Thawing device for frozen foodstuff

Abstract

Provided is a thawing method and a thawing device that can further reduce the thawing time of a frozen foodstuff and suppress the deterioration of the quality of the foodstuff after thawing. A thawing device 1 for a frozen foodstuff 5 comprises: a bubble generator 3 that generates fine bubbles 7 in stored water 6 in which the frozen foodstuff 5 is immersed; and an electric field generator 4 that charges the fine bubbles 7 with electric charges. The bubble generator 3 includes an aeration hose 31 serving as a discharge port of the fine bubbles 7. The aeration hose 31 is provided on the lower side of the frozen foodstuff 5.

Description

Frozen food thawing device

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for thawing frozen food materials.

[0002] Thawing in running water has been widely known as a method for thawing frozen food materials (e.g., packaged meat, fish, etc.). Another known method is a foaming water immersion thawing method, which thaws frozen food materials by generating fine bubbles in water in which the frozen food materials are immersed (see Patent Document 1). According to this foaming water immersion thawing method, the fine bubbles mixed in the water disrupt the interface between the frozen food materials and the water, improving the overall heat transfer coefficient. This shortens the thawing time for frozen food materials.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-115266

[0004] However, the technology of Patent Document 1 described above does not sufficiently shorten the thawing time. Also, drips are discharged from the frozen food material during thawing, which may result in a deterioration in the quality of the thawed food material.

[0005] The present invention seeks to solve such problems, and its purpose is to provide a thawing device that can shorten the thawing time of frozen food materials and prevent deterioration in the quality of the food materials after thawing.

[0006] According to another feature of the present disclosure, an apparatus for thawing frozen food materials includes a bubble generator that generates microscopic bubbles in water in which frozen food materials are immersed, and an electric field generator that charges the microscopic bubbles.

[0007] Therefore, the microscopic bubbles mixed (generated) in the stored water disrupt the interface between the frozen food and the water, improving the overall heat transfer coefficient. Furthermore, the charged microscopic bubbles come into contact with the frozen food. As a result, the frozen food also becomes electrically charged, and heat conduction is induced by the electrostatic force and Coulomb force generated between the stored water and the frozen food. This further shortens the thawing time of the frozen food. In addition, it is possible to suppress the discharge of drips from the frozen food during thawing. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the quality of the food after thawing.

[0008] According to another feature of the present disclosure, the air bubble generator includes an aeration hose that serves as an outlet for the fine air bubbles, and the aeration hose is provided below the frozen food material.

[0009] As a result, the fine bubbles blown out from the aeration hose come into contact with (spread over) the entire surface of the frozen food material, allowing the entire surface of the frozen food material to be thawed evenly. In other words, uneven thawing of the frozen food material can be reduced.

[0010] According to another feature of the present disclosure, the stored water is water stored in a container, the container has a top cover that opens and closes an opening at the top, and the electric field generator is activated by detecting the closure state of the opening.

[0011] Therefore, it is possible to prevent an electric field from being generated outside the container.

[0012] According to another feature of the present disclosure, the inner surface of the top cover includes a shielding plate for shielding the electric charge inside the container.

[0013] Therefore, the upper cover can be prevented from being charged.

[0014] According to another feature of the present disclosure, the container includes a compartmented basket that holds a plurality of frozen food items in an upright position at predetermined intervals.

[0015] Therefore, even if multiple frozen ingredients have a shape that makes it difficult to store them vertically, such as hamburger steaks, the microscopic bubbles come into contact with the entire surface of the ingredients, allowing multiple frozen ingredients with a shape that makes it difficult to store them vertically to be thawed uniformly over the entire surface.

[0016] 1 is an overall perspective view of a thawing device according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a front side of FIG.

[0017] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 4. First, a thawing device 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. In the following description, up and down, front and back, and left and right refer to the directions shown in Figures 1 to 4. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the thawing device 1 includes a container 2, a bubble generator 3, and an electric field generator 4. Below, the container 2, the bubble generator 3, and the electric field generator 4 will be described individually.

[0018] First, the container 2 will be described. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the container 2 comprises a rectangular container body 10 for storing water 6 in which frozen food materials 5 are soaked, and a top lid 20 for opening and closing an opening 11 at the top of the container body 10. The left side surface of the container body 10 is provided with a through-hole 10a into which a connecting pipe 35 (described later) can be inserted. The inner diameter of the through-hole 10a is equivalent to (the same as or slightly smaller than) the outer diameter of the connecting pipe 35. Therefore, the connecting pipe 35 can be inserted into the through-hole 10a without any gaps. The upper edge 12 of the container body 10 comprises a rectangular frame member 13 that forms a step 15.

[0019] 1 and 4 , a portion of the left side of the frame member 13 is cut out to form a notch 14. The upper edge 12 of the container body 10 is provided with a pair of conductive members 16, 18 (a first conductive member 16 and a second conductive member 18) in the front and rear at a location corresponding to the notch 14. The first conductive member 16 is connected to a first cable 17. The first cable 17 is connected to the electric field generator 4. Similarly, the second conductive member 18 is connected to a second cable 19. The second cable 19 is connected to the electric field generator 4.

[0020] 2 to 4, the inner surface 21 of the top lid 20 has a protrusion 22 that corresponds to the step 15 of the container body 10. As a result, when the top lid 20 is placed on the container body 10 to close the opening 11, the protrusion 22 corresponds to the step 15, making it easy to align the top lid 20 with the container body 10. The left side surface of the top lid 20 has a substantially L-shaped conductive member 23 that straddles this left side surface and the inner surface 21. The conductive member 23 comes into electrical contact with the conductive members 16, 18 when the top lid 20 is placed on the container body 10 to close the opening 11.

[0021] As a result, first cable 17 and second cable 19 are electrically connected. This establishes the condition for activating electric field generator 4. If this condition is not established, electric field generator 4 will not operate even if the operation switch of electric field generator 4 is operated. This statement corresponds to the claim that "the electric field generator detects the closed state of the opening and activates." As shown in Figure 2, when top lid 20 is removed so that opening 11 of container body 10 is opened, contact between conductive member 23 and conductive members 16 and 18 is released.

[0022] Therefore, the electrical continuity between the first cable 17 and the second cable 19 is also eliminated. Therefore, for example, even if the electric field generator 4 is operating, that operation is stopped. The inner surface 21 of the top lid 20 is provided with a shielding plate 24 that shields the electric charge inside the container body 10. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the height position of the shielding plate 24 is set slightly higher than the height position of the partition basket 50 placed on the aeration hose 31, which will be described later. The left and right side surfaces of the top lid 20 are provided with concave handles 25.

[0023] This makes it easier for an operator (not shown) to grasp the top lid 20 when putting on or removing the top lid 20. This improves the workability when putting on or removing the top lid 20. The container 2 is molded, for example, from a rigid synthetic resin, and is insulated from the ground.

[0024] Next, the air bubble generator 3 will be described. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the air bubble generator 3 includes an air pump 30, an aeration hose 31, and a connecting pipe 32. The air pump 30 is a well-known pump that sends air. The aeration hose 31 is a well-known flexible hose with numerous fine holes on its surface. Five aeration hoses 31 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-to-rear direction so as to be submerged (located) across the bottom surface of the container body 10.

[0025] 1 and 2, the connection pipe 32 includes a first connection pipe 33, a second connection pipe 34, and a linking pipe 35. The air blower pump 30 and the first connection pipe 33 can be connected. The aeration hose 31 and the second connection pipe 34 can be connected. The first connection pipe 33 and the second connection pipe 34 can be connected by the linking pipe 35. When these are connected and the air blower pump 30 is operated, air is blown out from the countless fine holes in the aeration hose 31.

[0026] Therefore, when the aeration hose 31 is submerged in the bottom of the container body 10 containing the stored water 6, fine bubbles 7 are blown out from the countless fine holes in the aeration hose 31. A partitioned basket 50 can be placed on top of the aeration hose 31 submerged in the bottom of the container body 10. The partitioned basket 50 is a basket having a plurality of partition walls 51 that hold a plurality of frozen food materials 5 in an upright position at predetermined intervals.

[0027] Next, the electric field generator 4 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electric field generator 4 comprises an electric field generator main body 40, a cable 41, and a conductive hook 42 that acts as an electrode. Therefore, the electric field generator main body 40 and the hook 42 are electrically connected via the cable 41. The hook 42 can be hung on the partition cage 50. The electric field generator main body 40 is a known type, and generates an electric field from the hook 42 inside the container main body 10. The strength of the generated electric field is, for example, 1500 to 1600 V / M.

[0028] Next, the procedure for assembling the thawing device 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. First, as shown in Figure 2, the container body 10, the air blower pump 30, and the electric field generator body 40 are placed in predetermined locations. Next, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the aeration hose 31 is placed on the bottom of the container body 10. Next, the air blower pump 30 and the aeration hose 31 are connected via the connecting pipe 32.

[0029] 2 and 3, the blower pump 30 is connected to the first connecting pipe 33. The aeration hose 31 is connected to the second connecting pipe 34. The connecting pipe 35 is inserted into the through-hole 10a of the container body 10, and the first connecting pipe 33 and the second connecting pipe 34 are connected via the inserted connecting pipe 35. Next, the partition basket 50 is placed on the aeration hose 31.

[0030] Next, the hook 42 of the electric field generator 4 is hooked onto the partition basket 50. Next, water 6 is stored in the container body 10. The water used for storing water 6 may be, for example, tap water. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the water is stored 6 to a height that fully immerses the frozen food material 5. The frozen food material 5 is, for example, packed meat, fish, etc. Therefore, even when the frozen food material 5 is immersed in the stored water 6, the meat, fish, etc. do not come into direct contact with the water.

[0031] Finally, the top lid 20 is placed on the container body 10 to close the opening 11. At this time, the cable 41 of the electric field generator body 40 is passed through the handle 25 of the placed top lid 20 (see FIG. 1). This allows the top lid 20 to be placed on the container body 10 without interference from the cable 41. This placement of the top lid 20 places the first cable 17 and the second cable 19 in a conductive state. In this manner, the thawing device 1 is assembled.

[0032] Finally, the procedure (thawing method) for thawing frozen food materials 5 using the thawing device 1 will be described. First, the top lid 20 is removed to open the opening 11 of the container body 10. Next, three frozen food materials 5, for example, are placed vertically along the partition wall 51 of the partitioned basket 50. Next, the top lid 20 is placed on the container body 10 to close the opening 11. Next, the operation switch (not shown) of the air blower pump 30 of the air bubble generator 3 is operated.

[0033] As a result, fine bubbles 7 are blown out from the countless minute holes in the aeration hose 31. The blown out fine bubbles 7 mix with the stored water 6 and rise inside. As a result, the rising fine bubbles 7 disrupt the interface between the frozen food material 5 and the stored water 6, improving the overall heat transfer coefficient. Next, the operation switch (not shown) of the electric field generator main body 40 of the electric field generator 4 is operated. This generates an electric field inside the container main body 10. As a result, the fine bubbles 7 become electrically charged.

[0034] As a result, the charged microbubbles 7 come into contact with the frozen food material 5. As a result, the frozen food material 5 also becomes charged, and thermal conduction is induced by the electrostatic force and Coulomb force generated between the water reservoir 6 and the frozen food material 5. Since the frozen food material 5 is thawed in this state, the thawing time of the frozen food material 5 can be further shortened. For example, the thawing time that required about two hours can be shortened to about 15 minutes. In addition, the discharge of drips from the frozen food material 5 during thawing can be suppressed. Therefore, deterioration in the quality of the food material after thawing can be suppressed.

[0035] When the microscopic bubbles 7 rise inside the water reservoir 6, they come into contact with the frozen food material 5. Then, the microscopic bubbles 7 that have come into contact with the frozen food material 5 move radially outward inside the water reservoir 6. Therefore, a water flow is generated inside the water reservoir 6 from the center toward the outside in the radial direction in a plan view. Therefore, a water flow can be generated in the water reservoir 6 of the container body 10 without actively generating a water flow using an external device or the like. This allows the frozen food material 5 to be thawed efficiently.

[0036] According to the thawing device 1 described above, the bubble generator 3 includes an aeration hose 31 that serves as an outlet for the fine bubbles 7. The aeration hose 31 is provided below the frozen food material 5. Therefore, the fine bubbles 7 blown out from the aeration hose 31 come into contact with (spread over) the entire surface of the frozen food material 5. This allows the entire surface of the frozen food material 5 to be thawed uniformly. In other words, uneven thawing (non-uniform thawing) of the frozen food material 5 can be suppressed.

[0037] Furthermore, according to this thawing device 1, the stored water 6 is water stored in the container body 10. The container 2 is provided with an upper lid 20 that opens and closes an opening 11 provided at the top of the container body 10. The electric field generator 4 is activated by detecting the closed state of the opening 11. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the generation of an electric field outside the container 2.

[0038] Furthermore, according to this thawing device 1, the inner surface 21 of the top lid 20 is provided with a shielding plate 24 that shields the charge inside the container body 10. Therefore, the top lid 20 can be prevented from being charged.

[0039] Furthermore, according to this thawing device 1, the container 2 includes a partitioned basket 50 that holds multiple frozen food ingredients 5 in an upright position at a predetermined interval. Therefore, even if multiple frozen food ingredients 5 have a shape that makes it difficult to store them upright, such as hamburger steaks, the microscopic bubbles 7 come into contact with the entire surface of the food ingredients. Therefore, multiple frozen food ingredients 5 with a shape that makes it difficult to store them upright can be thawed uniformly over the entire surface.

[0040] The above description relates to only one embodiment of the present invention, and does not mean that the present invention is limited to the above description. The numerical values ​​disclosed in the above embodiment are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

[0041] In the embodiment, the thawing device 1 is described as including the container 2. Alternatively, the container 2 may be a sink in a kitchen or the like.

[0042] Furthermore, a terminal block may be provided on the container body 10 of the container 2 of the embodiment, and the terminal block may be used to connect the external devices, the bubble generator 3 and the electric field generator 4 (variant). One such variant will be described. The side walls of the container body 10 have a double structure consisting of an inner wall (wall on the inner surface) and an outer wall (wall on the outer surface). A heat insulating material is provided between the inner wall and the outer wall. This makes it possible to suppress the influence of outside air.

[0043] The container body 10 has a protrusion (e.g., a bolt) made of a conductive metal that protrudes from the inner surface of the side wall and acts as an electrode. The base end of the protrusion is embedded in the side wall of the container body 10. The tip of the protrusion is exposed (protrudes) from the inner wall of the container body 10 to the interior. In other words, the protrusion is immersed in the stored water 6. The terminal block has, for example, a first male connector, a second male connector, and a male coupler. The first male connector can be connected to a first female connector connected to the tip of the cable 41 (in this case, the hook 42 is not necessary). The second male connector can be connected to a second female connector connected to the tips of the first cable 17 and the second cable 19. The male coupler can be connected to a female coupler connected to the tip of the first connection pipe 33.

[0044] The first male connector is electrically connected to the base end of the protrusion via a cable or the like. The cable is passed between the inner and outer side walls of the container body 10. The second male connector is electrically connected to the first conductive member 16 and the second conductive member 18 via a cable or the like. The cable is passed between the inner and outer side walls of the container body 10. The male coupler is connected to the aeration hose 31 via the second connection pipe 34. The second connection pipe 34 is passed between the inner and outer side walls of the container body 10. When the first male connector is connected to the first female connector, the second male connector is connected to the second female connector, and the male coupler is connected to the female coupler, the thawing device 1 operates in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment. According to this modification, the container 2 can be easily connected to the external devices, that is, the bubble generator 3 and the electric field generator 4.

[0045] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Thawing device 2 Container 3 Air bubble generator 4 Electric field generator 5 Frozen food material 6 Water storage 7 Fine bubbles 11 Opening 20 Top lid 21 Inner surface 24 Shielding plate 31 Aeration hose 50 Partition basket

Claims

1. A thawing device for frozen food, comprising: a bubble generator that generates fine bubbles in stored water in which the frozen food is immersed; and an electric field generator that charges the fine bubbles. The bubble generator includes an aeration hose that serves as an outlet for the fine bubbles. The aeration hose is provided below the frozen food. The stored water is water stored in a container. The container includes an upper lid that opens and closes an opening provided at the upper part. The electric field generator operates by detecting a closed state of the opening. The container includes a partition cage that holds a plurality of the frozen foods in a vertically placed state at a predetermined interval. The container body of the container has a double structure of an inner wall and an outer wall. A heat insulating material is provided between the inner wall and the outer wall. The container body includes a convex portion that protrudes from the inner surface of the inner wall and is made of a metal having conductivity and acting as an electrode. A base end of the convex portion is embedded in the inner wall of the container body. A tip of the convex portion is exposed inside the container body from the inner wall of the container body so as to be immersed in the water. The container body includes a terminal block. The terminal block includes a first male connector, a second male connector, and a male coupler. The first male connector can be connected to a first female connector connected to a tip of an electric field cable connected to the electric field generator. The second male connector can be connected to a second female connector connected to tips of a first cable and a second cable connected to the electric field generator. The male coupler can be connected to a female coupler connected to a tip of a first connecting pipe. The first male connector is electrically connected to the base end of the convex portion by a first auxiliary cable. The first auxiliary cable passes between the inner wall and the outer wall of the container body. The second male connector is electrically connected to a first conductive member and a second conductive member that detect the closed state of the opening by a second auxiliary cable. The second auxiliary cable passes between the inner wall and the outer wall of the container body. The male coupler is connected to the aeration hose via a second connecting pipe. The second connecting pipe passes between the inner wall and the outer wall of the container body. A thawing device for frozen food.

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