Vacuum steam wand for sanitizing a carcass

A vacuum steam wand for sanitizing a carcass comprising:

• a housing including:
• a handle portion;
• and
• a vacuum head portion having a wall defining a vacuum region, the wall having an inner wall surface, an outer wall surface and a lip for contacting the carcass during vacuum steam sanitizing, a section of the wall having a lower height than remaining sections of the wall, said lower height acting to allow contaminants on the carcass to pass into the vacuum region without accumulating on the outer wall surface as the wand is drawn over the carcass during use, and said remaining sections of the wall acting to scrape contaminants from the carcass with the inner wall surface where they may be dislodged by steam and drawn away by vacuum;
• a vacuum passage within the housing connected to the vacuum region and to a vacuum port adapted for connection to a source of vacuum;
• a steam passage within the housing, capable of maintaining and supplying steam at or above a desired sanitizing temperature, the steam passage being connected to a plurality of inner steam nozzles, a plurality of outer steam nozzles and to a steam inlet port adapted for connection to a source of steam, at least a portion of the steam passage being located adjacent to and in thermal contact with the wall;
• the plurality of inner steam nozzles being located within the vacuum region adjacent to the inner wall surface;
• the plurality of outer steam nozzles being located adjacent to the outer wall surface;
• and
• the number and location of the inner and outer steam nozzles being sufficient, in combination with the steam passage in thermal contact with the wall, to maintain the wall at or above the desired sanitizing temperature when the wand is in use.

A vacuum steam wand for sanitizing a carcass comprising:

• a housing including:
• a handle portion;
• and
• a vacuum head portion having a wall defining a vacuum region, the wall having an inner wall surface, an outer wall surface and a lip for contacting the carcass during vacuum steam sanitizing;
• a vacuum passage within the housing connected to the vacuum region and to a vacuum port adapted for connection to a source of vacuum;
• a steam passage within the housing, capable of maintaining and supplying steam at or above a desired sanitizing temperature, the steam passage being connected to a plurality of inner steam nozzles, a plurality of outer steam nozzles and to a steam inlet port adapted for connection to a source of steam, at least a portion of the steam passage being located adjacent to and in thermal contact with the wall, the steam passage extending beneath the wall and having a width that is greater than a width of the wall above the steam passage;
• the plurality of inner steam nozzles being located within the vacuum region adjacent to the inner wall surface;
• the plurality of outer steam nozzles being located adjacent to the outer wall surface;
• and
• the number and location of the inner and outer steam nozzles being sufficient, in combination with the steam passage in thermal contact with the wall, to maintain the wall at or above the desired sanitizing temperature when the wand is in use.

A vacuum steam wand for sanitizing a carcass comprising:

• a housing including:
• a thermally insulated handle portion;
• and
• a thermally conductive vacuum head portion having a wall defining a vacuum region, the wall having an inner wall surface, an outer wall surface and a lip for contacting the carcass during vacuum steam sanitizing;
• a vacuum passage within the housing connected to the vacuum region and to a vacuum port adapted for connection to a source of vacuum;
• at least one feeder passage within the housing and in thermal contact therewith, the feeder passage being connected to a steam inlet port adapted for connection to a source of steam;
• a steam chamber connected to the at least one feeder passage and located within the housing in thermal contact therewith, the steam chamber and the at least one feeder passage cooperating to maintain the thermally conductive housing at or above a desired sanitizing temperature when the wand is in use, the steam chamber being connected to a plurality of inner steam nozzles and a plurality of outer steam nozzles, the inner and outer steam nozzles providing a steam spray partially directed towards the carcass and partially directed towards the wall;
• a temperature gauge mounted to the housing for monitoring steam temperature;
• the plurality of inner steam nozzles being located within the vacuum region adjacent to the inner wall surface;
• and
• the plurality of outer steam nozzles being located adjacent to the outer wall surface.

A vacuum steam wand for sanitizing a carcass comprising:

• a housing including:
• a thermally insulated handle portion;
• and
• a thermally conductive vacuum head portion having a wall defining a vacuum region, the wall having an inner wall surface, an outer wall surface and a lip for contacting the carcass during vacuum steam sanitizing a section of the wall having a lower height than remaining sections of the wall, said lower height acting to allow contaminants on the carcass to pass into the vacuum region without accumulating on the outer wall surface as the wand is drawn over he carcass during use, and said remaining sections of the wall acting to scrape contaminants from the carcass with the inner wall surface where they may be dislodged by steam and drawn away by vacuum;
• a vacuum passage within the housing connected to the vacuum region and to a vacuum port adapted for connection to a source of vacuum;
• at least one feeder passage within the housing and in thermal contact therewith, the feeder passage being connected to a steam inlet port adapted for connection to a source of steam;
• a ring-shaped steam chamber connected to the at least one feeder passage and located beneath the wall within the housing in thermal contact therewith, the steam chamber and the at least one feeder passage cooperating to maintain the thermally conductive housing at or above a desired sanitizing temperature when the wand is in use, the steam chamber being connected to a plurality of inner steam nozzles and a plurality of outer steam nozzles;
• a temperature gauge mounted to the housing for monitoring steam temperature;
• the plurality of inner steam nozzles being located within the vacuum region adjacent to the inner wall surface;
• the plurality of outer steam nozzles being located adjacent to the outer wall surface;
• and
• the plurality of inner and outer steam nozzles comprising holes drilled through the housing adjacent the inner and outer wall surfaces and into the steam chamber.

A vacuum steam wand for sanitizing a carcass comprising:

• a housing including;
• a handle portion;
• and
• a thermally conductive vacuum head portion having a wall formed thereon for scraping, the head portion being coated at least partially with a nonstick coating;
• a vacuum passage within the housing;
• and
• at least one steam passage within the vacuum head portion and in thermal contact therewith, the steam passage being connected to a plurality of inner steam nozzles and a plurality of outer steam nozzles, the inner and outer steam nozzles providing a steam spray partially directed towards the carcass and partially directed towards the wall.

A vacuum steam wand for sanitizing a carcass comprising:

• a handle;
• a vacuum head attached to the handle and having a wall formed thereon, the wall having a higher section and a lower section connected by side wall sections defining a vacuum region therebetween, the higher section of the wall having a lip adapted for scraping contaminants from the surface of the carcass into the vacuum region during vacuum steam sanitizing;
• a vacuum passage connected to the vacuum region and to a vacuum port adapted for connection to a source of vacuum;
• a steam chamber formed within the vacuum head in thermal contact with the wall, the steam chamber being connected to a steam inlet port to provide steam at or above a desired sanitizing temperature;
• and
• a plurality of steam nozzles positioned in spaced relation around the wall, the steam nozzles being formed in the vacuum head and directly connecting into the steam chamber formed in the vacuum head, with at least one of the steam nozzles being located adjacent to one of the side wall sections, at least one of the steam nozzles being located adjacent to the other of the side wall sections, at least one of the steam nozzles being located adjacent to the higher wall section and at least one of the steam nozzles being located adjacent to the lower wall section.

A vacuum steam wand for sanitizing a carcass comprising:

• a handle;
• a vacuum head comprising:
• a first section connected to the handle, the first section having a mounting surface formed thereon, and
• a removable second section having first and second sides, a wall defining a vacuum region being formed on the first side of the second section and a channel forming a steam chamber on the second side of the second section, the second side being mounted to the mounting surface of the first section, and the wall having a lip adapted for scraping contaminants from the surface of the carcass into the vacuum region during vacuum steam sanitizing;
• a vacuum passage connected to the vacuum region and to a vacuum port adapted for connection to a source of vacuum;
• the steam chamber being connected to a steam passage adapted for connection to a source of pure steam, to provide steam at or above a desired sanitizing temperature;
• and
• a plurality of steam nozzles positioned in spaced relation around the wall, the steam nozzles extending from the first side of the second section into the steam chamber on the second side of the second section.

A vacuum steam wand for sanitizing a carcass comprising:

• a handle;
• a vacuum head comprising:
• a first section connected to the handle, the first section having a mounting surface formed thereon, and
• a removable second section having first and second sides, a wall defining a vacuum region being formed on the first side of the second section and a channel defining a steam chamber being formed on the second side of the second section, the second side being mounted to the mounting surface of the first section, and the wall having a lip adapted for scraping contaminants from the surface of the carcass into the vacuum region during vacuum steam sanitizing;
• a vacuum passage connected to the vacuum region and to a vacuum port adapted for connection to a source of vacuum;
• the steam chamber being connected to a steam passage providing pure steam, without injected water, at or above a desired sanitizing temperature;
• a first plurality of steam nozzles positioned in spaced relation around an outer surface of the wall;
• and
• a second plurality of steam nozzles positioned in spaced relation around an inner surface of the wall, the first and second plurality of steam nozzles extending from the first side of the second section proximate a base of the wall directly into the steam chamber.