US 4,788,907 AGranted

Apparatus for loosening and freezing heat processed cereals

AssigneeNichirei Corporation

InventorsJunichi Mizutani, Hiroyuki Arita

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Abstract

An apparatus for loosening and freezing heat processed cereals is disclosed. The cereals are in the form of separate grains when in a raw state and exhibit agglutinating properties after heat processing so as to become affixed to one another. The apparatus mainly includes a cylindrical rotary drum adapted for receiving the cereals previously heat processed and for loosening the cereals so as not to form lumps or blocks while the cereals are frozen, a unit for rotating the drum, a loosening member provided in the inside of the drum for carrying up the cereals and falling down in the drum, and a fluid blowing unit. The drum includes a netted wall having a mesh size to prevent the cereals from passing through the drum. The blowing unit is adapted to blow chilling fluid into the inside of the drum through the netted wall for blowing up and simultaneously freezing the cereals.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An apparatus for loosening and freezing heat processed cereals into individual grains, said cereals being in the form of separate grains in a raw state and exhibiting agglutinating properties when heat processed, said cereals being selected from the group consisting of rice and rice with additives, said apparatus comprising in combination:

a cylindrical rotary drum for receiving said cereals previously heat processed and this exhibiting agglutinating properties, and for loosening said cereals so as not to form lumps or blocks, while the cereals are frozen, said drum including a netted wall having a mesh size to prevent the cereals from passing through said drum,
means for rotating said drum,
means provided in the inside of said drum for carrying up and subsequently dropping said cereals in said drum for loosening said cereals in said drum, and
means for blowing a chilling fluid into the inside of said drum through said netted wall to blow up and simultaneously freeze said cereals.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.