NEW BLADE FOR A SCREW CONVEYOR

Abstract

The invention provides a device and a method for conveying and treating food items in liquid in a tank. The device is designed for transferring and treating food items in liquid simultaneously, such as cooling, thawing or treating the food items with additives. The blade of the invention is a dual action blade as it both advances the food items along the container as well as creating repeated forward and backwards pushing of the items as the blade is rotated.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transferring and treating food items in liquid, said apparatus comprising: a container a spiral shaped blade mounted to a rotation axis for advancing the food items from one end of the container to the other, one or more fluid inlets and one or more fluid outlets for feeding liquid in and out of the container, wherein the spiral blade has alternating positive and negative radial bends along the length of the spiral blade.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the alternating positive and negative radial bends along the length of the spiral blade divide the blade into sectors.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the sector behind a positive bend is of the same size or of a different size as the sector behind negative bend.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the size of a sector is defined as part of 20 a 360° circle of the spiral shaped blade.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the sector behind a positive bend is directed in the negative advancing direction of the blade and wherein sector behind negative bend is directed in the positive advancing direction of the blade.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the container is an elongated tank with a cylindrical or semi-cylindrical bottom portion, where the spiral shaped blade has a diameter corresponding to the inner circumference of the container.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spiral shaped blade further comprises openings for the liquid to pass through.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tank is connected to a heat exchange element for continuously passing temperature controlled liquid through the 35 container via the fluid inlets and outlets in the container.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the degree of the forward and backward bend in the blade can vary.

10. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the size of the sectors between each forward and backward bend in the blade can vary.

11. A method for transferring and treating food items in liquid, said method using the apparatus of claim 1.

12. A method for transferring and treating food items in liquid, the method comprising the steps of: transferring the food items to a container with a spiral shaped blade mounted to a rotation axis for advancing the food items from one end of the container to the other, said container further comprising one or more fluid inlets and one or more fluid outlets for feeding liquid in and out of the container, advancing the food items from the in-feed end to the out-feed end of the container, transferring the items out of the container wherein the spiral blade has alternating positive (forward) and negative (backward) radial bends along the length of the spiral blade, thereby alternately changing the direction of the spiral blade with respect to its advancing direction, such that the food items are pushed backwards and forwards depending on the direction of the blade.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the alternating positive and negative radial bends along the length of the spiral thereby alternately changing the direction of the spiral blade with respect to its advancing direction, divide the blade into sectors, where the sector behind appositive bend is of the same size or of a different size as the sector behind negative bend, and wherein the size of the alternately changing sectors determines the treatment of the food items.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the sector behind a positive bend is directed in the negative advancing direction of the blade and thereby creating a backwards push of the material resting against that sector, and wherein sector behind negative bend is directed in the positive advancing direction of the blade and thereby creating a forward push of the material resting against that sector.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus is used for thawing up food items.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus is used for bringing the food items to an undercooled state.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus is used for tumbling the food items during the advancement form the in-feed end to the out-feed end to increase tenderness of the food items.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus is connected to a heat exchanger to continuously feed liquid of a desired temperature through the container.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the speed of rotation of the spiral shaped blade can vary in one 360° rotation of the blade depending on the position of the direction of the sectors of the blade in the container.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0044] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinafter and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

[0045] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view drawing of devices and a system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view drawing of devices and a system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the blade according to the present invention.

[0048] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the features of the new screw blade.

[0049] FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing showing both a front view and a side view of the blade in different positions of a 360° rotation.

[0050] FIG. 1 shows the apparatus of the present invention. The figure is a drawing showing side view and looking through the side panel of the tank. The device is designed for transferring and treating food items in liquid where the blade advances a certain amount of food in liquid in each pitch. The device shown in FIG. 1 comprises a container 1 and a spiral shaped blade 2 mounted to a rotation axis 3 for advancing the food items from one end of the container to the other. The container has one or more fluid inlets and one or more fluid outlets for feeding liquid in and out of the container, but the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 has one fluid inlet 4 at the in-feeding end and one fluid outlet 5 at the out-feeding end. In some embodiments the fluid inlets and outlets can be positioned under each or every second pitch of the blade. The container is connected to a heat exchange element for continuously passing temperature controlled liquid through the container via the fluid inlets and outlets in the container. A tubing 6 transfers the liquid from the fluid outlet 5 to a filtering device 7 to filter the liquid before it is passed through the heat exchanger 8. After the heat exchange element has adjusted the temperature of the liquid to a desired temperature, the liquid is pumped back into the container through the fluid inlet 4.

[0051] In FIG. 2 a front view of the container is shown looking through the end panel of the tank. The drawing shows the cylindrical bottom portion of the container where the spiral shaped blade 2, rotating around an axis 3, has a diameter corresponding to the inner circumference of the container 1. The drawing also shows bends 9 in the blade, which defines one of the novel features of the present invention.

[0052] FIG. 3 shows screw blade for advancing food items in the container according to the present invention. The blade is a spiral shaped blade 2 which is mounted on and operated by a rotation axis 3 along the length of the container. The novel blade of the present invention is divided into sectors 10 by alternating positive (forward) 11 and negative (backward) 12 radial bends along the length of the spiral blade alternately changing the angle of the spiral blade along each sector 10.

[0053] FIG. 4 shows a part of the blade of the invention defining the shape of the blade. The drawing shows a functional unit 13 between two positive radial bends 11, where each functional unit has two sectors 14 of which one is directed in the negative advancing direction (N) of the blade, thereby creating a backwards push of the material resting against that sector and the other sector is directed in the positive advancing direction (P) of the blade and thereby creating a forward advancement of the material resting against that sector.

[0054] FIG. 5 shows a front view and a side view of the blade of the invention in different positions of a 360° rotation of the blade explaining the different shape of the blade in the bottom (pushing) position. The drawing shows the blade at the following degrees: 0° (A), 30° (B), 60° (C), 90° (D), 120° (E), 150° (F), 1800° (G), 210° (H), 240° (J), 2700° (K), 3000° (L) AND, 330° (M). An item 15 is shown in the first bottom pitch in FIGS. 4A-H, but in FIG. 4J-M the item 15 has advanced along the container and is now in the second bottom pitch from the in-feed end.

[0055] As used herein, including in the claims, singular forms of terms are to be construed as also including the plural form and vice versa, unless the context indicates otherwise. Thus, it should be noted that as used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0056] Throughout the description and claims, the terms “comprise”, “including”, “having”, and “contain” and their variations should be understood as meaning “including but not limited to”, and are not intended to exclude other components.

[0057] The present invention also covers the exact terms, features, values and ranges etc. in case these terms, features, values and ranges etc. are used in conjunction with terms such as about, around, generally, substantially, essentially, at least etc. (i.e., “about 3” shall also cover exactly 3 or “substantially constant” shall also cover exactly constant).

[0058] The term “at least one” should be understood as meaning “one or more”, and therefore includes both embodiments that include one or multiple components. Furthermore, dependent claims that refer to independent claims that describe features with “at least one” have the same meaning, both when the feature is referred to as “the” and “the at least one”.

[0059] It will be appreciated that variations to the foregoing embodiments of the invention can be made while still falling within the scope of the invention can be made while still falling within scope of the invention. Features disclosed in the specification, unless stated otherwise, can be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose. Thus, unless stated otherwise, each feature disclosed represents one example of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

[0060] Use of exemplary language, such as “for instance”, “such as”, “for example” and the like, is merely intended to better illustrate the invention and does not indicate a limitation on the scope of the invention unless so claimed. Any steps described in the specification may be performed in any order or simultaneously, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0061] All of the features and/or steps disclosed in the specification can be combined in any combination, except for combinations where at least some of the features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. In particular, preferred features of the invention are applicable to all aspects of the invention and may be used in any combination.