Description

ORGANIC SUBSTANCE DECOMPOSING AND LIQUEFYING

APPARATUS

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to an organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus, and more particularly, to an organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus which decomposes and liquefies organic material using an enzyme. Background Art

[2] With the increase in the market for high-quality minimally processed food, a variety of food processing techniques that do not use heat have been researched and developed. As for a novel food processing technique, ultra-high pressure technology, which can sterilize, process, and cook food at a low temperature, is attracting great attention.

[3] The food processing technique using ultra-high pressure is useful for the production of fermented food because it rapidly causes physical and biochemical changes in food. However, this technique has problems in that it is difficult to manufacture an ultra-high pressure-generating apparatus and in that the reliability and safety of such an ultra-high pressure generating apparatus are not yet proven. Accordingly, this technique is currently being used for a limited range of applications, such as a simple sterilizing process. That is, this technique has not been successfully commercialized in applications of food fermentation, such as food decomposing/liquefying, but is still in a laboratory development state.

[4] In realizing an organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus using such an ultra-high pressure generating apparatus, it is necessary for an opening of a process chamber to be covered by a strong and solid cover. However, the use of the strong and solid cover is accompanied by a problem in that such a cover is very heavy, and thus it is difficult to open and close the cover. There is a further problem in that when the cover is not precisely aligned with the opening of the process chamber when it is closed, there is the possibility that the process chamber will not normally operate. Additionally, there is a still further problem in that a sophisticated pump is needed in order to pressurize things to an intended pressure and maintain the intended constant pressure. Yet a further problem is that the pump generates a loud noise. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[5] The object of the invention is to provide an organic substance decomposing/ liquefying apparatus which can decompose and liquefy food using ultra-high pressure,

can continuously work for a long period without needing frequent small repairs, thanks to its simple structure and high precision, has high reliability and safety during operation, and generates little noise while operating. Technical Solution

[6] In order to solve the various problems encountered in the known art, and in order to achieve the above described advantageous effects and features, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus including a process chamber having first threads on a surface of an upper end portion thereof and storing organic material wrapped in an elastic sealing bag, a cover covering an opening of the process chamber and having second threads corresponding to the first threads on a surface at a lower end portion thereof, a water supply unit supplying water into the process chamber in order to pressurize the organic material, a heating unit heating the water in the process chamber, a frame having a rail on an upper portion thereof and holding the process chamber thereon, a cover block receiving the cover in a direction from an underside thereof and being movable in a lateral direction, and a vertical driving unit coupled to the cover so as to rotate the cover.

[7] In the organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus, it is preferable that the water supply unit include an oil circulating system, an oil driving pump having an inlet connected to a water supply source and an outlet connected to the process chamber and performing suction and discharge motions of oil supplied from the outside depending on the oil pressure, and a solenoid valve connected to the oil circulating system so as to generate the oil pressure. The inlet and the outlet of the oil driving pump may be provided with respective check valves.

[8] In the organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus, it is preferable that the vertical driving unit include an actuator, for rotating the cover, and a vertically reciprocating cylinder, for vertically displacing the cover block using fluid pressure. The driving unit may further include a vertical motion guide, which guides the cover block, displaced by the vertically reciprocating cylinder and moving in the vertical direction, a moving block, which is coupled to the cover block and which is movable along the rail in a sliding manner, and a transportation rail guide, supporting the rail, in which the vertically reciprocating cylinder moves up and down along the transportation rail guide.

Advantageous Effects

[9] According to the invention, it is possible to rapidly and easily couple the cover to the process chamber before pressurizing an object in the process chamber and to stably realize secure coupling between the process chamber and the cover during the pres-

surizing process. Further, the organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus has high reliability and stability. In addition, since the apparatus has high precision and a simple structure, the organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus can be manufactured at low cost and does not need frequent small repairs. Accordingly, this apparatus can be easily afforded by beauty shops, health food processing stores, and households and can also be used for food processing in food processing factories. That is, the application field of the high pressure processing apparatus is very wide. Brief Description of the Drawings

[10] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an organic substance decomposing/ liquefying apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention;

[11] FIG. 2 is a distribution diagram illustrating the flow of a fluid between a process chamber and elements peripheral thereto;

[12] FIG. 3 is a sectional view illustrating the organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus, the section taken along line A-A in FIG. 1;

[13] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the booster pump shown in FIG. 2;

[14] FIG. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the coupling structure of a pumping room and a cylinder shown in FIG. 4;

[15] FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a piston installed in the cylinder;

[16] FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are views explaining the operation of the organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus shown in FIG. 1 ;

[17] FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating an organic substance decomposing/ liquefying apparatus according to a second embodiment of the invention;

[18] FIG. 10 is a sectional view illustrating the organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus, which is taken along line A-A in FIG. 9;

[19] FIG. 11 is a sectional view illustrating the organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus, which is taken along line B-B in FIG. 9;

[20] FIG. 12 is a view illustrating the flow of fluid between a process chamber and elements peripheral thereto shown in FIG. 9; and

[21] FIGs. 13 to 16 are views explaining the operation of the organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus shown in FIG. 9. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[22] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[23] Fig. 1 shows an organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention.

[24] The organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus according to this embodiment includes a housing 30 having a rectangular parallelpiped shape. A door 32

which can be opened and closed is provided on the front side of the housing 30 in order to allow the inside of the apparatus to be checked. A control panel 34 is disposed on the door 32 in order to allow the operation conditions to be set using it, and to display the operation conditions thereon. The control panel 34 includes a keypad with which the operation conditions of the apparatus can be set, and a liquid crystal display apparatus which displays the operation conditions.

[25] A process chamber 10 which can store object material to be processed, such as food, is disposed in a lower position in the housing 30. On the upper surface of the housing 32, transportation guide supports 40 and 50 are disposed at both sides of the process chamber 10 so as to extend parallel to each other in the widthwise direction. A transportation guide rail 42 and 52 is attached to the corresponding inside surfaces of the transportation guide supports 40 and 50. Moving blocks 44 and 54 are engaged with the guide rail 42 and 52 and thus they are movable along the transportation guide rail 42 and 52 in a sliding manner. Front ends of the transportation guide rail 42 and 52 are provided with respective stoppers 46 and 56. The stoppers 46 and 56 restrict the range of sliding motion of the moving blocks 44 and 54, respectively. Each of the moving blocks 46 and 56 is provided with a bracket 56 on the upper surface thereof so that the moving blocks 46 and 46 can be coupled to a cover body 60 by the corresponding brackets 58.

[26] FIG. 2 shows the process chamber 10 shown in Fig. 1.

[27] According to this embodiment, the process chamber 10 is made of stainless steel.

The process chamber 10 has a cup shape with an open upper end so that a space having a predetermined depth, in which food can be stored, is provided therein. When object material is stored in the process chamber 10, the process chamber 10 is sealed by a cover 90. In order to maintain tight contact between the process chamber 10 and the cover 90, threads are provided on the surface of the upper end portion of the process chamber 10 and the surface of the lower end portion of the cover 90 and the threads of the process chamber 10 and the cover 90 are engaged with each other. Further, it is preferable that each of the threads have a rectangular section so that secure coupling can be maintained between the process chamber 10 and the cover 90 while the space inside the process chamber 10 is maintained at a high pressure.

[28] A heater 12 is installed on the bottom of the process chamber 10 in order to heat water which is present in the process chamber 10 and is used as a pressure medium. A diaphragm plate 14 is installed above the heater 12 in order to prevent object material to be processed (food) from coming into contact with the heater 12. A heater 16 is installed on and attached to the outer surface of the process chamber 10 in order to prevent the temperature of the water in the process chamber 10 from fluctuating due to the heating of the process chamber 10. A heat insulating material wraps the process

chamber 10 to which the heater 16 is attached in order to increase heat efficiency.

[29] A plurality of penetration holes 20 to 28 is formed in the bottom and the sides of the process chamber 10. The heater 12, or a wire used to supply electric power to the heater 12, is inserted into a first penetration hole 20. A temperature sensor (not shown), which detects the temperature inside the process chamber 10, or a wire used to supply electric power to the temperature sensor, is inserted into a second penetration hole 22. A water supply pipe 120, through which water is supplied to the process chamber 10, is connected to a third penetration hole 26. A discharge pipe 122, through which the water in the process chamber 10 is discharged after a decomposing/liquefying process is finished, is connected to a fourth penetration hole 26. A vent/relief pipe 124 is connected to a fifth penetration hole 28 in order to discharge air in the process chamber 10 when filling the process chamber 10 with water at an initial operation stage or discharge the water in the process chamber 10 during the decomposing/liquefying process in order to adjust the pressure in the process chamber 10.

[30] As shown in FIG. 2, in the housing 30 is further provided a booster pump 100, an oil circulating system 102, oil solenoid valves 104 and 106, a drain valve 108, a pressure switch 110, a relief switch 100, a relief valve 112, and a solenoid valve 114, in order to facilitate the supply of water to the process chamber 10 and the discharge of water from the process chamber 10 and to increase and maintain the pressure in the process chamber 10.

[31] The booster pump 100 is installed on the water supply pipe 120, and pressurizes material in the space inside the pressure chamber 10 by supplying excessive water to the pressure chamber 10, which is already filled with water by being driven by oil pressure, which serves as a driving force. The oil pressure driving the booster pump 100 is generated by the oil solenoid valve 104. In greater detail, the oil solenoid valve 104 alternately supplies the oil supplied by the oil circulating system 102 to a first fluid passage 104a and a second fluid passage 104b periodically. The booster pump 100 takes water from a water supply source through a suction pipe when the oil is supplied through the first fluid passage 104a and sends the taken water to the process chamber 10 via the water supply pipe 120 through the outlet when the oil is supplied through the second fluid passage 104b. The outlet and the inlet of the booster pump 100 are provided with check valves (not shown), respectively, so that the outlet is closed by the check valve on the water discharge side during water intake and the inlet is closed by the check valve on the water intake side during water discharge.

[32] The drain valve 108 is installed on the water discharge pipe 122 connected to the fourth penetration hole 26 and allows the water in the process chamber 10 to be discharged from the process chamber 10 after completion of the decomposing/ liquefying process.

[33] The pressure switch 110, the relief vent 112, and the solenoid valve 114 are installed on the vent/relief pipe 124. The pressure switch 110 detects the pressure in the process chamber 10, which is transmitted from the vent/relief pipe 124, and transmits the pressure to a system control unit (not shown), and thus the system control unit can control the relief valve 112 and the solenoid valve 114 on the basis of the detected pressure. While the water is introduced into the process chamber 10 during an initial operation stage and while the water in the process chamber 10 is discharged through the water discharge pipe 122 after completion of the decomposing/liquefying process, both the relief valve 112 and the solenoid valve 114 are opened, and thus air can flow through the valves 112 and 114. An overflow sensor 128 is installed on the vent/relief pipe 124 in order to detect whether water overflows from the process chamber 10 at the initial operation stage. During the operation of the apparatus, if the pressure in the process chamber 10 increases higher than a predetermined pressure, a slight amount of water is discharged by operating the relief valve 112 in the state in which the solenoid valve 114 is opened. The solenoid valve 114 is driven by the oil pressure generated by the oil solenoid valve 106.

[34] With reference to FIG. 1, a cover body 60 is installed at an upper end portion of the housing 30 in order to receive the cover 90 therein and support the cover 90. A lower end of a handle shaft is coupled to the cover 90, received in the cover body 60, and an upper end of the handle shaft is coupled to a handle 64. A handle stopper 66 is installed to the cover body 60 such that it surrounds the handle shaft 62. The cover body 60 is coupled to the connection bracket 56 on the moving block 54 by a coupling member.

[35] In order to prevent the cover body 60 from moving while an operator loads or unloads object material to be processed into or from the process chamber 10 by inserting his or her hands into the process chamber 10 through the opening in the process chamber 10, an obstacle sensor is installed on the housing 30. According to this embodiment, the obstacle sensor includes a signal transmitting and receiving unit 80, which emits light and detects reflected light, and a mirror 82, reflecting incident light therefrom. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the signal transmitting and receiving unit 80 is installed on the upper surface of the housing 30 at a front side portion of the housing in a manner such that it faces a rear side portion of the upper surface of the housing 30. The mirror 82 is installed at the front side of the cover body 60. According to this embodiment, the mirror 82 is a reflective plate made of plastic. According to a modification of the embodiment, the mirror 82 can be a part of the cover body 60 that is flat and disposed at the front side. When exiting light, emitted from the signal transmitting and receiving unit 80, is reflected from the mirror 82 and is then returned to the signal transmitting and receiving unit 80, the system control unit controls the cover body 60 so that it operates normally. However, when the light emitted from the

signal transmitting and receiving unit 80 is not returned to the signal transmitting and receiving unit 80, the system control unit determines that obstacles, such as an operator's hands, exist near the opening of the process chamber 10 and thus prevents the cover body 60 from moving.

[36] FIG. 3 shows the coupling structure of the cover body 60 and the housing 30. A frame 36 is provided inside the housing 30 in order to mechanically support the housing 30. On the frame 36 is provided a base plate 72, with a base block 70 interposed between the frame 36 and the base plate 72. The base plate 72 has a hole in the center portion thereof so as to receive the process chamber 10 therein. The process chamber 10 is installed on the base plate 72 in a manner such that a stepped portion 11 provided on the outer surface of the process chamber 10 is in contact with the edge of the hole. At this time, the upper end of the process chamber 10 and the upper end of the housing 30 are disposed in the same plane.

[37] As stated above, the transportation guide supports 40 and 50 and the transportation guide rail 42 and 52 are installed on the housing 30. The cover body 60 is coupled to the moving block 54 by the connection member 68 and the connection bracket 56. The moving blocks 44 and 54 are installed so as to be movable along the transportation guide rail 42 and 52 back and forth in a sliding manner.

[38] The cover body 60 is open at the lower end thereof. On the inner surface of the lower end portion of the cover body 60 is provided rectangular threads corresponding to the threads of the upper end portion of the process chamber 10. The cover 20, coupled to the handle shaft 62, is installed in a manner such that the cover 20 can move up and down in the cover body 60 along the threads. On the other hand, it is preferable that a sensor 69 be provided on the cover body 60 in order to check whether the cover 70 has been completely lowered when the handle shaft 62 is moved down.

[39] An inner corner of the upper end of the process chamber 10 and an outer corner of the lower end of the cover 70 are chamfered and thus have inclined surfaces, respectively, so that the surfaces of the lower end of the cover 70 and the upper end of the process chamber 10 can be in tight contact with each other. The inclined surface of the process chamber 10 has a ring-shaped trench, an O-ring is inserted into the ring- shaped trench in order to maintain a secure seal, and a backup ring is provided on the inclined surface of the process chamber 10 in order to prevent the O-ring from becoming deformed and from being separated from the inclined surface of the process chamber 10.

[40] FIG. 4 shows one example of the booster pump 100 shown in FIG. 2. In the booster pump 150, a cylinder 155 supported by an upper manifold 160 and a lower manifold 170 is installed in an upper position of a pumping room 150. The upper manifold 160 has threaded holes 162 in four corners and the lower manifold 170 also has threaded

holes corresponding to the threaded holes 162. In the state in which the cylinder 155 is interposed between the upper manifold 160 and the lower manifold 170, bolts 198 and nuts 199 are matched with each other and thus the cylinder 155, the upper manifold 160, and the lower manifold 170 can be combined. The cylinder 155 has a slot 157 extending in the longitudinal direction and penetrating through the cylinder from the upper end to the lower end thereof. Thanks to such a structure, a protruding bar 192 of a piston can be visible outside the cylinder 155 through the slot 157. A bracket 180 is coupled to side surfaces of the upper manifold 160 and the lower manifold 170 at the upper end and the lower end thereof, respectively. A first electrode 182 is installed on the inner surface of the bracket 180 at an upper portion thereof and a second electrode 182 is installed on the inner surface of the bracket 180 at a lower portion thereof.

[41] FIG. 5 shows the coupling structure of the pumping room 150 and the cylinder 155.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the piston 190 installed in the cylinder 155. The pumping room 150 has an inlet 195 for sucking water therethrough, an outlet for discharging water therethrough, and check valves provided near the inlet hole and the outlet hole, respectively, in order to prevent the backflow of water. A first oil outlet 158 and a second oil outlet 159 are installed at an upper portion of the cylinder 155. A penetration hole is provided at an upper portion of a wall of the pumping room 150 so that a plunger 194 of the piston 190 passes therethrough. The piston 190 includes a cylindrical body 191, the plunger 194 protruding from the lower end of the cylindrical body 191 and a protruding bar 192 protruding from a side surface of the body 192.

[42] Hereinafter, the operation of the booster pump 100 will be described. If oil in an upper portion of the cylinder 155 is discharged by the oil circulating pressure of the oil circulating system 102 resulting from the operation of the oil solenoid valve 104, the piston 191 is moved upward by the oil pressure.

[43] At this time, a volume of water equal to the volume of the piston plunger 194, which corresponds to the displacement of the piston plunger 194, is introduced into the pumping room 150 through the inlet 195. When the piston 191 is continuously moved and the protruding bar 192 is finally brought into contact with the first electrode 182, a detection signal is transmitted to the system control unit, and the system control unit switches the state of the oil solenoid valve 104 on the basis of the detection signal. As a result, the oil circulating pressure of the oil circulating system 101 acts so as to allow the upper portion of the cylinder 155 to be filled with oil, and thus the piston 191 is moved downward by the oil pressure.

[44] At this time, a volume of water equal to the volume of the piston plunger 194, which corresponds to the downward displacement of the piston plunger 194, is supplied to the process chamber 10 through the outlet of the pumping room 150. When the piston 191 is continuously moved and the protruding bar 192 is finally brought into contact with

the second electrode 184, the detection signal is transmitted to the system control unit and the system control unit switches back the state of the oil solenoid valve 104 to the initial state in response to the detection signal. As a result, the oil circulating pressure of the oil circulating system 102 causes the oil charged in the upper portion of the cylinder 155 to be discharged. By repeating the above-mentioned operation, the booster pump 100 creates pressure in the inner space of the process chamber 10.

[45] With reference to FIGs. 6 and 7, the operation of the organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described below.

[46] Before starting the decomposing/liquefying process, the organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus is in a state in which the handle shaft 62 is in an upper position and the cover body 60 is in a back end position.

[47] In this state, object material to be processed, such as food, including fish, seaweeds, vegetables, grains, fruits, marine products, aquatic products, meat, and medical herbs, and such as cosmetics is loaded into the process chamber 10 in the state of having been wrapped in a sealing bag. The sealing bag is flexible enough that external water pressure can be transferred to the material in the sealing bag, like a plastic bag. Further, it is preferable that the sealing bag be provided with sealing means such as a zipper, which can maintain secure sealing of the sealing bag such that the water in the process chamber 10 is not introduced into the sealing bag. In the case in which the sealing bag is not provided with the sealing means, the sealing bag is wound around the object material therein or is folded many times so as to prevent the water from being introduced into the sealing bag. When introducing object material into the sealing bag, it is preferable that a decomposing enzyme be added to the object material to be processed. The decomposing enzyme may be different for different kinds of object material. For example, if the effective component of the object material is protein, the decomposing enzyme may be protease. In the case in which the effective component of the object material is a carbohydrate, carbohydrase is used as the decomposing enzyme. A plurality of kinds of decomposing enzymes can be used at the same time. Further, in the case in which the object material is a dried material, water or other kinds of liquid can be added to the object material in an amount corresponding to 1 to 10 weight% of the object material. After the object material is put into the sealing bag in the above-mentioned manner, the sealing bag is treated so as to prevent water from being introduced into the sealing bag, and the sealing bag with the object material provided therein is loaded in a lower position of the process chamber 10.

[48] Then, an operator presses the "start" button on the key pad of the control panel 34. In response to the button pressing, the system control unit drives a motor (not shown), so that the moving blocks 44 and 54 move to the front end of the housing along the transportation guide rail 42 and 52 in a sliding manner. As a result, the cover body 60 and a

handle assembly are moved to the front end of the housing. When a shaft center of the cover 70 in the cover body 60 is moved and thus reaches a position corresponding to the shaft center of the process chamber 10, the movement of the motor and the cover body 60 is stopped.

[49] As shown in FIG. 7, in the state in which the cover body 60 is positioned at the upper center portion of the process chamber 10, the operator manipulates the handle 64 in a manner such that the cover 70, engaged with the handle shaft 62, is moved downward in the cover body 60. As the handle 64 is rotated further, the cover 70, shown in FIG. 8, is moved downward further until it reaches the upper end portion of the process chamber 10 and closes the opening of the process chamber 10. During this procedure, the inclined surface of the inner corner of the upper end portion of the process chamber 10 is brought into tight contact with the inclined surface of the outer corner of the lower end portion of the cover 70 and the O-ring contracts. As a result, it is possible to maintain secure sealing of the process chamber 10 and prevent the O-ring from becoming deformed or being separated thanks to the backup ring.

[50] Next, the operator sets operation conditions, such as process time, process pressure, and process temperature, by pressing the buttons of the key pad of the control pad 34. Operation conditions vary according to the kind and intended use of the object material. The process time may be set in the range from 6 to 24 hours. The process pressure may be set in the range from 500 to 2000 bar. The process temperature may be set in the range from 40 to 80 ?C.

[51] When the operator inputs an operation starting command by pressing the button

"start" after setting the operation conditions, the system control unit directs water to be supplied to the process chamber 10 by running water pressure via the water supply pipe 120 in the state in which the drain valve 108 is closed and the relief valve 112 and the solenoid valve 114 are opened. Although not shown in FIG. 2, it is preferable that there is provided a bypass pipe, bypassing the booster pump 100, and that fluid passages are selectively operated by manipulating valves so as for the running water to be supplied to the process chamber 10 by its own pressure at an initial operation stage via the water supply pipe 120. While water fills the inner space of the process chamber 10, air in the process chamber 10 is discharged, passing through the relief valve 112.

[52] If the process chamber 10 is filled with water, air and water are discharged via the vent/relief pipe 124 together. At this time, the overflow sensor detects the state of overflow of water, and a detection signal from the overflow sensor is transmitted to the control unit. From this time, the control unit makes the booster pump add excessive water to the process chamber 10 by oil pressure so as to pressurize the inner space of the process chamber 10 by closing the relief valve 112 and the solenoid valve 114 and opening the oil solenoid valve 104. When the inner pressure of the process chamber

10, which is detected by the pressure switch 114, becomes equal to a predetermined pressure, the control unit stops the operation of the oil solenoid valve 104 and the booster pump 100 and starts the heaters 12 and 16 so as to heat the water in the process chamber 10 and the process chamber 10 itself. The heating of the process chamber 10 and the water in the process chamber 10 are continued until the detected temperature becomes equal to the predetermined temperature.

[53] At this time, if the inner pressure of the process chamber 10 becomes higher than the predetermined pressure as the water expands in volume due to the rising temperature, the air solenoid valve 114 is opened and a very small amount of water is discharged. As a result, the pressure in the process chamber is lowered. On the other hand, the pressure switch 110 continuously monitors the pressure in the process chamber 10 for a predetermined period, and the control unit maintains the inner pressure at a constant level. That is, if the pressure becomes lower than the predetermined pressure, the oil solenoid valve 104 is opened and the booster pump 100 is started, so as to increase the pressure in the process chamber 10. If the pressure becomes higher than the predetermined pressure, the air solenoid valve 114 is opened again and a very small amount of water is discharged, so that the pressure in the process chamber 10 is lowered. On the other hand, if the temperature detected by the temperature sensor decreases below a reference value, the control unit starts the heaters 12 and 16, thereby raising the temperatures of the water and the process chamber 10. According to this embodiment, the temperatures of the water and the process chamber itself are controlled in balance and can be maintained constant without a large fluctuation.

[54] After the predetermined process time has passed, the relief valve 112 and the solenoid valve 114 are opened and a small amount of water is discharged. As a result, the pressure inside the process chamber 10 is lowered to atmospheric pressure. Next, the drain valve 108 is opened and the water in the pressure chamber 10 is discharged via the discharge pipe 124. At this time, air is introduced into the process chamber 10 through the relief valve 112 and the solenoid valve 114.

[55] After the completion of pressure reduction and water discharge, the message

"process completed" is displayed on a display portion of the control panel 34. After that, the operator rotates the handle 64 in order to lift up the cover 70, and thus the cover 70 is returned to the position indicated by the solid line shown in FIG. 7. If the operator presses a button "completed" on the keypad of the control panel 34, the cover body 60 and the handle assembly are moved to the back end of the housing. That is, the cover body 60 and the handle assembly are moved back to the original position of the initial operation stage shown in FIG. 6. In this state, the operator takes the sealing bag out of the process chamber 10 and separates the object material from the sealing bag.

[56] After the completion of the decomposing process, the object material has a liquid- like state, such as a highly viscous mush state. The change of state of the object material is attributable to chemical changes accomplished by the high pressure and action of enzymes by which the object material is decomposed into basic molecular constituents, rather than physical changes such as breaking. By the use of the organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus according to this embodiment, it is possible to decompose high molecular weight organic material into low molecular weight constituents in a short time under high pressure by the action of enzymes. Accordingly, if the object material processed in the process chamber 10 is food or crude drugs, the processed food or crude drugs can be easily digested. If the object material processed in the process chamber 10 is cosmetics or beauty products, the cosmetics or beauty products are transformed into a state of being easily absorbed into the skin and of being capable of effectively moisturizing the skin.

[57] FIG. 9 shows an organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus according to a second embodiment.

[58] In the organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus according to this embodiment, a door 232 is provided in the front side of the housing 230 so as to allow the inside of the apparatus to be checked. The door 232 has a control panel 234 on the surface thereof, and it is possible to set the operation conditions of the organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus and to display the operation conditions of the organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus using the control panel 234.

[59] In a housing 230, a process chamber 210 is disposed in an upper position so as to store the object material to be processed, such as food. A cover body 240 is disposed on the housing 230 so as to support and receive a cover 250 of the process chamber 230. The cover body 240 can move in lateral directions along a transportation guide rail 270a and 270b engaged with transportation guide supports 260a and 260b, and can also be moved in vertical directions by an air cylinder 262, which is vertically driven, and a vertical motion guide 264. For this, moving blocks 280a and 280b connected to the cover body 240 are engaged with the guide rail 270a and 270b and thus they are movable in a sliding manner in the lateral directions, and the air cylinder, which is vertically driven, can move the transportation guide supports 260a and 260b up and down by contraction and expansion motions. The vertical motion guide 264 enables the transportation guide supports 260a and 260b to move precisely in the vertical direction. Alternatively, the cover 250 in the cover body 240 can be coupled to a driving shaft 254 driven by an actuator 252, and thus it can move up and down as the driving shaft 254 rotates.

[60] This embodiment is suitable for the treatment (decomposing/liquefying) of a large volume of object material. The organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus

further includes a hoist frame 290 for transporting and loading the object material to be processed into the process chamber 210. According to this embodiment, the hoist frame 290 includes vertical bars 292 and 294 installed in the vertical direction on the housing 30 at the rear end portions, particularly near respective side edges of the housing 30, a horizontal bar 296 installed so as to extend from the upper end of the vertical bar 292 to the upper end of the vertical bar 294 in the horizontal direction, and a support bar 298 installed to extend in the vertical direction from the horizontal bar 296 to the upper surface of the housing in order to support the horizontal bar 296. A hoist 299, which carries the object material to be processed, is associated with the horizontal bar 296.

[61] FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line A-A, which illustrates the organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line B-B, which illustrates the organic substance decomposing/ liquefying apparatus shown in FIG. 9.

[62] The cover body 240 is open at the lower end thereof and has threads in the outer surface of the lower end portion thereof, the threads in the cover body 240 being disposed so as to correspond to threads provided in the inner surface of the upper end portion of the process chamber 210. Accordingly, the cover 250, coupled to the driving shaft 254, can move up and down in the cover body 240 along the threads as the driving shaft 254 rotates.

[63] A base plate 238 is installed on the frame 236 in order to mechanically support a plurality of elements in the housing 230. The base plate 238 has a hole into which the process chamber 210 is inserted. A stepped portion 211, provided to the outer surface of the process chamber 210, is placed on the edge of the hole so that the process chamber 210 is installed in the base plate 238. At this time, the upper end of the process chamber 210 and the upper end of the housing 230 are disposed in the same plane.

[64] Two transportation guide supports 260 are installed on the base plate 238 in a manner such that they can move up and down while they are supported by the air cylinder 262. The two vertical motion guides support the transportation guide support 260 in a manner such that the transportation guide support 260 can precisely move in the vertical direction. Lower ends of the two vertical motion guides 264 are coupled to the guide bar 266, and the guide bar 266 is provided with a stopper 268 which restricts the vertical movement of the vertical motion guide 264 so that the vertical motion guide 264 is not raised too high.

[65] An air cylinder 272, driven in lateral directions, is disposed below the upper end of the frame 230 in order to move the cover body 240 in left and right directions. As the air cylinder 272, which is driven in the lateral directions, expands or contracts, the

moving blocks 270a and 270b coupled to the cover body 240 move left and right in a sliding manner along the transportation guide rail 280a and 280b coupled to the transportation guide support 260.

[66] In order to make it easy to align the cover 230 with the process chamber 210, guide pins 284 are provided to the upper end portion of the process chamber 210 and guide pin insertion holes 286 are provided in the lower end portion of the cover body 240 such that the guide pins can be inserted into the guide pin insertion holes 286.

[67] According to this embodiment, the object material to be processed is put into a pouch

(not shown) while it is wrapped in the sealing bag, and the object material in the pouch can be loaded into the process chamber 210 by the hoist 299.

[68] As shown in FIG. 12, the process chamber 210, shown in FIG. 9, has a structure similar to the structure shown in FIG. 2. A heater 300 is installed on the bottom of the process chamber 210 in order to heat water supplied in the process chamber 210 as a pressure medium, and a diaphragm 302 is installed above the heater in order to prevent the object material to be processed from coming into contact with the heater 300. A heater 304 is attached to the outer surface of the process chamber 210 in order to prevent the temperature of the water in the process chamber 210 from fluctuating by heating the process chamber 210 itself. A heat insulating member wraps the process chamber 210 provided with the heater 304 on the outer surface thereof in order to increase heat efficiency.

[69] A plurality of penetration holes 310 and 320 is formed in the sides and the bottom of the process chamber 210. The heater 300 is inserted into a first penetration hole 310, or a wire, used to supply electric power to the heater 300, is passed through the first penetration hole 310. A temperature sensor (not shown), which measures the temperature in the process chamber 210, is inserted into a second penetration hole 312, or a wire, used to supply electric power to the temperature sensor, passes through the second penetration hole 312. A water supply pipe 340, through which water is supplied to the process chamber, is connected to a third penetration hole 314. A water discharge pipe 342, through which water in the process chamber 210 is discharged after a decomposing/liquefying process is completed, is connected to a fourth penetration hole 316. A vent pipe 344, through which air is discharged when the water is charged into the process chamber 210 at an initial operation stage, is connected to a fifth penetration hole 318. A relief pipe 346 is connected to a sixth penetration hole 320 in order to adjust the pressure in the pressure chamber 210 during the decomposing/liquefying process.

[70] The booster pump 360 and the solenoid valve 362 are installed on the water supply pipe 340. The valve 362 is opened only during the period in which water is supplied to the process chamber 210 at the initial operation stage, thereby enabling the process

chamber 210 to be filled with water in a short time. The booster pump 360 additionally supplies excessive water to the process chamber 210 sufficiently filled with water, thereby pressurizing the object material in the process chamber 210. Considering the large process capacity, according to this embodiment, the booster pump 360 is an air pump.

[71] A drain valve 370 is installed on the water discharge pipe 342 connected to the fourth penetration hole 316, thereby allowing the water in the process chamber 210 to be discharged after the completion of the decomposing/liquefying process through the water discharge pipe 342.

[72] The vent pipe 344 is provided with a solenoid valve 380, a level sensor 388, and a check valve 384. The level sensor 382 senses the overflow of the water from the process chamber 210, and sends a signal, indicating that such overflow has been detected, to a control unit. The control unit controls the operation of the solenoid valve 380 in response to the detection signal. The solenoid valve 380 is opened while the process chamber 210 is being charged with water at the initial operation stage and while the water in the process chamber 210 is being discharged through the water discharge pipe 342 after completion of the decomposing/liquefying process, so that the air in the process chamber 210 can pass through the solenoid valve 380.

[73] The relief pipe 346 is provided with a pressure sensor 390, a pressure gauge 392, a regulator 394, and an air solenoid valve 396. The pressure sensor 390 measures the pressure inside the process chamber 210, which is transferred via the relief pipe 346, and sends a detection signal indicating the measured pressure to a system control unit. The system control unit maintains the pressure at a constant level using the regulator 394 and the solenoid valve 396 on the basis of the measured pressure. In the case in which the pressure inside the process chamber 210 increases higher than a predetermined value, the solenoid valve 396 is opened and thus a small amount of water is released, resulting in decrease of the inner pressure.

[74] The operation of the organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus in FIG. 9 will be described below.

[75] Before the start of the decomposing/liquefying process, the organic substance decomposing/liquefying apparatus in FIG. 13 is in the state indicated by the dotted line. That is, the cover body 240 is in the initial operation state shown at the upper right portion in FIG. 13.

[76] In this state, an operator places object material to be processed, which includes food, such as fish, seaweed, vegetables, grains, fruit, marine products, meat, herbs, or cosmetics, into a sealing bag. The sealing bag has sufficient flexibility so that external pressure applied to the sealing bag can be transferred to the inside of the sealing bag, like a plastic bag. Further, it is preferable that the sealing bag 210 be provided with

sealing means (for example, a zipper) which maintains a secure seal. However, in the case in which the sealing bag 210 is not provided with the sealing means, the sealing bag is folded or wrapped many times around the object material placed therein, such that water cannot be introduced to the object material in the sealing bag. When plunging the object material to be processed into the sealing bag, it is preferable that adequate decomposing enzyme be added to the object material to be processed. The decomposing enzyme may vary according to the kind of object material to be processed. In the case in which the effective component of the object material to be processed is protein, the decomposing enzyme may be protease. In the case in which the effective component of the object material to be processed is carbohydrate, the decomposing enzyme may be carbohydrase. Still further, a plurality of kinds of decomposing enzymes may be used at one time. In addition, in the case in which the object material to be processed is dried material, water or other kinds of liquid may be added to the object material in an amount of 1 to 10 weight% of the object material. After the object material to be processed is put into the sealing bag, the sealing bag is treated in a manner such that water cannot be introduced into the sealing bag. Next, the operator loads the object material to be processed, which is wrapped in the sealing bag, into the process chamber 210.

[77] Next, the object material in the sealing bag 210 is put into a pouch, the pouch is hung on a hook of the hoist 299, and the pouch is lifted up and is then introduced into the process chamber 210 by manipulating the hoist 299.

[78] Next, a "start" button on a key pad of the control panel 234 is pressed by the operator. When the "start" button is pressed, the system control unit moves the moving blocks 280a and 280b, coupled to the cover body 240, to the left side in the figure along the transportation guide rail 270a and 270b by actuating the air cylinder 272 driven in the lateral direction in a sliding manner. As a result, the cover body 240 is moved upward to a position above the process chamber 210 and becomes disposed at the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 13. That is, the process chamber 210 is in the state shown in FIG. 14.

[79] The transportation guide supports 260a and 260b are moved down by the operation of the vertically moving air cylinder 262. The downward motion of the transportation guide supports 260a and 260b continues until the lower end of the cover 250 reaches the upper end of the process chamber 210, as shown in FIG. 15. After the downward motion of the transportation guide supports 260a and 260b is finished, the guide pins 284 on the upper end of the process chamber 210 are inserted into the corresponding guide pin insertion holes 286 formed in the lower end portion of the cover body 240, and thus the cover 210 is precisely aligned with the process chamber 210.

[80] After that, the actuator 252 rotates the driving shaft 254. By the rotation of the

driving shaft 254, the cover 250, received in the cover body 240, is rotated and then is engaged with the process chamber 210, so that the process chamber 210 is sealed.

[81] In this state, the process of decomposing/liquefying the object material to be processed is performed. This process is almost the same as stated above. Accordingly, a detailed description of this process will be omitted.

[82] After a predetermined process time has passed, when the pressure reduction of the process chamber 210 and water discharge are completed, the actuator 252 rotates the driving shaft 254. By the rotation of the driving shaft 254, the cover 250 is rotated and thus the cover 250 is received in the cover body 240 again, as shown in FIG. 15. Next, the transportation guide supports 260a and 260 are moved up by the operation of the vertically moving air cylinder 262, and thus the organic substance decomposing/ liquefying apparatus enters the state shown in FIG. 14. Next, the laterally moving air cylinder 272 operates to move the moving blocks 280a and 280b coupled to the cover body 240 along the transportation guide rail 270a and 270 to the left side in the figure in a sliding manner. As a result, the cover body 240 is recovered to the position indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 13.

[83] In this state, the operator manipulates the hoist 299 so as to remove the pouch from the process chamber 10, and then the operator takes out the sealing bag from the pouch and separates the object material from the sealing bag.

[84] People ordinarily skilled in the art will understand that the invention can be realized in the form of different concrete embodiments, without changing the technical spirit and features of the invention.

[85] The elements in each embodiment are not limited to the embodiments in this application, but may be applied to other embodiments.

[86] With reference to FIG. 1, the invention is shown in a manner such that that a control panel, used to set the operation conditions and to display operations thereon, is attached to the front side of the apparatus. Alternatively, the control panel may not be attached to the apparatus, but may be manufactured in a discrete form, such as a remote control.

[87] On the other hand, with reference to FIG. 1, a description is made such that the cover body is automatically moved and aligned with the process chamber at an initial operation stage, but it will be obvious that the cover body can be manually moved.

[88] The obstacle sensor, which is used to stop the operation of the cover body when loading and unloading the object material to be processed, as described with reference to FIG. 1, may be applied to the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 in a similar manner.

[89] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments, but that various modifications and variations to the embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the

invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the present invention cover such modifications and variations to this invention, provided that they fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Industrial Applicability [90] According to the invention, it is possible to change food, such as fish, seaweed, vegetables, grains, fruit, and marine products; cosmetics containing organic substances such as seaweed; and other high molecular weight organic material that is desired to be changed into low molecular weight material into a liquid state in a short time using the process chamber.