Canning equipment

Abstract

To provide a warming device capable of directly warming canned food in a simple and safe manner.SOLUTION: A warming device for canned food comprises a support substrate for being loaded with the canned food, and heating means and temperature control means, which are provided for the support substrate. The temperature of a heating surface of the canned food is controlled to be in the range of 50-100°C by the temperature control means.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a heating device for heating canned foods as contents, and more particularly, to a heating device for canned foods that can safely and easily heat the contents within an appropriate temperature range without being limited by the material and shape of the can.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, from the perspective of issues such as marine plastic problems, canned foods using metal cans with excellent recyclability have been reevaluated. In addition, due to the global spread of infectious diseases and the increase in the population enjoying so-called staying-at-home needs and camping while avoiding crowds, the demand for canned foods that can be easily eaten and stored for a long time is increasing. Also, depending on the canned food, there are contents suitable for heating and eating, and there are consumers who heat the can body directly over an open flame to easily eat the canned food.

[0003] Generally, on the surfaces of the can body and the can lid of metal cans used for canned foods, in order to prevent corrosion of the metal material, a coating film made of a thermosetting paint such as an epoxy phenol-based paint or a resin coating made of a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate is formed, and a sealing compound made of a urethane resin or the like is used for the crimping portion of the can lid. Therefore, suppliers of canned foods are concerned about the elution of the above coating film, resin coating, or sealing compound into the contents, and when warming the contents, they recommend warming the canned food as it is in a hot water bath or transferring the contents to another container and warming it. However, the preparation and cleanup are very troublesome for consumers, and it is desired to be able to easily warm and eat it.

[0004] As a simple and convenient method for warming canned foods, it is also conceivable to use a general-purpose tabletop cooking heater (for example, Patent Document 1 below) or a small heat-insulating device (for example, Patent Document 2 below) for keeping warm a cup containing a beverage.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-267645 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 58-501309 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, tabletop cooking heaters are designed to heat cooking pots, so they have a large heating surface, which is excessive for heating canned goods, and they are also inconvenient to carry. Furthermore, induction cookers (IH cookers) have limitations on the types of containers that can be used, and the shape of the containers is also limited because the heating surface must be flat. Depending on the material and shape of the can, it may not function properly even if placed on the cooker. Furthermore, small-scale warming devices are specifically designed for keeping ceramic cups and similar items warm, and are not suitable for directly heating canned goods. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a heating device that can directly heat canned goods in a simple and safe manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to the present invention, a canned food heating device comprising a support substrate on which canned food is placed, and a heating means and a temperature control means provided on the support substrate, The temperature control means comprises a non-contact type temperature sensor and a control device that controls heating by a heating means according to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. Heating is stopped when the temperature of the heating surface of the canned food reaches 100°C, and heating is terminated after 30 seconds have elapsed and the temperature of the heating surface of the canned food is 70°C or higher. A heating device is provided, characterized in that the temperature control means controls the temperature of the heating surface of the canned food to a range of 50 to 100°C.

[0008] In the heating device of the present invention, (1) The heating area for canned goods on the support substrate is within a range of 10 cm in length and 10 cm in width. (2 )before The heat transfer element is installed on the support substrate so as to be in direct contact with the heating surface of the canned food. ( 3 ) The heating means is a high-frequency induction heating method, ( 4 ) The heat transfer material is made of a magnetic material, ( 5 ) Must be for canned goods with a height of 85 mm or less. This is preferable. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] In the canned food heating device of the present invention, it is possible to directly heat any commercially available canned food, regardless of its material, shape, or capacity, simply by placing the can on the device and performing a predetermined operation. This is evident from the results of the embodiments described later. When canned goods are heated using the heating device of the present invention, the target temperature of 50-100°C is reached in about 2 minutes. Therefore, the contents of the canned goods can be heated in approximately the same amount of time and effort as it would take to transfer them to another container and heat them in a microwave oven. Furthermore, regardless of the initial temperature or heat capacity of the food inside the can, it is possible to control the temperature to an appropriate level equivalent to a water bath, and there is no risk of the paint or resin components used in the can manufacturing process leaching out. Furthermore, because it is specifically designed for canned goods containing food, it is small and easy to carry. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the heating device of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] As described above, the canning device of the present invention is a device for heating commercially available canned food products. Heating means and temperature control means provided on the support substrate control the temperature of the heating surface of the can placed on the support substrate to be in the range of 50 to 100°C. This makes it possible to heat the canned food to the same extent as when it is heated in a water bath, without any extra effort. Furthermore, since excessive heating exceeding 100°C is suppressed, it is safe and there is no risk of leaching from the can. An example of the heating device of the present invention shown in Figure 1 is a housing 1 having a support substrate 2 located on its upper surface, on which a heat transfer element 3 forming a heating area is installed. Because the heat transfer element is formed on the support substrate, it is possible to directly heat the heating surface of the canned food with the heat transfer element, and the canned food can be heated efficiently. A heating means 4 for heating the heat transfer element 3 is installed on the inner surface of the housing of the support substrate 2. The heating means 4 shown in the figure consists of an oscillator 4a and a high-frequency induction heating coil 4b. This heating means 4 is equipped with a temperature control means 5 consisting of a temperature sensor 5a for detecting the temperature of the heating surface of the canned food and a control device 5b for controlling heating by the heating means 4 according to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 5a.

[0012] In the heating device of the present invention, the heating means may be an electric heater, as it can directly heat aluminum cans, but from the viewpoint of temperature control, high-frequency induction heating is preferable. The high-frequency oscillator is not limited to this, but it is preferable to have an output equivalent to 100 to 1200 W. Furthermore, since the heating area provided by the heating element is limited to general food canning applications, it is preferable that it be formed within a 10cm x 10cm area on the support substrate. In other words, most commercially available food cans, regardless of whether they are round, oval, or square, have a base that fits within a 10cm x 10cm area. Commercially available food cans can be placed on the substrate and sufficiently heated, and because there is little unused space for heating, the thermal efficiency is excellent. Moreover, it is possible to make the device compact and easy to carry.

[0013] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, when a heat transfer element is provided on a support substrate, it is preferable that the heat transfer element be larger than 5 cm in diameter and smaller than the area of ​​the bottom surface so that it can directly contact the bottom surface of the food can. A flat plate shape is preferable for the heat transfer element because it can accommodate various cans with different shapes, but for example, in the case of a three-piece can, where the bottom of the can also has a crimped portion and a recess is formed on the heating surface, a convex portion that matches the shape of the recess may be formed. The heat transfer body is preferably formed of a metal having excellent heat conductivity, and aluminum, copper, etc. can be preferably used. When the heating means is by high-frequency induction heating, it is desirable to use a material (such as ceramics, etc.) that is not heated by high-frequency induction and has heat resistance, with a metal disk about 1 mm thick stacked on it. The metal disk brought into contact with the bottom surface of the canned food generates heat by high-frequency induction heating, and by transferring this heat to the heating surface of the canned food, it becomes possible to handle aluminum cans, etc. that are difficult to heat by high-frequency induction heating. Examples of such metals include, but are not limited to, metals and alloys containing 50% or more of one or more selected from iron, nickel, cobalt, etc. The thickness of the heat transfer body cannot be uniformly defined depending on its material, etc., but it is preferably in the range of 5 to 10 mm.

[0014] It is important that the heating device of the present invention includes temperature control means, whereby it becomes possible to heat the heating surface of the canned food within the range of 50 to 100°C. The temperature control means includes a temperature sensor and a control device that controls the heating by the heating means according to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. As the temperature sensor, conventionally known ones can be used, and examples include contact-type temperature sensors such as thermocouples and thermistors, and non-contact-type temperature sensors using infrared sensors, etc. It is preferable to use a non-contact-type temperature sensor in terms of being able to handle various forms of canned food. In the heating device of the present invention, as described above, it is preferable to heat within the temperature range of 50 to 100°C, which is the same as when the canned food is simmered, but it is desirable to be controlled to temporarily stop heating when the temperature of the heating surface of the canned food reaches 100°C. This can prevent overheating of the canned food. More preferably, after stopping heating at 100°C, when the temperature of the heating surface of the canned food is 70°C or higher 30 seconds after the start, it is desirable to be controlled to completely end the heating. This can prevent overheating of the canned food and ensure safety.

[0015] The canned food heated by the heating device of the present invention contains food as its contents. Since the height of the can is lower than that of beverage cans and the like, even by heating from the bottom of the can, the food inside the can can be sufficiently heated upward in a short time, and in particular, canned food with a can height of 85 mm or less can be preferably heated. Further, in the case of a two-piece can made of steel with a flat bottom, the can body can be directly heated by high-frequency induction heating, which is efficient. In the case of a can body made of steel, the thickness of the bottom of the can is preferably in the range of 0.1 to 0.5 mm. Thereby, it can be efficiently heated by high-frequency induction heating. Also, as described above, even in the case of an aluminum can or a three-piece can with a non-flat bottom, it can be efficiently heated by installing a heat transfer body on the support substrate. That is, even in the case of canned food in an aluminum can, by installing a heat transfer body, it becomes possible to heat by high-frequency induction heating. Also, in the case of canned food in a three-piece can, by installing a heat transfer body having a shape that matches the shape of the bottom of the can, the canned food can be efficiently heated.

Example

[0016] (Examples 1 to 4) In the heating device shown in the schematic diagram in FIG. 1, heat generating means by high-frequency induction heating (the oscillation frequency of the high-frequency oscillator is 20 to 90 kHz, the output is 100 to 800 W, and the distance between the heating coil and the heat transfer body is 10 mm) was used. The output was set to 350 W, and the canned food was heated with the lid open until the temperature of the bottom of the can reached the temperature shown in Table 1 from room temperature. The time required to reach the target temperature and the temperature of the contents at that time were measured, and the state of the bottom of the can was observed. The results are shown in Table 1. The heat transfer body used was a disc A with a diameter of 55 mm, which was a 5-mm-thick ceramic with a 1-mm-thick stainless steel (SUS304) laminated thereon. In the case of a three-piece can bottom, a steel disc B with a size corresponding to the size of the bottom part of the can partitioned by the winding part was further laminated and used. The canned goods used for heating were four types of cans: Can A (a 3-piece steel can with a 60mm diameter, 30mm height, and 0.2mm thick base, with a seam at the bottom), Can B (a 2-piece steel can with a 75mm diameter, 33mm height, and 0.2mm thick base, with a raised bottom), Can C (a 2-piece aluminum can with a 80mm diameter, 40mm height, and 0.3mm thick base, with a flat bottom), and Can D (a 2-piece aluminum can with a 75mm diameter, 32mm height, and 0.2mm thick base, with a raised bottom). Can A was filled with tuna, Cans B and D with yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), and Can C with water.

[0017] [Table 1]

[0018] (Comparative Example 1) Using the canned goods and heating apparatus used in Example 3, the can was heated until the temperature of the bottom of the can reached 110°C. Upon observation of the can, slight discoloration was observed in some of the paint on the bottom of the can.

[0019] (Comparative Example 2) In Example 4, the aluminum canned goods were heated in the same manner as in Example 4, except that a heat transfer element was not used, but the canned goods were not heated. [Industrial applicability]

[0020] The heating device of the present invention can efficiently heat canned food to 50-100°C, making it suitable for heating canned foods that are desired to be eaten warm, such as grilled chicken or grilled sardines, and cans with a height of 85 mm or less. Furthermore, its small size and portability make it suitable for individual meals and camping. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0021] 1. Housing, 2. Support substrate, 3. Heat transfer element, 4. Heat generating means, 5. Temperature control means.

Claims

1. A canned food heating device comprising a support substrate on which canned food is placed, and a heating means and a temperature control means provided on the support substrate, The temperature control means comprises a non-contact type temperature sensor and a control device that controls heating by a heating means according to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. Heating is stopped when the temperature of the heating surface of the canned food reaches 100°C, and heating is terminated after 30 seconds have elapsed and the temperature of the heating surface of the canned food is 70°C or higher. A heating device characterized by controlling the temperature of the heating surface of a canned food product to a range of 50 to 100°C using the temperature control means.

2. The heating device according to claim 1, wherein the heating area for canned goods on the support substrate is within a range of 10 cm in length and 10 cm in width.

3. The heating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a heat transfer element is installed on the support substrate so as to be in direct contact with the heating surface of the canned food.

4. The heating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heating means is a high-frequency induction heating method.

5. The heating device according to claim 3, wherein the heat transfer element is made of a magnetic material.

6. A heating device according to claim 1 or 2, for canned goods with a height of 85 mm or less.

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