HK1201695B - Noodle-steaming method and noodle-steaming device - Google Patents

Description

Noodle steaming method and noodle steaming device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a noodle steaming device and a noodle steaming method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a noodle steaming apparatus and a noodle steaming method suitable for steaming raw noodles.

Background

Steamed noodles and instant noodles are produced at high speed and in large quantities. In general, a method for producing steamed noodles and instant noodles comprises adding a raw material such as wheat flour, buckwheat flour, or starch, adding a dough kneading water (water containing dissolved salt, alkali water, thickening polysaccharides, etc.; water) and stirring to prepare a dough material called dough. Then, the dough material (dough) after preparation is cooked, and then prepared and combined into a dough tape by a calender. The composite surface tape is rolled by a plurality of calenders, and the rolled surface tape is cut by a cutter roll and then is laminated on a conveyor belt for conveying.

Then, while the noodle string group stacked on the conveyor is conveyed, the noodle string passes through a tunnel-type steaming device to be steamed. The group of steamed noodles is called steamed noodles, and is distributed on the market after being packaged. In addition, the steamed noodles are subjected to seasoning and the like, and then transferred to a drying process, and dried by oil heat and hot air, so that instant noodle blocks are prepared.

In the step of steaming raw noodles, a large amount of noodle strings are often continuously processed by using a tunnel-type steamer. In this step, a large amount of steam is required because a continuous noodle dough needs to be steamed at a high speed. In addition, in the steaming step, if the steaming is insufficient, the steamed noodles themselves have a feeling of undercooked texture. In addition, when the instant noodle mass is dried by oil heat or hot air thereafter, a so-called undercooked feeling remains when the instant noodle mass is returned to hot water for eating. Therefore, the steaming step is an extremely important step in the production of steamed noodles and instant noodles.

Therefore, the amount of steam used is large, and a large amount of energy is consumed to generate the steam. Therefore, if the amount of steam used can be reduced by further improving the efficiency of steaming in the process of this steaming, and energy can be used more efficiently, the production cost can be reduced, and the process is more environmentally friendly.

Various conventional techniques are disclosed as a method for improving the efficiency of steaming a surface or the like in a tunnel-type steaming apparatus in general. For example, the following patent documents 1 and 2 are listed.

Patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent application No. 2010-17167

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2002-51717

Disclosure of Invention

The invention is to solveProblem to be solved

The above-mentioned prior arts are all excellent inventions, and patent document 1 is pointed out that steaming can be efficiently performed, but the structure is complicated. The method described in patent document 2 is pointed out to require accuracy because it is necessary to maintain the seal by the seal.

Accordingly, the present inventors have aimed to develop a method for steaming more efficiently in the steaming step in the production of steamed noodles and instant noodles.

Means for solving the problems

The inventors of the present invention have found, as a result of extensive studies, that: in a tunnel-type steaming device for producing noodles to be steamed or instant noodles, sufficient steam is supplied to a group of noodles conveyed to an inlet of the steaming device and steaming is performed for a predetermined time, whereby even if a conventional steaming step is performed halfway and then the conveying in the tunnel is continued with the steam supply being stopped, the same steaming efficiency as that in conventional steaming can be obtained.

Namely, in the method for steaming noodles according to one aspect of the present invention,

this is a "method of steaming a group of noodles using a noodle steaming apparatus, the noodle steaming apparatus comprising: a conveyor belt for carrying the cut noodle group and conveying the noodle group; and a tunnel-type body portion through which the noodle string group passes along with the conveyance of the conveyor, the method for steaming noodle strings including: the cut noodle string group is fed from the inlet of the main body while being conveyed on a conveyor belt, and steam is supplied to the noodle string group to steam the noodle string group for a predetermined time. "

The steaming method of the noodles in the technical proposal can also be,

"by conveying the noodle dough on the conveyor belt,

after the noodle string group passes through the 1 st part which is arranged at the inlet side of the main body part and is used for supplying steam to the noodle string group to steam the noodle string group,

the noodle string group is passed through a 2 nd part which is provided continuously with the 1 st part on the outlet side of the main body part and steams the noodle string group without supplying steam. "

Also, it was found that: in the case of performing efficient steaming by the steaming method, it is preferable that the temperature is maintained so that the internal temperature of the inlet portion of the main body portion is 98 ℃ or higher and the internal temperature of the outlet portion is 98 ℃ or higher. By maintaining the temperature state of the inlet and outlet in this manner, the steaming step can be performed more appropriately even when a conventional steaming device is used.

That is, in the method for steaming the noodles according to the aspect, the noodle may be,

"the internal temperature of the inlet portion of the main body portion is 98 ℃ or higher, and the internal temperature of the outlet portion is maintained at 98 ℃ or higher. "

In addition, the invention also designs a steaming device capable of realizing the steaming method.

That is, the noodle steaming apparatus according to one aspect may be,

"a noodle steaming apparatus, comprising:

a conveyor belt for carrying the cut noodle group and conveying the noodle group; and

a tunnel-type main body portion through which the noodle string group passes along with the conveyance of the conveyor belt, wherein in the noodle steaming device,

the main body part includes:

a 1 st section provided on an inlet side of the main body and configured to steam the noodle string group by supplying steam to the noodle string group conveyed on the conveyor belt; and

and a 2 nd part which is provided on an outlet side of the main body part so as to be continuous with the 1 st part and steams the noodle group without supplying steam. "

In the noodle steaming device, an exhaust device for sucking gas or the like may be provided to maintain the temperature of the inlet portion.

That is, the noodle steaming apparatus according to one aspect may be,

"an inlet side exhaust device is provided on the inlet side of the main body of the noodle steaming device. "

Further, in the above noodle steaming apparatus, an exhaust device for sucking gas or the like may be provided in order to maintain the temperature at the outlet portion.

That is, the noodle steaming apparatus according to one aspect may be,

"an outlet-side exhaust device is provided on the outlet side of the main body of the noodle steaming device. "

Further, a partition member may be provided at a boundary between the steam supply unit (part 1) and the steam stop unit (part 2) to prevent steam from escaping from the steam supply unit.

That is, the noodle steaming apparatus according to one aspect may be,

"a partition member is provided at a boundary between the 1 st part and the 2 nd part. "

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

By applying the method and apparatus for steaming noodles of the present invention, steaming can be performed more efficiently in the steaming step of steaming noodles or producing instant noodles.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a noodle steaming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a noodle steaming apparatus according to embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a noodle steaming apparatus according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic sectional view of a modification of embodiment 3 of the noodle steaming apparatus of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic sectional view of a second modification of embodiment 3 of the noodle steaming device according to the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a schematic sectional view of the noodle steaming apparatus according to embodiment 4 of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a schematic sectional view of the noodle steaming apparatus according to embodiment 5 of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a schematic sectional view of a conventional noodle steaming apparatus.

Fig. 9 is a schematic sectional view of the noodle steaming apparatus used in example 1 of test example 1.

Fig. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a noodle steaming apparatus used in comparative example 1 of test example 1.

Fig. 11 is a schematic sectional view of a conventional noodle steaming apparatus.

Fig. 12 is a schematic sectional view of the noodle steaming apparatus used in example 2 of test example 2.

Fig. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the noodle steaming apparatus used in example 3 of test example 2.

Fig. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a noodle steaming apparatus used in comparative example 2 of test example 2.

Fig. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a noodle steaming apparatus according to a modification of the present invention.

Fig. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a noodle steaming apparatus according to a modification of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, but may be modified in various ways.

Cut noodles

The raw noodle is prepared by adding wheat flour, starch, etc. into a mixer, adding pre-prepared dough kneading water, and stirring. The dough taken out of the mixer is called "dough", and after aging, it is rolled into 2 sheets of dough by a roll mill, and then compounded into 1 sheet of dough by a roll mill.

The thickness of the compounded surface belt is 8 mm-12 mm, and the thickness is the specified surface belt thickness formed by sequentially rolling by a plurality of groups of continuous roller rolling machines. The rolled noodle strip is cut into noodle shape by passing between blades of a roller-shaped rotary cutter.

The noodle lines include noodles having a substantially square cross section and noodles having a circular cross section. Even if the noodle is large, one side or diameter of the cross section is approximately within 1mm to 2mm, and thus the noodle has an elongated linear shape.

Therefore, the heating by the steam or the like from the outside can be performed to the center portion in a short time. Further, since the conveyor belt is formed in a state where a plurality of intricate noodle strings are present, steam is easily taken in, and it is inferred that the noodle strings have the characteristic in shape, which contributes to the realization of the present invention.

Conveyor belt

The cut noodle strings are stacked on a conveyor belt and continuously conveyed by the conveyor belt. In addition, the material of this conveyer belt can select various materials. Specifically, a mesh conveyor belt made of stainless steel, a rubber conveyor belt, a resin conveyor belt, or the like can be mentioned. A mesh type is generally used.

Tunnel type noodle group steaming device

The tunnel-type noodle steaming device according to the present invention is a device having the conveyor and the steaming device main body provided to the conveyor. The steaming device main body is configured to convey the noodle string group to the steaming device along with the movement of the conveyor belt. The raw noodle strings enter from the inlet side of the main body of the steaming device and are steamed therein, and the noodle string group is steamed by steam ejected from a steam pipe or the like provided at the upper part or the lower part of the main body while the conveyor belt travels inside the main body. The main body portion has a box-like (or cylindrical) shape extending in the conveyance direction and having a space formed therein. The main body portion includes a pair of end wall portions opposed to each other in the conveying direction, and an inlet portion is formed by an opening formed in one end wall portion and an outlet portion is formed by an opening formed in the other end wall portion. At least the portion of the conveyor belt on which the noodle string group is placed extends from the inlet portion of the main body portion, through the internal space, and to the outlet portion.

When the noodle strings reach the outside from the outlet of the main body part along with the conveying of the conveyor belt, the steaming is finished, and the noodle strings are conveyed to the next step. In the case of a tunnel-type steam generator, the steam pipe is generally introduced from the outside and disposed inside the main body.

Specifically, the steam pipe may be disposed at a lower portion of the conveyor belt or at an upper portion of the conveyor belt. Further, as for the arrangement of the steam pipes, there are also cases where a plurality of steam pipes are arranged in parallel in the traveling direction of the conveyor belt, and cases where a plurality of steam pipes are arranged at positions orthogonal to the traveling direction of the conveyor belt.

Steaming at a predetermined time with the steam supplied from the inlet

In the present invention, in the steaming of the noodle string group, a step of conveying the noodle string group in a state where the steam supply is stopped after steaming for a predetermined period of time is performed. That is, after the noodle strings are steamed by supplying steam to the noodle strings for a predetermined period of time, the noodle strings are steamed without supplying steam to the noodle strings. Therefore, it is necessary to perform steaming in the same manner as in the case where the noodle dough is fed from the inlet and subjected to ordinary steaming. Further, "steaming the noodle group without supplying steam to the noodle group" means that a sufficient amount of steam is supplied in advance at the stage of steaming by supplying steam, and thus steaming is performed by using steam taken in the noodle group, steam carried over along with the transportation of the noodle group, and the like without supplying new steam. The "state of stopping the steam supply" includes not only a state in which the operation of the steam pipe provided at the position where the noodle string group passes is stopped to stop the supply, but also a state in which the steam pipe is not provided at the position where the noodle string group passes, and the steam supply is stopped by blocking the hole of the steam pipe, or the like. That is, the "state in which steam supply is stopped" may be any state as long as steam is not supplied to the noodle string group. Further, supplying steam so that the discharge direction of the discharge port of the steam pipe is directed toward the noodle string group corresponds to "steam supply". That is, after the steam pipe is jetted, the steam loses its original momentum, flows in a direction different from the jetting direction, and is finally supplied to the noodle string group at the flow destination, which is not the case of "steam supply" in the present embodiment.

When a conventional steaming apparatus is used, the steaming time of the noodle strings is usually about 1 minute 20 seconds (80 seconds) to 2 minutes 30 seconds (150 seconds). The present inventors have studied and found that the steaming step can be completed by steaming at least about 1/4 (about 20 seconds or more), preferably at least about 1/3 (about 27 seconds or more), for the steaming time and then conveying the noodles to the outlet with the steam supply stopped.

If the steaming time is too short, the steaming becomes insufficient, and if the steaming is performed for a long time, the amount of steam used cannot be reduced. The steaming time varies depending on the amount of steam supplied, the thickness of the noodle strings, and the like.

Temperature of the inlet portion

In the present invention, it is preferable that the entrance of the tunnel steaming device is maintained at a high temperature while holding steam. That is, since the distance from the inlet to the outlet of the steaming device main body is limited, it is preferable to appropriately supply steam from the inlet in order to efficiently steam.

In the steaming of noodle strings on a conveyor, it is desired to treat a large amount of noodle strings in a short time, and therefore the speed of the conveyor is also high, about 8 m/min. For example, in the production line of instant noodles, the speed of the conveyor may be about 1.5 to 12 m/min in order to process the noodles at a high speed. The conveying speed of the noodle strings is substantially the same.

In such a conveyor belt having a high speed, the steam is transported in the traveling direction of the conveyor belt as the conveyor belt travels. Therefore, the steam density in the vicinity of the inlet portion of the main body may be reduced, and the internal temperature of the inlet portion may be reduced. In the present invention, the first half of steaming is performed in a short time and then the steaming is stopped, and therefore, the first half of steaming needs to be performed efficiently in a short time.

Therefore, in such a case, a method of providing a duct near the inlet of the main body (i.e., the inlet side of the main body) and discharging gas or the like near the inlet of the main body by using the duct is effective. The significance of the duct in the present invention is to increase the temperature by raising the density of the steam near the inlet portion by sucking back the steam conveyed by the conveyor belt as described above.

As described above, the present invention is different from the conventional duct in the sense that the decrease in the steam density and the temperature due to the steam movement accompanying the travel of the conveyor belt is suppressed.

Further, it is preferable that the temperature near the inlet of the main body, for example, the temperature inside the main body at about 10cm from the inlet is 98 ℃ or higher by using the duct or the like. Further, it is more preferably 99 ℃ or higher.

Steam supply

In the present invention, after the steam supply, the steam supply is stopped, and the noodle string group is directly conveyed to the outlet portion. First, steam is generally supplied by a steam pipe provided below and above the conveyor belt. Further, the steam pipe is provided with a plurality of holes, and steam is supplied by ejecting steam from the holes.

The arrangement direction and method of the steam pipes are not particularly limited, and usually, a plurality of steam pipes are arranged parallel to or perpendicular to the traveling direction of the conveyor. In the present invention, the steam supply is performed from the inlet of the main body to the steam supply portion, that is, the front half portion (steam supply portion) inside the main body, and the steam supply is stopped in the latter portion, so the steam pipe may reach from the inlet to the inner portion of the main body where the steam supply is stopped.

Even when the steam pipe reaches the outlet portion of the main body, the steam supply can be stopped by blocking the steam holes in the second half. This also makes it possible to form a similar steaming state by blocking the steam holes in the rear half as described above.

Further, the steam pipe does not need to be a long pipe extending over the entire length from the inlet portion to the outlet portion of the main body, and a plurality of short steam pipes may be intermittently provided in the traveling direction of the conveyor belt.

Further, when the steam supply is stopped, the main body is preferably divided into a portion to which steam is supplied and a portion to which steam is not supplied and which is conveyed by a partition or the like. That is, it is preferable that a partition member such as a plate is provided at a boundary between the steam supply unit (the 1 st part of the noodle string group is steamed by supplying steam to the noodle string group) and the steam stop unit (the 2 nd part of the noodle string group is steamed without supplying steam) to such an extent that the conveyance by the conveyor belt is not hindered. It is estimated that by providing the partition member in this manner, the sealing degree of the steam supply unit can be increased, and the transfer of steam to the steam stop unit can be minimized.

Delivery in a state where steam supply is stopped

As described above, sufficient steam is supplied during the steam supply in the first half, the steam supply is stopped in a state where the noodle strings are steamed up to the middle, and then the noodle strings are continuously conveyed in the main body in a state where the noodle strings are placed on the conveyor.

Since steam is supplied to the noodle string group in the steam supply portion (the front half portion), the temperature does not drop immediately. Further, the steam naturally flowing from the steam supply portion in the front half and the steam supplied in the front half are carried along with the conveyance to the rear half, and the steam is carried to the vicinity of the outlet portion along with the conveyance of the noodle strings and the conveyor belt.

The noodle group on the conveyor belt has a shape in which long and thin rope-like objects are complicatedly stacked. Therefore, unlike a common block, the noodle string as a whole has a shape including a large amount of space.

In the steaming of raw noodles, the steaming object stacked on the conveyor is a group of noodles, and therefore, the influence of the characteristics in such a case is considered. The present inventors concluded that the noodle strings on the conveyor belt used for steaming have special characteristics.

Further, the steam supplied at the steam supply portion of the first half is conveyed together with the conveyor belt and conveyed to the steam stop portion. The steam stop unit also moves the steam so that the group of noodles on the conveyor belt and the conveyor belt move together with the steam supplied by the steam supply unit. However, since the steam is not supplied to the steam stop portion, the steam may not reach the vicinity of the outlet and may escape.

Therefore, in such a case, it is effective to provide an exhaust duct near the outlet of the main body (i.e., the outlet side of the main body) and to discharge the gas near the outlet of the main body by using the exhaust duct. The significance of the outlet-side duct of the present invention is to increase the temperature by sucking the steam, which is conveyed together with the conveyor belt as described above, to the outlet side to thereby increase the steam density in the vicinity of the outlet portion.

Further, it is preferable that the temperature of a portion near the outlet portion of the main body, for example, a portion closer to the main body than 10cm from the outlet portion is set to 98 ℃ or higher by using the exhaust device duct. Further, it is more preferably 99 ℃ or higher.

The temperatures of the inlet and outlet portions are temperatures in the vicinity of the noodle string group when steaming of the noodle string group is substantially started or ended.

Therefore, for example, in the case of the outlet portion, as long as the gas is discharged by inserting an exhaust device (pipe) provided in the outlet portion deeply into the tunnel outlet portion of the main body portion, the internal temperature in the vicinity of the tunnel outlet portion may be formally lower than 98 ℃.

However, since the steaming of the noodle strings is actually completed, the temperature cannot be set to the internal temperature of the outlet portion in the present invention, but refers to the temperature of the distal end portion of the insertion of the exhaust device (duct), that is, the temperature in the vicinity of the noodle strings substantially at the time of completion of the steaming of the noodle strings.

The method of steaming the noodle strings of the present invention is explained above, and an example of the steaming apparatus of the present invention is explained below.

The present invention is not limited to the above range. The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a noodle steaming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 1, the steaming device according to the first embodiment includes a conveyor 1 on which the cut noodle string M is placed and conveyed, and a tunnel-type body 2. The inside of the main body is divided by a partition member 3-1 into a steam supply part 2-1 and a steam stop part 2-2, and a steam pipe 4 is provided only on the side of the steam supply part 2-1.

Further, a first exhaust device (duct) 5-1 is disposed at an inlet portion of the main body portion 2, and a second exhaust device (duct) 5-2 is disposed at an outlet portion. The conveying belt 1 is configured to pass through the main body 2.

Noodle group

The noodle strip group M is cut out in a step immediately preceding the present step, and is conveyed as a plurality of noodle strip groups M in a long linear state on the conveyor 1. The noodle strip group M is formed in a complicated state on the conveyor belt and has a predetermined thickness. The present invention can be applied to the noodle line group M regardless of whether the intricate state is a so-called wavy state or a non-wavy state.

Conveyor belt for carrying noodles and conveying them

The noodle strings cut out in the above-described steps are stacked on a conveyor and conveyed. The conveyor belt 1 is composed of a belt portion and a sprocket, and the type and the like are not particularly limited. The conveyor belt portion may be of any type as long as it is a usual type, and examples thereof include a mesh conveyor belt made of stainless steel, a rubber conveyor belt, and a resin conveyor belt. A type having a mesh shape is generally used. The speed of the conveyor belt is also varied according to production requirements, and the speed is approximately 1.5 m/min to 12 m/min.

Steam supply part

The main body 2 is configured to allow a belt portion of a conveyor to pass therethrough. In the present embodiment, the steam supply unit has the following structure: a steam pipe 4 is provided below the conveyor belt, and a hole is provided below the steam pipe 4 to discharge steam.

Further, the main body 2 is divided into a steam supply part 2-1 and a steam stop part 2-2 from an inlet EN toward an outlet of the main body 2 in the traveling direction of the conveyor belt 1. Further, a partition member 3-1 is provided at the boundary between the steam supply unit 2-1 and the steam stop unit 2-2 to such an extent that the conveyance of the noodle strings M by the conveyor belt 1 is not hindered.

The amount of steam V supplied also varies depending on the size of the main body 2, the speed of the conveyor 1, and the external environment. For example, when the size of the main body 2 is large, even if the amount of steam supplied per unit volume inside the main body 2 is small, the temperature inside and the steam state can be maintained in many cases.

Partition member

The partition member 3-1 functions as follows: for separating the steam supply unit 2-1 from a steam stop unit 2-2 described later, and controlling the flow of the steam V supplied from the steam supply unit 2-1 to the steam stop unit 2-2. This is arranged to prevent the steam V in the steam supply unit 2-1 in the front half from excessively flowing to the steam stop unit 2-2 in the rear half, thereby achieving efficient steaming. The partition member 3-1 is formed with a through hole having a size that allows the conveying portion of the conveyor 1 and the noodle line group M on the conveying portion to pass therethrough. The partition member 3-1 partitions the steam supply part 2-1 and the steam stop part 2-2 at a portion other than the penetration hole.

Even if the partition member 3-1 is provided, the steam V supplied to the noodle strip group in the steam supply portion 2-1 can be sent to the steam stop portion 2-2 in the rear half portion as the noodle strip group M advances. Therefore, there is also steam V that is sent from the opening of the partition member 3-1 to the steam stop portion 2-2.

Further, in the case where the flow rate of the supplied steam in the steam supply unit 2-1, the volume of the steam supply unit 2-1, and the cross-sectional area in the conveyor belt direction are small, the partition member 3-1 may not be necessarily provided. As will be described later, in some cases, the partition member 3-1 may not be provided when the volume of the steam stop portion 2-2 or the cross-sectional area thereof in the conveyor direction is small.

For example, as in the embodiment shown in fig. 15, the partition member 3-1 may not be provided between the steam supply unit 2-1 and the steam stop unit 2-2. Accordingly, it is preferable that the space constituting the steam supply unit 2-1 and the space constituting the steam stop unit 2-2 are formed to have the same size and are continuous (in the case where the partition member 3-1 is provided, the space itself is continuous, but the space becomes extremely narrow in the portion of the through hole of the partition member 3-1). In the case where the partition member 3-1 is omitted, an area in the conveying direction of the main body 2 where steaming is performed by supplying steam to the noodle strings M, that is, an area where the steam pipe 4 is disposed and steam is supplied from the steam pipe 4 corresponds to the steam supply portion 2-1. Further, of the regions in the conveying direction of the main body 2, the regions where the noodles M are steamed without supplying steam thereto, that is, the regions where the steam pipe 4 is not arranged, or the regions where the steam pipe 4 is not supplied even if arranged, correspond to the steam stop portion 2-2.

Steam stop part

The steam stop part is configured to allow the noodles M on the conveyor belt passing through the partition member 3-1 to pass through. In the present embodiment, the steam pipe 4 as provided in the steam supply unit 2-1 is not provided because the steam V is not supplied.

Even when the steam pipe 4 is provided, the same effect can be obtained by stopping the steam supply to the pipe 4 or by blocking the hole of the steam pipe 4.

Further, as shown in FIG. 16, a dummy member 10 may be provided in the space inside the steam stop portion 2-2 instead of the steam pipe 4.

Further, the area on the downstream side of the outlet portion of the main body 2, that is, the area outside the main body 2 does not correspond to the steam stop portion 2-2. Since the area outside the main body 2 is a space open to the atmosphere, the steam taken in by the noodle strings M on the conveyor 1 and the steam accumulated around the noodle strings M escape to the atmosphere. In this section, the noodle group M was not steamed. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the steam stop portion 2-2 surrounds the conveyor 1 and the noodle string group M with the wall portion of the main body portion 2. Therefore, the steam stop portion 2-2 is formed to easily catch steam. This makes it easy for the steam to stay around and inside the noodle strings M, thereby steaming the noodle strings M.

In the steam stop portion 2-2, at least the upper, lower, and side portions in the conveying direction of the portion of the conveyor 1 where the noodles M are conveyed are preferably covered with wall surfaces. The wall surfaces are connected to each other without a gap (however, a small gap may be formed as long as the effect of the present invention can be exerted). The cross-sectional shape of the wall surface is not particularly limited, and may be rectangular, polygonal, or circular. Further, it is preferable that the upstream side (inlet side) of the steam stop portion 2-2 in the transport direction is partitioned by a wall surface (wall surface formed by a partition member), and the downstream side (outlet side) is partitioned by a wall surface (wall surface formed by a partition member or an outer wall of the outlet side of the main body portion 2).

The ratio of the volumes of the steam supply unit 2-1 and the steam stop unit 2-2 is not particularly limited, and is a ratio of a time for supplying steam and steaming to a time for stopping the supply of steam and carrying out only steam, and is approximately the steam supply unit: steam stop portion 1: 4-4: about 1.

For example, the ratio of the volume of the steam stop portion 2-2 to the volume of the steam supply portion 2-1 may be set to 1/4 or more, 1/3 or more, 1/2 or more, 2/3 or more, or 3/4 or more. By setting the range, it is possible to sufficiently secure the time for steaming the noodles M without supplying the steam. The volume of the steam stop portion 2-2 may be set to 4 times or less, 3 times or less, 2 times or less, or 1.5 times or less with respect to the volume of the steam supply portion 2-1. By setting the steam generation amount to this range, the noodles M can be reliably steamed without diffusion of the steam in the vicinity of the noodles. Further, the steam stop portion 2-2 is preferably larger in size in the transport direction than the distance between the steam pipe 4 in the steam supply portion 2-1 and the wall surface on the inlet side of the main body portion 2, and larger in size than the distance between the steam pipe 4 in the steam supply portion 2-1 and the partition member 3-1. Further, the size of the steam stop portion 2-2 in the transport direction is preferably larger than the size of the steam stop portion 2-2 in the vertical direction, and is preferably larger than the size of the steam stop portion 2-2 in the lateral direction.

Further, the steam stop section 2-2 does not need to be in a state of steaming the noodle strings M without supplying steam over the entire area of the steam stop section 2-2, and for example, steam inside and around the noodle strings M may be diffused in the vicinity of the outlet section and substantially not steamed (however, steaming is sufficiently performed on the upstream side of the steam stop section 2-2, and steaming necessary for the noodle strings M is completed in the vicinity of the outlet section.)

First exhaust equipment (pipe) (inlet side pipe)

In the present embodiment, a pipe 5-1 of the first exhaust device is provided on the inlet side. The gas near the inlet portion is sucked by this duct 5-1. As described above, since the steam V is conveyed together with the noodles M by the conveyance of the conveyor belt 1 of the noodles, the steam density near the inlet portion may decrease and the temperature may decrease.

Therefore, the gas or the like near the inlet portion is sucked by the first duct 5-1. This allows the steam V conveyed in the traveling direction of the conveyor 1 to return to the inlet, thereby increasing the steam density in the inlet and maintaining the temperature without decreasing.

In the conventional steaming apparatus, an exhaust apparatus is often installed, but the purpose is to prevent steam from scattering from the steaming apparatus to the outside and to maintain the environment in the factory. On the other hand, the first exhaust device 5-1 is used in the present invention for a purpose different from that of a general steaming device. The inventors of the present invention have found, through earnest studies, that: by using such an exhaust device, the steaming efficiency itself when the noodles M are steamed is remarkably improved.

That is, when the stacked body of the noodle strings M on the conveyor is steamed as in the present invention, the steam V moves along with the travel of the conveyor 1. However, when the steaming device is divided into the front half and the rear half and the steam is delivered while maintaining the steam atmosphere without supplying the steam in the rear half as in the present invention, the steam is not supplied in the rear half, and therefore, the steam moves from the front half to the rear half.

Therefore, the steam movement at the inlet portion EN caused by the belt travel becomes more significant than usual. Therefore, steam assurance and temperature maintenance at the inlet portion EN becomes extremely important. That is, the presence of the exhaust means (pipe) 5-1 of the inlet portion becomes important.

In addition, as for the above phenomenon, as long as the traveling speed of the conveyor belt 1 is low, the temperature of the inlet portion EN does not decrease seriously. In general, in a steaming apparatus used in an instant noodle production line, noodles are conveyed at a speed of about 1.5 to 12 m/min in relation to the production speed.

When the speed of the conveyor 1 is high, the amount of movement of the steam V along with the travel of the conveyor 1 also increases, and the temperature of the inlet portion and the steam environment tend to decrease.

When the noodle string group M is conveyed at a high speed by the conveyor 1, the steam V stays and moves in the traveling direction together with the traveling of the conveyor 1. Therefore, the steam V near the inlet of the main body 2 is sucked into the inside, and the air enters the vicinity of the inlet, so that the temperature near the inlet decreases. Therefore, there is a problem that the partial steaming becomes insufficient.

In the present invention, it is necessary to perform efficient steaming in the steam supply part for the purpose of efficiently steaming the noodle strings M to be steamed. In this way, in the tunnel-type steaming device through which the noodle strings on the conveyor pass, a method of raising the density and temperature of the steam in the vicinity of the inlet by sucking the steam V is effective in the present invention.

Second exhaust equipment (pipe) (outlet pipe)

In the present embodiment, the second exhaust device (duct) 5-2 is provided at the outlet portion EX. The second duct 5-2 on the outlet side in the present invention is significant in that the steam density and temperature in the vicinity of the outlet portion are increased by sucking the steam, which is conveyed together with the conveyor belt as described above, to the outlet side.

This is different from the purpose of an exhaust device (pipe) in the conventional steaming device, that is, the purpose of preventing steam from scattering outward from the steaming device and maintaining the environment of the factory. Further, it is preferable that the temperature in the vicinity of the outlet portion EX of the main body portion 2, for example, a portion closer to the main body side than about 10cm from the outlet portion is 98 ℃ or higher by using the second exhaust device (duct) 5-2. Further, it is more preferably 99 ℃ or higher.

By raising the temperature to the vicinity of the outlet portion, the steaming efficiency can be improved. In addition, the length of the main body portion can be minimized, and the space can be effectively used.

Treating the noodles after passing through the outlet

The noodle strings passing through the outlet portion of the main body can be directly sold as steamed noodles by steaming the noodle strings and keeping the steamed noodle strings in this state or by packaging the noodle strings after adding water, oil, or the like. In addition, the steamed noodle strings are cut after a step of stretching and immersing in a seasoning liquid, and the cut noodle strings are subjected to oil heat drying and hot air drying, whereby instant noodles can be produced.

Embodiment 2

Next, embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described below. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating embodiment 2 of the present invention. The basic configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, but in embodiment 2, the volume of the steam stop portion 2-2 portion of the main body 2 is set to be smaller than the volume of the steam supply portion 2-1 portion of the main body 2. Thus, while suppressing the escape of steam from the noodle strings to be conveyed, the steam conveyed through the partition is efficiently used.

Specifically, the lower partition member 3-2 is fitted under the belt of the steam stop portion 2-2, and the internal volume of the space below the lower partition member 3-2 is reduced. In embodiment 2, the sectional area of the steam stop portion in the traveling direction of the conveyor is reduced by about 40% as compared with the steam supply portion, and therefore, the steam that is delivered from the steam supply portion 2-1 that is the first half portion along with the travel of the conveyor and the steam that leaks through the partition member 3-1 can be more efficiently used.

Embodiment 3

Next, embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described below. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating embodiment 3 of the present invention. The basic configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, but in embodiment 3, the ratio of the sizes of the steam supply unit 2-1 and the steam stop unit 2-2 is changed, and the size of the steam stop unit 2-2 is reduced.

In addition, when the steam stop portion 2-2 is large, only the first partition member 3-1 may be provided as shown in the present embodiment, but from the viewpoint of further preventing steam from escaping from the inside of the main body portion, the 2 nd partition member 3-1-2 may be provided as shown in fig. 4. In addition, a partition member may be further added.

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 5, the volume is reduced by providing a lower partition member below the steam stop portion 2-2, and thus, steam can be efficiently used.

Embodiment 4

In embodiment 4, the volume of both the steam supply unit 2-1 and the steam stop unit 2-2 shown in fig. 6 is reduced. In the present embodiment, both the lower partition member 3-2 and the upper partition member 3-3 are provided. In this way, the steam supply unit 2-1 and the steam stop unit 2-2 can be reduced in volume, thereby efficiently performing steaming.

Embodiment 5

Next, embodiment 5 of the present application will be described below. Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating embodiment 5 of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the steam supply unit 2-1-1 → the steam stop unit 2-2-1 → the steam supply unit 2-1-2 → the steam stop unit 2-2-2 are connected in series.

In the present embodiment, by repeating the above-described structure, the steam in the intermediate portion can be prevented from being reduced. In the present embodiment, the portion "steam supply portion → steam stop portion → steam supply portion" from the inlet side may be regarded as one steam supply portion. In addition, it is needless to say that the number of times of "steam supply → steam stop" may be further repeated.

Examples

The following describes test examples of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the following test examples.

Test example 1(case where the inside of the body is divided into two parts)

As an embodiment of the present invention, a main body (having an overall length of approximately 4m and an internal cross-sectional area of approximately 0.06 m) of a conventional tunnel type steaming apparatus is used²Steam pipes corresponding to the front and rear halves, respectively) were divided into two equal parts, the front half was used as a steam supply unit, and the rear half was used as a steam stop unit.

A partition is provided between the front half and the rear half, and the ratio of the opening of the partition region of the partition to the internal cross-sectional area (the ratio of the opening to the cross-sectional area) is set to approximately 38%.

The test was conducted with the speed of the conveyor belt passing through the inside of the steam set to 1.6 m/min, and the time from the entrance of the noodle strings into the main body to the exit thereof was 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

The noodle group to be tested was prepared into a dough by mixing 900g of wheat flour and 100g of starch and adding 2.28g of alkali water and 340g of water thereto. After the dough was compounded, the dough was repeatedly rolled several times to prepare a dough sheet having a thickness of 0.75 mm. And a steaming step of cutting the treated noodle band into noodles by using a cutter device (width 1.5mm) of a No. 20 horn knife, conveying the noodles while placing the noodles on a conveyor belt, and supplying the noodles to the main body.

Regarding the steam flow rate, in the conventional method (conventional example 1), as shown in fig. 8, no partition member was provided, and steam was supplied at a flow rate of 120kg/h in both the front half and the rear half.

Next, in example 1, as shown in fig. 9, a partition member was provided in the middle portion, and the front half portion was used as a steam supply portion, and steam supply of 120kg/h was performed in the same manner as in the conventional case. The steam stop portion in the rear half stops the supply of the steam.

In comparative example 1, as shown in fig. 10, a partition member was provided in the middle part, and steam supply of 60kg/h, which is half the steam flow rate of 120kg/h in the first half of example 1, was performed in the first half and the second half, respectively.

In example 1, the air volume of the duct was adjusted so that the temperatures indicated by the thermometer (for measuring the temperature of the noodle strip upper space inside) provided on the inner side of 10cm from the inlet portion and the thermometer (for measuring the temperature of the noodle strip upper space inside) provided on the inner side of 10cm from the outlet portion were 98 ℃. However, in comparative example 1, the temperature was only increased to 97 ℃ or lower even after the adjustment of the pipe.

The noodles subjected to the steaming treatment under the conditions of the above conventional example 1, example 1 and comparative example 1 were partially taken out at the same time to measure the degree of gelatinization of the noodles, and after the noodles were immersed in a seasoning liquid, the noodles were cut at intervals of 30cm, 105g of the noodles were stored in a deep-frying box, and the box was immersed in 150 ℃ frying oil (palm oil) for 2 minutes and 30 seconds to conduct the frying treatment, thereby producing blocks of instant noodles. The obtained instant noodle block was put into a bowl-shaped container, and 450g of hot water was injected thereto, and after 3 minutes of covering, a noodle tasting was performed.

The test was conducted by 5 skilled technicians. The strength of the steamed noodle prepared under the conventional steaming conditions (conventional example 1) was compared with the strength of the steamed noodle prepared under the conventional steaming conditions. The results are shown in table 1.

[ Table 1]

Compared with the case of steaming the first half and the second half in the same manner as in conventional example 1, the same degree of gelatinization and the same evaluation of a test eating were obtained in the case of steaming only the first half as in example 1. This shows a result that the steam flow can be significantly reduced as compared with the conventional steam flow.

On the other hand, as shown in comparative example 1, even in the case of the same flow rate as in example 1, if half of steam supply was performed in each of the front half and the rear half of the steam supply part, the degree of gelatinization and the result of tasting were inferior to example 1, and a chunky texture remained.

Test example 2(case of dividing the inside of the body into 3 parts)

As an embodiment of the present invention, a tunnel type steaming apparatus larger than that used in test example 1 was used for the test. In addition, the main body of the steaming apparatus used for the test had a total length of approximately 18m and an internal cross-sectional area of approximately 0.27m²And a device equipped with steam pipes corresponding to the front half part, the middle part and the rear half part respectively. The inside of the main body was divided into 3 equal parts, and the test was performed with only the front half or the front half and the middle part as the steam supply part and only the rear half or the rear half and the middle part as the steam stop part.

Further, partition members are provided between the front half portion and the intermediate portion, and between the intermediate portion and the rear half portion, and the ratio of the opening of the partition region of the partition member to the internal cross-sectional area (the ratio of the opening to the cross-sectional area) is set to approximately 27%.

The test was conducted with the speed of the conveyor belt passing through the inside of the steam set to 8 m/min, and the time from the entry of the noodle strings into the inlet portion of the main body portion to the exit thereof was 2 minutes and 15 seconds.

The noodle group to be tested was prepared into a dough by mixing 900g of wheat flour and 100g of starch and adding 2.28g of alkali water and 340g of water thereto. After the dough was compounded, the dough was repeatedly rolled several times to prepare a dough sheet having a thickness of 0.75 mm. And a steaming step of cutting the treated noodle band into noodles by using a cutter device (width 1.5mm) of a No. 20 horn knife, conveying the noodles while placing the noodles on a conveyor belt, and supplying the noodles to the main body.

Regarding the steam flow rate, in the conventional method (conventional example 2), as shown in fig. 11, no partition member was provided, and steam was supplied at a flow rate of 400kg/h to each of the front half, the middle half, and the rear half.

Next, in example 2, as shown in fig. 12, the partition members were provided between the front half portion and the intermediate portion and between the intermediate portion and the rear half portion, and steam supply of 400kg/h was performed using the front half portion and the intermediate portion as the steam supply portions, respectively, in the same manner as in the conventional case. The steam stop portion in the rear half stops the steam supply.

In addition, in example 3, as shown in fig. 13, in a state where the partition member was provided as in example 2, steam supply of 400kg/h was performed only in the front half portion, and steam supply in the middle portion and the rear half portion was stopped.

Next, as comparative example 2, as shown in fig. 14, steam supply at a flow rate of 133kg/h, which is 1/3 of the 400kg/h steam flow rate of the first half of example 3, was performed at the first half, the middle part, and the second half, respectively.

In examples 2 and 3, the air volume of the duct was adjusted so that the temperature indicated by the thermometer (for measuring the temperature of the noodle strip upper space inside) provided on the inside side 10cm away from the inlet portion and the thermometer (for measuring the temperature of the noodle strip upper space inside) provided on the inside side 10cm away from the outlet portion was 98 ℃. However, in comparative example 2, the temperature was only increased to 97 ℃ or lower even after the adjustment of the pipe.

The noodles subjected to the steaming treatment under the conditions of the above conventional example 2, example 3 and comparative example 2 were partially taken out to measure the degree of gelatinization of the noodles, and the noodles were processed in the same manner as in test example 1 to prepare an instant noodle mass, followed by a test eating test. In addition, regarding the tasting, the strength of the steamed feeling was compared with the standard noodle steamed under the conventional steaming conditions (conventional example 1). The results are shown in table 2.

[ Table 2]

Compared with the case where the steaming was performed in the same manner in the front half, the middle part, and the rear half as in conventional example 2, the same evaluation of the sample eating was obtained in the case where the steaming was performed only in the front half and the middle part as in example 2 and in the case where the steaming was performed only in the front half as in example 3.

This shows a result that the steam flow can be significantly reduced as compared with the conventional steam flow. On the other hand, as shown in comparative example 2, even when the total flow rate was the same as that of example 3, if the steam was not supplied intensively to the steam supply part (the first half), the result of the tasting was inferior to that of example 3, and a chunky texture remained.

The method for steaming the noodles according to claim 1 may be,

"a method for steaming a group of noodles using a noodle steaming device, the noodle steaming device comprising: a conveyor belt for carrying the cut noodle group and conveying the noodle group; and a tunnel-type body portion through which the noodle string group passes along with the conveyance of the conveyor,

the steaming method of the noodles comprises the following steps: the cut noodle string group is fed from the inlet portion of the main body portion while being conveyed on a conveyor belt, and is steamed for a predetermined time, and then the noodle string group is conveyed to the outlet portion while the steam supply is stopped. "

The method for steaming the noodles according to claim 2 may be,

"the method of steaming noodle strings according to claim 1, wherein the internal temperature of the inlet portion of the main body portion is 98 ℃ or higher, and the internal temperature of the outlet portion is maintained at 98 ℃ or higher. "

The noodle steaming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the steaming apparatus further comprises,

"a noodle steaming apparatus, comprising:

a conveyor belt for carrying the cut noodle group and conveying the noodle group; and

a tunnel-type main body through which the noodle strings pass while being conveyed by the conveyor belt, wherein in the noodle steaming device,

the main body part includes:

a steam supply part for supplying steam to the noodle group conveyed on the conveyor belt from the inlet side of the main body part; and

and a steam stop part which is continuous with the steam supply part and is used for stopping the supply of the steam. "

The noodle steaming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the steaming apparatus further comprises,

"the noodle steaming device according to claim 3, wherein an exhaust device is provided in the vicinity of an inlet of the main body of the noodle steaming device. "

The noodle steaming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the steaming apparatus further comprises,

"the noodle steaming device according to claim 4, wherein an exhaust device is provided near an outlet of a main body of the noodle steaming device. "

The noodle steaming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the steaming apparatus further comprises,

"the noodle steaming device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein a partition member is provided at a boundary between the steam supply unit and the steam stop unit. "

Description of the reference numerals

1. A conveyor belt; 2. a main body portion; 2-1, a steam supply part; 2-2, a steam stop; 3. a partition portion; 3-1, a partition member; 3-2, a lower partition member; 3-3, an upper partition member; 4. a steam pipe; 4-1, a first steam pipe; 4-2, a second steam pipe; 4-3, a third steam pipe; 5. a pipeline; 5-1, a first exhaust (pipe) (inlet side); 5-2, a second exhaust (duct) (outlet side); EN, a main body inlet part; EX, main body outlet; m, noodle group; v, steam; t, a thermometer.

Claims (8)

1. A method for steaming a group of noodles using a noodle steaming device, the noodle steaming device comprising: a conveyor belt for carrying the cut noodle group and conveying the noodle group; and a tunnel-type main body through which the noodle string group passes along with the conveyance of the conveyor, the method for steaming noodle strings including: the cut noodle string group is fed from the inlet of the main body while being conveyed on a conveyor belt, and steam is supplied to the noodle string group to steam the noodle string group for a predetermined time.

2. The steaming method of noodles according to claim 1, wherein,

by conveying the noodle dough on the conveyor belt,

after the noodle string group passes through the 1 st part which is arranged at the inlet side of the main body part and is used for supplying steam to the noodle string group to steam the noodle string group,

the noodle string group is passed through a 2 nd part which is provided continuously with the 1 st part on the outlet side of the main body part and steams the noodle string group without supplying steam.

3. The steaming method of noodles according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the internal temperature of the inlet portion of the main body portion is 98 ℃ or higher, and the internal temperature of the outlet portion is maintained at 98 ℃ or higher.

4. A noodle steaming device, comprising:

a conveyor belt for carrying the cut noodle group and conveying the noodle group; and

a tunnel-type main body through which the noodle string group passes along with the conveyance of the conveyor belt, wherein in the noodle steaming device,

the main body part includes:

a 1 st section provided on an inlet side of the main body and configured to steam the noodle string group by supplying steam to the noodle string group conveyed on the conveyor belt; and

and a 2 nd part which is provided on an outlet side of the main body part so as to be continuous with the 1 st part and steams the noodle group without supplying steam.

5. The noodle steaming device according to claim 4, wherein,

an inlet side exhaust device is provided on the inlet side of the main body of the noodle steaming device.

6. The noodle steaming device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein,

an outlet side exhaust device is provided on an outlet side of the main body of the noodle steaming device.

7. The noodle steaming device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein,

a partition member is provided at a boundary between the 1 st part and the 2 nd part.

8. The noodle steaming device according to claim 6, wherein,

a partition member is provided at a boundary between the 1 st part and the 2 nd part.