaft support member 920 is inserted into the slit 810, then the shafts at both ends of the upper roller are inserted into the slit 810, and finally the rotating shaft support member 930 is inserted into the slit 810.

[0036] This makes it possible to maintain the roller support shafts 710, 720 (700) adjacent in the vertical direction, from the roller that should be positioned at the lowest of the rollers 110, 120 (the lower roller 110 in this embodiment) to the roller that should be positioned at the highest (the upper roller 120 in this embodiment), spaced a preselected distance apart by the combination of the thick, standing plate member 800 and the rotating shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900).

[0037] In addition, the roller support shafts 710, 720 (700) provided at both ends of the rollers 110, 120 to allow the rollers 110, 120 to rotate freely are fitted into the slits 810 of the standing plate member 800, and each roller 110, 120 is fitted vertically so that when all the rollers (in this embodiment, rollers 110, 120) are assembled, the end faces of each roller 110, 120 are aligned when viewed from the width direction of each roller.

[0038] The rotating shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) also serve to adjust the spacing between adjacent rollers to ensure an appropriate gap for each food item. That is, the rotating shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) enable the spacing between the roller support shafts provided at both ends of the rollers 110, 120 of the device main body 10 to be adjusted to a dimensional relationship appropriate for shearing and crushing each food item in the device main body 10, as shown in FIG.

[0039] In other words, according to the present invention, of the rotating shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) that also serve to adjust the spacing between multiple adjacent rollers, the rotating shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) that also serve to adjust the spacing between adjacent rollers to an optimum value predetermined for each food item are attached to the device main body 10, and the two rollers 110, 120 (100) can create gaps in the device main body 10 for shearing and crushing that are suitable for the food item via these rotating shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) that also serve to adjust the spacing between adjacent rollers.

[0040] In addition to the above, when replacing the rollers 110, 120 with rollers 110, 120 suitable for shearing and crushing depending on the type of food, as described above, the roller support shafts 710, 720 (700) and the rotating shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) interposed therebetween are removed in order from the top, starting from the uppermost roller (the upper roller 120 in this embodiment) to the lowermost roller (the lower roller 110 in this embodiment).

[0041] In this way, by selecting the rotating shaft support member 910, 920, 930 (900) of the optimum length from among the rotating shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) of various lengths and assembling it into the slit 810 together with the roller support shafts 710, 720 (700), it is possible to adjust the circumferential spacing of the narrowest gap between the rollers to suit the food to be sheared and crushed. In this regard, for example, rotating shaft support members 920-1, 920-2, and 920-3 of different lengths L1, L2, and L3 are shown as an example for reference in the rotating shaft support member 920 shown in Figure 2.

[0042] Specifically, the lengths of rotating shaft support members 920-1, 920-2, 920-3 are L1 > L2 > L3, and the relationship between these and the two roller support shafts 710, 720 is L1 + L2 + L3 >= d1 + d2. In other words, when rotating shaft support member 920 is at its shortest length, the circumferential surfaces of rollers 110 and 120 come into line contact, making it possible to shear and crush even fairly small foods, such as rice with its husk still attached immediately after harvest.

[0043] As explained above, a feature of the present invention is that by sequentially selecting the most suitable rotating shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) and incorporating them into the slits 810 of the standing plate support part of the device main body 10, each roller 110, 120 can be replaced with the desired roller suitable for the food to be sheared, crushed and pulverized depending on the size, hardness and type of food, including adjustment of the narrowest peripheral gap between adjacent rollers.

[0044] The upright plate member 800 and other components of the present invention are all mounted on a base plate 11, which serves as a base plate having sufficient thickness, strength, and durability. Lightweight, sufficiently strong, and durable panels 12 for forming the device housing are attached to the four corners of the base plate 11, allowing for easy attachment and detachment. In the present invention, the device housing panels 12 are assembled in an upright position to surround the periphery of the base plate 11, as shown by the two-dot chain lines in FIG. 1 showing this embodiment and in FIGS. 12 and 13 showing other embodiments, forming a box-like shape with the food inlet 351 open at the top. This is to ensure that the food being sheared and ground remains within the device without scattering around the device, allowing for further sterilization and powdering.

[0045] In Figure 1, the left and right standing plate members 800 are shown with solid lines, and at the top of these left and right standing plate members 800, the food insertion section 350 is attached, connected to these left and right standing plate members 800, with a food insertion opening 351 that is open all the way to the top.

[0046] The food shearing / pulverizing and sterilizing pulverization apparatus 1 is also provided with an input guide unit 300. The input guide unit 300 is used to input the food to be sheared / pulverized between the uppermost roller (upper roller 120 in this embodiment) and the roller located below it (lower roller 110 in this embodiment) and guide the food so that it enters the gap between these rollers.

[0047] Furthermore, the food shearing / pulverizing and sterilizing pulverization device 1 is provided with a storage guide section 400 below the lowest roller (the lower roller 110 in this embodiment) for removing powdered material that has been sheared and pulverized to the desired powder size and food that has not yet been sheared and pulverized to the desired powder size.

[0048] The upper edge 401 (see FIG. 2) of the storage guide section 400 is disposed between the lower roller 110 and the roller 120 positioned above it. This upper edge 401 forms the removal section for the sheared and crushed food. More specifically, the removal section peels off the food that has been sheared and crushed between the rollers and that has adhered to the circumferential surface of the lower roller 110 (hereinafter referred to as "sheared and crushed food" as appropriate) from the circumferential surface of the lower roller 110, and allows the peeled sheared and crushed food to enter the storage section 500 via the sliding down guide section 402 (see FIG. 2) that is provided integrally with the roller.

[0049] In other words, the storage guide unit 400 guides the sheared, crushed and sterilized food that is discharged from the gap between the two rollers 110, 120 (100) from the upper edge to the storage unit 500, where it is stored together in the storage unit 500. The guide unit serves to store only food that has not yet been sheared and crushed to the desired powder size in the storage unit 500 as a storage box 500, and also to enable the sheared and crushed food to be re-introduced into the food inlet 351 of the food input unit 350 as needed.

[0050] In this embodiment, the storage unit 500 is box-shaped and receives and stores powdery material that accumulates during the process of shearing and crushing food. The storage unit 500 is provided with caster rollers 510 at the four corners of its bottom surface to make it easy to take in and out of the device main body 10. This allows the food stored in the storage box 500 after shearing and crushing to be re-introduced into the input unit as many times as necessary.

[0051] The food pulverization device 1 by shearing, crushing and sterilization is also provided with a food sterilization section 600. This food sterilization section 600 is configured as superheated steam sterilization drying sections 610, 620. The superheated steam sterilization drying sections 610, 620 are in the form of a pipe equipped with a plurality of superheated steam injection nozzles 611, 621 along the entire length at fixed positions in the circumferential direction, as shown in Figure 1.

[0052] In this embodiment, the superheated steam sterilization drying units 610, 620 are configured so that superheated steam, which is supplied from one end of the units via a supply pipe and fills the superheated steam injection pipe, is sprayed uniformly in the longitudinal direction near the units from multiple superheated steam injection nozzles 611, 621 arranged at equal intervals at predetermined angular positions over the entire longitudinal direction of the superheated steam injection pipe. The sprayed superheated steam is shown in Figures 2, 7, 8 to 11 as dot-shaped superheated steam 601, 602.

[0053] In this embodiment, the superheated steam sterilization drying sections 610, 620 are made up of the same configured first superheated steam sterilization drying section 610 and second superheated steam sterilization drying section 620. The first superheated steam sterilization drying section 610 is designed to spray superheated steam evenly over the narrowest part between the circumferential surfaces of the upper and lower rollers, i.e., over the entire sheared and crushed food that is torn and pushed out by shearing force from the shearing and crushing area of ​​the food.

[0054] The second superheated steam sterilizing and drying section 620 is arranged at a fixed distance across the entire width of the slide-down plate, which allows the sheared and pulverized food to slide down and be stored in the storage box 500. In this case, the superheated steam spray nozzles 611, 621 are oriented so as to spray the sheared and pulverized food evenly over the entire width of the slide-down plate. The first and second superheated steam sterilizing and drying sections 610, 620 described above effectively sterilize and dry the sheared and pulverized food, and then store it all in the storage box 500.

[0055] Next, a more detailed structure of the rotary shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 3 is a transparent side view showing the standing plate member 800, two roller support shafts 710, 720 fitted and fixed in slits 810 formed in the plate member, and the rotary shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) incorporated to rotatably support the roller support shafts 710, 720 of each roller 110, 120 in the slit 810 while maintaining a predetermined distance between the rollers 110, 120 to which these roller support shafts 710, 720 are attached.

[0056] 4A is a cross-sectional view (FIG. 4(a)) showing the horizontal structure of each component shown in FIG. 3 aligned with the axis of the roller support shafts 710, 720 (700), and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view (FIG. 4(b)) showing the horizontal structure of each component shown in FIG. 3 at a height different from the height of the axis of the roller support shafts 710, 720 (700) of the standing plate member 800, corresponding to FIG. 4A.

[0057] 5 is a perspective view showing the rollers and roller support shafts 710, 720 (700) shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the shaft rotation smoothing member 750 fitted onto a portion of the roller support shafts 710, 720 (700), the pulleys 117, 118 attached to the ends of the roller support shafts 710, 720 (700) so as to be rotatable integrally therewith, the rotating shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) which incorporate these into the slits 810 of the standing plate member 800 to maintain a predetermined distance between the rollers 110, 120, and a spacer 922 which enables the length of the rotating shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) in the slit extension direction to be changed to a desired length.

[0058] As can be seen from these drawings, each of the rotating shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) has the same shape in plan view as the opening surface of the slit 810 of the standing plate member 800. On both side surfaces in the direction perpendicular to the roller support shafts 710, 720 (700), rectangular convex portions are provided continuously from the upper end to the lower end of the standing plate member 800, which function as so-called sliders that fit exactly into the guide grooves 811 formed in the slit 810 of the standing plate member 800 and can slide along these guide grooves 811.

[0059] This allows the convex portion to act as a slide guide portion that moves along the guide groove 811 of the slit 810, allowing the rotating shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) to move smoothly up and down without getting caught or shifting relative to the slit 810 of the standing plate member 800.

[0060] That is, the rotary shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) are configured to be slid into and fitted into the slit 810 of the standing plate member 800 from the upper opening of this slit 810. Furthermore, each of the rotary shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) is made of metal or an equivalent material that has excellent strength and durability.

[0061] The entire lower surface of the lowest rotating shaft support member 910 abuts against the bottom of the slit 810. The upper surface of the lowest rotating shaft support member 910 abuts against the entire lower surface of a cylindrical shaft rotation smoothing member 750 that is provided around part of the roller support shaft 710 and is concentric with the lower roller 110, along with a semicircular recess provided on the upper surface.

[0062] The lower surface of the middle rotating shaft support member 920 abuts over the entire semicircular recess provided on the lower surface against the upper surface of a cylindrical shaft rotation smoothing member 750 provided around part of the periphery of the lower roller support shaft 710. The upper surface of the middle rotating shaft support member 920 abuts over the entire semicircular recess provided on the upper surface against the upper surface of a cylindrical shaft rotation smoothing member 750 provided around part of the periphery of the upper roller support shaft 720.

[0063] The lower surface of the uppermost rotating shaft support member 930 abuts the entire semicircular recess provided on the lower surface against the upper surface of a cylindrical shaft rotation smoothing member 750 provided around part of the periphery of the upper roller support shaft 720. The upper surface of the uppermost rotating shaft support member 930 forms a flat surface facing the upper opening of the slit 810 of the standing plate member 800.

[0064] If shaft rotation smoothing member 750 is made of resin, it is preferable to use a resin material that has a low coefficient of friction with metal roller support shafts 710, 720 and metal rotating shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) and allows smooth relative rotation. Furthermore, if resin shaft rotation smoothing member 750 is prepared in advance as a molded product with the same shape, even if shaft rotation smoothing member 750 wears out during use of the device of the present invention, it can be quickly replaced with a new shaft rotation smoothing member 750, without interfering with the continued use of the device of the present invention.

[0065] In addition to the above, the device of the present invention is structured to facilitate the task of replacing rollers in the device body 10, as described above. Another feature of the present invention is that each of the components, including the feeding section 350, the feeding guide section 300, the storage guide section 400 that feeds the sheared, pulverized, sterilized, and powdered food, and the storage section 500, as well as the superheated steam sterilization and drying sections 610 and 620, which use superheated steam, can be easily attached and detached. In other words, to simplify the attachment and detachment of each of these components, the components can be connected and disassembled with fasteners such as screws and hooks, and, with regard to the superheated steam sterilization and drying sections 610 and 620, the supply pipes can be connected and detached with a one-touch pipe attachment / detachment member or the like.

[0066] In addition, the cover plate material 12 for forming the outer casing, which is attached to cover the entire main body 10 of the device of the present invention shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 1, to prevent the food to be sheared and crushed from scattering outside the main body 10, and to shear and crush all of the food initially placed into the inlet of the device of the present invention without leaving any waste, can also be attached to or detached from the main body 10 of the device using fasteners such as hooks.

[0067] This allows all components of the device to be removed periodically with simple and quick work, and food residue adhering to each component can be removed using high-pressure hot water. Furthermore, since each component can be removed individually, it can be sterilized, for example, by using an ultraviolet sterilization device or, if such a device is not available, by exposing it to sunlight, thereby making it possible to maintain the cleanliness of the device.

[0068] Modifications of the above configuration will now be described. The several dotted lines drawn in the longitudinal center portion of the central rotating shaft support member 920 in FIG. 3 indicate that the length of this central rotating shaft support member 920 is not limited to a single length but is available in a variety of lengths. Specifically, the length of the central rotating shaft support member 920 shown by the solid line and hatching in FIG. 3 may be, for example, shortened by the length between adjacent dotted lines shown in the figure, or shortened by the length between any two dotted lines shown in the figure, or conversely, may be lengthened. Having such a variety of lengths of rotating shaft support members 920 available in advance is extremely important for achieving the effects of the present invention.

[0069] In other words, the device of the present invention takes into consideration the type of food to be sheared and crushed, i.e., the size, thickness, hardness, etc. of the food, and makes it possible to select the most appropriate rotating shaft support member 910, 920, 930 (900) depending on the situation and incorporate it into the slit 810 of the standing plate member 800 so that the gap between the narrowest parts of the upper and lower rollers 110, where the food is sheared and crushed, is optimal.

[0070] In addition, by changing the length of the rotary shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) for each shearing and crushing process according to the stage of the shearing and crushing process described later in Figure 6, it is possible to perform efficient shearing and crushing according to the size, thickness, and hardness of the food to be sheared and crushed.

[0071] 5 corresponds to the configuration shown in Figures 3 and 4, but also shows some additional possible modified configurations. Specifically, the rotating shaft support member 920 shown in the middle is not an integrated unit, but is configured as two upper and lower members stacked on top of each other, as indicated by the dotted line in this figure. In other words, the lower rotating shaft support member 910 and the upper rotating shaft support member 930 in the figure are stacked in upside-down order.

[0072] Then, a plurality of spacers 922 are prepared in the upper and lower separated portions, which are thin and uniform in thickness as shown on the left side of the figure but have sufficient strength and durability, and have an external shape similar to that of the portion of the rotating shaft support member 920 other than the semicircular recess. A predetermined number of spacers 922 are then sandwiched between the upper and lower members that make up the rotating shaft support member 920, and are then incorporated into the slits 810 of the standing plate member 800. This makes it possible to change the distance between the upper roller support shaft 720 and the lower roller support shaft 710 depending on the number of spacers 922.

[0073] According to this modification, the number of spacers 922 to be interposed is reduced by a predetermined number of one or more in accordance with the order of steps of the shearing and crushing process shown in order from top to bottom in FIG. 6, whereby the gap between the upper and lower rollers in each shearing and crushing process can be controlled to be a predetermined accurate gap for each shearing and crushing process.

[0074] This allows the number of spacers 922 to be inserted in the initial shearing and crushing process to be determined in advance according to the size, thickness, hardness, etc. In addition, when determining the number of spacers 922 to be removed in advance when replacing the rollers, it is possible to temporarily change the number in accordance with the size, thickness, hardness, etc. of the food, as described above.

[0075] With this structure, when food is first fed into the inlet 351 of the device of the present invention, the number of spacers 922 to be inserted can be determined in advance for each type of food, and by replacing at least one roller 120 or both rollers 110, 120 as the shearing and crushing process progresses, the number of spacers 922 to be inserted in the rotating shaft support member 920 and removed at the same time as the rollers are replaced can be determined in advance according to the stage of the shearing and crushing process so that the narrowest gap between the rollers can be accurately determined.

[0076] As a result, even beginners who are not familiar with using the device of the present invention can optimally cut, crush, and pulverize each type of food under optimal conditions, and can obtain powdered food of consistent quality in its final form.

[0077] With the above-described configuration, the food pulverization apparatus by shearing, crushing and sterilization according to the present invention has a structure that allows the size (diameter), material and weight of each roller 110, 120 to be easily changed depending on the type of food and the size, weight and thickness of the food when it is first fed into the food pulverization apparatus by shearing, crushing and sterilization 1, not only in this embodiment but in all embodiments.

[0078] Next, the relationship between the motor and the belt will be described. In this embodiment, the food pulverization device 1 by shearing, crushing and sterilizing is provided with a rotation drive unit 115 for rotating the lower roller 110 in a fixed direction, and a rotation drive power transmission belt 116 for transmitting the rotational force of this rotation drive unit 115 to the lower roller 110, on the side opposite the roller 111 of each of the standing plate members 11 arranged so as to sandwich both sides of the lower roller 110.

[0079] Explaining based on Fig. 1, standing plate members 800 are provided standing on both ends of each roller 110, 120. A rotation drive unit 115 is provided on the underside of the outer surface of the standing plate member 800. As described above, the rotation drive unit 115 uses a motor as a power source, and reduces the rotation speed of this motor using a gear reduction mechanism.

[0080] The rotational force of the rotational speed reduced by the reduction mechanism is transmitted to a first rotational force transmission pulley 117 connected to the output shaft of the reduction mechanism. The first rotational force transmission pulleys 117 are provided on both ends of the lower roller 110 supported on the upper side of the standing plate member 800, and a part of the rotation drive unit rotational drive power transmission belt 116 is wound around the first rotational force transmission pulleys 117.

[0081] That is, the rotational drive power transmission belt 116 is arranged along the first rotational force transmission pulley 117 provided on the outer surface of each standing plate member 800, and is attached to the middle of the standing plate member 800, so as to transmit the driving force of the rotational drive unit 115 to the second rotational force transmission pulley 118 provided on the roller support shaft 710 protruding from both ends of the lower roller 110.

[0082] When rotating the lower roller 110 via this rotational drive power transmission belt 116, the rotational drive power transmission belt 116 transmits the driving force to the rotational drive unit, which is the rotational drive force for the roller, by means of the adhesion force and friction force generated between the rotational drive power transmission belt 116 and the drive unit, thereby rotating the lower roller 110.

[0083] In addition, when food adhering to the peripheral surface of the lower roller 110 is sandwiched between the vertically adjacent rollers, the weight of the upper roller acts directly on the food in the gap between the rollers. In addition, the difference in frictional force between the food and the peripheral surfaces of the upper and lower rollers effectively shears and crushes the food, and also causes the food to adhere (stick) to the peripheral surfaces of the upper and lower rollers.

[0084] The difference in the contact force and friction between the upper and lower rollers acting on the contact areas is effectively utilized based on the difference in the rotational speed of the peripheral surfaces of the upper and lower rollers when the food is sandwiched between them and the compressive force applied when the food is sandwiched between the upper and lower rollers. In other words, the food is sheared and crushed by utilizing the shearing and crushing force generated by the difference in the rotational force, accompanied by gravity, acting on the surface of the food sandwiched between the rollers 110, 120 that is in contact with the peripheral surface of the upper roller, and the rotational force acting on the surface of the food that is in contact with the lower roller 110.

[0085] In other words, when food is sandwiched, the weight of the upper roller 120 pinches the food in the narrowest area of ​​the circumferential surfaces of the upper and lower rollers 110, 120, which causes the food to compress and crush, and the food is forced to adhere (stick) to the circumferential surface areas of the narrowest gap between the upper and lower rollers. This, combined with the difference in circumferential speed of each roller 110, 120, generates shearing and crushing forces which are applied to the food, shearing and crushing the food into powder.

[0086] In other words, during this shearing and crushing process, when the food being sheared and crushed moves through the narrowest gap between the rollers 110, 120, the food being sheared and crushed exerts the greatest reaction force on the circumferential surface of each roller 110, 120. As a result, part of the rotational force of the lower roller 110 is transmitted as rotational force to the upper roller, but because the upper roller is quite heavy, most of the rotational force of the lower roller 110 is most efficiently generated as shearing and crushing force on the food due to the speed difference between the circumferential speed of the upper roller 120, which is much slower than the circumferential speed of the lower roller 110 at the narrowest gap between the rollers 110, 120.

[0087] When energy is applied to shear and crush the food into smaller particles, slippage occurs between the belt and the second rotational force transmission pulley 118 attached to the lower roller 110 when a certain load is applied during the rotation of the roller in order to supply this energy. The frictional force generated at this time causes the belt to rotate the lower roller 110.

[0088] This allows the maximum shearing and crushing force to be generated on the food, without stopping the rotation of the lower roller 110, by utilizing the slippage (play) between this belt and the second rotational force transmitting pulley 118 provided on the lower roller 110, depending on the type of food (size, hardness, thickness, etc.).

[0089] The above is an important part of the present invention, so it will be explained again, although some of it will be repeated. In other words, it is emphasized that the present invention is not limited to the specific configuration of this embodiment, but is demonstrated in common based on configurations that fall within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, in the following description, the number of rollers is not limited to two, and may be three or more.

[0090] Specifically, in the present invention, the lowest roller 110 rotates in accordance with the energy required to crush and finely grind the food through the action of shearing force, crushing force, etc., thereby increasing its circumferential speed, and the food is pinched in the narrowest gap between the rollers and crushed by the weight of the adjacent upper roller.At the same time, as the food is crushed into the circumferential area of ​​the narrowest gap between the upper and lower rollers, the food is forcibly and simultaneously adhered (closely attached) to the circumferential surface of each roller, and this food acts as a kind of power transmission member, causing the upper roller to follow the rotation of the lower roller 110.

[0091] That is, the peripheral speed of the lowermost roller 110 is much faster than the peripheral speed of the adjacent upper roller. Also, the rotation speed of the lowermost roller 110 is reduced, causing slight slippage between the roller and the power transmission belt that drives it.

[0092] Furthermore, depending on the size and type of food, the peripheral speed of each roller 110, 120 to which rotational force is transmitted from the rotational drive roller to the food sandwiched between the rollers varies depending on the individual conditions in which the food is sheared and crushed by shearing and crushing forces between adjacent rollers 110, 120.

[0093] In other words, in this embodiment, the rotational speed of each roller connected to the upper roller is determined based on the rotational speed of the lower roller 110, which is the rotationally driven roller, and the difference in the peripheral speed of each roller 110, 120 varies depending on the type of food, that is, the size, hardness, and thickness of the food. If there are three or more rollers, and only the lowest roller is driven to rotate, the rotational force is transmitted to the uppermost roller in the same manner as described above.

[0094] However, when efficient transmission of rotational force is required depending on the type of food or when there are three or more rollers, two or more rollers may be driven to rotate individually, or all rollers may be driven to rotate individually. In this case, the rotation speed of the rotation drive device is controlled to set the rotation speed of each roller to the most preferable rotation speed, and it is preferable to rotate each roller while allowing for misalignment (play) between the belt and pulley.

[0095] As is clear from the above explanation, the belt used as a power transmission means has a flat surface that transmits power and has the frictional force that exerts the above-mentioned effect. In other words, the belt transmits a constant power (torque) to the upper roller at a constant rotation speed, and transmits power to the lower roller, which rotates at a peripheral speed that is slightly reduced by the energy used to sandwich and shear and crush the food between the adjacent rollers, with a frictional force that remains sufficient even after the reduction due to slippage.

[0096] However, even in such cases, a belt with a flat surface is used to transmit the driving force, using friction to rotate the upper roller while allowing slight slippage at the contact point between the belt and roller, allowing the belt to absorb a slight decrease in the rotation speed of the lower roller (a slight decrease in peripheral speed).

[0097] Depending on the type of food, even if the food is sheared and crushed and placed in the storage box 500 after one shearing and crushing process, if the original size of the food is large or it has a certain degree of hardness and it is still not possible to achieve the desired fine shear and crush state, the sheared and crushed food stored in the storage box 500 is temporarily removed together with the storage box 500.

[0098] In this embodiment, the upper roller 120 is removed, the rotary shaft support members 910, 920, and 930 interposed between the shafts of the upper and lower rollers are replaced with shorter ones, and the upper roller 120 is then reattached to the device body 10. This narrows the gap between the peripheral surfaces of the upper and lower rollers. The food stored in the storage box 500 after the initial shearing and pulverization process is then fed back into the food feed section 350 through the food inlet 351 and further sheared and pulverized. This allows the sheared and pulverized food to be sterilized and dried by the superheated steam sterilizing and drying sections 610 and 620 twice as many times as the number of roller replacements, thereby further enhancing the sterilization and drying effect.

[0099] By arranging the superheated steam sterilization and drying section as described above, the process of shearing and crushing food can be efficiently carried out not only by superheating and sterilization but also by drying the sheared and crushed food. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the time and effort previously spent on discarding food parts that are part of the food composition but are highly nutritious, or food that contains a lot of moisture and would spoil or ferment in a short period of time. Furthermore, it prevents food that would otherwise have to be discarded after being left for a short period of time from fermenting, spoiling, or growing mold, thereby preventing the need to discard food despite its high nutritional value.

[0100] In the present invention, the superheated steam sterilization drying section is not limited to the above-described embodiment, in that it only heats to a high temperature the food after it has been sheared and crushed in the area where the gap between the rollers is narrowest, or in the peeling section and guide section of the removal section.

[0101] Specifically, for example, the sheared and pulverized food may be placed on the peripheral surface of rollers 110, 120 suitable for superheated sterilization, separately from or in addition to the above-described embodiment. In other words, the location of the superheated steam sterilization and drying unit can be freely changed depending on the situation at hand, based on the overall configuration of the device, such as the number of rollers and the shape of the removal unit.

[0102] The actual operation of the food pulverization apparatus 1 by shearing, crushing and sterilizing according to the first embodiment will be described below. Figure 6 is a process diagram showing an example of the process from feeding food into the food pulverization apparatus 1 by shearing, crushing and sterilizing according to the first embodiment, to pulverizing the food.

[0103] In Figure 6, shearing and crushing process 1 to shearing and crushing process n are shown in block diagrams. Each block diagram shows the process in which food is fed into the inlet of the device of the present invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, where it is sheared and crushed between the rollers, and the sheared and crushed food is sterilized and dried using high-temperature superheated steam, and then placed in a storage container.

[0104] In shearing and crushing process 1 only, the food fed into the feed inlet is the food before it has been sheared and crushed, but in shearing and crushing process 2 and onwards, the food that has been sheared and crushed in the immediately preceding process, sterilized and dried, and stored in storage box 500 is fed back into the feed inlet.

[0105] In addition, in each block diagram of the shearing and grinding process, the gap between the rollers is gradually narrowed from top to bottom before each shearing and grinding process. As a result, as the number of steps in the shearing and grinding process increases, the food is sheared, ground, and sterilized more efficiently, and the food is finally stored in a storage container as a finer, sterilized, and dried powder.

[0106] Furthermore, process P1 indicated by a solid arrow at the bottom of Figure 6 represents a general process in which the sheared, pulverized, and sterilized food that has been finally stored in the storage container as described above is further powdered using a fine powdering device such as a high-speed mill and collected as food.

[0107] Similarly, the process transition from P1 (solid arrow) to P2 (dotted arrow) shows the process flow in which, in an environment where the above-mentioned high-speed mill or the like is not available, this further pulverization process is omitted and the shearing and grinding process is carried out the required number of times, after which the sheared, ground, and sterilized food is recovered as powdered food.

[0108] Furthermore, a process of sterilization and drying by sun drying can also be considered directly from shearing and grinding process n, indicated by dotted arrow P3, after which the food is recovered as powdered food. In this case, the food that has been sheared, ground, and sterilized in the final shearing and grinding process n is removed from the storage container and spread all over, for example, on a wide sheet, and left in that state for a while, where it is further sterilized and dried using natural energy from ultraviolet rays from sunlight, before being recovered as powdered food.

[0109] Process P3 is a useful process that can be carried out by a large number of young people in areas rich in nature, such as tropical countries where infrastructure such as electricity and gas is not well developed but where the weather is good and there is ample sunlight.

[0110] Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention in which the same process is repeated twice using an apparatus 1 for pulverizing food by shearing, crushing and sterilizing food, and is an explanatory diagram transparently showing from a lateral direction the state in which raw material food to be pulverized is fed into the inlet of the apparatus 1 for pulverizing food by shearing, crushing and sterilizing food shown in Fig. 2, and is pulverized by shearing, crushing and sterilization up to the intermediate processing stage and temporarily collected. Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram transparently showing from a lateral direction the food pulverized to the intermediate stage temporarily collected following Fig. 7, again using the apparatus 1 for pulverizing food by shearing, crushing and sterilizing food shown in Fig. 2.

[0111] 7 and 8 visually illustrate only the second process from the top in Fig. 6. It can be visually understood that the food is gradually broken down into smaller pieces in the process from Fig. 7 to Fig. 8.

[0112] By using the food shearing, grinding, sterilizing and pulverizing device having the configuration according to the first embodiment described above, it becomes possible to effectively utilize all of the various foods that have been discarded until now at the stage of harvesting. Specifically, as an example of food, we will explain how the heads of fish, which are usually discarded or left over when served at the dinner table at home, can all be effectively utilized and contribute to the upcycling of food.

[0113] By pulverizing fish heads and other parts of the body that are rich in calcium and protein but are usually disposed of as waste, using the food pulverizing device 1 that shears, crushes, and sterilizes the food, it becomes possible to produce and sell in depopulated areas, for example, excellent products that are an excellent source of nutrition in fishing ports in depopulated areas, do not require chewing power, and do not cause choking by elderly people or young children, and that allow the body to absorb extremely effective nutrients like seasonings or furikake.

[0114] Furthermore, with the recent development of internet sales, it has become possible to sell food remotely to towns and cities far from depopulated areas, which not only enables local production and consumption of food but also contributes to the development of industry in depopulated areas.

[0115] In the above-described embodiment, only two rollers are arranged vertically, but unlike the configurations shown in the above-described embodiment and the corresponding drawings and other embodiments and the corresponding drawings described below, the number of rollers is not limited to two and may be three or more. In this case, with regard to each roller 110, 120 provided in the apparatus 1 for pulverizing food by shearing, grinding and sterilizing, the gap between the peripheral surfaces of adjacent rollers in the vertical direction may be equal, but it is more preferable that the gap gradually narrows from the upper roller to the lower roller 110.

[0116] The reason for this is that as the food being sheared and pulverized moves from top to bottom, it is sheared and pulverized into smaller and finer pieces in stages by the shearing and pulverizing force applied when it enters the gaps between the peripheral surfaces of adjacent rollers 110, 120. This allows food fed into the inlet of this food shearing, pulverizing and sterilizing pulverization device 1 to be efficiently sheared and pulverized into smaller pieces from the top roller, and discharged in a powdered state from the bottom roller.

[0117] The following detailed description will be given with reference to drawings and text to facilitate understanding of the above-described operations. The process of shearing, grinding, and sterilizing food to powder in accordance with the first embodiment is illustrated with specific food examples in the drawings, and the related description will be provided in text to allow a visual understanding of the outstanding advantages of the present invention.

[0118] First, the process of shearing, crushing, and sterilizing whole fish as an example of food to produce powder will be described in detail as Example 1 using drawings and text. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an exemplary implementation of the present invention in three repeated steps using an apparatus for shearing, crushing, and sterilizing fish as an example of food. Specifically, FIG. 9(a) shows, from left to right, the process from when a whole fish is fed into the inlet to when it is pulverized. The diagrams are: the initial pulverization process by shearing, crushing, and sterilization (FIG. 9(a)); the subsequent intermediate pulverization process by shearing, crushing, and sterilization (FIG. 9(b)); and the final pulverization process by shearing, crushing, and sterilization (FIG. 9(c)).

[0119] In this figure, the gap between the narrowest parts of the rollers gradually narrows from the left side of Figure 9(a) to the right side of Figure 9(c), and the fish being sheared and crushed is gradually crushed into smaller pieces. This can be easily understood by considering that in the first shearing and crushing process, fish F shown in Figure 9(a) is finely sheared and crushed to fish F1, and in the second shearing and crushing process, fish F1 is further finely sheared and crushed to fish F2 shown in Figure 9(b), and then sheared and crushed even finer from fish F2 to fish F3 shown in Figure 9(c). In addition, in the configuration of Figure 9, because the food being sheared and crushed is fish, which is relatively large in size, the gap between the rollers is relatively large, and this gap gradually narrows to a certain extent. This can be easily understood from the fact that the gap in the shear-crushing region between rollers 110 and 120 in the second shear-crushing process shown in Figure 1(b) is narrower than the gap in the shear-crushing region between rollers 110 and 120 in the first shear-crushing process shown in Figure 1(a), and that the gap in the shear-crushing region between rollers 110 and 120 in the third shear-crushing process shown in Figure 1(c) is the narrowest.

[0120] Next, the process of shearing, crushing, and sterilizing whole sweet potatoes as an example of food to produce powder will be described in Example 2 with specific illustrations and text. Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an exemplary implementation of the present invention in three repeated steps using a device for shearing, crushing, and sterilizing sweet potatoes as an example of food. Specifically, Figure 10(a) shows the process from left to right from when a whole fish is fed into the inlet to when it is pulverized, illustrating the initial pulverization process by shearing, crushing, and sterilization. Figure 10(b) is an explanatory diagram illustrating the subsequent intermediate pulverization process by shearing, crushing, and sterilization. Figure 10(c) is an explanatory diagram illustrating the final pulverization process by shearing, crushing, and sterilization.

[0121] In this figure, the gap between the narrowest parts of the rollers gradually narrows from the left side of Figure 10(a) to the right side of Figure 10(c), and the sweet potatoes being sheared and crushed are gradually crushed into smaller pieces. This can be easily understood by considering that in the first shearing and crushing process, sweet potato S shown in Figure 10(a) is finely sheared and crushed to sweet potato S1, and in the second shearing and crushing process, sweet potato S1 is further finely sheared and crushed to sweet potato S2 shown in Figure 10(b), and then sweet potato S2 is further finely sheared and crushed to sweet potato S3 shown in Figure 10(c). In the configuration of Figure 9, the food being sheared and crushed is fish, which is relatively large in size, so the gap between the rollers is relatively large, and this gap gradually narrows at a certain interval. This can be easily understood from the fact that the gap in the shear-crushing region between rollers 110 and 120 in the second shear-crushing process shown in Figure 1(b) is narrower than the gap in the shear-crushing region between rollers 110 and 120 in the first shear-crushing process shown in Figure 1(a), and that the gap in the shear-crushing region between rollers 110 and 120 in the third shear-crushing process shown in Figure 1(c) is the narrowest.

[0122] Next, we will explain how food products, which are often discarded because they are bulky and difficult to transport and process, are often underutilized in cost-effective stores despite their high nutritional value. As an example, we will use figures and text to specifically illustrate the process of shearing, crushing, and sterilizing whole seaweed such as wakame, kombu, hijiki, and mozuku (hereinafter collectively referred to as "wakame") into powder form in Example 3.

[0123] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an exemplary implementation of the present invention in three repeated steps using an apparatus for pulverizing wakame seaweed, an example of a food product, by shearing, crushing, and sterilization. Specifically, FIG. 11(a) shows, from left to right in the figure, the process from feeding a whole fish as food product into an inlet to pulverizing it, illustrating the initial pulverization process by shearing, crushing, and sterilization. FIG. 11(b) is an explanatory diagram illustrating the subsequent intermediate pulverization process by shearing, crushing, and sterilization. FIG. 11(c) is an explanatory diagram illustrating the final pulverization process by shearing, crushing, and sterilization.

[0124] In this figure, the gap between the narrowest parts of the rollers gradually narrows from the left side (Figure 11(a)) to the right side (Figure 11(c)), and the wakame being sheared and crushed is gradually crushed into smaller pieces. This can be easily understood by considering that in the first shearing and crushing process, the wakame W shown in Figure 11(a) is finely sheared and crushed to wakame W1, and in the second shearing and crushing process, the wakame W1 is further finely sheared and crushed to wakame W2 shown in Figure 11(b), and then sheared and crushed even finer from wakame W2 to wakame W3 shown in Figure 11(c). In the configuration shown in Figure 9, the food being sheared and crushed is fish, which is relatively large in size, so the gap between the rollers is relatively large, and this gap gradually narrows over time. This can be easily understood from the fact that the gap in the shear-crushing region between rollers 110 and 120 in the second shear-crushing process shown in Figure 1(b) is narrower than the gap in the shear-crushing region between rollers 110 and 120 in the first shear-crushing process shown in Figure 1(a), and that the gap in the shear-crushing region between rollers 110 and 120 in the third shear-crushing process shown in Figure 1(c) is the narrowest.

[0125] Based on the above explanation that more visually embodies the food pulverization apparatus by shearing / pulverizing and sterilizing 1, it is possible to arbitrarily select the overall size of the food pulverization apparatus by shearing / pulverizing and sterilizing 1. This makes it possible to design, manufacture, and provide a custom-made food pulverization apparatus by shearing / pulverizing and sterilizing 1 of an optimal size in consideration of the region where the food pulverization apparatus by shearing / pulverizing and sterilizing 1 is used and the number and gender of the people engaged in the work of micro-pulverizing food, thereby enabling the above-mentioned effects to be fully exerted.

[0126] The following describes the common effects shown in Figures 9 to 11. In each figure, in the first process of shearing and grinding food shown on the left, each food is transformed from its original form into sheared and ground food as the first stage and stored in a storage box 500. That is, a food inlet is provided on the top of the food shearing, grinding and sterilizing pulverization device 1, through which food is fed to be sheared and ground into powder. It can also be seen that the spacing between the rollers is adjusted according to the size of the fish, sweet potato, and wakame seaweed fed through the food inlet in the first process.

[0127] Most of the food fed through the food inlet adheres to the periphery of the upper roller and then passes between it and the lower roller, where it is sheared and pulverized. The food is first sheared and pulverized by the lower roller 110, and is then pressed against the periphery of the lower roller 110 by the gravity of the upper roller, adhering tightly to the periphery, and is then sent to the lower roller 110, where it is sandwiched between the second roller from the top and further sheared and pulverized in the same manner as above, until it is processed into a finer powder form.

[0128] By repeating this process between the rollers arranged below, the food fed through the inlet of the food shearing, crushing and sterilizing pulverization device 1 is finally finely powdered and homogenized into fine powder, which is then collected in the storage box 500, which is a fine powder collection means arranged at the bottom of the food shearing, crushing and sterilizing pulverization device 1.

[0129] The food that has been sheared and crushed by the first process and stored in this storage box 500 is then fed into the second process feed section shown in the center of each drawing. This allows the food to be further sheared and crushed and stored in the storage box 500 as food that has been sheared and crushed by the second process.

[0130] Furthermore, the food that has been sheared and crushed by the second process and stored in this storage box 500 is fed into the third process feed section shown on the right side of each drawing. As a result, it is further sheared and crushed and stored in storage box 500 as food that has been sheared and crushed by the third process.

[0131] It can be easily understood that in all of these processes, superheated steam is sprayed evenly from the superheated steam sterilization and drying sections 610, 620 onto the food being sheared and pulverized, and the superheated steam sterilization process is repeated multiple times at the same time, ultimately resulting in food that has been sufficiently superheated sterilized after shearing and pulverization (see the dot-shaped superheated steam 601, 602 shown in Figures 2, 7, 8 to 11).

[0132] As mentioned above, the types of food to be sheared and crushed by this invention vary in size, weight, and thickness. Therefore, when changing the type of food to be sheared and crushed, it is necessary to optimize the spacing between the vertically aligned rollers and the weight of the rollers themselves in order to shear and crush the new food.

[0133] Therefore, the procedure for replacing the rollers of the device of the present invention in response to such a change in food is described below. Specifically, for the time being, the explanation will be based on the configuration in which two rollers 110, 120 (100) are arranged vertically as in the above-mentioned embodiment. To perform the roller replacement work, the rollers are first removed from the device of the present invention. An example of the replacement work is shown below.

[0134] When changing the type of food to be sheared and crushed, if the two or more rollers provided in the present invention are combined with different rollers, the uppermost roller of the rollers arranged in a vertical direction when viewed in the installed state of the entire device is removed by pulling its shaft portion upward through slit 810, and removing it toward the top of the food shearing, crushing and sterilizing pulverization device 1.

[0135] Next, the rotary shaft support members 910, 920, 930 (900) are removed from the slit 810. Next, the roller support shafts 710, 720 (700), which are now positioned at the top, are removed from the slit 810 and guide groove 811 in the same manner. That is, by removing the protruding portions protruding from both ends of each roller 110, 120 from the upper end of the slit 810 so that each of the multiple roller support shafts 710, 720 (700) can be axially supported, the multiple rollers 110, 120 are removed in order, starting with the roller positioned above them. In this way, not only two rollers 110, 120 (100) but also three or more rollers arranged vertically can easily remove all of the roller support shafts 710, 720 (700) from the slit 810.

[0136] Next, rollers suited to the new food to be sheared and pulverized are assembled into the apparatus of the present invention. Specifically, in this assembly process, a combination of rollers that will efficiently cut and pulverize the different types of food to be cut and pulverized next is assembled in the same manner as the first rollers were assembled into the apparatus 1 for shearing, pulverizing, and sterilizing food.

[0137] Next, a second embodiment of the apparatus 1 for pulverizing food by shearing, crushing and sterilizing will be described. Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing a schematic diagram of an apparatus 2 for pulverizing food by shearing, crushing and sterilizing according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the apparatus 2 for pulverizing food by shearing, crushing and sterilizing according to the second embodiment, the drive means for the rollers 110 is a manual lever drive mechanism in which the handle 119 is manually turned and the rotational force is reduced by a reduction mechanism 114 to rotate the rollers, instead of an electric drive means using a motor as in the first embodiment.

[0138] Below, we will explain the preferred installation location and usage environment of the second embodiment of the food pulverization device 2 by shearing, crushing and sterilizing food according to the present invention, i.e., the second embodiment equipped with a handle 119 that is rotated by human power and a gear mechanism that slows down the rotation caused by the drive of this handle 119.

[0139] Even in developing countries where infrastructure such as electricity is not in place and where gasoline or kerosene-fired power generation equipment and rotary drive equipment driven by this electricity are not available, the food pulverization device 2 that shears, grinds, and sterilizes food can be effectively used because it has a structure that generates the simple rotary drive force described above.

[0140] If the overall configuration of the food pulverization device 2 by shearing, crushing and sterilizing food is not too large, the driving force may be transmitted to the power transmission belt by human power. In this case, by providing a combination of a speed reduction mechanism incorporating gears and a rotary lever that generates power by being rotated by the power of a person's hands or feet, or a combination of rotary pedals like those found on bicycles, it is possible to transmit a fairly large amount of power, even by human power, as torque to the roller 110 that is to be rotated and driven, located below in this embodiment. This makes it possible to pulverize food using the food pulverization device 2 by shearing, crushing and sterilizing food without relying on an emergency power source, even in the event of a disaster.

[0141] Furthermore, the food pulverization device 2 by shearing, grinding and sterilization according to the second embodiment does not require a special power source and has a simple shape, so the basic configuration can be realized in a variety of sizes. That is, for example, it can be loaded onto a vehicle and used to pulverize the above-mentioned food in disaster-stricken areas immediately after a disaster occurs, thereby providing the food to elderly refugees with reduced chewing ability.

[0142] An example of this second embodiment will be described below. The advantage of the high degree of freedom in selecting the overall size of the food pulverization device 2 by shearing, crushing and sterilizing food is effectively utilized. For example, food mixed with fish bones or the like at home can be pulverized into fine powder by the food pulverization device 2 by shearing, crushing and sterilizing food, allowing the whole family to enjoy meals at home without worrying about small children choking on fish bones.

[0143] This system can also be applied to households where there is an aging family member whose chewing ability has significantly decreased, or where a family member cannot chew properly and requires assistance while feeding them during meals. In other words, by using the food shearing, grinding, and sterilizing powdering device 2 to finely powder nutritious food in advance, the elderly and their caregivers can safely eat the food. For example, this system allows such elderly people and their caregivers to take in sufficient calcium and protein from their daily meals, which can help prevent the onset of frailty and sarcopenia, which are caused by muscle weakness in the elderly due to a decrease in protein intake, and osteoporosis, which is caused by a decrease in calcium intake, both of which have become social problems in recent years.

[0144] Furthermore, it is possible to eat nuts and other natural foods after they have been finely powdered using the food powdering device 2, which shears, grinds, and sterilizes the food. This makes it possible for many people to ingest vegetable oils containing good cholesterol, which contributes to maintaining health, and other essential amino acids that must be ingested from outside the body through their daily meals. In other words, not only ordinary adults and children, but also elderly people with reduced chewing ability, people who must be fed by caregivers, and young children who are very picky eaters will be able to efficiently ingest the nutrients they need through their daily meals, thereby contributing to maintaining their health.

[0145] Furthermore, as described above, by making the food shearing / crushing and sterilizing pulverization device 2 small enough for home use and placing it in the kitchen or the like, it is possible for a parent to watch over small children and have them manually turn the handle, which serves as the power source for the food shearing / crushing and sterilizing pulverization device 2.

[0146] This allows children to actually experience the process of turning food into fine powder, learning about the process of processing raw materials and the joy of working together with their children to make edible food. In other words, the food pulverizing device 2 by shearing, crushing and sterilizing food according to this embodiment can be used as a practical educational toy to help children understand its structure and the useful value associated with it.

[0147] Furthermore, by experiencing with their five senses the process by which food is sheared and crushed between the rollers 110, 120 and finally processed into fine powder, children can understand basic physical laws in daily life while playing together with their parents, which not only satisfies children's desire for knowledge but also contributes to improving the emotional relationship between parents and children.

[0148] In addition, there are many countries in the world that are not developed countries, and some of them are still in the developing stage of economic development. Due to the land situation, major cities are well-developed, but in remote areas, infrastructure such as electricity, water, and gas is not evenly distributed throughout the country. Furthermore, such countries are usually in the midst of economic development and have a large proportion of young people in their population. In other words, this means that there is a very high proportion of young people and children who are still growing and will soon be in their prime working years.

[0149] However, the country's infrastructure has not yet been fully developed, and there are problems due to the country's unique industrial structure, which means there are not enough jobs for young people. In other words, the incomes of children in their prime and young people who form the foundation of the country's working environment are extremely low, and there are no jobs and a lack of food to maintain their health and strength, which are cited as global issues.

[0150] On the other hand, unlike developed countries where the entire country is industrialized, remote areas far from urban areas have an abundance of rich nature. In other words, these areas have an extremely large number of young people and growing children who will become the labor force, and they also have an abundance of fruits and vegetables, and if they are near the coast, fish, which are the blessings of nature. In addition, they have the excellent regional advantage of being able to harvest agricultural products such as rice, corn, and sugarcane in abundance, even though the monetary added value is low.

[0151] However, even if such depopulated areas can harvest large amounts of agricultural products, seafood, fruits, etc., as mentioned above, infrastructure such as electricity, gas, and water is often not well developed, and logistics is often not easy either. In other words, until the various foods harvested locally can be delivered in a fresh state to urban areas where infrastructure is in place and there are many processing plants, the food that has been so painstakingly harvested often rots, ferments, or becomes infected with bacteria during transportation, completely losing its commercial value.

[0152] Therefore, by using the food shearing / grinding / sterilizing / pulverizing device 2 according to the second embodiment described above, even if infrastructure such as electricity and gas is not in place, young people in the area can take turns turning the handle of the device to shear and grind the food, and the harvested food can be sheared and ground into very fine pieces on the spot.

[0153] In this case, even if the superheated steam sterilization and drying units 610, 620 as in the first embodiment are not provided due to the lack of infrastructure, the finely sheared and crushed food can be spread on a sheet, for example, and dried in the direct sunlight, which also serves as sterilization by ultraviolet rays, making it possible to produce locally produced and consumed food that can be consumed locally.

[0154] This means that, instead of having to go to the trouble of purchasing expensive processed food from urban areas in the country, nutritious food can be produced at almost no cost and using the combined human energy of local young people, and this food can be distributed evenly to young people who are involved in food production and who are hungry, as well as to growing children and infants who need daily nutrition.

[0155] Furthermore, in the process of transporting food to urban areas and processing it into ready-to-eat food at processing plants, as mentioned above, it takes a considerable amount of time to transport the food, so for example, only unripe mangoes and bananas have to be selected, and mangoes and bananas that are already ripe at the harvest point have to be discarded, resulting in a waste of precious global resources.

[0156] Similarly, fish caught in coastal areas are transported to urban areas for processing, and only those suitable for food are selected and transported, while the rest are discarded. Other fish can also be grilled on-site and eaten by local residents, but elderly people with reduced chewing ability are unable to chew the bones. Furthermore, feeding fish to young children poses the risk of fish bones getting stuck in their throats. This means that calcium, which is crucial for preventing osteoporosis in the elderly and essential for building strong bones in growing children, is wasted.

[0157] However, by using the food shearing / pulverizing / sterilizing / pulverizing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment, the fish bones themselves can be finely sheared and pulverized, and then by naturally sterilizing and drying them using sunlight, for example, the present invention has the excellent effect of allowing the elderly and children mentioned above to ingest sufficient amounts of necessary nutrients such as calcium at almost no cost.

[0158] Next, a third embodiment of the apparatus for pulverizing food by shearing, crushing and sterilizing will be described. Fig. 13 is a perspective view schematically showing an apparatus 3 for pulverizing food by shearing, crushing and sterilizing according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0159] In this third embodiment, as shown in Fig. 13, each roller is provided with a corresponding rotational power source, which are motors 115, 125 with speed reduction mechanisms, rotational force transmission pulleys 117, 118, 127, 128, and rotational drive power transmission belts 116, 126. Each roller 110, 120 rotates independently. As with the first and second embodiments, the narrowest opposing portions of the circumferential surfaces of rollers 110, 120, i.e., the roller circumferential surfaces in the area where food is sheared and crushed, rotate in the same direction, and this is the direction in which the sheared and crushed food is stored in storage box 500.

[0160] In the third embodiment, the roller rotation speeds are set so that the peripheral speed of the lower roller 110 is fast and the peripheral speed of the upper roller 120 is slower than the peripheral speed of the lower roller 110. As a result, the lower portion of the food that is sandwiched in the food shearing and crushing region, which is the narrowest part between the peripheral surfaces of the rollers, is fast-fed in close contact with the peripheral surface of the lower roller 110.

[0161] In addition, the upper part of the food is in close contact with the periphery of the upper roller 120 and is fed more slowly than the upper roller 120, creating a speed difference between them, and in this process the food is torn apart by the shearing and crushing force, becoming thinner. During this torn apart process, the upper roller 120 is heavy, and this weight is added to the food sandwiched between it and the lower roller 110, maximizing the shearing and crushing force and enabling efficient shearing and crushing of the food.

[0162] Another feature of the third embodiment is that the peripheral speed of the upper roller 120 and the peripheral speed of the lower roller 110 can be adjusted using the respective driving pulleys, drive force transmission belts, motors, reducers, etc. In other words, since the difference in peripheral speed between the upper and lower rollers that shear and crush the food can be actively controlled depending on the type of food, i.e., the size, hardness, material, and thickness of the food, it is possible to preset the peripheral speed of each roller 110, 120 that will most efficiently shear and crush the food depending on the type of food fed through the feed opening.

[0163] Furthermore, the upper roller 120 can also actively transmit the rotational force of the roller by means of a motor, a reducer, a power transmission belt, and a pulley, while allowing a certain degree of slippage between the belt and the pulley fixed to the shaft, so that the food can be adjusted until it is sheared and crushed to a more desirable form.

[0164] In this third embodiment, two power transmission belts are used. Therefore, although the same applies to the case where only one power belt is used as in the first and second embodiments, we will introduce the ingenuity of the mechanism related to the power transmission belts in this third embodiment in particular.

[0165] As the power transmission belt is used, the tension during power transmission changes slightly due to wear of the belt itself and the constant power transmission force acting on it. Therefore, it is considered more preferable to interpose a tension adjusting means such as a tension adjusting pulley in part of the running path of the power transmission belt so that a constant tension is always applied to the power transmission belt regardless of the length of time it is used.

[0166] Furthermore, by further adding a tension pulley (not shown in the drawings) for adjusting the tension to the power transmission belt, the following effect can be achieved: Specifically, by preparing a power transmission belt with a certain length with a certain amount of slack in advance and assembling a combination of rollers, for example, with the outer diameter of the top roller, in accordance with the type, size, and hardness of the food to be sheared and crushed, into the device main body 10, it is possible to flexibly respond to changes in the type of food as they occur.

[0167] In other words, the tension of the power transmission belt can be adjusted to an optimum tension by using the tension adjusting means provided in the power transmission belt according to the type, size, and hardness of the food to be sheared and crushed. Specifically, after replacing the rollers, the tension of the power transmission belt can be adjusted by adjusting the tension pulley of the tension adjusting means so that the power transmission means can transmit the optimum power to each roller that is rotated.

[0168] Here, modified examples applicable to all of the above-mentioned embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 14 is a schematic explanatory diagram (Figure 14(a)) illustrating a modified example of a food pulverization device by shearing and pulverizing that falls within the scope of the present invention, and a schematic explanatory diagram (Figure 14(b)) illustrating another modified example different from this.

[0169] In the modified example shown in Figure 14(a), at least one of the two rollers 110, 120 (100) is hollow inside, and after being attached to the device main body 10, water or liquid can be poured into the roller through the liquid inlet, and the liquid can be sealed inside the roller by stopping the pouring of liquid when the roller reaches a predetermined weight, making it possible to change the weight of each roller 110, 120 depending on the type of food to be sheared and crushed.

[0170] In addition, in the modified example shown in Figure 14(b), of the two rollers lined up vertically, at least one roller 110 is covered at both ends with a circular disk-shaped cover body that is integrated with the cylindrical roller and a roller rotation support shaft that rotates concentrically with the roller, making the internal space liquid-tight.High-temperature hot water, superheated steam, etc. flows in from one end of the roller, and slightly cooled hot water or superheated steam that has flowed into the roller is discharged from the other end, and these liquid supply and discharge parts are arranged so that they can rotate relative to both ends of the roller rotation support shaft in a liquid-tight state.

[0171] The above will now be explained in more detail. Using the two ends of two shafts, one on each end of the roller, high-temperature hot water or superheated steam may be introduced into the end of one shaft and flowed into the internal space of the roller, and then allowed to flow out from the end of the other shaft, so that the heat transferred from the high-temperature hot water or superheated steam keeps the outer circumferential surface of the roller constantly at a high temperature.

[0172] More specifically, during operation of the food shearing / pulverizing and sterilizing pulverization device 3, high-temperature hot water or superheated steam flows into the rollers from the ends of sufficiently strong pipe-shaped roller support shafts 710, 720 (700) attached to one end of the rollers, allowing the hot water or superheated steam to flow into the rollers while maintaining a liquid-tight state, while hot water or steam at a temperature lower than the temperature at which it flowed out flows out of the sufficiently strong pipe-shaped roller support shafts 710, 720 (700) attached to the other end of the rollers. By circulating this flow of high-temperature hot water or superheated steam, the entire circumferential surface of the rollers is maintained at a high temperature by heat transfer from the high-temperature hot water or superheated steam that accumulates inside the rollers, which may assist in the overheating drying and sterilization of the food being sheared and pulverized by each roller 110, 120.

[0173] The above-described embodiment and its various modifications are merely illustrative of the present invention. Therefore, it goes without saying that the above-described configuration (structural form, material of each member, size, vertical and horizontal positional relationship, and relative relationship between the diameters of each roller 110, 120) can be freely selected as appropriate within the scope in which the effects of the present invention can be achieved.

[0174] For example, a bearing may be used instead of the resin described in the above embodiment as the material for shaft rotation smoothing member 750. In this case, the bearing should have the strength and durability to constantly support the rotation of the heavy roller via the roller support shafts 710, 720 (700) at both ends, and should also have a liquid-tight seal structure that ensures that cleaning water does not get inside the bearing and impair its rotation-promoting function when the device of the present invention is disassembled and cleaned as needed from a hygienic standpoint.

[0175] Finally, various foods that can be considered as targets for the food shearing, grinding, sterilizing, and pulverizing device according to the present invention will be categorized and described as examples. Regarding the classification, examples will be listed for large, medium, and small sizes, and for portions of food that are rich in nutrients and that contribute to upcycling, which were previously discarded as waste when shipped for food processing.

[0176] In addition to this, there are foods that have no economic value as food when they are put into the distribution process as food, but are extremely rich in nutritional value, and so by producing and consuming them locally in their place of origin, they can be provided at almost no cost to growing children in depopulated areas where food is scarce, young people who will become the main source of labor, and elderly local residents whose chewing ability has declined.These can be categorized by category as follows:

[0177] All of the following foods have in common the fact that before they are fed into the inlet of the food shearing, grinding, sterilizing, and powdering equipment, the food is first cleaned by washing it with water, any excess pesticides on the vegetables, and any foreign matter such as soil, dirt, dust, and insects attached to the surface are removed by hand, and any food that is too large is cut into chunks using cutting tools before being fed into the inlet.

[0178] (1) Relatively large food items (1-1) For example, a whole fish is put into the feed opening. Or, in the case of a larger fish, it is cut into chunks in advance and then put into the feed opening. Or, if the fish body is to be sent to the food processing distribution process without the head and the head itself is to be discarded, it is not discarded and is put into the feed opening as it is. By shearing, crushing, sterilizing and powdering the fish using the device of the present invention, the fish can be made to contain nutrients such as calcium and collagen, which can then be eaten as is by the local people who harvested them, or dried in the sun to be preserved or supplied to local markets at extremely low prices, thereby resolving the problem of food shortages in depopulated areas. Furthermore, in areas where infrastructure has been destroyed for a long period of time after a large-scale disaster, even in situations where the food transport infrastructure has not been restored as described above, the system will solve the problems of food shortages and malnutrition among evacuees who are forced to live as evacuees for long periods of time. Sea cucumbers are one example of marine products that can be harvested locally but are not fully utilized as a nutritious food due to their high nutritional value, high appearance, and the high cost of processing.However, with the device of the present invention, sea cucumbers can also be cut, crushed, sterilized, and powdered into a nutritious, easy-to-eat food product at extremely low cost, with an extremely simple process. (1-2) For example, in the case of agricultural products, sweet potatoes and pumpkins, for example, are being discarded in unexpectedly large quantities before they are even put into the food distribution and sales process because they are too short or too thick, making them non-standard food. To explain this with specific examples, there are potatoes such as Chinese yam and burdock, other vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and lettuce that are not sized to the standard and cannot be sold, and carrots that are forked at the tip or have a distorted shape and are therefore not rated for food products solely because of their appearance, and are therefore discarded before being put into the food distribution process. These foods are washed thoroughly without peeling the skin, then fed into the inlet of the device of the present invention, where they are sheared, crushed, sterilized, and powdered. The reason for feeding them into the inlet without peeling the skin is that sweet potatoes and other foods contain a large amount of anthocyanin, a type of polyphenol, in their skin, which exerts an antibacterial effect when buried in the soil. Similarly, when it comes to pumpkins that are exposed to sunlight, the skin is not usually eaten as food, but this part is rich in nutrients, so the pumpkin powdered using the device of the present invention also contains a wealth of nutrients. Furthermore, foods such as Chinese yam, burdock, and carrots are discarded simply because they do not meet the standards for size or shape required for food. However, the device of this invention can prevent non-standard foods that cannot be distributed or sold from being discarded, and instead solves the problem of wasting resources and not following the SDGs currently advocated by the United Nations, thereby ensuring the upcycling of food.

[0179] (2) Other foods that have skins and are discarded after removing the skins during the food distribution process. For example, whole corn or sugarcane can be fed into the inlet of the device of the present invention without removing the husk. Corn is usually peeled off before being sold and distributed as a food product, but by introducing the corn as is into the device of the present invention, where it is sheared, crushed, sterilized, and powdered, it is possible to powder fresh corn quickly and without unnecessary effort. The husk that surrounds the corn, which is usually discarded, is rich in nutrients just like the food mentioned above, so this invention has the advantage of being able to retain 100% of these nutrients in powder form. Similarly, in the case of sugarcane, bagasse, the fibrous residue that is produced when sugarcane is squeezed, is rich in plant fiber. Therefore, bagasse can be collected and fed into the inlet of the device of the present invention, where it is sheared, crushed, sterilized, and powdered into a plant fiber-rich food product that can be preserved or reused. This allows for the effective use of food rich in nutrients through local production and consumption in the sugarcane harvesting area. Another example of food that is originally small in size is rice with its husk attached. This type of rice with its husk attached is usually removed, the surface polished, and sold as regular rice. However, rice husks contain a lot of silicon. Therefore, disposing of all the rice husks results in the entire valuable part being wasted. The device of the present invention can solve this problem. Specifically, by feeding rice with its husk attached into the inlet of the device, it can be sheared, crushed, sterilized, and powdered, allowing it to be stored for a long period of time as a preserved food, or mixed with various foods to add value as a highly nutritious food, taking advantage of the valuable nutrients contained in the husk. Furthermore, by dissolving this powder in water and heating it, it can be provided as a highly nutritious drink known as rice milk. In addition to husked rice, other materials such as rice bran and soy pulverized pulp can also be fed into the inlet of the device of the present invention. This allows the material to be sheared, crushed, sterilized, and powdered using the present invention, and then stored as a preserved food for a long period of time. Furthermore, by using the device of the present invention to remove moisture from the soy pulverized pulp and dry it, the current problem of the pulverized pulp itself becoming moldy and having to be disposed of is solved.

[0180] (3) Fruits, which are an important part of the diet Another typical example of food is fruit. Fruits suitable for use as food in the present invention include, for example, apples from which pesticides have been removed, citrus fruits such as mandarins from which pesticides and wax have been removed, and bananas from which pesticides have also been removed. These apples, mandarins, bananas, etc. are fed into the inlet of the device of the present invention with the skin still intact. When eating such fruits, the outer skin is usually removed and discarded, and only the inside of the fruit is eaten, but the outer skin, for example, of apples, is rich in polyphenols such as procyanidins. Citrus fruits such as mandarins and banana peels are also rich in nutrients, so they can be used in abundance as nutritious foods. Similarly, for relatively valuable fruits such as Kyoho grapes and Muscat melons, a certain percentage of the fruit is thinned out at an early stage, and the remaining fruit is allowed to ripen and be shipped, thereby giving it sufficient commercial value. Therefore, the current situation is that all thinned, unripened fruit is disposed of. In other words, in order to put fruit that has been ripened to increase its commercial value into the food distribution process, a considerable proportion of unripe fruit that is also rich in nutrients is unavoidably discarded.Even fruit that is not yet fully ripe contains the same amount of nutrients as ripe fruit that has been put into the food distribution process, so by using the device of the present invention, all of the thinned, unripe fruit that would otherwise be discarded can be sheared, crushed, sterilized and powdered, making it possible to store it for a long time without it being wasted as waste. This fruit flavor can be used in sweets, ice cream, snacks, etc., adding value to the product. In other words, waste can be turned into powdered food that retains the fruit flavor, allowing the nutrients of the fruit to be consumed efficiently without waste. For example, papaya, mangoes, bananas, and pineapples, which are harvested in tropical regions, face problems due to the long distances between the harvesting areas and the cities where they are sold. This also applies to citrus fruits, such as peaches, melons, and mandarins, which tend to ripen relatively quickly even outside of tropical regions. Specifically, if more days than necessary are used before being placed in the food distribution process or during the food distribution process to transport the fruit from the production area to the consumer, the fruit itself will ripen prematurely at the harvesting area or during the distribution process. In other words, in the process of distribution to the consumer, the fruit may become overripe and lose its commercial value, and end up being discarded. In this way, if the fruit ripens during the distribution process from the harvesting site to the selling site, it will no longer be able to be sold as an overripe food product, and will end up being discarded and wasted. Therefore, fruits that are likely to suffer this kind of damage can be selected and fed into the inlet of the device of the present invention, where they are sheared, crushed, sterilized, and powdered, and then sold and consumed in the area where the fruit is harvested, making it possible to effectively utilize them as locally produced food. In this way, these fruits that have ripened with great care can be provided to the local people in the harvesting areas, with the skin still intact and full of nutrients, at a low cost, rather than being discarded. This makes it possible to reduce the disparity in quality of life between the inhabitants of food-producing areas and the inhabitants of food-consuming areas, even within the same country, where there are significant differences in the level of living standards.

[0181] (4) Other foods As introduced in the above-mentioned embodiment, other foods include seaweed. For example, seaweed such as wakame, kelp, hijiki, and mozuku requires transportation costs during the food distribution process due to its large volume, which is reflected in the sales price. However, by using the device of the present invention to shear, crush, sterilize, and powder these seafood products at the coast where they are landed, their inherently bulky size can be reduced to an extremely small size. This allows them to be consumed or stored as preserved food at the coast where they are landed, or they can be transported to urban areas where they are consumed at low transportation costs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0182] 1, 2, 3 Food shearing, grinding, sterilizing and powdering device, 10 device body, 11 base plate, 12 device housing forming panel, 80 roller support part, 110, 120 roller, 114 reduction mechanism, 115 rotation drive part (motor with reduction mechanism), 116, 126 rotation drive power transmission belt, 117 first rotation force transmission pulley, 118 second rotation force transmission pulley, 119 handle, 125 motor with reduction mechanism, 127, 128 rotating pulley, 300 input guide part, 350 input part, 351 input port, 400 storage guide part, 401 upper edge part, 402 slide-down guide part, 500 storage part, 510 caster roller, 600 food sterilization part, 610 first superheated steam sterilization drying part, 620 Second superheated steam sterilization drying section, 611, 621 superheated steam injection nozzle, 710, 720 (700) roller support shaft, 750 shaft rotation smoothing member, 800 standing plate member, 810 slit, 811 guide groove, 910, 920, 930 (900) rotating shaft support member, 922 spacer, 611, 621 superheated steam injection nozzle, 500 storage box

Claims

1. A food powdering device that shears, crushes, and sterilizes food, The food pulverization device by shearing / pulverizing and sterilizing comprises at least two or more rollers for shearing / pulverizing food, an input guide section for guiding food before shearing / pulverizing to the shearing / pulverizing section, a storage section for storing the sheared / pulverized food, a storage guide section for guiding the sheared / pulverized food to the storage section, an apparatus main body which can be attached by adjusting these components to a preferred positional relationship depending on the type of food to be sheared / pulverized, and a food sterilization section which sterilizes the sheared / pulverized food either during shearing / pulverization or after shearing / pulverization, or both processes; The at least two rollers are arranged in series in the vertical direction when viewed from the installed state of the food shearing, crushing, and sterilizing pulverization device; and At least one of the rollers adjacent in the vertical direction is driven to rotate about its longitudinal central axis, and the two rollers are detachably attached to the device body so that a predetermined gap is formed between the circumferential surfaces of the two rollers that are closest to each other; the roller support shaft distance adjustment means for adjusting the distance between the roller support shafts of each of the adjacent rollers to a desired distance, so that the predetermined gap between the peripheral surfaces of the adjacent rollers is narrow enough to allow food entering the gap area from the feed guide section to be torn and crushed by a shearing and crushing force generated by a difference in frictional force acting on the upper and lower surfaces of the food due to a difference in peripheral speed between the two rollers and a compressive force that crushes the food within the gap area due to the weight of the upper roller when the food is sandwiched between the two rollers; The feeding guide portion is provided to feed the food to be sheared and crushed between the uppermost roller and the roller positioned below it, and to guide the food into the gap between the rollers; The storage guide unit is a device for pulverizing food by shearing, crushing and sterilizing, and is provided between the lowermost roller and the roller positioned above the roller, in order to guide the sheared, crushed and sterilized food discharged through the gap between these rollers to the storage unit and store it collectively in the storage unit, The food pulverization device by shearing, crushing and sterilization includes roller support parts at both ends of each roller, which rotatably support roller support shafts at both ends of each roller, the roller support portion is composed of a thick, standing plate member and a rotation shaft support member that rotatably supports the roller support shaft; The thick, upright plate member has a slit formed therein, the slit extending from the top to a predetermined height when viewed in use of the food pulverizing apparatus through shearing, crushing, sterilization, and pulverization; The combination of the thick, upright plate member and the rotating shaft support member makes it possible to insert and support the rotating shaft support member and each roller support shaft of a predetermined length in the slit between each roller support shaft in order to maintain a predetermined gap between adjacent rollers from the roller that should be located at the bottom to the roller that should be located at the top, and when replacing each roller with one that is suitable for shearing and grinding depending on the type of food, it is possible to remove each roller in order from the top to the bottom roller together with the rotating shaft support member interposed between adjacent roller support shafts.

2. A food powdering device that shears, crushes, and sterilizes food, The food pulverization device by shearing / pulverizing and sterilizing comprises at least two or more rollers for shearing / pulverizing food, an input guide section for guiding food before shearing / pulverizing to the shearing / pulverizing section, a storage section for storing the sheared / pulverized food, a storage guide section for guiding the sheared / pulverized food to the storage section, an apparatus main body which can be attached by adjusting these components to a preferred positional relationship depending on the type of food to be sheared / pulverized, and a food sterilization section which sterilizes the sheared / pulverized food either during shearing / pulverization or after shearing / pulverization, or both processes; The at least two rollers are arranged in series in the vertical direction when viewed from the installed state of the food shearing, crushing, and sterilizing pulverization device; and At least one of the rollers adjacent in the vertical direction is driven to rotate about its longitudinal central axis, and the two rollers are detachably attached to the device body so that a predetermined gap is formed between the circumferential surfaces of the two rollers that are closest to each other; the roller support shaft distance adjustment means for adjusting the distance between the roller support shafts of each of the adjacent rollers to a desired distance, so that the predetermined gap between the peripheral surfaces of the adjacent rollers is narrow enough to allow food entering the gap area from the feed guide section to be torn and crushed by a shearing and crushing force generated by a difference in frictional force acting on the upper and lower surfaces of the food due to a difference in peripheral speed between the two rollers and a compressive force that crushes the food within the gap area due to the weight of the upper roller when the food is sandwiched between the two rollers; The feeding guide portion is provided to feed the food to be sheared and crushed between the uppermost roller and the roller positioned below it, and to guide the food into the gap between the rollers; The storage guide unit is a device for pulverizing food by shearing, crushing and sterilizing, and is provided between the lowermost roller and the roller positioned above the roller, in order to guide the sheared, crushed and sterilized food discharged through the gap between these rollers to the storage unit and store it collectively in the storage unit, At least one of the rollers is hollow inside, and after being attached to the device body, water or liquid is poured into the roller through the liquid inlet, and when the roller reaches a predetermined weight, the pouring of liquid is stopped and the liquid can be sealed inside the roller, making it possible to change the weight of each roller depending on the type of food to be sheared and crushed.This is an apparatus for pulverizing food by shearing, crushing and sterilizing, characterized in that it is possible to change the weight of each roller depending on the type of food to be sheared and crushed.

3. A food powdering device that shears, crushes, and sterilizes food, The food pulverization device by shearing / pulverizing and sterilizing comprises at least two or more rollers for shearing / pulverizing food, an input guide section for guiding food before shearing / pulverizing to the shearing / pulverizing section, a storage section for storing the sheared / pulverized food, a storage guide section for guiding the sheared / pulverized food to the storage section, an apparatus main body which can be attached by adjusting these components to a preferred positional relationship depending on the type of food to be sheared / pulverized, and a food sterilization section which sterilizes the sheared / pulverized food either during shearing / pulverization or after shearing / pulverization, or both processes; The at least two rollers are arranged in series in the vertical direction when viewed from the installed state of the food shearing, crushing, and sterilizing pulverization device; and At least one of the rollers adjacent in the vertical direction is driven to rotate about its longitudinal central axis, and the two rollers are detachably attached to the device body so that a predetermined gap is formed between the circumferential surfaces of the two rollers that are closest to each other; the roller support shaft distance adjustment means for adjusting the distance between the roller support shafts of each of the adjacent rollers to a desired distance, so that the predetermined gap between the peripheral surfaces of the adjacent rollers is narrow enough to allow food entering the gap area from the feed guide section to be torn and crushed by a shearing and crushing force generated by a difference in frictional force acting on the upper and lower surfaces of the food due to a difference in peripheral speed between the two rollers and a compressive force that crushes the food within the gap area due to the weight of the upper roller when the food is sandwiched between the two rollers; The feeding guide portion is provided to feed the food to be sheared and crushed between the uppermost roller and the roller positioned below it, and to guide the food into the gap between the rollers; The storage guide unit is a device for pulverizing food by shearing, crushing and sterilizing, and is provided between the lowermost roller and the roller positioned above the roller, in order to guide the sheared, crushed and sterilized food discharged through the gap between these rollers to the storage unit and store it collectively in the storage unit, At least one of the rollers is hollow inside, and while the device for pulverizing food by shearing, crushing and sterilizing is in operation, a high-temperature liquid is allowed to flow into the roller from one end while maintaining a liquid-tight state, and a liquid at a temperature lower than that at which it flowed out is allowed to flow out from the other end of the roller.By circulating this liquid, the entire circumferential surface of the roller is maintained at a high temperature by heat transfer from the high-temperature liquid that accumulates inside the roller, thereby assisting in the overheating drying and sterilization of the food being sheared and crushed by each of the rollers.

4. 4. The apparatus for pulverizing food by shearing, crushing and sterilizing according to claim 1, wherein the rollers consist of at least three rollers, and when the apparatus for pulverizing food by shearing, crushing and sterilizing is installed, the gaps between the peripheral surfaces of adjacent rollers in the vertical direction gradually narrow from the upper roller to the lower roller, so that the food being sheared and crushed is sheared and crushed into smaller and finer pieces gradually as it moves from top to bottom due to the shearing and crushing force applied when it enters the gaps between the peripheral surfaces of adjacent rollers.

5. 4. A food pulverization apparatus by shearing and crushing and sterilization according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sterilization apparatus is configured to spray high-temperature superheated steam onto the food either during the shearing and crushing or after the shearing and crushing, or both processes.

6. The apparatus for shearing, crushing and sterilizing food to powder as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the driving means for the rollers is either an electric driving means using a motor, a driving means using an internal combustion engine, or an artificial means for turning a handle with human force, and a speed reduction mechanism for slowing down the rotational force to rotate the rollers.

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