Food waste disposer and food waste processing method

Abstract

The present invention provides a food waste disposer and a food waste processing method. The food waste disposer according to the present invention comprises: a drying furnace into which food waste is introduced, and then heated / processed; a gas flow pipe through which a gas flows to the drying furnace; and a pressure control unit connected to the gas flow pipe and provided with a pressure control space, the size of which is varied by the inflow and outflow of the gas.

Description

Food waste treatment device and treatment method

[0001] The present invention relates to a food waste treatment device and treatment method.

[0002] Food waste treatment equipment processes food waste by heating and drying it to remove moisture and reduce its volume.

[0003] When processing food waste like this, the food waste is heated in a dryer, and the gas generated during the heating process is discharged to the outside to prevent pressure build-up.

[0004] When the gas is discharged to the outside, it is filtered to remove the smell, but since the smell is not actually completely removed, an unpleasant smell occurs around the food waste disposal device.

[0005] The present invention was created to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a food waste treatment device and treatment method that treat food waste without emitting gas.

[0006] In order to achieve the above purpose, a food waste treatment device according to the present invention includes: a drying oven into which food waste is fed and heat-treated; a gas flow pipe connected to the drying oven and through which gas from the drying oven flows; and a pressure control unit connected to the gas flow pipe and having a pressure control space whose size is variable by the inflow and outflow of the gas.

[0007] As an example, the pressure regulating unit may be formed into a foldable structure.

[0008] As another example, the pressure regulating unit may be formed of a flexible material.

[0009] The pressure control unit includes a pressure control tank having one end connected to the gas flow pipe and the other end open; and a movable partition disposed within the pressure control tank to form the pressure control space between the pressure control tank and one side thereof; wherein, depending on the pressure of the gas within the pressure control space, the movable partition may be moved to one or the other side of the pressure control tank, thereby adjusting the size of the pressure control space.

[0010] The present invention further includes a gas circulation pipe connected to the drying furnace and through which gas discharged from the drying furnace is circulated; the gas flow pipe may be directly connected to the drying furnace or may be connected to the drying furnace through the gas circulation pipe.

[0011] Meanwhile, the pressure control unit may be a water tank connected to the lower portion of the gas circulation pipe.

[0012] The present invention may further include a water tank connected to the lower portion of the gas circulation pipe; and a cooling unit that cools the gas circulating in the gas circulation pipe to remove moisture from the gas.

[0013] The above cooling unit may include a condenser that condenses a refrigerant; and a cooling pipe connected to the condenser and through which the refrigerant flows, the cooling pipe penetrating the gas circulation pipe.

[0014] The above gas circulation pipe has a spiral circulation section, and the cooling unit may be a cooling fan that air-cools the spiral circulation section.

[0015] The above gas circulation pipe is formed with a link portion connected to the water tank, and the gas circulation pipe may be formed so that the lower portion thereof slopes downward as it goes toward the link portion.

[0016] The above gas circulation pipe may have a first link part connected to one side of the water tank and a second link part connected to the other side of the water tank.

[0017] The above gas circulation pipe has a gas inlet port through which the gas of the drying furnace is introduced, and a gas outlet port through which the gas is discharged back into the drying furnace, and the gas outlet port can be arranged lower than the gas inlet port within the drying furnace.

[0018] The present invention further includes a crushing cutter and a stirring blade arranged in the drying furnace; a driving motor for rotating the crushing cutter and the stirring blade; a cutter connection unit connecting the crushing cutter and the driving motor; and a blade connection unit connecting the stirring blade and the driving motor; wherein the cutter rotation axis of the cutter connection unit is disposed penetrating the blade rotation axis of the blade connection unit, so that the cutter rotation axis and the blade rotation axis can be configured as a dual-axis structure that rotate independently of each other.

[0019] The above cutter rotation axis and the above blade rotation axis can rotate in opposite directions.

[0020] The cutter connection unit includes the cutter rotation shaft connected to the crushing cutter, the cutter rotation shaft is connected to the motor shaft of the driving motor, and the blade connection unit includes the blade rotation shaft connected to the stirring blade, a driven gear is formed on the blade rotation shaft, and the driven gear can be gear-connected with a driving gear formed on the motor shaft.

[0021] The driven gear may be formed larger than the driving gear so that the stirring blade rotates at a lower speed than the crushing cutter.

[0022] The above driving motor is positioned laterally of the drying furnace and can be arranged vertically.

[0023] The above cutter connection unit may further include a drive belt connecting the cutter rotation shaft and the motor shaft.

[0024] The above-mentioned crushing cutter may include a plurality of shelves installed spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction on the cutter rotation axis; and a plurality of cutting members installed spaced apart from each other along an edge of each of the plurality of shelves.

[0025] Each of the above cutting member and the above stirring blade can be bent in the direction of rotation.

[0026] The cutter rotation axis and the blade rotation axis rotate in opposite directions, and the cutting member and the stirring blade can be bent in opposite directions.

[0027] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for processing food waste may be provided, including: a heating step for heat-treating food waste fed into a drying oven; a cooling step for cooling the food waste after the heat treatment of the food waste is completed; and a pressure control step for varying the size of a pressure control space of a pressure control unit connected to the drying oven by the inflow and outflow of the gas into and out of the pressure control space while the heating step and the cooling step are in progress while external discharge of the gas is blocked.

[0028] The above pressure control step may include a first pressure control step in which the size of the pressure control space increases when the gas flows into the pressure control unit from the drying furnace in the heating step; and a second pressure control step in which the size of the pressure control space contracts when the gas flows out from the pressure control unit to the drying furnace in the cooling step.

[0029] The present invention comprises a pressure control unit in which the size of a pressure control space is varied by the inflow and outflow of gas, thereby maintaining the pressure of the drying oven within a stable range without discharging odorous gas from the drying oven to the outside.

[0030] Furthermore, the present invention automatically controls the internal pressure of the dryer by a pressure control unit rather than by controlling it by separate components such as a measuring sensor and an opening / closing valve, thereby being free from problems such as breakdown of separate components.

[0031] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a food waste treatment device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing a food waste treatment device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing a food waste treatment device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 4 is a drawing showing a food waste treatment device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a food waste treatment device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 6 is a drawing showing a food waste treatment device according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Fig. 7 is a drawing showing the components that rotate the crushing cutter and the stirring blade in the food waste treatment device of Fig. 6.

[0038] Fig. 8 is a plan view showing the food waste disposal device of Fig. 7.

[0039] Figure 9 is a drawing showing a dual-axis structure of the cutter rotation axis and the blade rotation axis in the food waste treatment device of Figure 7.

[0040] Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, preferred embodiments will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present invention. However, in describing preferred embodiments of the present invention in detail, if it is determined that a specific description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings for parts that have similar functions and actions. In addition, in this specification, terms such as “upper,” “upper part,” “top surface,” “lower,” “lower side,” “lower surface,” and “side” are based on the drawings, and in reality, they may vary depending on the direction in which the components are arranged.

[0041] Additionally, throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only cases where it is "directly connected," but also cases where it is "indirectly connected" with other components intervening. Furthermore, unless specifically stated otherwise, "including" a component does not exclude other components, but rather implies the inclusion of other components.

[0042]

[0043] Figures 1 to 5 are drawings showing food waste treatment devices according to the first to fifth embodiments of the present invention.

[0044] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, a food waste treatment device according to the first to fifth embodiments of the present invention includes a drying furnace (100), a gas flow pipe (200), and a pressure control unit (300).

[0045] The above drying oven (100) is a receiving member into which food waste is introduced and heat-treated.

[0046] Specifically, the drying oven (100) has an internal space of a certain size so that a certain amount of the input food waste can be accommodated.

[0047] This drying oven (100) has a rotating member (not shown) positioned inside to perform stirring or crushing operations on food waste. In this case, the rotating member may be configured to stir or crush food waste, but is not limited by the present invention.

[0048] In addition, a heater (110) is installed in the drying furnace (100) so that drying can be performed simultaneously during the process of crushing and stirring food waste.

[0049] A drying furnace (100) like this is configured so that food waste can be heat-treated stably, but its specific structure is not limited by the present invention.

[0050]

[0051] In addition, the gas flow pipe (200) is connected to the drying furnace (100) and is a pipe through which the gas of the drying furnace (100) flows.

[0052] This gas flow pipe (200) can be connected to the drying furnace (100) through a gas circulation pipe (400) as in the first to fourth embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, or can be directly connected to the drying furnace (100) as in the fifth embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0053]

[0054] And the pressure control unit (300) is connected to the gas flow pipe (200), so that gas from the drying furnace (100) can flow into the pressure control unit (300) through the gas flow pipe (300).

[0055] The above pressure control unit (300) controls the pressure inside the drying furnace (100) while the gas of the drying furnace (100) is blocked from being discharged outside the device.

[0056] In the process of heating and drying food waste in a dryer (100), gas is generated from the food waste, and this gas causes the internal pressure in the dryer (100) to increase.

[0057] Conventional food waste treatment devices are designed to discharge gas to the outside to reduce high internal pressure. Furthermore, the gas is filtered to remove odors from the discharged gas. However, due to filter performance limitations and frequent replacement cycles, the odor is not effectively eliminated.

[0058] To overcome these problems, the food waste treatment device according to the present invention is configured with a pressure control unit (300) connected to a drying oven (100).

[0059] The above pressure control unit (300) is connected to the drying furnace (100) by a gas flow pipe (200). At this time, the gas flow pipe (200) may be directly connected to the drying furnace (100) or may be connected to the drying furnace (100) through a gas circulation pipe (400).

[0060] A pressure control unit (300) of this type has a pressure control space (300a) whose size can be varied by the inflow and outflow of gas. That is, the pressure control unit (300) can have a pressure control space (300a) that can expand and contract by the inflow and outflow of gas.

[0061] In other words, the pressure control unit (300) has a pressure control space (300a) formed inside, and this pressure control space (300a) can have an expandable and contractible structure so that gas that generates high pressure inside the drying furnace (100) can flow in and then flow out.

[0062] In the process of heating and drying food waste in the drying furnace (100), the internal temperature of the drying furnace (100) rises and gas is generated, thereby increasing the internal pressure. Accordingly, the pressure regulating space (300a) of the pressure regulating unit (300) expands as a certain amount of gas discharged from the drying furnace (100) through the gas flow pipe (200) flows in. As a result, the pressure regulating unit (300) can prevent the internal pressure of the drying furnace (100) from increasing.

[0063] After the heating and drying process for food waste in the drying furnace (100) is completed, the internal temperature of the drying furnace (100) drops and the moisture in the gas is collected in the water tank (500), so the internal pressure of the drying furnace (100) drops. Accordingly, the pressure regulating space (300a) of the pressure regulating unit (300) contracts as a certain amount of the gas contained flows out toward the drying furnace (100) through the gas flow pipe (200). As a result, the pressure regulating unit (300) can prevent the internal pressure of the drying furnace (100) from decreasing.

[0064] In this way, the present invention can automatically control the internal pressure of the drying furnace (100) by a pressure control unit (300) having a pressure control space (300a) that expands and contracts due to the inflow and outflow of gas, rather than controlling the internal pressure of the drying furnace (100) by separate components such as a measuring sensor and an on-off valve. As a result, the present invention can be free from problems such as failure of components such as the measuring sensor and the valve.

[0065]

[0066] As an example, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the pressure control unit (300) can be formed in a foldable structure so that the size of the pressure control space (300a) can be varied.

[0067] In this way, the pressure control unit (300) can have a structure in which at least a part of it can be folded and overlapped, that is, the volume of the pressure control space (300a) increases as it is unfolded, and the volume of the pressure control space (300a) decreases as it is folded.

[0068] As another example, although not shown in the drawing, the pressure regulating unit (300) may be formed of a flexible material so that the size of the pressure regulating space (300a) can be varied.

[0069] That is, the pressure control unit (300) may be made of a flexible material such as a rubber material like a balloon.

[0070] As another example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the pressure regulating unit (300) may include a pressure regulating cylinder (310) and a movable bulkhead (320).

[0071] The above pressure control tank (310) may have a structure in which one side is connected to the gas flow pipe (200) and the other side is open. In addition, a movable partition (320) may be placed within the pressure control tank (310) to form a pressure control space (300a) between it and one side of the pressure control tank (310).

[0072] That is, the movable bulkhead (320) is placed inside the pressure control tank (310) so that a pressure control space (300a) is formed inside the pressure control tank (310), thereby preventing gas flowing into the pressure control space (300a) through the gas flow pipe (200) from being discharged to the outside of the pressure control tank (310).

[0073] A movable bulkhead (320) like this can be moved to one side or the other side of the pressure control tank (310) by the pressure of the gas in the pressure control space (300a), and accordingly, the size of the pressure control space (300a) is adjusted.

[0074] If gas is introduced into the pressure control space (300a), the pressure of the gas in the pressure control space (300a) increases, and the movable bulkhead (320) moves to the other side of the pressure control tank (310), thereby reducing the size of the pressure control space (300a).

[0075] Conversely, when gas flows out from the pressure control space (300a), the pressure of the gas in the pressure control space (300a) decreases, and the movable bulkhead (320) moves to one side of the pressure control tank (310), thereby increasing the size of the pressure control space (300a).

[0076]

[0077] Meanwhile, the present invention may further include a gas circulation pipe (400).

[0078] The above gas circulation pipe (400) is connected to the drying furnace (100) and has a structure in which the gas discharged from the drying furnace (100) is circulated.

[0079] This gas circulation pipe (400) may be equipped with a circulation fan (P) that circulates gas and a filter (F) that filters gas.

[0080] Such a gas circulation pipe (400) may take the form of a pipe or a tube, and is configured so that the gas discharged from the drying furnace (100) can circulate smoothly, but of course, the specific structure thereof is not limited by the present invention.

[0081]

[0082] The food waste treatment device according to the second and fourth embodiments of the present invention may be a water tank (500) in which a pressure control unit (300) is connected to the lower part (400a) of a gas circulation pipe (400), as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

[0083] In the food waste treatment apparatus according to the first, third, and fifth embodiments of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the pressure control unit (300) can be configured separately from the water tank (500). Unlike this, in the food waste treatment apparatus according to the second and fourth embodiments of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the water tank (500) for collecting moisture contained in gas can be utilized as the pressure control unit (300).

[0084] That is, the water tank (500) illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 can be a pressure control unit (300) by adopting a foldable structure so that the size of the pressure control space (300a), which is the internal space, can be varied, and thus, in addition to its original role of collecting moisture contained in gas, it can also play a role of controlling the internal pressure of the drying furnace (100) by allowing gas to flow in and out.

[0085]

[0086] Furthermore, the present invention may further include a cooling unit (600) together with a water tank (500) connected to the lower portion (400a) of the gas circulation pipe (400).

[0087] That is, the present invention may further include a cooling unit (600) that cools the gas circulating in the gas circulation pipe (400) according to the third to fifth embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5.

[0088] The above cooling unit (600) cools the gas circulating in the gas circulation pipe (400) and liquefies the moisture contained in the gas. The water formed by the liquefaction of moisture in this way flows into and is contained in the water tank (500).

[0089] According to the third and fourth embodiments of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 as examples, the cooling unit (600) may include a condenser (610) and a cooling tube (620).

[0090] The above condenser (610) condenses the refrigerant, and its specific configuration is not limited by the present invention, and any conventional condensing configuration can be utilized.

[0091] In addition, the cooling pipe (620) is connected to the condenser (610) so that the refrigerant condensed from the condenser (610) flows, and is installed in the gas circulation pipe (400) to cool the gas in the gas circulation pipe (400).

[0092] More specifically, the cooling pipe (620) can be arranged to penetrate the gas circulation pipe (400).

[0093] In this way, the cooling pipe (620) is structured to be placed inside the gas circulation pipe (400) over some sections, thereby directly cooling the gas circulating in the gas circulation pipe (400), thereby increasing the cooling performance for the gas and thus increasing the drying efficiency for food waste.

[0094] As another example, according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 5, the cooling unit (600) may be a cooling fan.

[0095] Specifically, the gas circulation pipe (400) may have a spiral circulation section (410), and in this case, the cooling unit (600) may be a cooling fan that air-cools the spiral circulation section (410).

[0096]

[0097] Meanwhile, the gas circulation pipe (400) may have the following structure to increase the drying efficiency of food waste.

[0098] First, a gas circulation pipe (400) is formed with a link portion (430) connected to a water tank (500). Here, the gas circulation pipe (400) can be formed so that the lower portion (400a) slopes downward as it goes toward the link portion (430).

[0099] Specifically, the gas circulation pipe (400) may be formed in a curved shape as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, for example, at the lower portion (400a), or may be formed in a straight inclined structure as illustrated in FIG. 4, for another example. At this time, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, a portion (620a) of the cooling pipe (620) disposed inside the lower portion (400a) of the gas circulation pipe (400) may be formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the gas circulation pipe (400).

[0100] If the lower part of the gas circulation pipe is formed horizontally, the water liquefied within the gas circulation pipe may accumulate instead of moving to the water tank.

[0101] In contrast, the present invention may adopt a structure in which the lower portion (400a) of the gas circulation pipe (400) slopes downward as it approaches the link portion (430). In this case, water liquefied and generated within the gas circulation pipe (400) can smoothly move to the water tank (500) without being accumulated in the gas circulation pipe (400).

[0102] Furthermore, the gas circulation pipe (400) may have a first link portion (431) and a second link portion (432) spaced apart from each other, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 as another example.

[0103] The first link part (431) may be connected to one side of the water tank (500), and the second link part (432) may be connected to the other side of the water tank (500). In this way, the first link part (431) and the second link part (432) are spaced apart from each other, thereby forming a structure in which the gas circulating in the gas circulation pipe (400) reliably passes through the inside of the water tank (500), thereby increasing the drying rate of the gas.

[0104] In addition, the gas circulation pipe (400) may be formed with a gas inlet port (421) into which gas generated in the drying furnace (100) flows in, and a gas outlet port (422) through which the introduced gas flows out again to the drying furnace (100) after being circulated.

[0105] Here, the gas inlet (421) may be formed on one side of the upper portion of the drying furnace (100), and the gas outlet (422) may be formed on the other side of the upper portion of the drying furnace (100).

[0106] As an example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the gas outlet (422) may be positioned lower than the gas inlet (421) within the drying furnace. Accordingly, the gas that flows out through the gas outlet (422) and enters the drying furnace (100) may push other gases (containing a lot of moisture) or moisture within the drying furnace (100) toward the gas inlet (421). In other words, by positioning the gas outlet (422) lower than the gas inlet (421), the drying efficiency of the drying furnace (100) for food waste may be increased.

[0107]

[0108] The method of processing food waste by a food waste processing device configured as described above is as follows.

[0109] The above food waste treatment method may include a heating step, a cooling step, and a pressure control step.

[0110] First, the heating step is a step of heating food waste fed into the drying oven (100).

[0111] And the cooling stage is the stage where the food waste is cooled after the heating treatment of the food waste is completed.

[0112] Meanwhile, the pressure control step can be performed while the heating step and cooling step are in progress while external exhaust of the gas is blocked.

[0113] This pressure control step is a step in which the size of the pressure control space (300a) of the pressure control unit (300) connected to the drying furnace (100) is varied by the inflow and outflow of gas into the pressure control space (300a).

[0114] Specifically, the pressure regulating step may include a first pressure regulating step and a second pressure regulating step.

[0115] The above first pressure control step is a step in which the size of the pressure control space (300a) increases when gas flows from the drying furnace (100) to the pressure control unit (300) in the heating step, and the internal pressure of the drying furnace (100) can be controlled so as not to be much higher than the atmospheric pressure.

[0116] In addition, the second pressure control step is a step in which the size of the pressure control space (300a) is reduced when gas flows from the pressure control unit (300) to the drying furnace (100) in the cooling step, so that the internal pressure of the drying furnace (100) can be controlled so as not to be much lower than the atmospheric pressure.

[0117]

[0118] As a result, the present invention comprises a pressure control unit (300) in which the size of the pressure control space (300a) is varied by the inflow and outflow of gas, thereby maintaining the pressure of the drying furnace (100) within a stable range without discharging an odorous gas from the drying furnace (100) to the outside.

[0119] Furthermore, the present invention automatically controls the internal pressure of the drying furnace (100) by a pressure control unit (300) rather than by controlling it by separate components such as a measuring sensor and an opening / closing valve, thereby being free from problems such as breakdown of separate components.

[0120]

[0121] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a food waste treatment device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a drawing showing components for rotating a crushing cutter and a stirring blade in the food waste treatment device of FIG. 6.

[0122] Also, FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the food waste treatment device of FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a drawing showing the dual-axis structure of the cutter rotation axis and the blade rotation axis in the food waste treatment device of FIG. 7.

[0123] Referring to the drawings, a food waste treatment device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention includes a drying furnace (100), a crushing cutter (810), a stirring blade (910), a driving motor (700), a cutter connection unit (820), and a blade connection unit (920).

[0124] The above drying oven (100) is a receiving member into which food waste is introduced and heat-treated.

[0125] Specifically, the drying oven (100) has an internal space of a certain size so that a certain amount of the input food waste can be accommodated.

[0126] In addition, a heater (not shown) is installed in the drying oven (100) so that drying can be performed simultaneously during the process of crushing and stirring food waste.

[0127] A drying furnace (100) like this is configured so that food waste can be heat-treated stably, but its specific structure is not limited by the present invention.

[0128] Furthermore, a pressure control unit (300) may be connected to the drying furnace (100) by a gas flow pipe (200) to control the pressure inside the drying furnace.

[0129] The above pressure control unit (300) controls the pressure within the drying furnace (100) while the gas within the drying furnace (100) is blocked from being discharged to the outside of the device. This pressure control unit (300) has a structure in which the size of the pressure control space within the drying furnace is variable due to the inflow and outflow of gas, thereby maintaining the pressure within the drying furnace within a stable range without discharging odorous gas from the drying furnace (100) to the outside. As an example, the pressure control unit (300) may be formed of a flexible material, may be formed with a foldable structure, or may have a cylinder structure with a built-in piston so that the size of the pressure control space within the drying furnace is variable.

[0130] In addition, a water tank (500) may be connected to the drying furnace (100) by a gas circulation pipe (400) to collect moisture contained in the gas. The gas circulation pipe (400) may have a spiral circulation section (410) that is cooled by a cooling unit (600) such as a cooling fan.

[0131]

[0132] Meanwhile, the crushing cutter (810) and the stirring blade (910) are placed inside the drying furnace (100).

[0133] The above crushing cutter (810) rotates to crush food waste in the drying oven (100) into small pieces.

[0134] In this way, by the crushing cutter (810) crushing food waste, the volume of food waste can be reduced and the drying efficiency can be increased. Specifically, when the crushing cutter (810) crushes food waste, the food waste is crushed into smaller particles, which can increase the total surface area. In addition, since heat absorption and heat transfer are accelerated in the crushed small particles, moisture inside the particles can move more easily to the surface. Furthermore, the crushed small and uniform particles can be dried more consistently. Due to these reasons caused by the crushing of food waste, the drying speed and drying quality can be improved.

[0135] The above stirring blade (910) rotates so that food waste in the drying oven (100) is stirred.

[0136] In this way, the mixing blade (910) stirs the food waste so that the food waste is evenly crushed by the crushing cutter (810), thereby improving the crushing efficiency.

[0137] In addition, the stirring blade (910) can increase drying efficiency by stirring the food waste. Specifically, the stirring blade (910) efficiently transfers heat from the food waste. Furthermore, the moisture within the food waste can be uniformly distributed, and air circulation within the food waste can be promoted, accelerating moisture removal. Due to these reasons caused by stirring the food waste, the drying speed and drying quality can be improved.

[0138]

[0139] And the driving motor (700) rotates the crushing cutter (810) and the stirring blade (910), the cutter connection unit (820) connects the crushing cutter (810) and the driving motor (700), and the blade connection unit (920) connects the stirring blade (910) and the driving motor (700).

[0140] Here, the cutter rotation axis (821) of the cutter connection unit (820) is positioned penetrating the blade rotation axis (921) of the blade connection unit (920), so that the cutter rotation axis (821) and the blade rotation axis (921) can be formed into a dual-axis structure.

[0141] That is, a hollow (921a) is formed in the blade rotation axis (921), and the cutter rotation axis (821) is positioned so as to penetrate the hollow (921a), so that the cutter rotation axis (821) and the blade rotation axis (921) have the same center of rotation and can rotate independently of each other.

[0142]

[0143] Furthermore, when the cutter rotation axis (821) and the blade rotation axis (921) configured as described above rotate in opposite directions, the crushing cutter (810) and the stirring blade (910) rotate in opposite directions, thereby improving the crushing ability for food waste.

[0144] Specifically, the present invention can be configured as follows so that the cutter rotation axis (821) and the blade rotation axis (921) rotate in opposite directions, as an example.

[0145] The above driving motor (700) rotates the crushing cutter (810) and the stirring blade (910), and in the present invention, one driving motor (700) can be utilized. That is, in the present invention, when one driving motor (700) is in operation, both the crushing cutter (810) and the stirring blade (910) can be rotated simultaneously.

[0146] The above driving motor (700) is positioned laterally of the drying furnace (100) and can be arranged in the vertical direction.

[0147] If the drive motor (700) is positioned at the bottom of the drying oven (100), the food waste treatment device of the present invention may have limitations in terms of placement space due to the vertical length being considerably long. However, since the drive motor (700) is positioned at the side of the drying oven (100) and is positioned vertically, the present invention can be placed even in spaces with relatively low heights.

[0148]

[0149] Additionally, the cutter connection unit (820) connects the crushing cutter (810) and the driving motor (700).

[0150] The above cutter connection unit (820) includes a cutter rotation shaft (821) connected to a crushing cutter (810), and the cutter rotation shaft (821) can be connected to a motor shaft (710) of a driving motor (700).

[0151] That is, the cutter connection unit (820) may include a cutter rotation shaft (821), and the upper part of the cutter rotation shaft (821) may be connected to the crushing cutter (810), and the lower part of the cutter rotation shaft (821) may be connected to the motor shaft (710) of the driving motor (700).

[0152] Furthermore, the cutter connection unit (820) may further include a drive belt (822) connecting the cutter rotation shaft (821) and the motor shaft (710). As an example, a motor shaft pulley (710a) is formed on the motor shaft (710), a rotation shaft pulley (821) is formed on the cutter rotation shaft (821), and the motor shaft pulley (710a) and the rotation shaft pulley (821) are connected by the drive belt (822), so that when the motor shaft (710) rotates, the cutter rotation shaft (821) can rotate by the drive belt (822).

[0153] As a result, when the drive motor (700) operates, the motor shaft (710) rotates, causing the cutter rotation shaft (821) to rotate, and ultimately causing the crushing cutter (810) to rotate.

[0154]

[0155] In addition, the blade connection unit (920) connects the stirring blade (910) and the driving motor (700).

[0156] The above blade connection unit (920) includes a blade rotation shaft (921) connected to a stirring blade (910), and a driven gear (922) may be formed on the blade rotation shaft (921). The driven gear (922) may be gear-connected with a driving gear (720) formed on a motor shaft (710).

[0157] That is, the blade connection unit (920) may include a blade rotation shaft (921), and the upper part of the blade rotation shaft (921) may be connected to the stirring blade (910), and a driven gear (922) may be formed at the lower part of the blade rotation shaft (921). The driven gear (922) is gear-engaged with a driving gear (720) formed on the motor shaft (710), thereby rotating in conjunction with the rotation of the driving gear (720).

[0158] As a result, when the drive motor (700) operates, the motor shaft (710) rotates, causing the drive gear (720) and the driven gear (922) to rotate, which in turn causes the blade rotation shaft (921) to rotate, ultimately causing the stirring blade (910) to rotate.

[0159]

[0160] As described above, the cutter connection unit (820) and the blade connection unit (920) are configured so that when one driving motor (700) operates, the crushing cutter (810) and the stirring blade (910) can simultaneously rotate in opposite directions.

[0161] For example, when the drive motor (700) is in operation, the crushing cutter (810) may rotate at a high speed, and the stirring blade (910) may rotate at a low speed. In this way, the driven gear (922) of the blade connection unit (920) may be formed to be larger than the driving gear (720) of the motor shaft (710) so that the stirring blade (910) rotates at a relatively lower speed than the crushing cutter (810).

[0162]

[0163] Meanwhile, the crushing cutter (810) may include a plurality of shelves (811) and a plurality of cutting members (812).

[0164] A plurality of shelves (811) can be installed spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction on the cutter rotation axis (821).

[0165] Additionally, a plurality of cutting members (812) may be installed spaced apart from each other along the edges of each of a plurality of shelves (811).

[0166] In this way, a plurality of cutting members (812) are arranged in the circumferential direction of the cutter rotation axis (821) and in the vertical direction, thereby effectively crushing food waste received up to a certain height in the drying oven (100).

[0167]

[0168] Specifically, each of the cutting member (812) and the stirring blade (910) can have a structure curved in the direction of rotation.

[0169] The above cutting member (812) may have a structure that is curved in the direction of rotation, that is, a structure in which one side of the cutting member (812) located in the direction of rotation is recessed inward.

[0170] Due to this, the cutting member (812) can crush food waste by striking and tearing the food waste located in the direction of rotation when rotating.

[0171] In addition, the stirring blade (910) may have a structure that is curved in the direction of rotation, that is, a structure in which one side of the stirring blade (910) located in the direction of rotation is recessed inward.

[0172] Due to this, the stirring blade (910) can be stirred by holding and moving food waste located in the rotational direction of the stirring blade (910) when rotating.

[0173]

[0174] More specifically, the cutter rotation axis (821) and the blade rotation axis (921) are configured to rotate in opposite directions as described above, and the cutting member (812) and the stirring blade (910) may have structures that are curved in opposite directions.

[0175] That is, each of the cutting member (812) and the stirring blade (910) takes on a structure that is curved in the direction of rotation, and as the cutter rotation axis (821) and the blade rotation axis (921) rotate in opposite directions, the cutting member (812) and the stirring blade (910) take on a structure that is curved in opposite directions.

[0176]

[0177] As a result, the food waste treatment device according to the present invention adopts a dual-axis structure of a cutter rotation axis (821) and a blade rotation axis (921), thereby rotating the crushing cutter (810) and the stirring blade (910) in opposite directions, thereby improving the crushing ability of food waste by the cutting member (812) of the crushing cutter (810) that rotates in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the stirring blade (910).

[0178]

[0179] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the attached drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without altering the technical spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive.

[0180]

[0181] (Explanation of symbols)

[0182] 100: Drying oven 110: Heater

[0183] 200: Gas flow pipe 300: Pressure control unit

[0184] 300a: Pressure control space 310: Pressure control tube

[0185] 320: Movable bulkhead 400: Gas circulation pipe

[0186] 400a: Lower 410: Spiral circulation section

[0187] 421: Gas inlet 422: Gas outlet

[0188] 430: Link section 431: First link section

[0189] 432: Second link section 500: Water tank

[0190] 600: Cooling unit 610: Condenser

[0191] 620: Cooling tube

[0192] 700: Drive motor 710: Motor shaft

[0193] 710a: Motor shaft pulley 720: Drive gear

[0194] 810: Grinding cutter 811: Lathe

[0195] 812: Cutting member 820: Cutter connection unit

[0196] 821: Cutter rotation shaft 821a: Rotation shaft pulley

[0197] 822: Drive belt 910: Stirring blade

[0198] 920: Blade connection unit 921: Blade rotation axis

[0199] 921a: Hollow 922: Driven gear

[0200] P: Circulation fan F: Filter

Claims

1. A drying oven where food waste is fed and heat treated; A gas flow pipe connected to the above drying furnace and through which gas from the drying furnace flows; and A pressure regulating unit connected to the above gas flow pipe and having a pressure regulating space whose size varies depending on the inflow and outflow of the gas; A food waste disposal device including:

2. In paragraph 1, The above pressure regulating unit is a food waste disposal device formed with a foldable structure.

3. In paragraph 1, The above pressure regulating unit is a food waste disposal device formed of a flexible material.

4. In paragraph 1, The above pressure regulating unit, A pressure control tube having one end connected to the gas flow pipe and the other end open; and A movable baffle is disposed within the pressure control vessel and forms the pressure control space between the pressure control vessel and one side thereof; A food waste treatment device in which the size of the pressure regulating space is regulated by moving the movable partition to one side or the other side of the pressure regulating tank according to the pressure of the gas within the pressure regulating space.

5. In paragraph 1, It further includes a gas circulation pipe connected to the above drying furnace and through which gas discharged from the drying furnace is circulated; A food waste treatment device in which the above gas flow pipe is directly connected to the above drying furnace or connected to the above drying furnace through the above gas circulation pipe.

6. In paragraph 5, The above pressure regulating unit is a food waste treatment device which is a water tank connected to the lower part of the gas circulation pipe.

7. In paragraph 5, A water tank connected to the lower part of the above gas circulation pipe; and A cooling unit that cools the gas circulating in the gas circulation pipe to remove moisture in the gas; A food waste treatment device further comprising:

8. In paragraph 7, The above cooling unit, A condenser for condensing the refrigerant; and A cooling tube connected to the condenser and through which the refrigerant flows, and which is arranged to penetrate the gas circulation tube; A food waste disposal device including:

9. In paragraph 7, The above gas circulation pipe has a spiral circulation section, The above cooling unit is a food waste treatment device which is a cooling fan that air-cools the spiral circulation part.

10. In paragraph 7, The above gas circulation pipe is formed with a link portion connected to the water tank, A food waste treatment device in which the gas circulation pipe is formed so that the lower part slopes downward as it goes toward the link section.

11. In paragraph 7, A food waste treatment device having a first link part connected to one side of the water tank and a second link part connected to the other side of the water tank, wherein the gas circulation pipe is above.

12. In paragraph 7, The above gas circulation pipe has a gas inlet port through which the gas of the drying furnace is introduced, and a gas outlet port through which the gas is discharged back into the drying furnace. A food waste treatment device in which the gas outlet is positioned lower than the gas inlet within the drying oven.

13. In paragraph 1, A crushing cutter and a stirring blade placed within the above drying furnace; A driving motor that rotates the above-mentioned crushing cutter and the above-mentioned stirring blade; A cutter connection unit connecting the above-mentioned crushing cutter and the above-mentioned driving motor; and It further includes a blade connection unit connecting the above stirring blade and the driving motor; A food waste disposal device having a dual-axis structure in which the cutter rotation axis of the cutter connection unit is disposed penetrating the blade rotation axis of the blade connection unit, and the cutter rotation axis and the blade rotation axis rotate independently of each other.

14. In paragraph 13, A food waste disposal device in which the cutter rotation axis and the blade rotation axis rotate in opposite directions.

15. In paragraph 14, The above cutter connection unit includes the cutter rotation shaft connected to the crushing cutter, and the cutter rotation shaft is connected to the motor shaft of the driving motor. A food waste treatment device in which the blade connection unit includes the blade rotation shaft connected to the stirring blade, a driven gear is formed on the blade rotation shaft, and the driven gear is gear-connected with a driving gear formed on the motor shaft.

16. In paragraph 15, A food waste disposal device in which the driven gear is formed larger than the driving gear so that the stirring blade rotates at a lower speed than the crushing cutter.

17. In paragraph 15, The above driving motor is a food waste treatment device positioned laterally of the above drying oven and arranged vertically.

18. In paragraph 17, A food waste disposal device wherein the cutter connection unit further includes a drive belt connecting the cutter rotation shaft and the motor shaft.

19. In paragraph 13, The above crushing cutter is, A plurality of shelves installed spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction on the cutter rotation axis; and Each of the plurality of above shelves has a plurality of cutting members installed spaced apart from each other along the border; A food waste disposal device including:

20. In paragraph 19, A food waste disposal device in which each of the above cutting member and the above stirring blade is curved in the direction of rotation.

21. In paragraph 20, The above cutter rotation axis and the above blade rotation axis rotate in opposite directions, A food waste disposal device in which the above cutting member and the above stirring blade are curved in opposite directions.

22. Heating step for heat-treating food waste fed into the dryer; A cooling step in which the food waste is cooled after the heat treatment of the food waste is completed; and A pressure regulating step in which the size of a pressure regulating space of a pressure regulating unit connected to the drying furnace is varied by the inflow and outflow of gas into the pressure regulating space while the heating step and the cooling step are in progress while external discharge of the gas is blocked; A method for processing food waste, including:

23. In paragraph 22, The above pressure control step is, A first pressure control step in which the size of the pressure control space increases when the gas flows from the drying furnace to the pressure control unit in the heating step; and A second pressure regulating step in which the size of the pressure regulating space shrinks when the gas flows from the pressure regulating unit to the drying oven in the cooling step; A method for processing food waste, including:

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