JPH0789870B2 - Tea leaf refining method and refining machine - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tea leaf refining method and a refining machine used in a refining process in tea making.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a refiner, in order to adjust the moisture remaining in the processed tea leaves and to shape the straightening or needle shape peculiar to sencha, the processed tea leaves are heated by a kneading plate while being heated in a soft-drying kettle. On the other hand, tea was produced by applying a predetermined pressure and twist.

However, since the properties of the fresh leaves are not always constant depending on the harvesting time, the harvesting area, the climate at the time of harvesting, the varieties, etc., the processing conditions for the above-mentioned scouring of the fresh leaves are changed according to the fresh leaves each time. Need to change.

This processing condition is performed by experience by a skilled worker or by a timer operation in which the refining time and the heavy pressure are preset based on this experience.

However, as the number of skilled workers decreases year by year, in a tea factory where high temperature and noise coexist, it is a great labor burden to work closely in the vicinity of the kneading machine. In addition, the timer operation performed to eliminate this labor burden is to change the mass of tea leaves to be kneaded, that is, the weight position linked to the kneading plate, by a preset time control. Does not necessarily match the residual water content and shape of the tea leaves as the processing progresses, so it is difficult to form the desired needle-like shape, and the tea leaves become flat and flat,
The tea leaves are sticky due to the large amount of residual water, and the tea leaves become lumpy due to lack of water due to excessive pressure, and the tea leaves are rubbed against each other, causing a so-called white shift phenomenon. There was a problem that becomes.

[0006]

Therefore, in the tea manufacturing industry, there is a strong demand for the advent of a refining machine that automates the refining process and makes the refining work unmanned or labor-saving as much as possible to improve the working environment. It was what was there.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned needs, and an electrode is provided on the pressing member of the pressing plate in the tea-drying part of the tea-drying pot, and the soft-drying tea leaves abutting on the electrode are provided. By changing the heavy pressure applied to the tea leaves by the press platen in the tea leaf soft-drying kettle in accordance with the current value measured by the water content of the tea leaves, the tea leaves are formed into needles with a regular shape and are properly formed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a tea leaf refining method and a refining machine that can be processed into excellent tea with a residual water content and further reduce the working time in the refining machine as much as possible to improve the working environment.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems The means of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is to provide an electrode on a pressing member projecting substantially in the center of a pressing plate in a precision kneader and to contact the electrode. The dry tea leaves are energized, and in response to the output signal of the current value measured by the water content of the tea leaves, the control means changes the pressurization state to the pressing platen by the heavy pressure applying means, and the heavy pressure applied to the tea leaves is changed. It is in the method of refining tea leaves that changes.

[0009] Further, there is a tea leaf refining method for taking out the tea leaf when the measured current value with respect to the water content of the processed tea leaf reaches a set reference value.

An arc-shaped kneading plate is provided at the center of the soft-drying pot, and a kneading plate is provided on the kneading plate that is oscillated back and forth and up and down by a pressure applying means, and is linked to the arc-shaped kneading plate. In the refiner consisting of the tea leaf extracting means,
An electrode provided in the tea leaf soft-drying pot in the tea leaf soft-drying pot so as to come into contact with the softening tea leaf, and a current value measured by the electrode is converted into an output signal, and the heavy pressure applying means is appropriately operated. And a control means, wherein the electrode has a structure of a tea-leaf kneading machine provided on a kneading member projecting substantially in the center of a kneading plate.

[0011]

The present invention configured as described above has the following operations. After setting the heavy pressure applying means to a predetermined heavy pressure, the kneading plate is driven, and when the tea leaves are put into the arc-shaped kneading plate of the tea leaf soft-drying kettle, the tea leaves are kneaded and twisted by the kneading plate and the kneading plate in the soft-drying kettle. Is performed.

[0012] In this process, the tea leaves are gradually dried into needle-like shapes while being dried while rolling on a kneading machine and circulating in a soft-drying kettle, causing softening of the tea leaves and evaporation of water by heating. The electrode provided on the pressing member projecting substantially in the center of the pressing plate in the soft-drying portion of the tea leaf in the soft-drying kettle is always in contact with the processed tea leaf and corresponds to the residual water content of the tea leaf. The current value is measured and sent to the control means.

Particularly, since the electrode is provided on the pressing member of the pressing plate which is constantly in contact with the mass of the tea leaves being rubbed,
It is possible to continuously measure the tea leaves during the rectification without interruption, and the electrodes are always in contact with the lumps of the tea leaves divided by the crushing member, so that the measurement can be performed with high accuracy.

When the current value reaches a predetermined set value, the pressure applied to the tea leaves on the kneading plate is changed by operating the heavy pressure adding device according to the signal output from the control device. The conditions for rubbing the upper tea leaves changed,
Rubbing is performed according to the remaining amount of water in the tea leaves.

Further, when the refinement process progresses and the current value by the electrode reaches a constant set reference value (end of refinement), the processed tea leaves are taken out by a known takeout means in the refiner. is there.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a tea leaf refining method and refining machine according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, reference numeral A is a tea making and kneading machine, which basically comprises a tea leaf soft-drying pot 1, a heavy pressure applying means 2, and a processed tea leaf taking-out means 3.

A large number, for example four (only one is shown in the figure) of the tea leaf soft-drying pots 1 are arranged in parallel in the refiner A, and an uneven surface is formed on the upper surface at the center thereof. An arc-shaped ladle 5 provided with a duck 4 is provided, arc-shaped reciprocating gutters 6, 6 are arranged on the front side and the rear side of the arc-shaped ladle 5, and further, on the left and right sides of the arc-shaped ladle 5. The drying grooves 7 and 7 are provided respectively, and the arc-shaped lathe 5 is also provided.
A pressing plate 8 is provided above the above.

The kneading plate 8 applies a predetermined pressure and twist to the tea leaves on the arc-shaped kneading plate 5 to evaporate the core water of the tea leaves by a predetermined amount and shape it into a needle-shaped bar. An upper part is swingably suspended by a link 11 to a swing frame 10 that is swung in the front-back direction by a main shaft 9 located at the center of the arc of the arc-shaped lathe 5. A wooden pressing member 12 having a triangular cross-section with its top facing the arc-shaped pressing plate 5 is attached so as to be parallel to the duck 4, and the pressing plate 8 is attached.
When the tea leaves on the arc-shaped kneading plate 5 are rotated back and forth while being swung, the lumps that were lumped at the time of loading are loosened to a predetermined degree, and the tea leaves surface is provided with gloss and luster.

As shown in FIG. 2, reciprocating brooms 13 and 13 that move in the drying grooves 7 and 7 are attached to the main shaft 9 and reciprocally by a reciprocating means (not shown) such as a crank. Then, the processed tea leaves that have been swung in the front-back direction and dropped from the arc-shaped massaging disc 5 into the drying grooves 7 and 7 are swept up to the reciprocating troughs 6 and 6.

Above the reciprocating gutters 6 and 6, rotating brooms 14 and 14 are rotatably supported by shafts 15 and 15, respectively.
The processed tea leaves on the reciprocating troughs 6, 6 are swept into the arc-shaped massaging board 5 by rotating toward the arc-shaped massaging board 5.

The above-mentioned heavy pressure applying means 2 applies a predetermined pressure to the tea leaves on the arc-shaped massaging plate 5 by the massaging plate 8.
A conventional weight type is adopted. A weight rod 18 having an intermediate portion swingably supported by a horizontal rod 17 by a linkage rod 16 is linked to the upper center of the pressing platen 8, and a heavy pressure is applied to the weight rod 18. An additional weight 19 is movably mounted.

The weight 19 has a pinion 21 that meshes with a rack 20 of the weight rod 18 and a driving means 22 such as a motor.
It can be automatically moved to an arbitrary position of the weight rod 18 by being driven by, and can be manually moved by pushing and pulling a handle 23 attached to the weight 19.

A pair of electrodes 24, 24 for measuring the residual water content of the tea leaves are provided in the soft-dry portion of the tea leaves in the above-mentioned soft-dry pot 1 for processing food such as stainless steel, gold and platinum. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, it is attached to the pressing member 12 of the pressing platen 8 by a non-supporting electrically conductive material.

The electrodes 24, 24 attached to the pressing member 12
3, a band-shaped plate material having a width of about 40 mm formed of stainless steel is bent in accordance with the cross-sectional shape of the pressing member 12 as shown in FIGS. An interval of about 20 mm is provided and fixed on both sides by a fixing means such as an adhesive so as to be in close contact with the outer circumference. The other end of the wiring 25 whose one end is extended to the outside of the pressing plate 8 The ends are connected.

The electrode 2 is attached to the pressing member 12 of the pressing plate 8.
By providing the electrodes 4 and 24, the electrodes 24 and 24 are attached to the mass of the tea leaves being rubbed even when the crushing platen 8 swings left and right on the crushing plate 5 as shown in FIG. Since the 24 is constantly in contact, the measurement of the tea leaves being rubbed can be continuously performed without interruption.

Further, since the electrodes 24, 24 are constantly in contact with the inside of the tea leaf block divided by the pressing member 12, the internal water content can be easily detected, so that highly accurate measurement can be performed.

For example, when the electrodes 24, 24 are attached to the central part of the kneading plate 5 where the most efficient measurement is performed (shown by the dotted line in the figure), the mass of the kneading plate 8 moves to form a mass of tea leaves. Since it moves along with this, there is a non-detection time as shown in FIG.

Further, in this type 5 of kneading machine, since the mass of tea leaves is heated by the heating means 31 and almost always comes into contact with the peripheral surface having a relatively high degree of dryness, the actual water content of the mass of tea leaves is large. The accurate measurement of may not be performed.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned separation distance between the electrodes 24, 24 changes the detection state of the current value due to its variation, which also affects the detection accuracy. It can be set, and the electrode 24
Is not limited to a pair, and needless to say, one piece may be attached, and in addition, two or more pieces may be attached. In addition, in the attachment, in addition to the above-mentioned locations, It may be provided on a suitable place on the surface of a cloth member (not shown) for mounting the pressing member 12 in the pressing plate 8.

The wiring 25 is connected to a control means 27 arranged at a proper position in the refiner A, and an AC voltage of about 5 to 24 V is applied to the electrodes 24, 24, so that the electrodes 24 The tea leaves that have come into contact with the electrodes 24 and 24 are energized by the residual water in the tea leaves through the moisture, and an alternating current having a value corresponding to the residual water amount is generated.

This alternating current is rectified into a direct current by a rectifier provided in the control means 27 and detected and displayed by an ammeter 28 equipped with a meter relay. When a preset current value is reached, the heavy pressure is added. An input signal is given to the driving means 22 of the means 2 and the operating means of the take-out means 3 described later.

If this input signal is linked to the alarm device 29 or the indicator lamp 30 provided in the control means 27 or the like, the operator can revise the audibly or visually even if the scouring machine A is remote. You can check the progress of the process.

Further, in detecting the generated current, a digital panel meter, a sequencer, a micro computer or the like can be adopted. In addition, an output signal corresponding to a set value with respect to a change in current is also used. It can be appropriately selected as long as it is obtained.

When the arc-shaped lathe 5 is attached, the electrodes 24, 24 formed in the same manner are buried at the bottom of the arc-shaped lathe 5, for example. When the duck 4 is made of metal, a predetermined insulation treatment is applied. However, since the basic configuration is the same as that described above, the details are omitted.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 31 is a heating means using a gas burner or the like, which is provided below the arc-shaped ladle 5 and is provided with a tea leaf soft-drying pot 1
Is heated to a predetermined temperature to evaporate the water content of the tea leaves accumulated in the arc-shaped lathe 5, the reciprocating gutters 6, 6 and the drying grooves 7, 7 to perform a predetermined drying.

The above-mentioned processed tea leaf take-out means 3 takes out a processed tea leaf to the lower part by rotating a part of the arc-shaped lapping board 5 whose bottom part is divided downward, and a known link mechanism or the like is used. This is adopted, and the link is operated by an operating means (not shown) such as a motor and a fluid cylinder to appropriately open and close the arc-shaped ladle 5.

FIG. 6 is a curve diagram showing an example of the change in the current value measured by the electrode 24, and shows that the current value sharply decreases after a certain refining time. , This point p is an appropriate amount of residual water, for example, 10 ~
It is a notification that the tea state has reached close to 15%, and the feel of the tea leaf in this state is a dry feel, and the subsequent steps do not require heavy pressure on the tea leaves, rather Since the tea leaves are flattened and powdered due to over-application, it is necessary to reduce the massaging pressure of the heavy pressure applying means 2.

The point p and the extraction timing of the tea leaves vary depending on the tea leaves varieties and their properties as described above. Naturally, the above-mentioned curve diagrams show different shapes. Then, the output timing of the detection signal is set individually according to the tea leaves.

Next, an example in which the refining process in tea making is carried out by the method and apparatus according to the present invention will be described. 32 Kg of unprocessed tea leaves obtained through each process of steaming, rough kneading, middle kneading, and kneading of fresh leaves of Yabukita varieties were put into a quadruple type kneading machine so that one kettle would be 8 kg.

At this time, the position of the weight was set to an intermediate position in the connecting rod. Further, as the driving means for the weight, the current value measured by the electrode was set as shown in Table 1 as the refining process proceeded.

During the processing, the control means was set so that 50 minutes after the start of the introduction of the tea leaves, a current value signal was output to the operation means of the tea leaf extracting means.

Most of the extracted tea leaves that have been completely rubbed are made into elongated needle-like shapes. When the tea leaves were picked up with one hand and touched with the thumb, forefinger and middle finger, each one was independent. The product had a pleasant and silky feeling, the residual water content in the product tea leaves was 13%, and the product had an excellent color and aroma in appearance.

When the tea leaves were extracted with hot water at 60 ° C., the water color, aroma and taste were also good.

[0044]

[Table 1]

[0045]

As described above, the tea leaf refining method and refining machine of the present invention are the tea leaf being soft-dried to the pressing member projecting substantially at the center of the pressing plate in the tea-leaf soft-drying section of the tea-leaf soft-drying kettle. Since it is provided with an electrode provided so as to come into contact with and a control means for converting an electric current value measured by the electrode into an output signal, for a mass of tea leaves moved by a kneading plate during kneading, Since the massaging member is always in contact with the central part of the mass, it is possible to detect the changing water content of the tea leaves in real time, and this signal can be used to operate the heavy pressure adding means and take out the processed tea leaves. Since it can be performed under the best conditions, it can be appropriately rubbed for the residual water content of the tea leaves according to the varieties and properties of the tea leaves, and even if different raw leaves are continuously rubbed at one time, Make uniform, high-quality tea .

In particular, the electrode provided on the pressing member provided in the central portion of the tea leaf mass can constantly contact the inside of the tea leaf mass cracked by the pressing force of the pressing platen, so that the actual water content can be detected. Can be done.

Since the operation of the heavy pressure adding means of the pressing platen and the processing of the processed tea leaves can be automatically carried out by measuring the residual water content of the tea leaves by the electrodes, it is not necessary for a skilled worker to engage in the tea production, and at all times, Since it is not necessary to work in the vicinity of the kneading machine, it is possible to significantly reduce the labor burden on workers and improve the working environment.

It has special effects such as.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially longitudinal side view showing an embodiment of a kneading machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional front view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the pressing platen showing an attached state of electrodes.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional side view of FIG.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a contact state between a mass of tea leaves and electrodes in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a curve diagram showing changes in current value due to electrodes in FIG.

[Explanation of reference signs] 1 tea leaf soft-drying kettle 2 heavy pressure applying means 3 tea leaf extracting means A tea making and kneading machine 5 arc-shaped kneading plate 8 kneading plate 12 kneading member 24 electrode 27 control means

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An electrode is provided on a pressing member projecting substantially at the center of a pressing plate in a precision kneading machine, electricity is applied to soft-dried tea leaves in contact with the electrodes, and measurement is made by water content of the tea leaves. A method for cultivating tea leaves, characterized in that the control means changes the pressure applied to the pressing platen by the pressure applying means in response to the output signal of the current value to change the heavy pressure applied to the tea leaves. 2. An electrode is provided on a pressing member projecting substantially in the center of a pressing plate of a precision kneading machine, electricity is applied to soft-drying tea leaves in contact with the electrodes, and measurement is made by water content of the tea leaves. In response to the output signal of the current value, the control means changes the pressurizing state to the pressing platen by the heavy pressure adding means to change the heavy pressure applied to the tea leaves, and the measured current value for the water content of the processed tea leaves is the set reference value. The method of refining tea leaves is characterized in that the tea leaves are taken out when the time reaches. 3. An arc-shaped kneading plate is provided at the center of the soft-drying pot, and a kneading plate is provided on the kneading plate and is oscillated back and forth and up and down by heavy pressure applying means, and is linked to the arc-shaped kneading plate. In the refiner comprising the tea leaf extracting means, an electrode provided so that the tea leaf soft-drying portion of the tea leaf soft-drying pot abuts the soft-drying tea leaf, and the current value measured by the electrode is converted into an output signal. And a control means for appropriately operating the heavy pressure applying means, wherein the electrode is provided on a pressing member projecting substantially in the center of the pressing platen.