Cut food denester
AssigneeJ. R. Simplot Company
InventorsDavid Bruce Walker, Allen J. Neel, James Englar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for separating cut food products includes a flow inlet, a flow outlet, and at least one drum connecting the flow inlet and the flow outlet. The flow inlet may be oriented to direct the cut food product tangentially into the at least one drum. The flow inlet may be oriented to direct the cut food product into the at least one drum at a right angle to a longitudinal axis of the at least one drum. The at least one drum may be a plurality of drums including a first drum having the flow inlet and a second drum having the flow outlet. The system may include a passageway providing fluid communication from the first drum to the second drum. The passageway may include a tapered section. The flow inlet may be aligned with the flow outlet.
Claims20
A method for separating a cut food product into a plurality of food product pieces, the method comprising:
- directing a flow of fluid along a fluid flow path of a denester having at least one drum, the flow of fluid being directed tangentially into the at least one drum, wherein the flow of fluid creates a cyclonic flow path through the at least one drum, the flow of fluid carrying a cut food product, the cut food product comprising a plurality of food product pieces nested within each other;
- rotating the cut food product along a length of the at least one drum by movement of the flow of fluid through the fluid flow path, wherein substantially each of the plurality of food product pieces that are nested within each other are individually separated from one another;
- and
- removing the plurality of food product pieces from the at least one drum through a flow outlet.
A method for separating a cut food product into a plurality of food product pieces, the method comprising:
- directing a flow of fluid along a fluid flow path of a denester, the denester having:
- a plurality of drums, including a first drum and a second drum;
- a flow inlet positioned on the first drum, the flow inlet in fluid communication with a discharge of a knife block or a water knife, the flow inlet being tangential to an inner diameter of the first drum;
- a flow outlet positioned on the second drum;
- a passageway providing fluid communication from the first drum to the second drum, the passageway having a first end connected to the first drum and a second end connected to the second drum, the second end of the passageway being tangential to an inner diameter of the second drum;
- and
- a flow path extending from the flow inlet to the flow outlet through the plurality of drums;
- wherein the flow of fluid creates a cyclonic flow path through the plurality of drums, the flow of fluid carrying a cut food product, the cut food product comprising a plurality of food product pieces nested within each other;
- and
- rotating the cut food product within the plurality of drums by movement of the flow of fluid through the fluid flow path, wherein substantially each of the plurality of food product pieces that are nested within each other are individually separated from one another.
A method for separating a cut food product into a plurality of food product pieces, the method comprising:
- cutting a food product into a plurality of food product pieces nested within each other;
- directing the plurality of food product pieces and a flow of fluid carrying the plurality of food product pieces into a denester having at least one drum, the flow of fluid being directed tangentially into the at least one drum, wherein the flow of fluid creates a cyclonic flow path through the at least one drum;
- and
- rotating the cut food product within the at least one drum by movement of the fluid flowing through the at least one drum, wherein substantially each of the plurality of food product pieces that are nested within each other are individually separated from one another;
- and
- removing the plurality of food product pieces from the at least one drum through a flow outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.