Technical field

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for treatment or preparing of semi liquid or pasty food products. More specifically, the disclosure relates to an apparatus for treatment or preparing of semi liquid or pasty food products as defined in the introductory parts of the independent claims.

Background art

From WO 2021/110750. an apparatus for treatment or preparing of semi liquid or pasty food products is known, which apparatus comprises an elongate circular chamber formed between two concentric tube-formed bodies, where at least one of the bodies is provided with heating means, and where the tube- formed bodies rotates in opposite directions. Another example of a traditional cooker for preparing foodstuff passing through a tubular channel is an apparatus where the two main process parts is an inner part formed as an Archimedes screw and an outer part formed by one or more cylindrical barrels. The Archimedes screw is used to convey the foodstuff or mass through the cooker.

A problem with the solutions of the prior art is that there is a need for centering the moving parts in relation to each other in order to establish an even pressure of the food product in the treatment chamber to ensure an even product flow through the apparatus and to avoid that the product may form a partial flow at a local part of a product outlet of the apparatus. In such a situation, it is not possible to ensure that all of the food product has been exposed to proper heating.

There is thus a need for improved control of the product flow and at the same time keep the apparatus simple and easy to clean. Summary

It is an object of the present disclosure to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the above-identified deficiencies and disadvantages in the prior art and solve at least the above-mentioned problem. According to a first aspect there is provided an apparatus for treatment or preparing of semi liquid or pasty food products, which apparatus comprises: - an elongate treatment chamber formed by a substantially flat upper part and a substantially flat lower part pressed together on each side of a sealing gasket having a thickness, which parts are held together by a plurality of fastening members, - an inlet end comprising one or more inlets and an outlet end for discharge of product treated in the treatment chamber, the upper part and lower part are provided with heating and/or cooling means, where the sealing gasket is open in one end, forming at least one outlet opening and that the thickness of the sealing gasket defines the thickness of the treated product.

Hereby is achieved an apparatus for treatment or preparing of semi liquid or pasty food products, where surfaces in contact with the food product has a well-defined distance to each other and a well-defined outlet opening, where the flow is easy to control. Further it is possible in a simple way to change the sealing gasket to achieve a different product thickness of a treated product. By changing the sealing gasket with a sealing gasket having a different size of opening at the outlet end, it is possible in an easy way to provide a product having a different width. Since the gasket is made in a material far more easy to process than steel and that the gasket material is far less expensive than steel, an apparatus with possibility of changing product shape at very low cost is provided.

Further is achieved that the flat configuration of the upper and lower treating surfaces provides a uniform structure of the surface of the treated product. According to some embodiments, sides of the sealing gasket tapers towards in a longitudinal direction towards the outlet end, at least partly over a distance from the inlet end to the outlet end of the treatment chamber.

Hereby it is possible to apply an increasing pressure along the apparatus in a direction from the inlet end to the outlet end.

According to some embodiments, sides of the sealing gasket tapers away from each other in a longitudinal direction towards the outlet end, at least partly over a distance from the inlet end to the outlet end of the treatment chamber.

Hereby it is possible to apply a decreasing pressure along the apparatus in a direction from the inlet end to the outlet end.

According to some embodiments, sides of the sealing gasket shows an alternating distance, such as a wavy configuration in a longitudinal direction towards the outlet end, at least partly over a distance from the inlet end to the outlet end of the treatment chamber.

Hereby it is possible to apply an alternating pressure along the apparatus in a direction from the inlet end to the outlet end, whereby it is possible to adapt velocity of the product in the apparatus to certain heating and/or cooling zones.

According to some embodiments, the sealing gasket is provided with one or more longitudinal elements extending from the inlet end to the outlet end dividing the treatment chamber into two or more treatment chambers and thereby two or more outlet openings.

Hereby it is possible to provide the apparatus with a number of flow paths for product to be treated and a corresponding number of outlet openings for treated product. According to some embodiments, the apparatus at the outlet end is provided with a cutting arrangement having a plurality of knives extending at least partly into an outlet stream of the treated product.

Hereby it is possible to provide the treated product with a rustic surface texture or to cut the product into smaller pieces.

According to some embodiments, the apparatus at the outlet end is provided with a flat cone-shaped outlet which at and end is provided with a ball valve.

Hereby it is possible to stop or pause the product flow by closing the ball valve, for example to be able to let the product remain in the treatment chamber for a period of time for heating and/or cooling over a longer period for slow cooking, In such situations, the temperature can be lowered or raised in suitable intervals in order to achieve a sufficient result.

According to some embodiments, the apparatus at the outlet end is provided with a roller arrangement, comprising a pair of rollers, where at least one of the rollers is provided with a pattern for giving structure or shaping to the treated product surface or a visual impression of for example grill marks.

Hereby is achieved an alternative way to provide the surface of the treated product with a structure

According to some embodiments, the heating and/or cooling means is applied to the upper and lower part at a longitudinal distance from the one or more inlets, the distance being in an interval of 0 to 100 mm, preferably 10 to 75 mm, more preferably 50 mm.

According to some embodiments, the inlet or inlets can go through one or more of the heating and/or cooling elements. Hereby it is possible to heat or cool the product when entering the apparatus.

According to some embodiments, the upper and lower part is provided with heating at a part closest to the inlet end and cooling at a part closest to the outlet end.

According to some embodiments of the apparatus, the upper and lower part via connection rods are connected to a drive unit, which drive unit is capable of displacing the upper and lower part relative to each other, at least in a longitudinal direction of the apparatus. Hereby a so called “shaking” effect is achieved which enables an advantage of a tendency of treated food to not stick on the inner surfaces of the upper and lower parts of the apparatus used for heating and/or cooling of the product.

The present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description given below. The detailed description and specific examples disclose preferred embodiments of the disclosure by way of illustration only. Those skilled in the art understand from guidance in the detailed description that changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the disclosure.

Hence, it is to be understood that the herein disclosed disclosure is not limited to the particular component parts of the device described or steps of the methods described since such device and method may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. It should be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claim, the articles "a", "an", "the", and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements unless the context explicitly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a unit" or "the unit" may include several devices, and the like. Furthermore, the words "comprising", "including", "containing" and similar wordings does not exclude other elements or steps. Terminology -- The term "food" is to be interpreted as food for humans or food for animals, i.e. pet food.

Brief descriptions of the drawings

The above objects, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of example embodiments of the present disclosure, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows an end view of an embodiment of the apparatus seen from an outlet end;

Figure 2 shows a side view of an embodiment as shown in figure 1 ;

Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional side view along line III - III shown in figure 1 ;

Figure 4 shows an end view form the outlet end of an embodiment with a vibrating drive;

Figure 5 shows a side view of the embodiment shown in figure 4;

Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional top view along line VI - VI of figure 5;

Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional side view along line VII - VII shown in figure 4;

Figure 8 shows an enlarged section marked with a circle in figure 7;

Figure 9 shows an end view of an embodiment of the apparatus seen from an outlet end; Figure 10 shows a side view of an embodiment as shown in figure 9;

Figure 11 shows a cross-sectional top view along line XI - XI of figure 10;

Figure 12 shows an enlarged section marked with a circle in figure 10;

Figure 13 shows an embodiment of the apparatus provided with a cutting section;

Figure 14 shows an enlarged section of the cutting section marked with a circle in figure 13;

Figure 15 shows an embodiment of the apparatus provided with a flat cone at the outlet and provided with a ball valve;

Figure 16 shows a cross-sectional top view along line XVI - XVI of figure 15;

Figure 17 shows an embodiment of the apparatus provided with a profiling roller section;

Figure 18 shows an enlarged section marked with a circle in figure 17;

Figure 19 shows an embodiment of the apparatus with the upper part removed showing an embodiment of a sealing gasket layout;

Figure 20 shows an embodiment of the apparatus with the upper part removed showing an embodiment of another sealing gasket layout;

Figure 21 shows an embodiment of the apparatus with the upper part removed showing an embodiment of another sealing gasket layout; Figure 22 shows an embodiment of the apparatus with the upper part removed showing an embodiment of another sealing gasket layout and a flat cone- shaped outlet; and

Figure 23 shows an embodiment of the apparatus with the upper part removed showing an embodiment of another sealing gasket layout.

Detailed description

The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred example embodiments of the disclosure are shown. The disclosure may, however, be embodied in other forms and should not be construed as limited to the herein disclosed embodiments. The disclosed embodiments are provided to fully convey the scope of the disclosure to the skilled person.

The first aspect of this disclosure shows an apparatus 1 for treatment or preparing of semi liquid or pasty food products, which apparatus 1 comprises:

- an elongate treatment chamber 2 formed by a substantially flat upper part 3 and a substantially flat lower part 4 pressed together on each side of a sealing gasket 5 having a thickness, which parts 3, 4, 5 are held together by a plurality of fastening members 6,

- an inlet end 7 comprising one or more inlets 8 and an outlet end 9 for discharge of product treated in the treatment chamber 2, the upper part 3 and lower part 4 are provided with heating and/or cooling means, the sealing gasket 5 is open in one end, forming at least one outlet opening 10 and that the thickness of the sealing gasket 5 defines the thickness of the treated product. Inner sides of the upper and lower parts 3, 4 are provided with smooth surfaces to avoid a tendency of the product to burn to the surfaces during heating/treatment of the product.

Smooth inner surfaces also ease cleaning of the apparatus 1 after use or when changing from treatment of one product to another. The inlet or inlets 8 are connected to a pump or filler (not shown), providing the product to be treated in the product treatment chamber 2.

The upper and lower parts 3, 4 of the apparatus 1 is provided with a number of heating and/or cooling means or heating and/or cooling sections 21 , each provided with at least two studs 22 for connection of a water inlet and outlet for heating and/or cooling of the sections 21 .

The fastening members 6 can be bolts and nuts, wingnuts or similar common known fastening members 6.

According to some embodiments, the inlet or inlets 8 can go through one of the heating and/or cooling sections 21 placed in the inlet end 7, or in other words, the inlet or inlets 8 can enter the product treatment chamber 2 surrounded by one of the heating and/or cooling sections 21. Hereby it is possible to heat or cool the product already when, or slightly before, the product enters the apparatus.

In a simple layout two or more heating sections 21 can be connected in series to a heating source (not shown) which heating source can be steam, oil or preferably a high-pressure water heating unit. Here hot water via a hose or pipe is lead through an inlet stud 22 into the first heating section 21 and out via an outlet stud 22 connected to a hose or pipe which again is connected to an inlet stud 22 of the next heating section 21 and so on, until the last outlet stud 22 is connected to a return coupling to the heating unit.

In an embodiment the heating of heating sections 21 can be heated by electrical heating.

The same apply to a cooling section 21 , but here the sections 21 are connected to a cooling unit instead. In an embodiment, each type of the heating and/or cooling sections 21 are connected in parallel, in order to achieve same temperature in each section 21.

The hoses or pipes connected to the studs 22 in the parallel configuration are connected to a common connection in such a way that the heating and/or cooling unit can be coupled to the hoses or pipes through one or a few couplings to form a kind of “plug and play” connection between the unit and the apparatus.

In the serial configuration the first inlet and the last outlet hose or pipe is connected to the units via couplings.

Hereby it is possible to operate the apparatus by just connecting the heating and/or cooling unit to the mains and to a water supply.

In an embodiment, inner walls or sides 20 of the sealing gasket 5 tapers towards in a longitudinal direction towards the outlet end, at least partly over a distance from the inlet end 7 to the outlet end 9 of the treatment chamber 2.

In an embodiment, inner walls or sides 20 of the sealing gasket 5 tapers away from each other in a longitudinal direction towards the outlet end, at least partly over a distance from the inlet end 7 to the outlet end 9 of the treatment chamber 2.

In an embodiment, inner walls or sides 20 of the sealing gasket 5 shows an alternating distance, such as a wavy configuration in a longitudinal direction towards the outlet end, at least partly over a distance from the inlet end 7 to the outlet end 9 of the treatment chamber 2.

In an embodiment, the sealing gasket 5 is provided with one or more longitudinal elements 15 extending from the inlet end 7 to the outlet end 9 dividing the treatment chamber 2 into two or more treatment chambers 2 and thereby two or more outlet openings 10.

The sealing gasket 5 being open in one end, forming at least one outlet opening 10 and the thickness of the sealing gasket 5 defining the thickness of the treated product, means that by replacing the sealing gasket 5 with a gasket 5 having different thickness or height leads to a change of dimension of the outlet opening or openings 10. Further, if the gasket 5 is replaced with a gasket 5 where the inner walls or sides 20 of the gasket 5 shows a different relative distance, the product leaving the outlet opening or openings 10 will have a width corresponding to the distance between the inner walls or sides 20 of the gasket 5.

A suitable material for manufacturing such gaskets 5 can be silicone or other materials approved for contact with food.

Hereby is achieved an easy and cost-efficient way to provide treated product in different dimensions.

This apparatus 1 is by its configuration capable of providing a product in so called slabs having a substantially smooth and uniform upper and lower surface.

In an embodiment, the apparatus 1 at the outlet end 9 is provided with a cutting arrangement 11 having a plurality of knives 12 extending at least partly into an outlet stream of the treated product. Applying knives 12 in this way makes it possible to provide the treated product with a rustic surface texture or to cut the product into smaller pieces.

In an alternative embodiment, the knives 12 may have wavy cutting edges to induce a rustic surface of the product. In an embodiment the apparatus 1 at the outlet end 9 is provided with a flat cone-shaped outlet 16 which at an end is provided with a ball valve 17. The ball valve 17 makes it possible to stop or pause the product flow by closing the ball valve 17, for example to be able to let the product remain in the treatment chamber 2 for a period of time for heating and/or cooling over a longer period for slow cooking. In such situations, the temperature can be lowered or raised in suitable intervals in order to achieve a sufficient result.

Hereby it is possible to perform long-term cooking or slow cooking.

It is also possible to partly close the ball valve 17 and thereby further raising the pressure in the treatment chamber 2.

The apparatus 1 is at the outlet end 9 provided with a roller arrangement 13 comprising a pair of rollers 13, where at least one of the rollers 13 is provided with a pattern 14 for giving structure or shaping to the treated product surface.

At least one of the rollers 13 can be heated in order to apply the surface of the product being treated for example with grill marks. Hereby the treated product can be cut into pieces and look like a piece of grilled meat, such as a steak or similar having a grill mark pattern as if the product has been prepared on a barbeque.

The pair of rollers 13 can be adjustable in such a way that a relative distance between surfaces of the rollers can be adjusted in relation to the thickness of the product leaving the treatment chamber 2. Hereby the distance between the surface of the rollers 13 should be slightly smaller than the thickness of the sealing gasket 5 in use.

When the sealing gasket 5 is pressed together when assembling the upper and lower parts 3, 4 towards the sealing gasket 5, the thickness of the sealing gasket 5 becomes smaller due to its elasticity, why the distance between the surfaces of the rollers must be smaller than the thickness of the sealing gasket 5 for both rollers 13 to come in contact with the treated product leaving the outlet opening 10.

In an alternative embodiment, the rollers 13 can be used to create a pressure on the treated product leaving the treatment chamber 2 to slow down the product flow. Here the distance between the surfaces of the rollers 13 must be smaller.

In an alternative embodiment, the pair of rollers 13 can be used for slowing down the product flow of treated product when leaving the outlet opening 10 by braking the rollers 13 in such a way that the product is held back compared to if the product could leave the outlet opening 10 freely.

In an embodiment of the apparatus 1 , the heating and/or cooling means 21 is applied to the upper and lower part 3, 4 at a distance from the one or more inlets 8, the distance being in an interval of 0 to 100 mm, preferably 10 to 75 mm, more preferably 50 mm.

In an alternative embodiment, the inlet or inlets 8 can be placed in the inlet end 7 of the apparatus 1 substantially axial in relation to the treatment chamber 2.

The inlets 8 can be formed as a manifold in such a way that one inlet 8 can go from one tube and split into several tubes.

Each individual tube of the split inlets 8 (not shown) can then be interlaced between other tubes, making it possible to add different compositions or consistencies of products to be treated or prepared in the treatment chamber 2. In an embodiment of the apparatus 1 the upper and lower part 3, 4 is provided with heating at a part closest to the inlet end 7 and cooling at a part closest to the outlet end 9.

In an embodiment, openings 23 are provided for insertion of a temperature sensor or probe. The temperature sensors are used for ensuring that the temperature at a certain point during the treatment has reached a certain temperature, which for example could be a reading at a certain point being in short distance before the outlet end 9, that the treated product has reached a minimum temperature of for example 80° C, before leaving the treatment chamber 2.

In an embodiment, openings 23 for applying a temperature sensor is placed downstream in relation to each heating and/or cooling section 21 .

Hereby it is possible to check if the treated product is heated to a predetermined temperature, being a temperature related to a specific product and in many occasions determined by national food authorities.

In an embodiment, openings 24 for supplying oil, such as cooking oil or additives to the surface of the product to be treated are provided.

In an alternative embodiment, the same openings 23, 24 can be used either as supply for oil or additives or for applying temperature sensors.

This means that an upstream opening 24 is used for supplying oil or additives and openings 23 placed downstream in relation to each heating and/or cooling section 21 are used for temperature sensors.

Additives can be additives having influence of for example texture, color, flavor or smell of the treated product. In an embodiment, the upper part 3 as well as the lower part 4 can be provided with openings 24 for supply of oil and/or additives.

Hereby a supply of oil and/or additives is provided in an upper as well as a lower side of the product to be treated.

In an embodiment, the upper part 3 as well as the lower part 4 can be provided with openings 23 for applying temperature sensors or probes.

Hereby it is possible to measure surface temperature of the product during treatment on the upper as well as the lower side of the product.

In an embodiment of the apparatus, the upper and lower part 3, 4, via connection rods 18 are connected to a drive unit 19, which drive unit 19 is capable of displacing the upper and lower part 3, 4 relative to each other, at least in a longitudinal direction of the apparatus in a reciprocating way. This can be possible in situations where the fastening means are fastened less tight (fastened using less tightening torque), but tight enough to keep the sealing gasket 5 tight. This is possible due to a flexibility of the gasket material. Hereby is achieved that the surfaces of the upper 3 and lower 4 part of the apparatus 1 moves just a little relative to the product to be treated, preventing the product from sticking or burning to said surfaces.

When cleaning the apparatus 1 , the fastening members 6 are released and a kind of hinge (not shown) can be provided on one side of the upper and lower parts 3, 4. During cleaning, the upper part 3 can be held in open position (in a position being opened 45° or more) by a rod or one or more gas cylinders (not shown).

On the upper part 3 of the apparatus 1 is provided a number of brackets 25 having an opening for engagement with a hook or the like. Hereby it is possible to use a hoist with wire ropes or chains to elevate the upper part 3 of the apparatus 1 , separating the upper and lower parts 3, 4 to be able to change the sealing gasket 5.

At the outlet end 9 of the apparatus a mounting flange 26 is placed surrounding the outlet opening 10. This mounting flange 26 can be used to extend the apparatus by connecting a further section of the apparatus as shown in figure 2 and 3. In such a situation, the inlet openings 8 can be blocked in the downstream part of the apparatus to ensure that the product to be treated in the product chamber will not be forced out through these openings 8.

The apparatus sections can be secured to each other by fastening members 27, such as bolts and nuts, wingnuts or similar common known fastening members.

The mounting flange 26 and the fastening members 27 are also used to fasten further equipment to the outlet end, such as the cutting arrangement 11 , the roller arrangement 13 or the flat cone-shaped outlet 16.

The person skilled in the art realizes that the present disclosure is not limited to the preferred embodiments described above. The person skilled in the art further realizes that modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. For example, a length of the apparatus 1 can be modified by attaching one or more further heating and/or cooling sections to the outlet end 9 of the apparatus 1 . Additionally, variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by the skilled person in practicing the claimed disclosure, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.