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US 12,653,201 B2Granted
Spiral-pump for treating food items
AssigneeLambhusasund Ehf.
InventorIngolfur Arnason
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims22
An apparatus for treating 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 food items in liquid media,
- wherein the loading structure further comprises
- i) an in-feed opening for receiving 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 food items in liquid media into the first winding of the spiral wound tubing,
- 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,
- wherein the out-feed structure further comprises an air/gas separating portion for separating the air/gas phase from the content exiting the pump, and
- wherein the apparatus further comprises a duct for circulating the air/gas phase from the out-feed structure back to the in-feed end of the tubing or the loading structure.
6 more elements
A method for treating 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 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 food items, where the out-feed structure further comprises an air/gas separating portion for separating the air/gas phase from the content exiting the pump,
- at least one piping for redirecting a portion or all the liquid from the out-feed structure to the loading structure, and
- a duct for circulating the air/gas phase from the out-feed structure back to the in-feed end of the tubing or the loading structure,
- b) feeding a first portion of 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 food items in liquid media into the first winding,
- d) separating a portion or all the liquid from the 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,
- wherein the liquid being redirected to loading structure is fed through a fluid inlet in the loading structure, and
- wherein an ejector device arranged prior to the in-feed end of the spiral wound tubing to provide additional suction to the suction of food items in liquid media into the first winding of the spiral wound tubing.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.