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US 8,577,491 B2Granted
Transport scheduling for low microbial bulk products
AssigneeConagra Foods Food Ingredients Company, Inc.
InventorsRobert Mariniello, Edith D. Akins-Lewenthal, Benjamin Warren, Ryan T. Grace
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Transport scheduling and transport processes for low microbial (“LM”) bulk products are described. The transport scheduling and processes facilitate low microbial activity in a LM bulk product during the transport of the LM bulk product.
Claims6
A process comprising:
- receiving, on a computing device, an indication that a low microbial (LM) bulk flour vessel, located on a transportation vehicle, exceeds a low microbial wash (LMW) timing threshold that is based on a predetermined microbial baseline for the LM bulk flour, wherein the LMW timing threshold is a maximum recommended amount of time between LM washes;
- causing the computing device to schedule a time for a LMW process;
- at the time for the LMW process, causing the LMW process to be performed, wherein the LMW process includes:
- removing vessel accessibility components from the LM bulk flour vessel,
- subjecting the vessel accessibility components to a sanitary solution bath,
- securing spinners to hopper openings of the LM bulk flour vessel,
- subjecting the LM bulk flour vessel to a rinse operation in association with a time threshold, wherein the rinse operation includes actuating the spinners by forcing hot water through the spinners to cause dispersion of the hot water within the interior of the LM bulk flour vessel, and
- actuating the spinners by forcing sanitary solution through the spinners to cause dispersion of the sanitary solution within the interior of the LM bulk flour vessel;
- and
- causing the computing device to update a LMW record for the LM bulk flour vessel to indicate a completion date of the LMW process and to qualify the LM bulk flour vessel for transporting an LM bulk flour.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.