SPIRAL-PUMP FOR TREATING FOOD ITEMS

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and a device for treating and/or transporting food items. The apparatus and method are designed to facilitate treating animals or food items in liquid. The device of the present invention is designed as a spiral pump with a tubing that is wound together with a rotating structure around a horizontal axis. The apparatus of the present invention and the use thereof provides a method to treat living or slaughtered animals or food items in a spiral pump.

Claims

1. An apparatus for treating living or slaughtered animals or food items in liquid media, the apparatus comprising a first pumping device comprising: a tubing with an in-feed end and an out-feed end, said tubing being wound in a spiral having three or more windings, wherein the spiral wound tubing is arranged to be rotated around an axis, and a loading structure connected to the in-feed end of the tubing for loading the first winding of the spiral wound tubing with living or slaughtered animals or food items in liquid media, characterised in that the loading structure further comprises i) an in-feed opening for receiving living or slaughtered animals or food items in liquid media, ii) at least one fluid inlet to feed additional liquid into the loading structure, and iii) an ejector device arranged prior to the in-feed end of the spiral wound tubing to provide suction of living or slaughtered animals or food items in liquid media into the first winding of the spiral wound tubing.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the injector device is a structure formed within the loading structure.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises an out-feed structure near or at the out-feed end of the spiral wound tubing to separate a portion or all the liquid from the living or slaughtered animals or food items.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the loading structure comprises one or more fluid inlets to feed additional liquid into the loading structure.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises one or more piping for redirecting a portion or all the liquid from the out-feed structure to the loading structure.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising means for regulating or setting the temperature and/or the salt concentration of the liquid in the piping for redirecting a portion or all the liquid from the out-feed structure to the loading structure before it is injected back into the first winding of the spiral wound tubing.

7. The apparatus according to claims 5 and 6, further comprising one or more sensing means for determining the temperature and/or the salt concentration of the liquid in the piping being redirected from the out-feed structure.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the out-feed structure further comprises an air/gas separating portion for separating the air/gas phase from the content exiting the pump.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a duct for circulating the air/gas phase from the out-feed structure back to the in-feed end of the tubing or the in-feed structure.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising means injecting additional gas or air into the duct during the recirculation.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises: a motor, and a control means, wherein the control means controls the motor and the motor rotates the spiral wound tubing.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tubing is wound around and/or into a rotating frame/support structure.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spiral wound tubing is made from metal.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a second pumping device, said second pumping device comprising a spiral wound tubing with an in-feed end and an out-feed end, wherein said second pumping device is connected to the first pumping device to receive the living or slaughtered animals or food items for treatment in a second liquid.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a third pumping device, said second pumping device comprising a spiral wound tubing with an in-feed end and an out-feed end, wherein said third pumping device is connected to the second pumping device to receive the living or slaughtered animals or food items for treatment in a third liquid.

16. The apparatus according to claims 15-16, wherein the second and/or third pumping devices further comprises an out-feed structure near or at the out-feed end of the tubing to separate the liquid and/or air-phase from the living or slaughtered animals or food items have been transferred.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising piping for redirecting a portion or all the liquid from the out-feed structure to the loading structure.

18. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein one or more of the pumping devices is arranged to thread the in-feed end through the centre space of the windings to enter by the last winding of the pumping device and wherein the out-feed end is threaded through the centre space of the windings to enter by the first winding of the pumping device.

19. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the diameter of the spiral wound tubing of one or more of the pumping devices is narrowed and widened alternatively through the winding to alternate the speed of flow in the spiral wound tubing.

20. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more of spiral wound tubing of one or more of the pumping devices is a semi-circular winding.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the one or more semi-circular winding around the frame structure has a rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, nonagonal, decagonal shape or where a circular winding has one or more ridges or indents in the circular shape.

22. A method for treating living or slaughtered animals or food items in liquid media, the method comprising: a) providing a pumping device, said pumping device further comprising a tubing with an in-feed end and an out-feed end, said tubing being wound in a spiral having three or more windings, wherein the spiral wound tubing is arranged to be rotated around an axis, a loading structure connected to the in-feed end of the tubing for loading the first winding of the spiral wound tubing with living or slaughtered animals or food items in liquid media, an out-feed structure near or at the out-feed end of the spiral wound tubing to separate a portion or all the liquid from the living or slaughtered animals or food items, at least one piping for redirecting a portion or all the liquid from the out-feed structure to the loading structure, b) feeding a first portion of living or slaughtered animals or food items in liquid media through an if-feed opening in the loading structure and through the in-feed end of the piping into the first winding of the spiral wound tubing, c) rotating the frame structure a full cycle and thereby drawing a second portion of living or slaughtered animals or food items in liquid media into the first winding, d) separating a portion or all the liquid from the living or slaughtered animals or food items in the out-feed structure, e) redirecting a portion or all the liquid from the out-feed structure through the piping to the loading structure, f) repeating steps b)-e) while there are food items to be feed into the first winding of the tubing wound around the frame structure. characterised in that the liquid being redirected to loading structure is fed through a fluid inlet in the loading structure, and in that an ejector device arranged prior to the in-feed end of the spiral wound tubing to provide additional suction to the suction of living or slaughtered animals or food items in liquid media into the first winding of the spiral wound tubing.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein a second and a third pumping devices are serially connected after the first pumping device to facilitate treatment of living or slaughtered animals or food items in liquid media by separating the liquid from the living or slaughtered animals or food items after transporting through the first pumping device and then providing a second and third pumping and treatment liquid for the second and third pumping device respectively to perform two similar or different treatment steps to the living or slaughtered animals or food items.

24. The method of claim 22, for treating living salmon fish, the method comprising: a) providing a pumping device according to claim 22 on a platform or a structure next to a first fish farming pen, b) performing the method steps of claim 22 to pump salmon fish from the first fish farming pen through the pumping device, c) separating the liquid from the salmon fish as the salmon fish exits the first spiral pump, d) transferring the salmon fish into the first or a second fish farming pen.

25. The method of claim 24, for treating living salmon fish, the method comprising: a) providing a first pumping device on a platform or a structure next to a first fish farming pen, b) performing the method steps of claim 22 to pump salmon fish from the first fish farming pen through the first pumping device, c) separating the liquid from the salmon fish as the salmon fish exits the first pumping device, d) feeding the salmon fish into a second pumping device together with a first treatment liquid, e) transfer the salmon fish through the second pumping device, f) separating the first treatment liquid from the salmon fish as the salmon fish exits the second pumping device.

26. The method of claim 25, the method further comprising the steps of: g) feeding the salmon fish into a third pumping device together with a second treatment liquid, h) transfer the salmon fish through the third pumping device, i) separating the second treatment liquid from the salmon fish as the salmon fish exits the third pumping device, j) transferring the salmon fish into the first or a second fish farming pen.

27. The method according to claim 25 or 26, wherein the first and second treatment liquids are temperature and salt regulated/controlled.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the temperature of the first treatment liquid is lower than the temperature of the liquid in the first fish farming pen and wherein the temperature of the second treatment liquid is higher than the temperature of the liquid in the first fish farming pen.

29. The method according to the previous claim 37, wherein the salt concentration is increased or reduced in the first and/or second treatment liquid.

30. The method according to claim 25 or 26, wherein the method is performed to remove sea-lice from the fish.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

[0113] 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:

[0114] FIG. 1 is a top view of the apparatus of the present invention.

[0115] FIG. 2 is a front view of the apparatus of the present invention

[0116] FIG. 3 is a front view of three pumping devices serially connected.

[0117] FIG. 4 is a transactional view showing a pumping device with the inlet and the outlet ends threaded through the spiral of the pump.

[0118] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of an air/gas separating device for the spiral pump of the invention.

[0119] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of rectangular spirals according to one embodiment of the invention with changing diameter of the tubing.

[0120] FIG. 7 shows alternative forms of one or more windings in the pump.

[0121] FIG. 8 shows a pumping device used for transport fish from one pen to another.

[0122] FIG. 1 shows the apparatus of the present invention with an ejector structure for in-feeding. The apparatus is a pumping device made from a helical wound tubing 1 with an in-feed end 2 and an out-feed end 3. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 the helical wound tubing has seven windings 4 wound around and into a cylindrical frame structure 5 rotating around the horizontal central axis of the frame structure 5. The apparatus further comprises a loading structure 6 connected to the in-feed end of the tubing for loading the first winding of the pump with food items in liquid media such as from a container or a pen for farming fish. The apparatus further comprises an out-feed structure 7 for separating at least a portion of the liquid from the food items and redirecting the liquid through piping 9 back to the loading structure 6. The loading structure has an ejector portion 8 prior to the inlet into the tubing of the pumping device to provide a suction of food items into the pumping device in addition to the suction provided by the spiral formation of the pumping device.

[0123] FIG. 2 shows the apparatus of the present invention. The apparatus comprises a first pumping device 10a having a helical wound tubing 1 with an in-feed end 2 and an out-feed end 3. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 the helical wound tubing has seven windings 4 wound around and into a cylindrical frame structure 5 rotating around the horizontal central axis of the frame structure 5. The apparatus further comprises a loading channel 6 connected to the in-feed end of the tubing for loading the first winding of the pump with living or slaughtered animals or food items in liquid media such as from a container or a pen for farming fish. The drawing also shows a pump tubing 7 in connection to a vacuum pump 8 further connected to the loading channel 6 via a valve 9 near the connection to the in-feed end 2 of the tubing to allow suction of the loading channel 6 and feed the first portion of living or slaughtered animals or food items in liquid media into the first winding of the pump.

[0124] FIG. 3 shows an apparatus for treating live salmon fish in a sea pen according to one embodiment of the invention. The first pumping device 10a is the same as the pumping device described in FIG. 1, having a loading channel 6 connected to the in-feed end of the first pumping device 10a for feeding a first portion of fish in sea water into the first winding of the pump. The first pumping device 10a is serially connected to a second pumping device 10b via a out-feed structure 7 for separating the fish from the sea water. The second pumping device is a spiral pump as the first pumping device 10a and is serially connect to a third pumping device 10c via out-feed structure 7. At the outfeed end of the third pumping device 10c there is also an out-feed structure for separating the fish from the pumping liquid of the third pumping device 10c. All the pumping devices have piping 9 for circulating the liquid from the out-feed end of the tubing, after separation in the out-feed structure 7, back to the loading structure through a heat exchange element 15 maintaining the treatment temperature in the pump. In a similar manner valves 16, 17 are connected to the piping 9 for introducing concentrated salt water or pure water to adjust the salt concentration of the pumping liquid. Features shown for the second or third pumping device in this drawing apply to both devices as well as the first pumping device, although in this embodiment the sea water is not redirected to the inlet of the pump, but filtered of dead lice before pumped back into the ocean. The drawing also shows ducts 19 for circulating the air/gas phase from the out-feed end of the tubing back to the in-feed end of the tubing and means injecting additional gas or air into the duct during the recirculation. This closed circulation of air or gas in tubing/duct has a sensor and injection device 20 to monitor the gas level and inject more gas into the duct if needed to maintain a desired concentration of gas in the piping. The gas can be separated by an air/gas separating device shown here as the same separation device 17 for separating the fish from the pumping liquid at the out-feed end of the pump.

[0125] FIG. 4 is a transactional view showing a pumping device with the inlet 2 and the outlet 3 ends threaded through the spiral of the pump according to one embodiment of the invention. The dotted line shows how the tubing 4 is arranged to thread the in-feed end 2 through the centre space 21 of the spiral wound tubing 4 to exit by the last winding 4g of the pumping device and the out-feed end is threaded through the centre space 21 of the windings to exit by the first winding 4a of the pumping device.

[0126] FIG. 5 shows the pumping device 10 of the present invention with one embodiment of an air/gas separating device is positioned at the out-feed end 3 of the pumping device for separating the air/gas phase from the content exiting the pump. The out-feed end 3 of the spiral pump delivers the content of the pump, including the liquid phase, the food items and the air/gas phase out of the pump and into the air/gas separating device. The air/gas separating device in this embodiment comprises container 22 having an inlet 23 at the top of a container and an outlet 24 for food items and liquid at the bottom of the container. The air/gas separating device further comprises an air/gas outlet 25 at the very top of the container 22.

[0127] FIG. 6 shows rectangular spirals according to one embodiment of the invention with changing diameter of the tubing. Indents or narrowing portions 26 and wider portions 27 of the tubing are continuously alternated in the formation of the spiral to form the spiral pump. The rectangular shape gives an added effect of changing the streamflow of the liquid in the pump and increases the surface stimulation of the treatment liquid and the interaction with the surface of the tubing and other fish.

[0128] FIG. 7 shows examples of different forms of one or more windings in the pump. The traditional winding in a pump is circular (A), but the winding can be formed as semi-circular (B) with a flat surface, semi-circular (C) with a flat surface and a ridge in the flat surface, hexagonal (D), octagonal (E), or Decagonal (F) to create uneven movement of the food items in the winding as it goes through the rocking movement. This increases the treatment movement of liquid or air against the food items. While most of the windings in a pump may be circular, windings where treatment of food items is facilitate may be semi-circular.

[0129] FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of the present invention used for transporting food items from one pen 28a to a second pen 28b using a pumping device 10 of the present invention. The pumping device has an out-feed structure 7 to separate liquid from fish after treatment in the pumping device 10 and tubing 9 for redirecting the separated liquid to a loading structure 6. The loading structure has an ejector portion 8 prior to the inlet into the tubing of the pumping device to provide a suction of food items into the pumping device in addition to the suction provided by the spiral formation of the pumping device.

[0130] 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.

[0131] 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.

[0132] 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 or “substantially constant” shall also cover exactly constant).

[0133] 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”.

[0134] 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. 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.

[0135] 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.

[0136] 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.