JP7564545B2 - Method for separating and removing foreign matter from liquid chocolate solution - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a foreign matter separation and removal device. In particular, it relates to a foreign matter separation and removal device used to separate and remove foreign matter contained in liquid food and beverages that have fluidity.

The task of separating and removing foreign matter contained in liquid foods and beverages is carried out in a variety of food and beverage fields.

For example, if the food or beverage is chocolate, when removing foreign matter such as lumps that are produced during the chocolate manufacturing process, work may be carried out to remove foreign matter such as lumps contained in the liquid chocolate solution from the liquid chocolate solution that has fluidity.

In addition, when chocolate is reused after it has been used as a confectionery product, the chocolate product in which the chocolate is used may be melted to produce a liquid chocolate solution with flowability, and then foreign matter contained in the chocolate solution, such as pieces of peanuts or ingredients such as puffs, may be removed.

In the field of chocolate products, a separation screen has traditionally been used for this type of work, with a small-diameter inlet at the top vertical end and multiple through holes in a truncated cone-shaped wall that becomes larger in diameter toward the bottom vertical end.

A liquid chocolate solution having fluidity is poured into the inlet, and the above-mentioned lumps that cannot pass through the multiple holes, as well as foreign matter such as ingredients, are separated from the chocolate solution that is discharged to the outside of the separation screen through the multiple holes.

In conventional chocolate production processes using the above-mentioned separation screen, the above-mentioned lumps and other foreign matter such as ingredients remain on the inner wall of the truncated cone-shaped separation screen, making it necessary to remove these. Each time the above-mentioned process is performed, the separation screen must be removed, and the above-mentioned lumps and other foreign matter such as ingredients remaining on the inner wall of the separation screen must be removed, and then the separation screen must be replaced again.

Meanwhile, in the food and beverage industry, there have been proposals for devices that use centrifugal separation to separate and remove foreign matter, such as debris, from fluid liquids.

For example, Patent Document 1 proposes using centrifugal force to remove fried food particles that are generated when cooking deep-fried foods such as tempura and fried chicken from oil.

Utility Model Registration No. 3205244

The purpose of this invention is to propose a foreign matter separation and removal device that is used to separate and remove foreign matter contained in liquid food and beverages that have fluidity.

[1]
a separation screen having a large-diameter inlet portion at the upper end in the vertical direction and a plurality of through holes in a wall surface of an inverted truncated cone shape with a diameter decreasing toward the lower end in the vertical direction, through which liquid food and drink having fluidity to be subjected to a foreign matter separation process is introduced into the inlet portion;
A rotation drive unit that rotates the separation screen in a circumferential direction;
A foreign matter separating and removing device comprising: a storage section disposed on the outer periphery of the wall surface for storing the food and drink after the foreign matter separation process that has passed through the through hole toward the outside of the wall surface.
[2]
The foreign matter separation and removal device of [1] further comprising a foreign matter storage section disposed on the outer periphery of the inlet section of the separation screen.
[3]
The foreign matter separation and removal device according to [1] or [2], wherein the liquid food or beverage having fluidity is chocolate.
[4]
The foreign matter which cannot pass through the through hole and is separated and removed is lumps formed during the chocolate manufacturing process, or ingredients contained in the chocolate product which are contained in a liquid chocolate solution having fluidity obtained by dissolving the chocolate product.

It is possible to provide a foreign matter separation and removal device that can be used to separate and remove foreign matter contained in liquid food and beverages that have fluidity.

This foreign matter separation and removal device eliminates the need to remove the separated and removed foreign matter from within the device after the foreign matter separation and removal process, or can significantly reduce the time required for this removal work.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a foreign matter separating and removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic plan view of a foreign matter separating and removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a foreign matter separating and removing device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The foreign matter separation and removal device of this embodiment is used to separate and remove foreign matter contained in liquid food and beverages that have fluidity.

In this embodiment, the foreign matter separation and removal device is used to remove foreign matter such as lumps that may form during the chocolate manufacturing process from a liquid chocolate solution, or to melt a chocolate product containing chocolate to make a liquid chocolate solution with a fluidity, and then remove foreign matter such as peanut pieces and ingredients such as puffs that are contained in the chocolate solution, in order to reuse chocolate that has been used in confectionery products, etc.

The foreign matter separation and removal device 1 is equipped with a separation screen 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the separation screen 2 has a large-diameter inlet 4 at the top end in the vertical direction, and a wall surface 5 in the shape of an inverted truncated cone, the diameter of which decreases toward the bottom end in the vertical direction, is provided with multiple through holes 6 (FIG. 2).

The foreign matter separation and removal device 1 further includes a rotation drive unit 3 that rotates the separation screen 2 in the circumferential direction indicated by the arrow 10 in FIG. 2.

When the liquid food or drink having fluidity that is to be subjected to the foreign matter separation and removal process is chocolate, and foreign matter such as lumps that are formed during the chocolate manufacturing process are to be removed, the liquid chocolate solution having fluidity is fed into the feed section 4 of the separation screen 2, which is rotated in the circumferential direction by the rotary drive section 3, as shown by the arrow 11 in Figure 1. As a result, foreign matter such as lumps that are too large to pass through the through holes 6 are separated from the chocolate solution.

In addition, when the liquid food or drink having fluidity that is subjected to the foreign matter separation and removal process is chocolate, and the chocolate is to be reused after it has been used as a confectionery product or the like, the chocolate product containing the chocolate is melted to produce a liquid chocolate solution having fluidity, and the chocolate solution is then fed into the feed section 4 of the separation screen 2, which is rotated in the circumferential direction by the rotary drive section 3, as shown by the arrow 11 in FIG. 1. This separates foreign matter such as pieces of peanuts and ingredients such as puffs that are too large to pass through the through holes 6 from the chocolate solution.

In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the inlet 4 is 332 mm, the vertical (up-down) height of the wall 5 is 170 mm, and the opening angle of the inverted cone-shaped wall 5 is set to 70 degrees as shown in Figure 1. The wall 5 is made of punched metal with multiple through holes 6 with a diameter of 0.8 mm.

The size of the inverted truncated cone-shaped separation screen 2 (the inner diameter of the inlet 4, the vertical (up-down) height of the wall 5, and the opening angle of the inverted truncated cone-shaped wall 5) can be appropriately set to a preferred size depending on the liquid food and drink with fluidity that is to be subjected to the foreign matter separation process and the foreign matter to be separated (for example, foreign matter such as lumps that are generated during the chocolate manufacturing process, or ingredients such as peanut pieces and puffs that were contained in the chocolate confectionery product to be reused, etc.).

The size of the through hole 6 can be set according to the size of the foreign matter (e.g., peanut pieces, puffs, etc.) contained in the chocolate solution to be separated, and can be set to various sizes within the range of an average diameter of 0.6 mm to 1.2 mm, for example.

The size of the through hole 6 can be set within the aforementioned range according to the liquid food or drink having fluidity to be subjected to the foreign body separation process and the foreign body to be separated (for example, foreign bodies such as lumps formed during the chocolate manufacturing process, or ingredients such as peanut pieces or puffs contained in a chocolate confectionery product to be recycled, etc.).

In this embodiment, the ratio of the total area of the multiple through holes 6 to the total area of the inner circumferential surface of the wall surface 5, i.e., the opening rate, is 25.8%.

The opening rate can be set arbitrarily within the range of 22.3% to 40.3%, taking into consideration the efficiency of the foreign body separation process. The opening rate can be set in various ways within the aforementioned range depending on the liquid food or drink having fluidity to be subjected to the foreign body separation process and the foreign body to be separated (for example, foreign bodies such as lumps that are generated during the chocolate manufacturing process, or ingredients such as peanut pieces and puffs that were contained in the chocolate confectionery product to be reused, etc.).

In this embodiment, the separation screen 2 is made of punched metal, but the separation screen 2 can also be made of a mesh or netting material as long as the size and opening ratio of the openings 6 described above are met.

In this embodiment, the separation screen 2 is rotated at 1,500 rpm in the circumferential direction indicated by the arrow 10 by the rotary drive unit 3.

The rotation speed can be set appropriately within the range of 580 to 1730 rpm depending on the liquid food or drink with fluidity that is to be subjected to the foreign body separation process and the foreign body to be separated (for example, foreign bodies such as lumps that arise during the chocolate manufacturing process, or ingredients such as peanut pieces and puffs that were contained in chocolate confectionery products to be recycled, etc.).

As described above, the foreign matter separated from the chocolate solution fed into the feed section 4 of the separation screen 2 is gradually moved from the lower end of the inverted truncated cone-shaped wall surface 5 toward the upper end thereof as indicated by arrow 12 by the centrifugal force generated by the circumferential rotation of the inverted truncated cone-shaped wall surface 5, and is then discharged to the outside from the upper outer periphery of the feed opening section 4 as indicated by arrow 13.

The size of the inverted truncated cone-shaped separation screen 2 (the inner diameter of the inlet 4, the vertical (up-down) height of the wall 5, and the opening angle of the inverted cone-shaped wall 5), the size of the through holes 6, the opening ratio, and the range of the number of rotations (rotation speed) at which the separation screen 2 rotates in the circumferential direction indicated by the arrow 10 are set as preferred ranges for efficiently separating and removing foreign matter (e.g., foreign matter such as lumps formed during the chocolate manufacturing process, foreign matter such as peanut pieces and ingredients such as puffs that were contained in the chocolate product) from liquid food and drink (e.g., a liquid chocolate solution having a fluidity that removes foreign matter such as lumps formed during the chocolate manufacturing process, or a liquid chocolate solution having a fluidity obtained by dissolving a chocolate product in which chocolate is used to reuse chocolate once used as a confectionery product, etc.) using the above-mentioned centrifugation method.

Depending on the properties and characteristics of the liquid food and drink having fluidity that is to be subjected to the foreign matter separation process using the above-mentioned centrifugation method, and the size, properties and characteristics of the foreign matter to be separated from the liquid food and drink having fluidity, the size of the inverted truncated cone-shaped separation screen 2 (the inner diameter of the inlet 4, the vertical (up-down) height of the wall surface 5, and the opening angle of the inverted truncated cone-shaped wall surface 5), the size of the through holes 6, the opening ratio, the number of rotations (rotation speed) at which the separation screen 2 is rotated in the circumferential direction indicated by the arrow 10, etc., can be appropriately set within the respective ranges described above to a preferred size and number of rotations (rotation speed) that can efficiently separate and remove foreign matter using the above-mentioned centrifugation method.

Thus, after the foreign matter separation and removal process is completed using the foreign matter separation and removal device 1 of this embodiment, it is not necessary to remove the separation screen 2 from the foreign matter separation and removal device 1, perform the process of removing the foreign matter remaining in the separation screen 2, and then return the separation screen 2 to the foreign matter separation and removal device 1 again to prepare for the next foreign matter separation and removal process. Alternatively, even if it is necessary to remove the foreign matter remaining in the separation screen 2, the above-mentioned centrifugal separation method causes the foreign matter to gradually move from the lower end side to the upper end direction of the inverted truncated cone-shaped wall surface 5 as shown by arrow 12 in FIG. 1, and is discharged to the outside from the upper outer periphery of the inlet portion 4 as shown by arrow 13, so that the time required for the removal process can be significantly reduced.

Therefore, after the foreign matter separation and removal process, it is not necessary to remove the separated and removed foreign matter from inside the foreign matter separation and removal device, or the time required for this removal operation can be significantly reduced.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, a foreign object storage section 8 is provided on the outer periphery of the inlet section 4 of the separation screen 2. The rest of the structure is the same as that shown in Figures 1 and 2, so the same reference numerals are used for the common members and their explanations are omitted.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the liquid chocolate solution obtained by dissolving the chocolate product to be recycled is poured into the inlet 4 of the separation screen 2, as shown by the arrow 11, through the central opening 9a of the lid 9 that covers the upper opening of the foreign matter storage section 8.

After the foreign matter is separated, the chocolate solution passes through the through hole 6 toward the outside of the wall surface 5, as shown by the arrow 14, and is stored in the chocolate solution storage section 7 arranged on the outer periphery of the wall surface 5, and is discharged to the next process, as shown by the arrow 15.

On the other hand, as described above, as shown by arrow 13, foreign matter discharged from the upper outer periphery of the inlet portion 4 toward the outside is contained within the foreign matter storage portion 8, and can be removed from the foreign matter storage portion 8 using a spatula or the like.

This allows the foreign matter to be easily removed after it has been separated and removed, and significantly reduces the time required to remove the separated and removed foreign matter from the foreign matter separation and removal device after the foreign matter separation and removal process.

Although not shown in FIG. 3, a downward incline can be provided on the bottom surface of the foreign object storage section 8, so that foreign objects discharged into the foreign object storage section 8 from the upper outer periphery of the inlet section 4 as shown by arrow 13 automatically move downward along the incline. In this case, a discharge outlet can be provided at the lowest point of the downward incline, so that foreign objects discharged into the foreign object storage section 8 automatically move along the incline to the discharge outlet and are discharged.

In addition, although not shown, a heater or other heat-retaining means may be attached to the foreign object storage section 8, so that foreign objects discharged into the foreign object storage section 8 from the outer periphery of the upper end of the inlet section 4 as shown by the arrow 13 can be kept warm within the foreign object storage section 8.

As described above, when the foreign matter separation and removal device of this embodiment is used in the process of removing foreign matter such as lumps that are formed during the chocolate manufacturing process, or in the process of melting a chocolate product containing chocolate to make a liquid chocolate solution with fluidity in order to reuse the chocolate that has been used once as a confectionery product, etc., and then removing foreign matter consisting of ingredients such as peanut pieces and puffs contained in the chocolate solution, the lumps and ingredients contained in the melted chocolate product (e.g., peanut pieces, puffs, etc.) can be efficiently separated and removed by the centrifuge method.

Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above using the attached drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the technical scope as understood from the description of the claims.

For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the work was described as removing foreign matter such as lumps that are produced during the chocolate manufacturing process, and in order to reuse chocolate that has been used once as a confectionery product, the chocolate product containing chocolate is melted to produce a liquid chocolate solution with fluidity, and then foreign matter consisting of ingredients such as peanut pieces and puffs contained in the chocolate solution is removed. However, the foreign matter separation and removal device of this embodiment can be used to separate and remove various foreign matter contained in food and beverages from liquid foods and beverages with various fluidities.

In this case, depending on the liquid food or drink having fluidity to be subjected to the foreign body separation process and the foreign bodies to be separated and removed from the liquid food or drink, the size of the inverted truncated cone-shaped separation screen 2 (the inner diameter of the inlet 4, the vertical (up-down) height of the wall surface 5, and the opening angle of the inverted truncated cone-shaped wall surface 5), the size of the through holes 6, the opening ratio, and the number of rotations (rotational speed) at which the separation screen 2 is rotated in the circumferential direction indicated by the arrow 10 will be set to preferred sizes and numbers of rotations (rotational speeds) within the respective ranges described above.

Claims (1)

a separation screen having a large-diameter inlet at the top end in the vertical direction and a plurality of through holes in a wall surface of an inverted truncated cone shape with a diameter decreasing toward the bottom end in the vertical direction, through which a liquid chocolate solution having fluidity and to be subjected to a foreign matter separation process is introduced;
A rotation drive unit that rotates the separation screen in a circumferential direction;
a container section disposed on the outer periphery of the wall surface for containing the liquid chocolate solution after the foreign matter separation process that has passed through the through hole toward the outside of the wall surface.
Using
The liquid chocolate solution containing lumps as foreign matter, or the liquid chocolate solution obtained by dissolving a chocolate product in which chocolate is used and containing ingredients used in the chocolate product as foreign matter, is poured into the feed section of the separating screen which is rotated in a circumferential direction by the rotary drive section;
The liquid chocolate solution from which the foreign matter has been separated and removed is passed through the through holes, which are set to a size that does not allow the foreign matter to pass through, toward the outside of the wall surface of the separation screen,
The foreign matter that cannot pass through the through holes, which are set to a size that does not allow the foreign matter to pass through, is moved from the lower end side of the inverted truncated cone-shaped wall surface toward the upper end side by centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the inverted truncated cone-shaped wall surface in the circumferential direction, and is discharged to the outside from the upper outer periphery of the inlet portion.
This method separates and removes the foreign matter from the liquid chocolate solution .

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