Rice washing-free manufacturing equipment

Abstract

To provide a no-wash rice production device which enables improvement of rice washing effect to improve the quality of no-wash rice.SOLUTION: A no-wash rice production device 1 includes at least a rice polishing part 3 which mixes rice grains with water and stirs the rice grains with the water to perform rice polishing in water. The rice polishing part 3 is formed by a first water addition transport part, a first rice washing part, a suction and dehydration part, a second water addition transport part, and a second rice washing part arranged from the upstream side of the rice polishing part 3. Bubble water is supplied to the second water addition transport part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for producing pre-washed rice that can produce pre-washed rice.

Background Art

[0002] In conventional pre-washed rice production devices, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, there are some that have drain outlets provided between the primary rice washing section and the secondary rice washing section, and between the secondary rice washing section and the tertiary rice washing section, respectively, and can perform three times of rice washing.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a pre-washed grain production device that can produce pre-washed rice by passing through a centrifugal dehydration section after rice washing.

[0004] Patent Document 3 discloses an invention of a rice washing method that mixes microbubbles, rice washing water, and polished rice grains and flows them through a pipe to perform rice washing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the case of the pre-washed rice manufacturing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to sufficiently drain the bran-mixed washing water from each drain outlet within the short time that the rice grains pass over each drain outlet 36. Therefore, even if new washing water is supplied in each subsequent washing process, bran-mixed washing water always remains. Furthermore, in the multiple washing processes described above, the rice is washed by rubbing the rice grains against each other, and the abrasive action of the bran causes small scratches on the surface of the rice grains when the rice is stirred during washing. This raises concerns about quality, as it can cause underwater cracking (cracks in the rice grains) during cooking, leading to the leakage of internal starch and resulting in soft, mushy rice.

[0007] Furthermore, the pre-washed grain manufacturing apparatus described in Patent Document 2 includes a milling section 3 (rice washing section) that mixes and stirs grains (rice) with water and mills them in water, and a centrifugal dewatering section 5 in the subsequent process to produce pre-washed rice. However, since the rice washing process is performed only once, the washing effect is weak. Moreover, in the rice washing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 3, there is a risk of damage to the rice grains because they come into contact with and collide with the elements when flowing and inverting through the piping, leaving concerns about the quality of cooked rice, similar to other patent documents.

[0008] Therefore, in view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a rice washing apparatus that can improve the quality of pre-washed rice by improving the rice washing effect. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The invention relating to (1) is a pre-washed rice manufacturing apparatus comprising at least a milling unit that mixes and stirs rice grains and water to mill rice in water, wherein the milling unit is composed of a first water-adding and conveying unit, a first rice-washing unit, a suction and dewatering unit, a second water-adding and conveying unit, and a second rice-washing unit, and the second water-adding and conveying unit is supplied with aerated water.

[0010] The invention relating to (2) is a pre-washed rice manufacturing apparatus according to (1) above, which has a centrifugal dewatering unit capable of dewatering the rice grains discharged from the second rice washing unit, and the recovered water recovered in the centrifugal dewatering unit is supplied in the first watering and conveying unit.

[0011] The invention relating to (3) is a pre-washed rice manufacturing apparatus according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the water supplied to the second water supply and conveying section is added in an amount of 6 to 24% by weight relative to the weight of the rice grains supplied to the second water supply and conveying section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, by configuring the milling section from upstream to downstream as a first water-adding and conveying section, a first rice washing section, a suction dewatering section, a second water-adding and conveying section, and a second rice washing section, for example, the water mixed with bran used in the first rice washing section can be cleanly removed by the forced action of the suction dewatering section. Furthermore, in the next step, the second water-adding and conveying section, the water mixed with bran from the previous step is not mixed in, and aerated water is added to fresh, clean water, enabling rice washing in the second rice washing section. As a result, the washing action is improved, turbidity and whiteness can be improved, and the aerated water reduces the impact between rice grains, preventing surface damage to rice grains that could lead to cracks in the water, thereby improving the quality of cooked rice. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view of the pre-washed rice production apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an enlarged front view of a part of the pre-washed rice manufacturing apparatus in the embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the milling section in a pre-washed rice manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 4] This is an enlarged perspective view of the suction dewatering section in a pre-washed rice manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 5] This figure shows the connection configuration between the bubble water production apparatus and the milling unit in the example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] An embodiment of the device for producing non-washed rice according to the present invention will be described below. Fig. 1 shows an overall schematic perspective view of the device 1 for producing non-washed rice in this embodiment, and Fig. 2 shows an enlarged front view of the milling section 3, the polished rice supply device 4 and the dehydration section 5 in the device 1 for producing non-washed rice. Further, Fig. 5 shows the configuration of the bubble water production device 70 capable of supplying bubble water to the milling section 3.

[0015] As shown in the drawings, the device 1 for producing non-washed rice in this embodiment is placed on the machine frame 2, and includes a milling section 3 that mixes and stirs the supplied polished rice with water for underwater milling, a polished rice supply device 4 that supplies polished rice to the milling section 3, a dehydration section 5 that can centrifugally dehydrate the rice grains discharged from the milling section 3, and a moisture adjustment section 6 that performs moisture adjustment. The main part is constituted by these components.

[0016] The milling section 3 includes a rotatable milling shaft 8, a conveying screw 9 axially attached to the milling shaft 8, a plurality of stirring blades 10 fixed to the milling shaft 8, a stirring rotor 11 axially attached to the milling shaft 8, and further includes a regulating member 12 axially attached to the milling shaft 8 for regulating the outflow of rice grains from the end side of the milling cylinder 7, at least.

[0017] It should be noted that the above-mentioned regulating member 12 is preferably a flange-shaped member, and the edge of the regulating member 12 axially attached to the milling shaft 8 narrows the gap with the inner diameter of the milling cylinder 7 to regulate the outflow of grain from the milling cylinder 7.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 1, a driving pulley 13 for rotational drive is axially attached to the rear end (the left end in the drawing) of the milling shaft 8, and a motor 14 for rotationally driving the milling shaft 8 is installed above it. A transmission belt (not shown) is wound between the motor pulley 15 of the motor that transmits the rotational force of the motor 14 to the milling shaft 8.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the dehydration unit 5 includes a rotatable dehydration cylinder 18 that is vertical and partially formed of a porous wall 17, a dehydration shaft 19 rotatably supported within the dehydration cylinder 18, and a dehydration screw 20 axially attached to the dehydration shaft 19. A drain cover 21 and a drain trough 22 are provided around the porous wall 17 of the dehydration cylinder 18, and the water after washing is discharged from the porous wall 17 by the centrifugal force associated with the rotation of the dehydration screw 20 and the centrifugal force associated with the rotation of the dehydration cylinder 18.

[0020] On the side of the dehydration unit 5, a motor 23 having a plurality of output shafts is installed to rotate the dehydration shaft 19 and the dehydration cylinder 18 respectively. A drive pulley 24 for driving the rotation of the dehydration shaft 19 is provided at the upper end of the dehydration shaft 19, and pulley grooves 25 are provided on the cylindrical peripheral surface near the axial center of the dehydration cylinder 18.

[0021] That is, a first transmission belt 27 is wound between the drive pulley 24 and the first motor pulley 26 of the motor 23 so that the rotational force of the first motor pulley 26 can be transmitted to the dehydration shaft 19. Further, a second transmission belt 29 is wound between the pulley groove 25 and the second motor pulley 28 of the motor 23 so that the rotational force of the second motor pulley 28 can be transmitted to the dehydration cylinder 18.

[0022] At the lower end of the dehydration shaft 19 of the dehydration unit 5, scraping blades (not shown) for feeding the rice grains into the moisture adjustment unit 6 are axially attached, and the rice grains can be fed into the moisture adjustment unit 6 while being diffused. The space between the dehydration unit 5 and the moisture adjustment unit 6 is connected by a flow-down trough 31 with a gently curved vertical cross-section, and together with the scraping blades, the dehydrated rice grains can be fed into the moisture adjustment unit 6 while being diffused.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the moisture adjustment unit 6 vibrates the rice grains with a vibration motor 37, performs conditioning and drying with a hot air supply fan 38 incorporating a heater, and can discharge the polished rice out of the non-washing rice manufacturing apparatus 1 as non-washing rice through a polished rice duct (not shown).

[0024] Next, the manufacturing process for pre-washed rice in the pre-washed rice manufacturing apparatus 1 will be explained in detail, particularly with reference to Figures 2-5.

[0025] The polished rice, which is the raw material supplied from the raw material supply chute 50 (see Figure 1), is quantitatively supplied to the rice grain input hopper 42 via the passage 52 by the rotary valve 51 (see part 2A in Figure 2) in the polished rice supply device 4. Then, the rice grains are fed into the polishing cylinder 7 through the rice grain input port 41 provided at the starting end side (left side in the figure) of the polishing cylinder 7.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the milling unit 3 of this embodiment consists of a first watering and conveying unit B, a first rice washing unit C, a suction dewatering unit D, a second watering and conveying unit E, and a second rice washing unit F, from the upstream side (left side in the figure). The rice grains discharged from the milling unit 3 are conveyed to the centrifugal dewatering unit G on the downstream side.

[0027] The rice grains introduced into the milling cylinder 7 are first transported to the first water supply and transport section B. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first water supply nozzle 44 is provided in the first water supply and transport section B at a position downstream of the rice grain input port 41. Water is added from the first water supply nozzle 44, and the rice grains introduced from the rice grain input port 41 are transported downstream (to the right in the diagram) by the transport screw 9.

[0028] The amount of water added by the first water supply nozzle 44 can be, for example, 6 to 24% by weight (wt%) of the weight of the rice grains being added. In this embodiment, the recovered water from the centrifugal dewatering unit G is supplied to the first water supply nozzle 44 to reuse the water. Of course, it is also possible to supply new water without using the recovered water.

[0029] Next, the rice grains, which have been hydrated in the first water-adding and conveying section B and conveyed by the conveying screw 9, are transported to the first rice washing section C. As mentioned above, the first rice washing section C is equipped with multiple stirring blades 10 (in the illustrated example, they are arranged in two locations: at the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions), which cause the rice grains that have been hydrated in the first water-adding and conveying section B to be stirred and washed in the first rice washing section C.

[0030] In the rice washing process in the first rice washing section C, the bran generated by stirring and washing is dispersed into the water, and milling is also performed by friction between the grains in the water. At this time, the milling progresses by 0.5 to 2.0% relative to the rice grain, causing the aleurone layer on the surface of the rice grain to peel off.

[0031] Next, the rice grains that have been stirred and washed in the first rice washing section C are transported to the suction dewatering section D on the downstream side (right side in the diagram). A suction fan (not shown) is connected to the suction dewatering section D, and a drain pipe 60 for draining the sucked-in water is also connected to it. Bran The mixed water is sucked out from the rice grains and discharged outside the machine through the drain pipe 60.

[0032] More specifically, the milling shaft 8 and stirring rotor 11 near the stirring blade 10 of the suction dewatering section D are provided with ventilation holes 61, as shown in the enlarged perspective view of Figure 4. That is, the milling shaft 8 has a hollow structure and is in contact with the outside air, and communicates with the ventilation holes 61. As a result, outside air is drawn into the suction dewatering section D during suction. Bran It enables the suction of mixed water.

[0033] Next, the rice grains dewatered in the suction dewatering section D are transported to the second watering and transporting section E on the downstream side (right side in the diagram). As shown in the diagram, the second watering and transporting section E is connected to a second water supply nozzle 45 and a bubble water supply nozzle 46. The bubble water supply nozzle 46 adds bubble water to the normal water and transports it together with the rice grains by the transport screw 9.

[0034] More specifically, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, a bubble water production device 70 is provided, and a bubble generator 72 is installed in a water tank 71 within the bubble water production device 70 to produce bubble water. The produced bubble water is supplied to the second water supply and transport unit E from the bubble water supply nozzle 46 via a pump 73 and a control valve 74. The second water supply nozzle 45 is used to add water to the inside of the rinse-free rice production device 1 when cleaning the rinse-free rice production device 1.

[0035] By adding aerated water as described above, the rice grains are stirred and polished, and the polishing action further reduces the bubbles, allowing them to penetrate even the finest details deep within the surface of the rice grains. This promotes the removal of bran from deep within the surface details of the rice grains, improving quality such as whiteness and turbidity. Furthermore, while removing the bran from the fine details of the rice grain surface, the "umami components" at the boundary with the starch layer are left intact, resulting in an improved taste compared to conventional methods. In addition, the bubbles reduce the impact between rice grains and prevent damage to the surface of the rice grains that could lead to cracks in the water, allowing for the continuous and stable mass production of pre-washed rice that is fluffy rather than soft.

[0036] Fine bubble water is preferred as the bubble water, and more preferably, ultrafine bubble (registered trademark) water with a bubble diameter of 1 μm or less is used. In this case, it is preferable to add it in an amount of 6 to 15% of the normal water supplied to the second water supply transport unit E.

[0037] As shown in Figure 3, a ring-shaped backflow prevention partition 62 is formed on the outer circumference of the stirring rotor 11 between the suction dewatering section D and the second water addition and conveying section E, thereby preventing backflow from the suction dewatering section D to the second water addition and conveying section E. Bran Mixed water Soaking It effectively prevents entry.

[0038] The rice grains, which have been hydrated and transported by the second water-adding and transporting section E, are carried to the second rice washing section F on the downstream side (right side in the diagram). As shown in Figure 3, the second rice washing section F is equipped with multiple stirring blades 10 (in the illustrated example, they are arranged in two locations: at the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions). That is, since a small amount of bran remains on the surface of the rice grains that have been dewatered in the suction dewatering section D, clean water is supplied in the second water-adding and transporting section E and the rice is rinsed in the second rice washing section F.

[0039] However, if the rice grains are washed too vigorously in the second rice washing section F, the taste of the cooked rice will deteriorate. Therefore, as shown in the diagram, the length of the second rice washing section F is made shorter than that of the first rice washing section C to reduce the washing intensity. In this way, by washing the rice vigorously in the first rice washing section C and gently in the second rice washing section F, the recovered water discharged and collected in the downstream centrifugal dewatering section G contains fewer fine substances such as bran. This allows clean recovered water to be supplied to the first water supply nozzle 44, improving the washing effect in the first rice washing section C and the dewatering effect in the suction dewatering section D.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, a regulating member 12 is axially attached to the tip of the milling shaft 8, which is at the end of the second rice washing section F. The outer diameter of the regulating member 12 is close to the inner diameter of the milling cylinder 7, narrowing the gap and restricting the outflow of rice grains from the milling cylinder 7. In this embodiment, the gap between the inner diameter of the milling cylinder 7 and the outer diameter of the regulating member 12 is approximately 5 to 13 mm. This gap size allows for the transport of rice grains to the centrifugal dewatering section G while restricting the outflow of rice grains from the milling cylinder 7. In addition, restricting the outflow of rice grains can increase the strength of the rice washing process. This improves the efficiency of rice washing. Furthermore, narrowing the input opening to the dewatering section 5 further restricts the outflow of rice grains.

[0041] Next, the rice grains transported from the second rice washing section F are carried to the dewatering cylinder 18 of the dewatering section 5, as shown in Figure 2, and then transported to the centrifugal dewatering section G. In the centrifugal dewatering section G, the rice grains and water are transported vertically by the rotation of the dewatering screw 20 (for example, 1700 rpm). At this time, as the rice grains and water are transported, they are subjected to the action of centrifugal force from the rotation of the dewatering cylinder 18 (for example, 2000 rpm), and are separated into rice grains and water at the porous wall 17 of the dewatering cylinder 18.

[0042] The separated water is then collected via the drain cover 21 and the drain trough 22 and, as described above, is supplied to the first water supply nozzle 44 of the first water supply conveying unit B for reuse. Meanwhile, the dewatered rice grains are scraped out of the dewatering cylinder 18 by a scraping blade (not shown) at the lower end of the dewatering shaft 19 and fed into the moisture adjustment unit 6 via the drain trough 31.

[0043] In the moisture adjustment section 6, the rice grains are rolled by a vibration motor 37, and hot air is supplied from a hot air supply fan 38. The rice grains are exposed to the hot air while being rolled, thereby conditioning and drying them. Then, from a refined duct (not shown), pre-washed rice with a moisture content of less than 15% is discharged.

[0044] (Another example) Although the pre-washed rice manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment has been described above, the pre-washed rice manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is not necessarily limited to the embodiment described above.

[0045] In the above-described embodiment, the stirring blades 10 provided in the first rice washing section C, the suction dewatering section D, and the second rice washing section F were arranged at two locations, at the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions relative to the milling shaft 8. However, the arrangement is not necessarily limited to this configuration, and stirring blades 10 may be provided at multiple locations, or the stirring blades 10 may be divided into multiple sections and arranged along the axial direction of the milling shaft 8. This makes it possible to adjust the internal resistance within the milling section 3, thereby adjusting the degree of washing and rinsing.

[0046] For example, by differentiating the arrangement of the stirring blades 10 in the first rice washing section C and / or the suction dewatering section D from the arrangement of the stirring blades 10 in the second rice washing section F, the internal resistance in the downstream second rice washing section F can be reduced. This makes it possible to actively wash the rice in the upstream first rice washing section C and to perform rinsing and washing in the downstream second rice washing section F, resulting in more efficient rice washing and a better washing action.

[0047] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described a rinse-free rice production apparatus 1 using a bubble water production apparatus 70, the apparatus is not limited to this. For example, a commercially available nozzle responsible for generating bubbles may be installed inline with the bubble water supply nozzle 46 to provide fine bubbles.

[0048] The embodiments and alternative embodiments of the present invention have been described above. These descriptions are for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the present invention and do not limit it. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from its spirit, and its equivalents are included. Furthermore, the combinations or omissions of the components described in the claims and specification are possible to the extent that at least some of the above-mentioned problems can be solved or at least some of the effects can be achieved. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] 1 Rinse-free rice production equipment 2 machine frames 3 Seishinbu 4. Polished rice supply device 5 Dehydration section 6 Moisture adjustment section 7 Pounding tube 8 Seishin axis 9. Conveyor Screw 10 stirring blades 11 Stirring trooper 12 Regulating members 13 Drive pulley 14 motors 15 Motor Pulley 16 Power transmission belt 17 Porous wall 18 Dehydration bottle 19 Dehydration shaft 20 Dehydration Screw 21 Drain cover 22 Drainpipe 23 Motor 24 Drive pulley 25 pulley grooves 26. First motor pulley 27 First transmission belt 28. Second motor pulley 29 Second transmission belt 31 Downstream drain 37 Vibration motor 38 Hot air supply fan 41 Rice grain inlet 42 Rice grain input hopper 44. First water supply nozzle 45. Second water supply nozzle 46. ​​Bubble water supply nozzle 50 Raw material supply chutes 51 Rotary Valve 52 aisles 61 Ventilation holes 62 Backflow prevention bulkhead 70 Aerated water production equipment 71 Water Tank 72 Bubble Generator 73 pumps 74 Control valve

Claims

1. A pre-washed rice manufacturing apparatus comprising at least a milling unit that mixes and stirs rice grains and water to mill rice in water, The milling unit is composed of a first water-adding and conveying unit, a first rice washing unit, a suction and dewatering unit, a second water-adding and conveying unit, and a second rice washing unit, from the upstream side of the milling unit. Bubbled water is supplied to the second water-adding and conveying section. The suction dewatering unit is equipped with a ventilation hole that allows outside air to be taken into the suction dewatering unit, and is capable of sucking up and draining the water used for washing rice in the first rice washing unit. The second rice washing section is formed to be shorter in length than the first rice washing section, thereby reducing the rice washing intensity in the second rice washing section compared to the first rice washing section. A rice washing machine characterized by the following features.

2. It has a centrifugal dewatering unit capable of dewatering the rice grains discharged from the second rice washing unit, The recovered water from the centrifugal dewatering section is supplied to the first water-adding and conveying section. The apparatus for producing pre-washed rice according to claim 1.

3. The water supplied to the second water-adding and conveying unit is added in an amount of 6 to 24% by weight relative to the weight of the rice grains supplied to the second water-adding and conveying unit. The apparatus for producing pre-washed rice according to claim 1 or 2.

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