JP3085114U - A device that can maintain a water temperature of 1 ° C or less (including a supercooled state) for cooling food. - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] (Modified) [Problem] To provide a safe food cooling device with reduced capital investment and operation cost to healthcare facilities such as nursing homes and hospitals. A water-cooling system similar to that of a tumble chiller is employed, but if necessary, food (including packaged food) can be protected by a cage or the like to cool while avoiding rotation of the food itself. Regardless of the type of liquid food, solid food, solid-liquid mixed food, etc., cooling can be performed while maintaining the shape.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

[Technical field belonging to the invention]

 The present invention relates to a food cooling device for immersing packaged food or the like after cooking in cold water (including ice water) of 1 ° C. or less and rapidly cooling the food to a predetermined temperature.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Cook chill cooking methods are classified into two types according to the cooling process, and there are a blast chiller method in which food is air-cooled and a tumble chiller method in which sealed and packaged food is cooled with water. In the blast chiller method, it is a guideline to cool the cooked food to 3 ° C within 90 minutes with cooling air. However, it is not possible to cool food sealed and packaged for long-term storage according to this guideline. On the other hand, in the tumble chiller method, foods sealed and packaged after cooking are immediately poured into cold water in a rotating tumbler and cooled to 4.4 ° C or less in one and a half to three hours. Although this method enables efficient feeding of food through long-term preservation of food, the ice-making and cooling equipment becomes large-scale, such as securing a dedicated space for a large ice builder room for producing water for cooling. Cost. In Japan's small and medium-sized nursing homes and hospitals, long-term preservation of food is required in order to create an efficient feeding system, but expensive capital investment is difficult, and in reality, air-cooled blast chillers are used. It is the only cooling means that can be used, and the shelf life of food is limited to about 5 days.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

As described above, in order to enable long-term preservation of foods, it is necessary to heat-cook and then seal them in a sealed package, and cool them to an appropriate temperature with a water-cooling system in accordance with the economic situation of modern nursing homes and hospitals. But it is not widely used due to capital investment. In order to solve such problems, the present invention is to 1) reduce the initial cost and running cost associated with the introduction of equipment, 2) determine the characteristics of water (including ice), Discover the compatibility of the materials and develop a single cooling device that utilizes them. 3) To enable HACCP (hassap) management, which is a global food safety management method, microbiologically The challenge was to realize a safe cooling process.

[0004]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to solve the above problems, the present invention incorporates a water tank or a sealable container in the freezer, attaches a water agitator to the bottom, pours a fixed amount of water, and keeps the water temperature at 1 ° C or less (including supercooled state). By maintaining it, food (including packaged food) is cooled safely within a certain period of time. This device has a temperature sensor and a warning device that notifies by a buzzer or the like when the water temperature exceeds 1 ° C. The microbiological safety of the food cooled by this device was confirmed by microbiological testing.

[0005] The shape, size, power supply voltage, structure of each part, materials of constituent materials, and a cooling method of the cooling device according to the present invention will be described.

[0006] The shape of the cooling device is a cylinder, a polygonal prism, or a square prism, and can be adapted to a movable type, a fixed type, a wall-mounted type, and a wall-mounted type.

[0007] The size of the cooling device can be adapted from a portable cooler box for an automobile to a large-scale device.

The power supply voltage used for the cooling device can be freely selected from 12 V to 200 V depending on the size of the device.

[0009] The structure of the cooling device is such that a cooling water tank or a hermetically sealable container is incorporated into a freezer to be a single unit. In Fig. 1-a), a certain space is maintained between the inner wall surface of the freezer and the outer wall surface of the water tank to prevent freezing of water in the water tank, and the airtightness between the top lid of the freezer (openable / closable type) and the upper edge of the water tank. In order to maintain the condition, use a silicone packing material at the contact part between the upper lid and the upper part of the water tank, and fasten with a patch lock. In Fig. 1-b), a certain space is maintained between the inner wall surface of the freezer and the outer wall surface of the closed container to prevent freezing of water in the container, and the outside temperature is shut off by the upper lid (open / close type) of the freezer. . Further, in any of the structures, a stirrer or a motor having a stirrer is provided at the bottom of the container, and the water temperature in the container is uniformly maintained by rotating as required. In addition, for both structures, drains will be installed at the bottom of the container for drainage during cleaning after use.

[0010] The constituent materials of the cooling device are PVC (vinyl chloride), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PP (polypropylene), PE (polyethylene), PC (polycarbonate) in the water tank, and PP (polypropylene), PE ( Polyethylene), AS resin, and packing are made of materials that can maintain airtightness, such as silicone rubber and foamed PE (foamed polyethylene).

At the time of cooling, the food (including the packaged food) after the heating and cooking is placed in a container as it is or in a cage or the like and protected. At this time, if necessary, the stirrer installed inside the bottom of the container is forcibly rotated by a stirrer or a motor, and the centrifugal force is used to forcibly stir the cold water (including ice water) in the container to make the temperature uniform. To hold.

[0012]

[Embodiment of the invention]

 Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The cooling device of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-a) and 1-b). Fill the container in the freezer with water, set the temperature so that the water temperature is 1 ° C or less, switch on the cooling device, and operate the stirrer as necessary to cook the cooked food (packaged food). ).

[0014] From the menu provided at the health care facility, 22 kinds of dishes such as chicken and ginger are selected, sealed after heating and cooked, and then tested with a test device having the same function as the cooling device. After cooling to a central temperature of 3 ° C within 3 hours and performing low-temperature storage for 4 weeks, microbiological tests showed that it was safe.

[Effect of the invention]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. This device uses an extremely simple refrigeration facility to enable rapid cooling of packaged food or food after heating and cooking. In addition, this equipment has a refrigerator and a cooling container incorporated in the same equipment, and can be moved (with casters), fixed, mounted on a wall or mounted on a wall. It can be easily installed. Moreover, since the device is a single unit consisting of only a freezing unit, a container, and a stirring unit, it is superior in operability, workability, and maintenance and management compared to conventional cooling devices, and furthermore, costs such as initial and running costs are reduced. Can be greatly reduced.

By providing a certain space between the inner wall surface of the freezer and the outer wall surface of the cooling container and indirectly cooling the water in the cooling container, the water temperature can be maintained at 1 ° C. or lower (including a supercooled state). In addition, the power required for this cooling can be inexpensive late-night power, which reduces running costs.

When the water temperature in the container exceeds 1 ° C. (measured by a temperature sensor), a warning device is provided by a buzzer or the like.

According to the present invention, the food can be cooled to a predetermined temperature within the cooling time prescribed by the Food Sanitation Law, so that cooking management based on HACCP is easy, and the quality and safety of food are improved.

In addition, by cooking according to a series of cooking methods including the use of the cooling device according to the present invention, even a beginner can always obtain a finished product having a certain quality.

[0020] A variety of Japanese / Western / Chinese menus and meals according to disease conditions can be handled, and original menus and recipes can be developed for each company.

According to the present invention, it is shown that the food after heating and cooking is sealed and packaged, and then put into the cooling device, whereby the food can be cooled inexpensively and safely, and can be stored within four weeks after production at an appropriate refrigeration temperature. As a result, healthcare facilities can improve the selectivity of menus offered to diners and reduce the number of workers and work load on weekends by setting up weekdays.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1-a,

FIG. 1-b: The water temperature in the container incorporated in the freezer is 1 ° C.
A cooling device that can be maintained below and stirred as needed.

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] August 10, 2001 (2001.8.1)
0)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Claims for utility model registration

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Utility model registration claims]

[Claim 2] Delete ─────────

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] November 4, 2001 (2001.11.
4)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Claims for utility model registration

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Utility model registration claims]

Claims (2)

[Utility model registration claims] 1. A water tank or a sealable container is incorporated in a freezer, a water agitator is attached to the bottom, and a certain amount of water is poured to maintain a water temperature of 1 ° C. or less (including a supercooled state). (Including packaged food). This device has a temperature sensor and an alarm device for notifying by a buzzer or the like when the water temperature exceeds 1 ° C. 2. Using the cooling device, the food is cooked (the center temperature of the food is ≧ 85 ° C.), sealed and packaged, and cooled to 3 ° C. within 3 hours in the cooling device, and refrigerated at a low temperature. A cooking system that performs safe storage for up to 4 weeks.