COOLING NOZZLE FOR EXTRUDER

Abstract

The invention relates to a cooling nozzle which has a product channel of annular cross-section the circumference of which is closed with the exception of at least one recess. Said recess has the effect that compound exiting the product channel spreads uniformly on a substrate if the compound is sufficiently solid after cooling during passage through the cooling nozzle so that it does not deliquesce on a flat substrate.

Claims

1. Cooling nozzle for use in the production of foods, comprising an inner tube and, arranged at a distance around it, an inner jacket tube between them confine a product channel, wherein the inner volume of the inner tube forms an inner coolant channel and wherein an outer jacket tube that is arranged at a distance around the inner jacket tube forms an outer coolant channel that encompasses the product channel, wherein the cross-section of the product channel is divided by a carrier that extends in parallel to the longitudinal axis of the inner tube over the entire length of the product channel and the wall surfaces of which carrier are seamless and continuously abut on the inner tube and on the inner jacket tube.

2. Cooling nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the carrier has a cross-section that is constant along the length of the product channel.

3. Cooling nozzle according to one of the preceding claim 1, wherein the carrier is releasably connected to the inner jacket tube.

4. Cooling nozzle according to one of the preceding claim 1, wherein the carrier is connected to the inner jacket tube by screws that engage in threaded bore holes arranged within the carrier and that abut on the inner jacket tube, and in that in the outer jacket tube mounting bore holes are arranged that cover the threaded bore holes and that are reversibly closable by closures.

5. Cooling nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the outer cooling channel has a first inlet and a first outlet to which a first cooling device is connected, and in that the inner cooling channel has a second inlet and a second outlet to which a second cooling device is connected, wherein the first cooling device and the second cooling device independently from one another are configured to generate a coolant flow that is sufficient for cooling the mass at a cooling rate of from 5 to 130° C./min.

6. Cooling nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the carrier on its opposite ends has bore holes that form a second inlet and a second outlet for the inner coolant channel, wherein the bore holes holes are guided through the inner jacket tube and the inner tube and wherein connection lines that are sealingly guided through bore holes within the outer jacket tube are connected to the bore holes.

7. Cooling nozzle according to claim 1, directly connected to the outlet of an extruder.

8. Cooling nozzle according to claim 1, connected to the outlet of an extruder by a connecting piece that forms an at least sectionally annular product guiding channel between an inner wall and a an outer wall spaced therefrom, and in that the inner wall and/or the outer wall is heated to a temperature that is higher than the outlet temperature of the mass from the extruder.

9. Cooling nozzle according to claim 1, being at one end it is releasably connectable to a connecting piece having a core piece within a jacket section, which between them within a radial section form a product guiding channel and which are connected by a catch, wherein the cross-section of the product guiding channel is arranged matching the cross-section of the product channel.

10. Cooling nozzle according to claim 9, wherein the core piece is formed with the catch and the jacket section thereon as a single piece.

11. Cooling nozzle according to claim 1, oriented in a way that the carrier is arranged above the longitudinal axis of the inner tube and/or of the inner jacket tube, and in that the outlet of the product channel is arranged above a conveyor belt.

12. Cooling nozzle according to claim 1, comprising at least one web that extends over the length of the inner tube and in parallel to its longitudinal axis and that protrudes over the inner tube, wherein the inner tube is fixedly connected to the inner jacket tube and/or the outer jacket tube exclusively by means of the carrier.

13. Cooling nozzle according to claim 12, comprising at least two webs that are arranged around the circumference of the inner tube, each in equal distance to one another and to the carrier.

14. Cooling nozzle according to claim 12, wherein the web extends up to a distance of at maximum 2 mm from the inner jacket tube.

15. Cooling nozzle according to claim 1, combined with at least one further inner tube that is exchangeable against the one inner tube, wherein the further inner tube has a different outer diameter and a carrier, wherein carriers extend up to the same radius from the longitudinal central axis of the inner tube.

16. Cleaning device for use with a cooling nozzle according to claim 1, having a connector plate for mounting to the cooling nozzle, having comprising a bearing plate which is connected to the connector plate by means of a holder and at which a spindle is run on bearings stationary and rotatably and a spindle nut that engages the spindle and that is connected to a pushing element that is slidable lengthwise along the spindle and that has a cross-section approximately equal to or smaller than the cross-section of the product channel and that has a longitudinal recess having a cross-section approximately equal to or larger than the cross-section of the carrier.

17. Process for the production of foods by extruding a protein containing mass and subsequently cooling the extruded mass by means of a cooling nozzle, comprising moving the extruded mass is moved through the product channel of a cooling nozzle according to claim 1, moving coolant through the inner coolant channel and through the outer coolant channel, and after exiting the product channel laying the mass onto a conveyor belt in order to form a single-layered and continuous layer.

18. Process according to claim 17, wherein after exiting the product channel the mass is not divided lengthwise to its direction of movement.

19. Process according to claim 17, wherein prior to cooling, the mass is guided through a connecting piece arranged between the outlet of the extruder and the inlet of the product channel, which connecting piece forms an at least sectionally annular product guiding channel between an inner wall and an outer wall spaced-apart therefrom, and in that the inner wall and/or the outer wall is heated to a temperature that is higher than the outlet temperature of the mass from the extruder.

20. Process according to claim 17, wherein the cooling nozzle is lengthened or shortened by at least one axial section in order to change the structure of the product and/or when extruding a different mass or respectively after a change of product.

21. Process according to claim 17, wherein after finishing or interrupting the process, the mass is moved out of the product channel by moving a pushing element that is connected to a spindle nut into the product channel by a spindle, wherein the spindle is run on bearings rotatably and stationary at a bearing plate that by a holder is connected to a connector plate that is connected to the cooling nozzle.

22. Process according to one of claim 17, wherein the process is interrupted and the inner tube including its carrier is removed from the inner jacket tube and a further inner tube is inserted into the inner jacket tube and is attached therein by means of its carrier, wherein the further inner tube has a different outer diameter and a carrier, wherein the carriers extend into the same radius from the longitudinal central axis of the inner tube.

Description

[0038] The invention is now described in more detail with reference to the figures that show in

[0039] FIG. 1 a preferred embodiment of the cooling nozzle in sectional view along the longitudinal axis,

[0040] FIG. 2 the cooling nozzle of FIG. 1 in cross-sectional view,

[0041] FIG. 3 a sectional view along the longitudinal axis of the cooling nozzle with connected adaptor,

[0042] FIG. 4 a cleaning device according to the invention for the cooling nozzle in sectional view along the longitudinal axis and in cross-sectional view thereto, and

[0043] FIGS. 5 A), B) and C) a top view along the longitudinal axis onto an embodiment of the cooling nozzle.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a cooling nozzle having an inner tube 1 that is encompassed at a radial distance by the inner jacket tube 2, which between them form the product channel 3 that is open at the opposite ends or front face surfaces, respectively. The inner tube 1 forms the inner coolant channel 4. The inner jacket tube 2 is encompassed at a distance by the outer jacket tube 5, which between them form the outer coolant channel 6. The inner tube 1 is connected to the inner jacket tube 3 by means of the one carrier 7 that extends over the entire length of the inner tube 1 in parallel to its longitudinal axis 24. In FIG. 1, the carrier 7 is shown in sectional view. The carrier 7 according to the invention has wall surfaces 9 that directly abut on the inner jacket tube 3 and to the inner tube 1 and that are continuous or respectively seamless. The wall surfaces 9, as preferred according to the invention, have a constant form over the length of the inner tube 1 and the inner jacket tube 2, and have a constant distance to one another, and form a constant profile respectively, so that the carrier 7 has a constant cross-section over the length of the inner tube 1 and the inner jacket tube 2. The carrier 7 is releasably connected to the inner jacket tube 2 by means of screws 10. Therein, the screws 10 engage with threaded bore holes 8 within the carrier 7. The heads of the screws 10 are, as preferred, sunk into bore holes within the inner jacket tube 2, so that they do not protrude into the outer coolant channel 6. The outer jacket tube 5 has mounting bore holes 11 which are oriented towards the bore holes within the inner jacket tube 2 and through which the screws 10 are accessible. The mounting bore holes 11 are closable by means of screw caps 12 (not shown) as closures. Between the inner jacket tube 2 and the outer jacket tube 5, annular optional gaskets 13 are arranged that seal the area between a mounting bore hole 11 and the screw 10 against the outer coolant channel 6. The inner tube 1 is connected to the carrier 7 e.g. by welding. Within the outer coolant channel 6, flow guiding elements (not shown) are arranged. The outer coolant channel 6 has a first inlet 14 for coolant at one end of the outer jacket tube 5, and has a first outlet 15 for coolant on the other end that is opposite along the longitudinal axis 24.

[0045] The inner coolant channel 4 has a second inlet 16 and has a second outlet 17 for coolant on the other end that is opposite along the longitudinal axis 24. As shown here, the second inlet 16 and the second outlet 17 can each be formed by a bore hole 18 that extends through the carrier 7 and the wall of the inner tube 1 that is adjacent to the carrier 7, wherein one connection line 19 (not shown) each is tightly connected to the bore hole 18, the connection line 19 sealingly extending through the outer jacket tube 5. The connection lines 19 can be fixed in one of the bore holes 18 e.g. within a thread 20.

[0046] The terminal cross-sections of the inner coolant channel 4 and the outer coolant channel 6 are closed by means of lids 21, 22. In the alternative to the embodiment shown, a first inlet 14 or a first outlet 15 each for coolant of the outer coolant channel 6 can be arranged in opposite lids 21. In the alternative to the embodiment shown and less preferably, the second inlet 16 or the second outlet 17 for coolant of the inner coolant channel 4 can be arranged together within the same lid 22 or one each in one of the opposite lids 22.

[0047] FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of the cooling nozzle of FIG. 1. The wall surfaces 9 of the carrier 7 are plane in the embodiment shown and can extend along two radials that originate from the longitudinal axis 24.

[0048] For the connection of the cooling nozzle, a flange 23 can be attached to at least one end, e.g. to the outer jacket tube 5.

[0049] FIG. 3 shows a cooling nozzle that is connected to a connecting piece by connecting the one terminal flange 23 of the cooling nozzle to a flange 25 of the connecting piece by means of a clamp 26. The connecting piece has a core piece 27 within a jacket section 28, which between them within a radial section form a product channel 29 that enlarges from the cross-section of the extruder outlet that can be connected to the opening 30 as a product inlet up to the cross-section of the product channel 3. The core piece 27 has a catch 31 that occupies a cross-section corresponding to that of the carrier 7 and accordingly fills the product channel 29 like the carrier 7. As preferred, the core piece 27 is formed single-pieced with the catch 31 and with the jacket section 28 thereon. The core piece 27 with the single-pieced catch 31 and with the jacket section 28 is divided into axial sections, each of which having single-pieced an axial section of the core piece 27, of the jacket section 28 and between them an axial section of the catch 31. These single-pieced axial segments are releasably connected to one another by means of the clamps 27 that each encompass flanges 25 at the ends of the axial sections. The jacket section 28 of the connecting piece by means of a mounting plate 32 can be connected to an extruder at the end lying opposite of the cooling nozzle.

[0050] FIG. 4 shows a cleaning device that can be attached by its connector plate 33, e.g. by means of a clamp, to a terminal flange of a cooling nozzle. The connector plate 33 is connected to the bearing plate 35 by the holder 34, shown here as three rods distributed around the circumference. The connector plate 33 together with the bearing plate 35 and the holder 34 form a housing for the pushing element 36 that is connected to a spindle nut 37 engaging the spindle 38. The spindle 38 is rotatably and stationary supported in a spindle bearing 39 that is attached to the bearing plate 35, and at its opposite end is rotatably supported in a bearing 40 at the connector plate 33. The spindle nut 37 or the pushing element 36 is slidably guided along the longitudinal axis of the spindle 38 and is torque-proof according to the preferred embodiment. For the torque-proof guidance of the pushing element 36, the cleaning device has a longitudinal guide 41 that engages with the longitudinal recess 42 of the pushing element 36, wherein the pushing element 36 is slidable along the longitudinal guide 41. The spindle 38 has a handwheel as a rotational drive 43 by which the spindle 38 can be rotated to move the spindle nut 37 and with it the pushing element 36 in parallel to the spindle axis beyond the connector plate 33 and into the product channel of a cooling nozzle connected thereto. The connector plate 33 has a bore hole as centering device 44 that can be used for orienting the cleaning device at a cooling nozzle.

[0051] FIG. 5A) shows an embodiment in which the inner tube 1 in addition to the carrier 7 has two webs 45 that together with the carrier 7 are arranged at the same angle over the circumference of the inner tube 1 and that divide the product channel 3 into same-sized radial sections. The webs 45 protrude over the inner tube 1 up to abutting on the inner jacket tube 2. In FIG. 5B), in top view along the longitudinal axis the cooling nozzle without the inner tube 1 is shown, FIG. 5C) shows in top view along the longitudinal axis the inner tube 1 extracted from the cooling nozzle. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the webs 45 divide the product channel both over its entire length and over its radial height. For an easy exchange of the inner tube 1 against another inner tube 1 that has a different outer diameter and preferably has a carrier 7 that extends up to the same radius from its longitudinal axis as does the carrier of another inner tube 1, optionally having at least one web 45, each inner tube is releasably attached within the inner jacket tube 2 only by means of its carrier 7, e.g. is releasably connectable to the inner jacket tube 2 and/or to the outer jacket tube 5.

TABLE-US-00001 Reference numerals: 1 inner tube 2 inner jacket tube 3 product channel 4 inner coolant channel 5 outer jacket tube 6 outer coolant channel 7 carrier 8 threaded bore hole 9 wall surface 10 screw 11 mounting bore hole 12 closure/screw cap 13 seal 14 first inlet 15 first outlet 16 second inlet 17 second outlet 18 bore hole 20 thread 21 lid 22 lid 23 flange 24 longitudinal axis 25 connecting piece flange 26 clamp 27 core piece 28 jacket section 29 product channel 30 opening 31 catch 32 mounting plate 33 connector plate 34 holder 35 bearing plate 36 pushing element 37 spindle nut 38 spindle 39 spindle bearing 40 bearing 41 longitudinal guide 42 longitudinal recess 43 torque drive 44 centering device 45 web