JP7307916B2 - food washing equipment - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a food washing apparatus for washing food such as fruits and vegetables.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are food washing apparatuses that wash food using washing water having a sterilizing (sterilizing) action, such as electrolyzed water. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-50508 (Patent Document 1) proposes a food washing apparatus that uses a flow of electrolyzed water that has passed through a circulation path to wash food in a washing tank.

In the food washing apparatus of Patent Document 1, circulation of the electrolyzed water is started when the level of the electrolyzed water exceeds the medium level, and only circulation of the electrolyzed water is performed when the level of the electrolyzed water reaches the full level. Until the electrolyzed water reaches the full level from the middle level, the direction of the new electrolyzed water flowing from the water supply port and the flowing direction of the electrolyzed water (which has passed through the circulation path) from the return port are three-dimensional in the cleaning tank. A water supply port and a return port are provided at different heights on the side wall of the washing tank so as to intersect each other.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-50508

In a food cleaning apparatus such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, cleaning processing is performed in the same pattern regardless of the amount, type, degree of contamination, etc. of food to be cleaned. Therefore, for example, when the amount of food is small or the degree of contamination of the food is low, there is a risk of excessive washing. In addition, the user may feel that the washing time is long.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and its object is to provide a food washing apparatus capable of washing in a pattern suitable for the food to be washed. .

A food washing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a food washing apparatus that uses electrolyzed water to wash food in a washing tank, wherein one of three washing courses of a standard course, a small amount course, and a rapid course is selected. It comprises an instruction input means for allowing the user to select a cleaning course, a standard cleaning processing section, a small amount cleaning processing section, and a rapid cleaning processing section. When the standard course is selected, the standard cleaning processing unit stores electrolyzed water up to the first amount of water to perform sterilization cleaning, and then performs rinsing cleaning using tap water. When the small amount course is selected, the small amount cleaning processing part stores electrolyzed water up to a second amount of water smaller than the first amount of water to perform sterilization cleaning, and then performs rinsing cleaning using tap water. The rapid cleaning processing section performs only sterilization cleaning using electrolyzed water when the rapid course is selected.

Preferably, the food washing apparatus includes a circulation path for taking in the washing water from the washing tank and returning the taken washing water to the inside of the washing tank from a return port provided in the side wall of the washing tank, and an upper end of the washing tank. and an overflow port provided in the portion. In this case, it is desirable that the water level corresponding to the first amount of water is the water level near the overflow port, and the water level corresponding to the second amount of water is the water level slightly above the return port.

When the electrolyzed water in the cleaning tank reaches the water level corresponding to the first water volume during sterilization cleaning, the standard cleaning processing unit and the rapid cleaning processing unit start circulation processing of electrolyzed water through the circulation path. It is desirable to In addition, when the electrolyzed water in the cleaning tank reaches the water level corresponding to the second water volume during the sterilization cleaning, the small volume cleaning processing unit can start the circulation processing of the electrolyzed water through the circulation path. desirable.

Preferably, the standard washing processing unit stores tap water up to a first volume to perform rinsing, and the small volume cleaning processing unit stores up to a second volume of tap water to perform rinsing.

Preferably, the food washing apparatus stores a concentration sensor for measuring the concentration of electrolyzed water in the washing tank, and the washing results of the standard washing processing section, the small quantity washing processing section, and the rapid washing processing section as washing result data. and storage means. The cleaning result data desirably includes at least concentration data at the end of sterilization cleaning and time data for specifying cleaning time.

According to the present invention, the washing process can be performed in a pattern suitable for the food to be washed.

1(A) to 1(C) are diagrams showing an appearance example of a food washing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure which shows typically the piping structural example of the food washing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a washing tank of a food washing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. (A) is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a food washing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; (B) is a data structure of washing result data recorded on a recording medium in the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example; 4(A) and 4(B) are diagrams showing the arrangement of the suction port and the return port of the circulation path according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is a flow chart which shows basic operation of the food washing equipment concerning an embodiment of the invention. 4 is a flow chart showing sterilization cleaning processing in the embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a flow chart showing rinsing cleaning processing in the embodiment of the present invention. (A) to (C) are diagrams schematically showing the basic operation of the food washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows typically the operation display part in embodiment of this invention. (A) to (C) are time charts schematically showing cleaning patterns for each of three cleaning courses in the embodiment of the present invention.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

(About basic configuration)
First, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the basic configuration of a food washing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of the food washing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 1(A) shows a front view of the food washing apparatus 1, FIG. 1(B) shows a side view of the food washing apparatus 1, and FIG. 1(C) shows a top view of the food washing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a piping configuration example of the food washing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing the cleaning tank 10 of the food cleaning apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 3, arrow A1 indicates the upper direction of the cleaning tank 10, and arrow A2 indicates the front direction (forward) of the cleaning tank 10. As shown in FIG.

The food washing apparatus 1 includes, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped housing 90 and a washing tank 10 provided in the housing 90 . The cleaning tank 10 is, for example, a rectangular tank in plan view, and has a substantially rectangular bottom wall portion 31 and four side walls 32a to 32d whose lower ends are respectively connected to the four sides of the bottom wall portion 31. there is These side walls 32a to 32d form a side wall portion 32 having a rectangular tubular shape. In the illustrated example, the lateral width of the front and rear side walls 32a, 32c is greater than the lateral width of the left and right side walls 32b, 32d.

In this embodiment, the upper surface 91 of the housing 90 has no lid, and the cleaning tank 10 is exposed like a sink. The washing tank 10 is provided with a basket (not shown) for storing food as an object to be washed. The basket is formed of a net-like or mesh-like member provided with a plurality of holes for allowing water to pass through.

A water supply pipe 25 for supplying tap water to the cleaning tank 10 from above may be installed on the upper surface 91 of the housing 90 . An opening/closing door is provided on the front surface 92 of the housing 90 to allow inspection of the inside. An upright wall portion 94 that rises above the upper surface 91 is provided on the rear surface 93 side of the housing 90 , and an operation display portion 74 is provided on the surface of the upright wall portion 94 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the food washing apparatus 1 has, as a basic piping configuration, an electrolyzed water supply route 21, a tap water supply route 22, a circulation route 23, and a drainage route 26. .

The electrolyzed water supply path 21 is connected to the water supply port 11 as an electrolyzed water supply port provided in the side wall portion 32 of the cleaning tank 10 . A water supply valve 21a is provided on the supply path 21 and is controlled to open and close by a control device. When the water supply valve 21 a is open, electrolyzed water having a sterilizing effect is supplied to the cleaning tank 10 through the supply path 21 . The upstream end of the supply path 21 is connected to an electrolyzed water generator (not shown).

The electrolyzed water supplied via supply path 21 is, for example, slightly acidic electrolyzed water. The concentration of the electrolyzed water supplied through the supply path 21 is as high as 40 ppm or higher, preferably 45 ppm or higher. The concentration of the electrolyzed water supplied through the supply path 21 should be at least 20 ppm or more.

The tap water supply path 22 is provided independently of the water supply pipe 25 described above. The supply path 22 is a part of the water supply leading to the place where the food washing apparatus 1 is installed, and is connected to the water supply port 12 as a tap water supply port provided on the side wall portion 32 of the washing tank 10 . A water supply valve 22a that is controlled to open and close by a control device is provided on the supply path 22 . When the water supply valve 22 a is open, tap water is supplied to the cleaning tank 10 through the supply path 22 .

The drain path 26 is connected to the drain port 13 provided in the bottom wall portion 31 of the cleaning tank 10 . A drainage valve 26a is provided on the drainage path 26 and is controlled to open and close by a control device. When the drain valve 26 a is open, the cleaning water (including electrolyzed water and tap water) in the cleaning tank 10 is drained through the drain path 26 .

The circulation path 23 has one end connected to the suction port 17 provided in the cleaning tank 10 and the other end connected to the return port 16 provided in the cleaning tank 10 . Both the return port 16 and the suction port 17 are provided in the side wall portion 32 of the cleaning tank 10 . The circulation path 23 has a circulation pump 24 at an intermediate position. The electrolyzed water in the cleaning tank 10 circulates through the circulation path 23 by driving the circulation pump 24 .

As described above, in the present embodiment, the side wall portion 32 of the cleaning tank 10 has a plurality of openings, that is, the water supply port 11 for supplying electrolyzed water, the water supply port 12 for supplying tap water, and the water supply port 12 for supplying tap water. A suction port 17 for sucking the cleaning water in the tank 10 and a return port 16 for returning the suctioned cleaning water to the cleaning tank 10 are provided. The washing water discharged from the return port 16 is also called "circulating water" here. The manner in which these openings are arranged will be described later.

The side wall 32 of the wash tank 10 is also provided with a notch 34 for overflow water. The cutout portion 34 is formed in a substantially U shape so that the base is near the full water level. The vicinity of the full-water level is a height that is the same as the full-water level L1 or a height that differs from the full-water level L1 by, for example, 10 mm or less.

A recess is formed in the upper surface 91 of the housing 90 so as to be continuous with the notch 34 . This concave portion functions as a water receiving chamber 40 for receiving overflow water, and the water receiving chamber 40 is provided with a drain port for draining the overflow water to the outside, that is, the overflow port 15 .

The water receiving chamber 40 has a bottom surface 41 positioned at the same height as (or lower than) the lower end of the notch 34 and a rising surface 42 rising upward from the bottom surface 41 . That is, the bottom surface 41 is located at a height near the full water level L1. The overflow port 15 is desirably provided on the bottom surface 41 of the water receiving chamber 40 . As a result, the washing water (overflow water) exceeding the full water level L1 during the food washing period flows from the notch 34 into the water receiving chamber 40 arranged adjacent to the washing tank 10, and the water receiving chamber 40 overflows. Drains downward through port 15 . A drainage path (not shown) having one end connected to the overflow port 15 may merge with the drainage path 26 described above.

In this embodiment, the overflow port 15 is provided in the water receiving chamber 40 adjacent to the side wall portion 32 as described above, but this is not restrictive. The overflow port 15 may be provided at the upper end portion of the cleaning tank 10, and may be provided so as to penetrate the side wall portion 32, for example.

(About functional configuration)
Next, referring to FIG. 4, the functional configuration of the food washing apparatus 1 will be described. FIG. 4A is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the food washing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG.

In addition to the valves 21a, 22a, and 26a and the circulation pump 24 described above, the food washing apparatus 1 includes a concentration sensor 73, an operation display section 74, and a control device 50 electrically connected thereto.

A concentration sensor 73 detects the available chlorine concentration of the cleaning water in the cleaning tank 10 . A concentration sensor 73 is provided in the circulation path 23 . The circulation path 23 of the present embodiment includes a first path 23a from the suction port 17 to the circulation pump 24, a second path 23b from the circulation pump 24 to the return port 16, and a branch path 23c branching from the second path 23b. , and the concentration sensor 73 is provided in the branch path 23c. As a result, part of the wash water taken from the suction port 17 can be distributed to the branch path 23 c provided with the concentration sensor 73 by the driving force of the circulation pump 24 .

The electrolyzed water that has flowed into the branch path 23c is discharged as it is. The branch path 23c may merge with the drainage path 26 described above.

The operation display unit 74 includes, as shown in FIG. 10, an operation unit 76 for receiving instructions from the user, and a display unit 75 for displaying various information. The operation unit 76 includes a course selection button 77 for selecting a cleaning course and a start button 78 for starting cleaning. The course selection button 77 functions as instruction input means for allowing the user to select a cleaning course. By operating the course selection button 77, the user can select one of three cleaning courses, for example, the standard course, the small amount course, and the rapid course. Note that the instruction input means may be a voice input section for inputting the user's voice, or may recognize the voice input to the voice input section to specify the cleaning course.

The standard course is a course in which electrolyzed water is stored up to the full water level L1 and washed, and the small amount course is a course in which electrolyzed water is stored up to a predetermined level (hereinafter referred to as "medium level") L2 lower than the full water level L1 and washed. be. The middle level L2 is preferably 1/2 or more and 2/3 or less of the full water level L1. In the standard course and the small amount course, sterilization cleaning with electrolyzed water and rinsing cleaning with tap water are performed in order. The rapid course is a course in which rinsing and cleaning are omitted and only sterilization cleaning is performed. This is because rinsing is not automatic but manual (for example, rinsing with a shower or soaking in another sink containing water) shortens the time. As an example, the full water level L1 corresponds to, for example, 80L, and the medium level L2 corresponds to, for example, 50L.

The control device 50 includes a control unit 51 that performs various arithmetic processing, a storage unit 52 that stores various data and programs, a timer unit 53 that performs a timekeeping operation, and a detachable USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, for example. a recording medium 54. The clock unit 53 is a clock that measures the date and time.

The control unit 51 executes a program stored in advance in the storage unit 52 to perform food washing processing. Control unit 51 is realized by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 51 includes, as its functions, a standard cleaning processing unit 51A, a small amount cleaning processing unit 51B, and a rapid cleaning processing unit 51C.

When the standard course is selected by the user, the standard cleaning processing unit 51A accumulates electrolyzed water up to the amount of water (for example, 80 L) corresponding to the full water level L1 and performs sterilization cleaning, and then rinses with tap water. conduct. When the user selects the small amount course, the small amount cleaning processing unit 51B accumulates electrolyzed water up to the amount of water corresponding to the middle level L2 (for example, 50 L) and performs sterilization cleaning, and then rinses using tap water. conduct. The rapid cleaning processing unit 51C only performs sterilization cleaning using electrolyzed water when the user selects the rapid course.

The amount of tap water stored in the cleaning tank 10 during the rinsing performed by the standard cleaning processing unit 51A and the small-volume cleaning processing unit 51B is typically equal to the amount of electrolyzed water stored during the sterilization cleaning. . That is, the standard washing processing unit 51A stores tap water up to the full level L1 and performs rinsing, while the small amount cleaning processing unit 51B stores tap water up to the middle level L2 and performs rinsing. It should be noted that the amount of tap water stored in the rinsing of the standard course and the amount of tap water stored in the rinsing of the small amount course may be the same.

The recording medium 54 stores cleaning history information 55 . The cleaning history information 55 includes multiple pieces of cleaning result data. As shown in FIG. 4B, each cleaning result data 55a includes, for example, the date (year, month, day) when the cleaning processing units 51A to 51C performed the food cleaning processing, the start time, the start time (electrolytic water It contains a plurality of data indicating the concentration immediately after generation), the concentration at the completion of sterilization cleaning, the concentration at the completion of rinsing cleaning, and the end time. Since the concentration at the start corresponds to the concentration of electrolyzed water generated in the electrolyzed water generator, a predetermined value may be recorded as the concentration at the start. Alternatively, a concentration sensor (not shown) may be provided on the electrolytic water supply path 21 as well. In addition, when rapid course cleaning is performed, the concentration at the completion of rinsing is not included.

The cleaning result data 55a may include course identification data for identifying the cleaning course. In addition, the cleaning result data 55a includes data indicating the start time and the end time as time data for specifying the cleaning time. may contain data.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4A, the food washing apparatus 1 may further include a flow rate sensor 71 for detecting the flow rate of the tap water supplied into the washing tank 10 . This is because the supply amount (flow rate) of tap water through the tap water supply path 22 may increase or decrease depending on the installation location and usage environment of the food washing apparatus 1 . The flow rate sensor 71 is provided on the tap water supply path 22, as shown in FIG.

(Regarding the layout of the suction port and the return port of the circulation path)
The layout of the suction port 17 and the return port 16 of the circulation path 23 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 5. FIG. FIG. 5A conceptually shows the horizontal water flow generated in the cleaning tank 10, and FIG. 5B conceptually shows the vertical (vertical) water flow generated in the cleaning tank 10. shown in

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5B, the suction port 17 and the return port 16 are arranged below the full water level L1. That is, it is arranged below the overflow port 15 . Also, the suction port 17 and the return port 16 are arranged above the water supply ports 11 and 12 .

Specifically, the suction port 17 and the return port 16 are arranged at the same height as each other and at a position slightly lower than the middle level L2. In other words, the middle level L2 is a water level slightly above the suction port 17 and the return port 16 . As a result, it is possible to circulate and wash the food through the circulation path 23 even in the small quantity course. Moreover, short circuit of the circulating water discharged from the return port 16 can be prevented as compared with the form in which the suction port 17b is provided in the central portion of the bottom wall portion 31 (for example, at the position of the drain port 13). In other words, the water flow of the circulating water can be generated in a wide range inside the cleaning tank 10 .

In this embodiment, two suction ports 17 and two return ports 16 are provided. Specifically, the left side wall 32d is provided with a suction port 17a and a return port 16a, and the right side wall 32b is provided with a suction port 17b and a return port 16b. The right side wall 32b is the first side wall provided with the overflow port 15 (notch 34), and the left side wall 32d is the second side wall facing the first side wall. Each return port 16 is provided so that electrolyzed water flows out horizontally.

The two return ports 16 a and 16 b are arranged at diagonal positions of the side wall portion 32 . Two suction ports 17 a and 17 b are also arranged at diagonal positions of the side wall portion 32 . The return ports 16a, 16b and the suction ports 17a, 17b are provided near four corners of the side wall portion 32, respectively. As a result, the return port 16a is arranged directly in front of the suction port 17b, and the return port 16b is arranged directly in front of the suction port 17a. The water supply ports 11 and 12 provided on the left side wall 32b are arranged within a range between the suction port 17a and the return port 16a in plan view.

As a result, when the circulation pump 24 is driven in a state of medium level (the water level at which circulation and washing is possible) L2 or higher in the sterilization washing, as shown in FIG. Water flows from left to right along the inner surface of the side wall 32c on the back side of the cleaning tank 10, and electrolyzed water discharged from the return port 16b flows from the right side along the inner surface of the side wall 32a on the front side of the cleaning tank 10. flow to the left. Since the return ports 16a, 16b and the suction ports 17a, 17b are all at the same height and arranged at a position slightly lower than the middle level L2, at a position (circulation line) slightly lower than the middle level L2, A clockwise water flow F1 is generated in plan view.

In the present embodiment, the circulating water discharged from the return ports 16a and 16b flows along the side walls 32a and 32c perpendicular to (crossing) the side wall 32b provided with the overflow port 15. FIG. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the problem that the circulating water just discharged from the return ports 16a and 16b is discharged from the overflow port 15 immediately.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the water supply port 11 is desirably provided so that the electrolyzed water flows down toward the bottom wall portion 31 . In this case, the water supply port 11 is configured by, for example, a downward nozzle. Two water supply ports 11 may be arranged so as to sandwich the water supply port 12 for tap water. The tap water supply port 12 may be arranged at the same height as the electrolyzed water supply port 11, or may be arranged slightly above it. The tap water supply port 12 is also desirably composed of, for example, a downward nozzle so that the tap water flows down toward the bottom wall portion 31 .

When the supply of electrolyzed water and the circulation of electrolyzed water are performed in parallel, the electrolyzed water discharged from the water supply port 11 arranged at a relatively lower position together with the water flow F1 of the circulating water discharged from the return ports 16a and 16b. of water flow F2 is generated in the washing tank 10. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5B, electrolyzed water flowing downward from the water supply port 11 hits the bottom wall portion 31 vigorously, changes the water flow direction upward, and flows to the overflow port 15 . That is, the electrolyzed water discharged from the water supply port 11 generates a vertical (diagonally upward) water flow F2 from the left side wall 32d toward the right side wall 32b. As a result, the horizontal water flow F1 flowing along the inner periphery of the cleaning tank 10 (the inner surface of the side wall portion 32) and the vertical water flow F2 generated in the central portion of the cleaning tank 10 cause electrolysis. Since the water is agitated, the food can be washed efficiently.

According to the food washing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent a local decrease in concentration that may occur when the movement of the electrolyzed water in the washing tank 10 is insufficient. Also, the effective chlorine concentration in the cleaning tank 10 can be made uniform. In addition, since the cleaning method does not involve blowing air into the cleaning tank 10 or generating a strong stream of water, it is possible to prevent or suppress food damage during cleaning. In other words, you can gently wash the food without damaging it.

(About basic operation)
The basic operation of the food washing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9. FIG. 6 to 8 are flowcharts showing the (standard) food washing process executed by the control unit 51 of the food washing apparatus 1. FIG. FIG. 9A is a time chart showing the open/closed states of the valves 21a, 22a, and 26a and the ON/OFF state of the circulation pump 24 during the food washing period. , and hatching indicate when the circulation pump 24 is in the ON state. FIG. 9B is a graph schematically showing changes in the amount of water in the washing tank 10 during the food washing period. FIG. 9C is a diagram schematically showing transition of "remaining time" displayed on the display unit 75 during the food washing period.

The main routine of the food washing process shown in FIG. 6 is started when the user presses the start button 78 of the operation display unit 74 to input an instruction to start automatic operation. It is assumed here that the standard course has been selected. That is, the processing described below is processing executed by the standard cleaning processing section 51A of the control section 51, and FIG. 9 shows an operation example of the food cleaning apparatus 1 during the standard course.

The total washing time of the standard course is, for example, 21 minutes. In this case, typically, the sterilization cleaning time using electrolyzed water (t0 to t3) is 10 minutes, the draining time of electrolyzed water (t3 to t4) is 2.5 minutes, and the rinsing cleaning time using tap water. (t4 to t6) is 6 minutes, and tap water drainage time (t6 to t7) is 2.5 minutes (see FIG. 9). Before the food washing process is started, the valves 21a, 22a, 26a are closed and the circulation pump 24 is off.

The controller 51 first records the time indicated by the timer 53 in the internal memory as the start time (step S1). Further, the remaining time is displayed on the display section 75 (step S3). As shown in FIG. 9C, the remaining time displayed at the start of cleaning (time t0) is the time required for the standard course cleaning process, and is, for example, 21 minutes.

At the same time, the control unit 51 starts the sterilization cleaning process (step S5). The sterilization cleaning process will be described later with reference to a subroutine shown in FIG.

When the sterilization cleaning process is completed, the control unit 51 records the concentration measured by the concentration sensor 73 at the end of the sterilization cleaning (in step S113 of FIG. 7 described later) in the internal memory (step S7 ). During the sterilization cleaning process, the control unit 51 updates and displays the remaining time by, for example, one minute by timer count (the same applies to subsequent processes). As shown in FIG. 9(C), the remaining time at t3 when the sterilization cleaning process is finished is, for example, 11 minutes.

The control unit 51 also opens the drainage valve 26a to perform drainage processing (step S9). As a result, the electrolyzed water in the cleaning tank 10 is completely drained from the drain port 13 by its own weight.

When the drainage process is completed, the controller 51 closes the drainage valve 26a and starts the rinsing cleaning process (step S11). The rinse cleaning process will be described later with reference to a subroutine shown in FIG.

When the rinsing process is finished, the controller 51 records the concentration measured by the concentration sensor 73 at the end of the rinsing (in step S209 of FIG. 8, which will be described later) in the internal memory (step S13). The control unit 51 also opens the drainage valve 26a to perform drainage processing (step S15). When the drainage process is completed, the controller 51 records the time indicated by the timer 53 in the internal memory as the end time (step S17).

When the above processing is completed, the control unit 51 stores the various information recorded in the internal memory in the recording medium 54 as the current cleaning result data (step S19), and ends the series of cleaning processing. As shown in FIG. 9C, the remaining time at time t7 when a series of cleaning processes is finished is (ideally) 0 minutes.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the cleaning result data 55a as shown in FIG. 4B is recorded in the recording medium 54 each time food is washed, so that the cleaning history can be easily managed. can. The cleaning result data 55a may further record pH values at the start, completion of sterilization cleaning, and completion of rinsing cleaning. This makes it possible to more accurately grasp the ratio of hypochlorous acid molecules in the effective chlorine concentration at each time point. In this case, a pH sensor (not shown) may be provided along with the concentration sensor 73 in the branch path 23c.

Further, in the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the storage means for storing the cleaning result data 55a is the detachable recording medium 54, but the storage means is not limited. In that case, the cleaning result data 55a stored in the storage means may be wirelessly transmitted to another device via a communication I/F (interface) (not shown) each time the cleaning process is completed (or at regular intervals). good. That is, the control device 50 may have a communication I/F in place of (or in addition to) the recording medium 54 .

- Sterilization cleaning process A sterilization cleaning process is demonstrated with reference to FIG. 7 and FIG. The control unit 51 first executes the electrolyzed water storage process. That is, both the water supply valves 21a and 22a are opened to start supplying electrolytic water and tap water (step S101). As a result, electrolyzed water is supplied from the water supply port 11 and tap water is supplied from the water supply port 12 into the cleaning tank 10 .

The amount of tap water supplied through the tap water supply path 22 is larger than the amount of electrolyzed water supplied through the electrolyzed water supply path 21 . Specifically, the supply amount of tap water is desirably 1.5 times or more, for example, twice the supply amount of electrolyzed water. In the present embodiment, as an example, the supply amount of electrolyzed water is about 8 L/min, and the supply amount of tap water is (ideally) about 16 L/min.

The supply of tap water is continued until a predetermined time ta (for example, 3 minutes) elapses from the start (time t0) (NO in step S103). When the predetermined time ta has elapsed (YES in step S103), the water supply valve 22a is closed at that time (time t1) to stop the supply of tap water (step S105). Thereby, only the supply of electrolyzed water is continued. At time t1, the water level of the cleaning water (electrolyzed water) in the cleaning tank 10 is at the medium level L2 or higher (and below the full water level L1).

As shown in FIG. 9A, the electrolyzed water storage process is performed for ta+tb time. Therefore, the supply of electrolyzed water is continued until the predetermined time tb (for example, two minutes) elapses after the supply of tap water is stopped (NO in step S107). Note that the time tb is preferably shorter than the time ta. When the time tb has elapsed since the supply of tap water was stopped (YES in step S107), the circulation pump 24 is turned on at that time (time t2) to start the circulation process (step S109).

As shown in FIG. 9C, the remaining time at time t2 when the circulation process is started is, for example, 16 minutes. At time t2, the water level in the cleaning tank 10 has reached the full water level L1.

Thus, in the present embodiment, supply of electrolyzed water and supply of tap water are performed in parallel during a part of the water storage period (hereinafter referred to as "water storage period"). Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time for the electrolyzed water storage process. That is, the time required to store the electrolyzed water to the full water level L1 after starting the water storage process is longer than the time required to store the electrolyzed water in the cleaning tank 10 to the full water level L1 only by supplying the electrolyzed water. can be shortened. Therefore, the electrolyzed water circulation treatment can be started early.

Moreover, since tap water is supplied in parallel only during a part of the water storage period, it is possible to prevent the concentration of electrolyzed water in the cleaning tank 10 from becoming too low. In addition, although the concentration of the electrolyzed water decreases during the period of diluting the electrolyzed water with tap water, the electrolyzed water supplied from the electrolyzed water supply path 21 has a high concentration, so the sterilizing water is used throughout the water storage period. It is possible to secure a concentration that can function as Specifically, even when supplying electrolyzed water and tap water in parallel at the beginning of the water storage period (between t0 and t1) as in the present embodiment, at least 10 ppm Concentration can be secured. Moreover, since only electrolyzed water is supplied in the latter half of the water storage process (between t1 and t2), the concentration of electrolyzed water can be increased to about 40 ppm at the time when the circulation process is started (time t2).

In addition, in the present embodiment, the supply of electrolyzed water and the supply of tap water are performed in parallel at the beginning of the water storage period (between t0 and t1), and the amount of water in the cleaning tank 10 is increased at once. The food in 10 can be brought into contact with the electrolyzed water at an early stage. Therefore, there is also the effect of being able to quickly remove stains on food.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the supply of electrolyzed water is continued even during the period of circulation treatment (hereinafter referred to as "circulation period"). Therefore, during the entire circulation period, new electrolyzed water is supplied from the water supply port 11, electrolyzed water in the cleaning tank 10 is taken from the suction ports 17a and 17b, and the taken-in electrolyzed water flows through the circulation path 23. It is returned to the cleaning tank 10 through return ports 16a and 16b. Therefore, the food in the washing tank 10 can be efficiently disinfected and washed in a short period of time by the horizontal water flow F1 and the vertical water flow F2 generated in the washing tank 10 as shown in FIG.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the electrolyzed water in the cleaning tank 10 is allowed to overflow while the circulation cleaning is performed, the electrolyzed water discharged from the water supply port 11 flows into the cleaning tank 10 in the vertical direction toward the overflow port 15. Water flow F2 is likely to occur. Thereby, the electrolyzed water in the cleaning tank 10 can be effectively stirred. In addition, since the electrolyzed water in the cleaning tank 10 is gradually replaced with new high-concentration electrolyzed water while the floating matter in the cleaning tank 10 is discharged together with the overflow water, sterilization cleaning can be performed efficiently.

Also, when food is washed with electrolyzed water, it is generally washed with running water (overflow), but in the present embodiment, the food is washed using the water flow returned from the circulation path 23. , there is a water-saving effect compared to food washing equipment that only uses running water for washing.

When a predetermined time tc (for example, 5 minutes) has elapsed since the electrolyzed water circulation process was started (YES in step S111), control unit 51 measures the concentration of electrolyzed water at that time (time t3) (step S113). That is, based on the detection signal from the concentration sensor 73, the concentration of the electrolyzed water passing through the circulation path 23, that is, the concentration of the electrolyzed water in the cleaning tank 10 is measured.

During the circulating cleaning period, the electrolyzed water may always pass through the branch path 23c provided with the concentration sensor 73, or an opening/closing valve (not shown) may be provided in the branch path 23c to adjust the concentration. The electrolyzed water may pass through only when measuring. Further, it is desirable that the control unit 51 starts measurement by the concentration sensor 73 slightly before (about two minutes before) the time t3, and obtains the final result after the measured value is stabilized.

If the concentration of the electrolyzed water is less than the predetermined value (NO in step S115), it is determined that the sterilization is insufficient, and the process returns to step S111. That is, one more cycle of circulation cleaning is added. The predetermined value here indicates the lower limit of the allowable range, and is 10 ppm, for example. In this case, the control unit 51 adjusts the display of the remaining time so that it is the remaining time at the start of circulation (time t2) (step S117). Specifically, the remaining time is reset to "16 minutes", which is the display time "11 minutes" at the end of the sterilization cleaning (time t3) increased by the circulation cleaning time of one cycle (for example, 5 minutes). do.

If the concentration of electrolyzed water is equal to or higher than the predetermined value (YES in step S115), it is determined that sterilization is completed, and supply and circulation of electrolyzed water are stopped (step S119). That is, the water supply valve 21a is closed and the circulation pump 24 is turned off. This completes the sterilization cleaning process, and the process returns to the main routine.

- Rinse Cleaning Processing The rinsing cleaning processing will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 . The control unit 51 first executes tap water storage processing. That is, the water supply valve 22a is opened to start supplying tap water to the cleaning tank 10 (step S201). When a predetermined time td (for example, 5 minutes) has elapsed since the supply of tap water started (YES in step S203), circulation of washing water (tap water) is started while continuing to supply tap water (step S205). As shown in FIG. 9(B), when a predetermined time td has passed since the supply of tap water was started (time t5), the water level (water volume level) in the cleaning tank 10 is close to the full water level L1. has reached

The cleaning water circulation process is performed for a predetermined time te (for example, 1 minute). When the tap water supply port 12 is also provided facing downward in the same manner as the electrolyzed water supply port 11, as shown in FIG. , the food in the washing tank 10 can be washed efficiently. In rinsing, the supply of tap water may be stopped during the circulation process.

When a predetermined time te (for example, 1 minute) has elapsed since the start of the washing water circulation process (YES in step S207), the concentration of the washing water at that time (time t6) is measured (step S209). The supply and circulation of water are stopped (step S211). The concentration of the cleaning water in the cleaning tank 10 is measured based on the detection signal from the concentration sensor 73 in the same manner as described above. The rinsing cleaning process is completed as described above, and the process is returned to the main routine.

As described above, in the cleaning pattern of the standard course, in both the sterilization cleaning and the rinsing of the food, the cleaning water circulation process is started after the cleaning water reaches the full water level L1. That is, the standard cleaning processing unit 51A stores electrolyzed water to the full water level L1 to perform sterilization cleaning, and stores tap water to the full water level L1 to perform rinsing cleaning. Therefore, even if the amount of food is large or the degree of contamination of the food is high, the food can be washed effectively.

On the other hand, even when the amount of food is small or the degree of contamination of the food is low, washing with the standard course may result in excessive washing. In addition, the user may feel that the washing time is long. In the present embodiment, as described above, in addition to the standard course, the small amount course and the rapid course are provided, so that the washing process can be performed in a pattern suitable for the food to be washed.

FIG. 11 conceptually shows the difference in cleaning times of the three cleaning courses. The time chart of FIG. 11(A) showing the cleaning pattern of the standard course is the same as the time chart of FIG. 9(A). As shown in FIG. 11(B), in the rapid course, sterilization cleaning is performed in exactly the same pattern as the sterilization cleaning in the standard course, and rinsing is omitted, so drainage after sterilization cleaning is completed. At time t4, the cleaning process is completed. The total washing time of the rapid course (time from t0 to t4) is, for example, 13 minutes.

As shown in FIG. 11(C), in the small course, the amount of wash water stored in the cleaning tank 10 for the disinfecting cleaning and rinsing is equal to the amount of cleaning water stored in the standard course for disinfecting cleaning and rinsing. less than water. Therefore, the time (ta'+tb') required for storing electrolyzed water in the small amount course is shorter than the time (ta+tb) required in the standard course. In addition, the time (td') required for tap water storage treatment in the small amount course is shorter than the time (td) required in the standard course. The total cleaning time of the small amount course (time from t0 to t7') is, for example, 16 minutes.

In this embodiment, the user can select a cleaning course by operating the course selection button 77, so that user satisfaction can be improved.

The washing pattern of the small course and the washing pattern of the rapid course can also be used for applications other than food washing. Specifically, the circulation path 23 can be sterilized by performing the cleaning process by the small amount course after using the food cleaning apparatus 1 (that is, after cleaning the food). This can prevent the circulation path 23 from rusting. In addition, by performing the rapid course cleaning process before using the food cleaning apparatus 1 (that is, before cleaning the food), it is possible to remove organic matter adhering to the cleaning tank 10 or the circulation path 23. .

In this way, the washing pattern of the small amount course and the washing pattern of the rapid course can be used for maintenance of the food washing apparatus 1, so that user satisfaction can be further improved.

In the present embodiment, the water supply control of electrolyzed water and tap water is performed on a time base (ta, tb, td), but this is not restrictive. For example, a water level sensor (not shown) may be provided in the cleaning tank 10, and water supply control may be performed according to the water level detected by the water level sensor.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the concentration of washing water is measured and recorded in both disinfecting and rinsing of food, but this is not essential in rinsing. That is, the cleaning result data 55a shown in FIG. 4B may not include the concentration data at the completion of the rinse cleaning. The cleaning result data 55a should include at least the concentration data at the completion of the sterilization cleaning.

Alternatively, when measuring the concentration during rinsing, if the measured concentration is, for example, 1 ppm or more, add another cycle of tap water circulation treatment as in the case of disinfection washing. good too.

It should be considered that the embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of the claims rather than the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning of equivalents of the scope of the claims.

1 food washing apparatus 10 washing tank 11 electrolyzed water supply port 12 tap water supply port 13 drain port 15 overflow port 16, 16a, 16b return port 17, 17a, 17b suction port 21 electrolyzed water supply path , 22 Tap water supply path, 23 Circulation path, 24 Circulation pump, 26 Drainage path, 31 Bottom wall part, 32 Side wall part, 50 Control device, 51 Control part, 51A Standard washing processing part, 51B Small amount washing processing part, 51C Rapid Cleaning processing unit 52 Storage unit 53 Timekeeping unit 54 Recording medium 71 Flow sensor 73 Concentration sensor 74 Operation display unit 90 Case L1 Full water level L2 Intermediate level.

Claims (4)

A food washing apparatus for washing food in a washing tank using electrolyzed water,
A washing tank for storing food, which is an object to be washed, provided with an overflow port at an upper end portion and having a first water supply port, a second water supply port, a suction port, and a return port on a side wall portion. ,
an electrolyzed water supply path for supplying electrolyzed water from the first water supply port to the cleaning tank;
a tap water supply path for supplying tap water from the second water supply port to the cleaning tank;
a circulation path that returns electrolyzed water taken from the suction port to the cleaning tank from the return port,
the first water supply port and the second water supply port are positioned below the suction port and the return port;
instruction input means for allowing the user to select one cleaning course from among three cleaning courses, a standard course, a small amount course, and a rapid course;
When the standard course is selected, electrolyzed water is supplied up to a first amount of water corresponding to the water level near the overflow port , and the electrolyzed water is discharged from the first water supply port through the circulation path. A standard cleaning processing unit that performs rinsing cleaning using tap water after performing sterilization cleaning by circulating electrolyzed water ,
In response to the selection of the small amount course, electrolyzed water is supplied up to a second water amount that is less than the first water amount and corresponds to the water level between the overflow port and the return port , and 1 a small amount cleaning processing unit that performs rinsing cleaning using tap water after performing sterilization cleaning by circulating electrolyzed water through the circulation path while discharging electrolyzed water from the water supply port;
When the rapid course is selected, the electrolyzed water discharged from the first water supply port is supplied up to the first water volume, and the electrolyzed water is discharged from the first water supply port through the circulation path. and a rapid washing processing unit that only performs sterilization washing by circulating electrolyzed water through a food washing apparatus. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least said first water supply port, out of said first water supply port and said second water supply port, is configured by a downward nozzle so as to flow down toward a bottom wall portion of said cleaning tank. food cleaning equipment. The standard washing processing unit stores tap water up to the first amount of water and performs rinsing washing,
3. The food washing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said small-volume washing processing unit stores tap water up to said second amount of water to perform rinsing washing. a concentration sensor for measuring the concentration of electrolyzed water in the cleaning tank;
further comprising storage means for storing cleaning results by the standard cleaning processing unit, the small amount cleaning processing unit, and the rapid cleaning processing unit as cleaning result data;
The food washing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein said washing result data includes at least concentration data at the end of sterilization washing and time data for specifying washing time.

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