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US 10,368,564 B2Granted
Flow balancing in food processor cleaning system
AssigneeIdea Boxx, LLC
InventorsNathan E. Smith, Robert Tuchrelo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plurality of bypass lines are configured to selectively engage a corresponding plurality of food flow paths in a food processor. Each bypass line fluidly communicates with an inlet of a pressure regulating valve such that a common pressure occurs at a spaced position in each food flow path providing an equal pressure at the pressure regulating valve.
Claims21
A food processor comprising:
- (a) a first food flow path extending from a first upstream portion to a first downstream portion, wherein food product passes through the first food flow path in a forward direction to be dispensed from the food processor;
- (b) a second food flow path extending from a second upstream portion to a second downstream portion, wherein food product passes through the second food flow path in a forward direction to be dispensed from the food processor;
- (c) a first bypass line configured to connect to the first food flow path and receive solution from the first food flow path;
- (d) a second bypass line configured to connect to the second food flow and receive solution from the second food flow path;
- and
- (e) a first pressure regulating valve having a pressure regulating valve inlet and a pressure regulating valve outlet, wherein the pressure regulating valve inlet fluidly communicates with the first bypass line and the second bypass line.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- (a) fluidly connecting each of a plurality of bypass lines to a corresponding one of a plurality of food flow paths in a food processor, each of the plurality of fluidly connected bypass lines in fluid communication with (i) any remaining fluidly connected bypass lines and (ii) an inlet of a system pressure regulating valve, wherein the inlet of the system pressure regulating valve is downstream of the fluid communication of each of the plurality of fluidly connected bypass lines with the remaining fluidly connected bypass lines;
- and
- (b) passing a solution from a portion of each of the food flow paths into the corresponding fluidly connected bypass line to pass through the corresponding fluidly connected bypass line to the inlet of the system pressure regulating valve.
An apparatus comprising:
- (a) a first bypass line having a first interface configured to connect to a first food flow path of a food processor and receive solution from the first food flow path into the first bypass line;
- (b) a second bypass line having a second interface configured to connect to a second food flow path of the food processor and receive solution from the second food flow path into the second bypass line;
- and
- (c) a pressure regulating valve having a pressure regulating valve inlet and a pressure regulating valve outlet, the pressure regulating valve inlet in fluid communication with the first bypass line and second bypass line for regulating a pressure in the first bypass line and second bypass line.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- (a) providing a first bypass line configured to fluidly connect to a first food flow path of a food processor and receive solution from the first food flow path, wherein the food processor is configured to pass food product in a forward direction along the food flow path to be dispensed from the food processor;
- and
- (b) fluidly communicating a first pressure regulating valve with the first bypass line to provide a pressure regulation of a flow of solution in the first food flow path in a reverse direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.