# US 12,180,008 B2 · Conveying apparatus for conveying food products and heat treatment apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,180,008 B2 - Document ID: US12180008B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/696,017 - Filed: 2022-11-28 - Published: 2024-08-08 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2022-01-17 - Assignees: Pavan S.P.A. - Applicants: PAVAN S.p.A. - Inventors: Davide Torni; Jürgen Spatz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12180008B2 ## CPC - B65G 17/067: {the load carrying surface being formed by plates or platforms attached to more than one traction element} - B65G 17/123: {arranged to keep the load-carriers horizontally during at least a part of the conveyor run} - B65G 17/18: and move in contact with a guiding surface - B65G 17/32: Individual load-carriers - B65G 17/36: having concave surfaces, e.g. buckets - B65G 17/42: Attaching load carriers to traction elements - B65G 17/48: Controlling attitudes of load-carriers during movement ({B65G17/18 takes precedence;} guides B65G21/20; inverting or tilting load carriers to discharge contents B65G47/38) - B65G 2201/0202: Agricultural and processed food products - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) ## Abstract A conveying apparatus (1) for conveying food products, comprising: a conveyor (2) developing along a closed conveying path (3), said conveyor (2) comprising a first and second endless chain (4, 5) arranged parallel to each other: a plurality of containers (6) transversally mounted between said first and second endless chain (4, 5), each container (6) comprising: —at least one cup-shaped receptacle (8) for a food product: —a first pin (9) and a second pin (10) protruding respectively from opposite ends of the container (6); a plurality of pairs of supports (11, 12), each pair being formed by a first support (11) mounted on the first endless chain (4) and a second support (12) mounted on the second endless chain (5), each support (11, 12) having a bore (13) dimensioned and shaped for receiving one of said pins (9, 10), the first pin (9) and the second pin (10) of each container (6) being removably mounted within the bores (13) of one pair of supports (11, 12). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A conveying apparatus for conveying food products, comprising: a conveyor developing along a closed conveying path, said conveyor comprising a first and second endless chain arranged parallel to each other; a plurality of containers transversally mounted between said first and second endless chain, each container comprising: at least one cup-shaped receptacle for a food product; a first pin and a second pin protruding respectively from opposite ends of the container; a plurality of pairs of supports, each pair being formed by a first support mounted on the first endless chain and a second support mounted on the second endless chain, each support having a bore dimensioned and shaped for receiving one of said pins, the first pin and the second pin of each container being removably mounted within the bores of one pair of supports wherein said at least one cup-shaped receptacle comprises a perforated sheet with a plurality of through-holes, the perforated sheet being arranged to define a bottom of the cup-shaped receptacle for resting the food product, and said at least one cup-shaped receptacle comprises a lateral wall comprising a first plate and a second plate arranged so as to partially overlap in an overlapping zone in correspondence of the bottom, said first plate and second plate being mutually shaped in the overlapping zone so that they create an inner recess for holding the bottom. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first pin and the second pin of each container are slidably mounted within the bores of one pair of supports. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first pin and the second pin of each container are axially rotatably mounted within the bores of one pair of supports. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extension of each bore is larger than the cross-section of the pins. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bore has an elongated development in a direction that is inclined with respect to a transport direction of the conveyor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The conveying apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the bore has an elongated development in a direction substantially orthogonal to the transport direction of the conveyor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first pin of each container is axially retractable with respect to the corresponding container. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor comprises a plurality of sprockets on which the endless chains are mounted and first guiding means arranged at least at one sprocket and configured to engage the pins of each container and keep them outside the pitch diameter of the sprocket during the rotation of the container around the sprocket. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the through-holes have a diameter of between 0.5 and 3 mm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ratio between empty and full spaces of the perforated sheet is between 0.30 and 0.70. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in cross-section the second plate is S-shaped with a first end developing outwards which, together with a free end of the first plate, defines the inner recess. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each container comprises a plurality of cup-shaped receptacles arranged in a row along a transverse direction that is orthogonal to a transport direction of the conveyor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A heat treatment apparatus for food products, in particular noodles, comprising: a heating chamber; a conveying apparatus according to claim 1, the conveyor of said conveying apparatus being arranged to partly pass through the heating chamber. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising: a first air injecting device configured to introduce into a first part of the heating chamber an upper air flow towards the noodles arranged in the cup-shaped receptacles, the upper air flow having a temperature that is comprised between 100° C. and 300° C. and being directed from a first zone above the conveyor to a second zone under the conveyor, a second air injecting device configured to introduce into a second part of the heating chamber a lower air flow towards the noodles arranged in the cup-shaped receptacles, the lower air flow having a temperature that is comprised between 100° C. and 300° C. and being directed from the second zone to the first zone.