Inline Cutting System for an Extruded String of Meat Analogue Product, Method for Inline Cutting an Extruded String of Meat Analogue Product and Use of Such Inline Cutting System

Abstract

There is described an inline cutting system comprising an extruder having an outlet, an outlet line connected with the extruder outlet. The outlet line comprises a side wall surrounding an internal passage. Cutting means is arranged in connection with the out-let line. The extruder is arranged for continuously producing a meat analogue product and the extruded string of meat analogue product is cut into meat pieces by the cutting means. The cutting means is extending through the side wall of the outlet line and extends in-side said internal passage. The cutting means comprises at least one cutting edge which is pointed in a substantial axial direction of the outlet line in order to establish a cutting in the longitudinal direction of the string of meat analogue product. The ex-truder and the outlet line forms a closed enclosure upstream of the cutting means.

Claims

1. Inline cutting system comprising an extruder having an outlet, an outlet line connected with the extruder outlet, wherein the outlet line comprises a side wall surrounding an internal passage and cutting means arranged in connection with the outlet line, wherein said extruder is arranged for continuously producing a meat analogue product and wherein the extruded string of meat analogue product after leaving the extruder is cut into meat pieces by the cutting means, wherein said cutting means is extending through the side wall of the outlet line and extends inside said internal passage, wherein the cutting means comprises at least one cutting edge which is pointed in a substantial axial direction of the outlet line in order to establish a cutting in the longitudinal direction of the string of meat analogue product and that the extruder and the outlet line forms a closed enclosure upstream of the cutting means.

2. Inline cutting system according to claim 1, wherein the cutting means comprises at least one cutting edge which is pointed in a direction substantial perpendicular to the outlet line in order to establish a cutting in the transversal direction of the string of meat analogue product.

3. Inline cutting system according to claim 1, wherein the cutting means is arranged in at least one side opening in the side wall which closely surrounds the cutting means.

4. Inline cutting system according to claim 3, wherein the cutting means is connected with drive means for retracting the cutting means from their position in the internal passage and reinserting the cutting means again whereby a scraping effect is obtained when retracting the cutting means.

5. Inline cutting system according to claim 1, wherein the cutting means comprises at least one knife set, wherein each knife comprises a blade and said cutting edge.

6. Inline cutting system according to claim 5, wherein said at least one knife set comprising two, three or more knife blades arranged parallel to each other.

7. Inline cutting system according to claim 1, wherein the cutting means comprises at least two sets of cutting edges, that each set of cutting edges is arranged in a plane substantially perpendicular to the outlet line, wherein said at least two sets of cutting edges are arranged in different positions at the circumference of the outlet line for retraction under different angles.

8. Inline cutting system according to claim 1, wherein the cutting means comprises at least one further cutting edge which is pointed in a direction substantial perpendicular to the outlet line and being arranged at the outlet opening of the outlet line in order to establish a cutting in the transversal direction of the string of meat analogue product leaving the outlet line.

9. Inline cutting system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one further cutting edge is a rotating cutting edge rotating around and axis perpendicular to the outlet line.

10. Inline cutting system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one further cutting edge cooperates with the edge of the opening of the outlet line which acts as a wearing bar for the cutting edge.

11. Inline cutting system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one further cutting edge is a shredding edge in order to obtain a shredding rather than a clean cutting.

12. Inline cutting system according to claim 1, wherein the outlet line comprises a flexible hose which at one end is connected with the extruder outlet and at the other end is connected with a straight rigid pipe at which the cutting means is provided.

13. Inline cutting system according to claim 1, wherein the cutting system comprises two or more outlet lines each of which is connected with an extruder outlet.

14. Method for inline cutting an extruded string of meat analogue product, which method comprises the steps of forwarding an emulsion continuously axially through an extruder having an outlet and through an outlet line connected with the extruder outlet and comprising a side wall surrounding an internal passage, cutting said string of meat analogue product into meat pieces by cutting means after leaving the extruder, wherein the method further comprises the steps of providing a closed enclosure upstream of the cutting means, effecting said cutting inside said internal passage as said cutting means is extending through the side wall of the outlet line and effecting said cutting in a substantial axial direction of the outlet line in order to establish a cutting in the longitudinal direction of the string of meat analogue product.

15. Method according to claim 14, in wherein the method further comprises the steps of providing drive means connected with the cutting means, activating the drive means for retracting the cutting means from their position in the internal passage and reinserting the cutting means again thereby obtaining a scraping effect when retracting the cutting means.

16. Method according to claim 14, wherein the method further comprises providing at least one further cutting edge which is pointed in a direction substantial perpendicular to the outlet line and being arranged at the outlet opening of the outlet line, activating said at least one further cutting edge thereby establishing a cutting in the transversal direction of the string of meat analogue product leaving the outlet line.

17. Method according to claim 16, wherein that the cutting in the transversal direction of the string of meat analogue product leaving the outlet line is a shredding rather than a clean cutting as the least one further cutting edge is a shredding edge.

18. Use of the inline cutting system according to claim 1 for cutting meat analogue products into meat pieces by the cutting means in a continuous process, where the cutting means is arranged after an extruder and where the extruder and the outlet line forms a closed enclosure upstream of the cutting means.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0088] The invention will be described in further detail below by means of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the drawing, in which:

[0089] FIG. 1 shows an example of an prior art extruder having further equipment installed in front of and after the extruder,

[0090] FIG. 2 shows a sketch of the arrangement of the extruder and the in line cutting system according to the present invention,

[0091] FIG. 3 shows a partial perspective view of an inline cutting system according to the present invention,

[0092] FIG. 4 shows a partial perspective view of an outlet line and cutting means being in a retracted position,

[0093] FIG. 5 shows an end view corresponding to FIG. 4,

[0094] FIG. 6 shows a partial perspective view corresponding to FIG. 4, however with the cutting means being arranged in the internal passage of the outlet line,

[0095] FIG. 7 shows an end view corresponding to FIG. 6 and

[0096] FIG. 8 shows and partial sectional view through the outlet line and illustrating a rotating cutting edge at the opening of the outlet line.

[0097] In the drawing, the following reference numerals have been used for the designations used in the detailed part of the description:

LIST OF POSITION NUMBERS

[0098] 1 Extruder

[0099] 2 Pre-bin

[0100] 3 Pre-heating/mixing tank

[0101] 4 Stirrer

[0102] 5 Product inlet

[0103] 6 Inlet section

[0104] 7 Pump

[0105] 8 Barrel

[0106] 9 First barrel section

[0107] 10 Second barrel section

[0108] 11 Third barrel section

[0109] 12 Inlets in mixing housing

[0110] 13 Inlets in barrel

[0111] 14 Inner surface in barrel

[0112] 15 Centre core

[0113] 16 Rotor

[0114] 17 Scraping means

[0115] 18 Flights

[0116] 29 Drive means

[0117] 20 Energy/steam connection to the centre core

[0118] 21 Sensor

[0119] 22 Product outlet

[0120] 23 By-pass valve

[0121] 24 Grilling section

[0122] 25 Cooling section

[0123] 26 Cutting section (prior art)

[0124] 27 Cutting system

[0125] 28 Outlet line

[0126] 29 Flexible hose

[0127] 30 Rigid pipe

[0128] 31 First cutting knife set

[0129] 32 Second cutting knife set

[0130] 33 Third cutting knife set

[0131] 34 First actuator

[0132] 35 Second actuator

[0133] 36 Third actuator

[0134] 37 First support beam

[0135] 38 Second support beam

[0136] 39 Third support beam

[0137] 40 First guide means

[0138] 41 Second guide means

[0139] 42 Third guide means

[0140] 43 Side wall

[0141] 44 Internal passage

[0142] 45 Axial direction of rigid pipe

[0143] 47 First side openings

[0144] 47 Second side openings

[0145] 48 Third side opening

[0146] 49 First knife blade

[0147] 50 First knife edge

[0148] 51 Second Knife blade

[0149] 52 Second knife edge

[0150] 53 Rotating Knife set

[0151] 54 Axis for rotating knife set

[0152] 55 Knife blade of rotating knife set

[0153] 56 Knife edge of rotating knife set

[0154] 57 Opening of outlet line

[0155] 58 Edge of opening

[0156] 59 Direction of rotation

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0157] FIG. 1 shows an example of a prior art extruder 1 having further equipment installed in front of and after the extruder 1.

[0158] In front of the extruder 1, a pre-bin 2 is seen where the emulsion/product is stored and from where the product is led to a pre-heating and/or mixing tank 3. Inside the preheating/mixing tank 3, a stirrer 4 is seen which stirs the added product and ingredients into a homogeneous emulsion or product. The product is led further into an inlet 5 in the extruder 1 via the inlet section 6. On the inlet line a pump 7 is provided for pumping the product through the extruder 1. The inlet section 6 is connected to the barrel 8 of the extruder 1. The barrel 8 is divided into three sections 9, 10, 11 where different conditions may be present in each section 9, 10, 11.

[0159] Each section 9, 10, 11, or the barrel 8 in general, may comprise one or more sensors for detection of temperature, pressure or other process parameters that could be attractive to detect.

[0160] The inlet section 6 has inlets 12 for e.g. steam, water and oil which are led into the inlet section 6 and into the product. The barrel 8 also has inlets 13 for indirect supply of e.g. steam in order to heat up the inner surface 14 of the barrel 8.

[0161] Centrally in the barrel 8, a centre core 15 is seen depicted with a rotor 16 arranged around a stationary centre core 15, where the rotor 16 comprises scraping means 17, in the shape of a helical screw conveyor with flights 18. The rotor 16 is rotated by means of the drive means 19 arranged at the end of the mixing housing 6. The centre core 15 is energised with e.g. steam via a connection 20.

[0162] Further down the line of the apparatus seen in FIG. 1, there is arranged a sensor 21 e.g.

[0163] a temperature and/or pressure sensor at the product outlet 22 and a by-pass valve 23 that allows for a product to be bypassed until e.g. a specific temperature is measured at the sensor 21. Even further down the line, a grilling section 24 is arranged and can be used to apply a desired grill effect on the product before cooling it in a cooling section 25. The product can be led through the grilling section 24 and the cooling section 25 with or without any process taking place and into a cutting section 26, where the product can be cut into pieces of a desired size.

[0164] An inline cutting system 27 according to the present invention may be connected to the product outlet 22 of the extruder 1 through an outlet line 28 illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0165] FIG. 3 illustrates a cutting system 27 comprising 5 outlet lines 28. Each of the outlet lines 28 is connected with an extruder outlet, which is not illustrated in FIG. 3. Each of the outlet lines 28 comprises a flexible hose 29 which is connected to the product outlet 22 at one end which is not shown in FIG. 3. At the other end the flexible hose 29 is connected with a rigid pipe 30.

[0166] Each of the rigid pipes 30 is provided with a first cutting knife set 31 and a second cutting knife set 32. The first and second cutting knife sets constitute cutting means, which comprises a cutting edge which is pointed in a substantial action direction 45 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). In order to establish a cutting in the longitudinal direction of a string (not illustrated) of meat analogue product the string is conducted through the outlet line 28. The orientation of the first and second cutting knife sets 31, 32 occurs more clearly from FIGS. 4 and 5. The first cutting knife set 31 and each of the outlet lines 28 is connected with a first support beam 38. This first support beam is actuated with a first actuator 34 and is guided on first guide means 40.

[0167] Each of knife sets of the first cutting knife set 31 and the second cutting knife set 32 comprises a first knife blade 49 having a first knife edge 50. The knife edge 50 establishes a cutting in the longitudinal direction of the string of meat analogue product.

[0168] Each of the second cutting knife sets 32 are connected with a common second support beam 38. This second support beam 38 is driven by a second actuator 35 and is guided on second guide means 41. It occurs that the first and second guide means 40, 41 are directed under different angles, having a mutual angle of 90° (which occurs more clearly from FIGS. 4 and 5). Moreover, a third cutting knife set 33 is provided close to the opening 57 of the outlet line. The third knife set 33 is connected with a third support beam 39, which is driven by a third actuator 36 and is guided of a third guide means 42.

[0169] The third knife set comprises a second knife blade 51 having a second knife edge 52 extending in a direction substantial perpendicular to the axis 45 of the outlet line. The second knife edge provides a cutting in transversal direction of the string of meat analogue product leaving the outlet line.

[0170] As it occurs from FIGS. 4-7 each first cutting knife set comprises two first knife blades 49 being arranged parallel in relation to each other. Each of the first knife blades 49 extends through a first side opening 46 in the side wall 43 in order to enter into the internal passage 44 of the rigid pipe 30.

[0171] In the same way each second cutting knife set 32 comprises two first knife blades 49 arranged parallel in relation to each other. Each first knife blade of the second cutting knife set 32 extends through second side openings 49 through the side wall 43 in order to extend into the internal passage 44 of the rigid pipe 30.

[0172] The third cutting knife set comprises one second knife blade 51 having a second knife edge 52. The second knife blade extends through a third side opening 48 in the side wall 32 in order to extend into the internal passage 44 of the rigid pipe 30.

[0173] The above mentioned first, second and third cutting knife sets are arranged in order to be retracted from the position in the internal passage as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 to the position outside the side wall 43 illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. During the retraction a scraping effect will be effected which cleans the knife blades for any deposits seeing that the side opening 46, 47 closely surrounds the knife blades.

[0174] In general the retraction will be effected approximately every second minute. The retraction and reinserting will only take parts of a second.

[0175] The second knife blade 51 will be retracted and reinserted through the third side opening 48 very frequently and acts as a guillotine in order to cut the string of meat analogue product into meat pieces. In general the second knife blade will be reciprocated six times per second.

[0176] Instead of using the second knife blade to cut the string into meat pieces it is possible to use a rotating knife set 53 illustrated in FIG. 8. The rotating knife set 53 rotates around an axis 54. The rotating knife set 53 comprises in the illustrated embodiment four knife blades 55, each having a knife edge 56 pointing in the direction of rotation 59. Hereby the knife edges 56 will cooperate with an edge 52 of the opening 57 of the rigid pipe 30.

[0177] Hereby the string could be cut into meat pieces.

[0178] The knife edge 56 in the rotating knife set 53 is preferably provided as a shredding edge in order to obtain a shredding rather than a clean cutting. Hereby the meat pieces formed would have a more natural appearance.