DEVICE FOR FAST SMOKING OF FOOD PRODUCTS, PARTICULARLY FOR PROFESSIONAL USE Technical field

The present invention relates to a device for fast smoking of food products, particularly for professional use. Background art

Currently, in the field of catering, food subjected to the smoking process before being served at the table is often offered.

Traditionally, in order to smoke food products, large ovens or boxes are used which are designed to contain the food to be smoked and to be filled with smoke.

Such ovens, used up to now generally in processes for industrial or semi-industrial smoking, cannot be used to smoke food on the spot, since in addition to their high purchase costs they have considerable operating costs and the need to smoke large quantities of food in each process.

Therefore, to provide "fast" smoking, just before putting the food on the table, rather makeshift devices are usually used which are constituted substantially by a brazier, inside which wood is burnt, connected to the end of a duct which leads to a delivery outlet for the generated smoke; a suction fan is generally provided along the duct and aspirates the smoke from the brazier and sends it toward the delivery outlet.

The smoke delivery outlet is therefore placed proximate to the product to be smoked, which optionally can be positioned within a containment body. The main problem of these devices resides in that it is impossible to work both on the flow-rate of the smoke and on its temperature.

In fact, if one wishes to increase the flow-rate of the smoke through the duct (a rather normal situation, for example to speed up smoking operations), one would risk having smoke at an excessively high temperature in output from the delivery outlet and at the same time one

might compromise the operation of the suction fan, which typically is made of plasties in devices of this type.

Disclosure of the invention

The aim of the present invention is to provide a device for fast smoking of food products particularly for professional use which is capable of eliminating or at least reducing drastically the drawbacks noted above.

In particular, within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a device for fast smoking of food products which allows to facilitate food smoking operations. Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for fast smoking of food products which allows to adjust the flow-rate of the smoke and the temperature of the generated smoke.

This aim and these and other objects, which will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a device for fast smoking of food products, particularly for professional use, comprising a supporting body for a brazier which is connected, through a suction duct, to a suction device connected to a discharge duct leading into a smoke delivery outlet, characterized in that it comprises, between the brazier and the delivery outlet, a heat exchange portion to allow to control the cooling of the smoke sent to the delivery outlet.

Advantageously, the device for fast smoking of food products according to the invention is characterized in that the heat exchange portion is arranged along the suction duct between the brazier and the suction device. Brief description of drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of some preferred but not exclusive embodiments of a device for fast smoking of food products according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top elevation view, partially in phantom lines, of a device for smoking food products according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the device for smoking food products shown in Figure 1 ; Figure 3 is a view, similar to Figure 2 but of a constructive variation, of a device for smoking food products;

Figure 4 is an elevation view, partially in phantom lines, of a constructive variation of a device for smoking food products.

In the exemplary embodiments that follow, individual characteristics, given in relation to specific examples, may actually be interchanged with other different characteristics that exist in other exemplary embodiments. Moreover, it is noted that anything found to be already known during the patenting process is understood not to be claimed and to be the subject of a disclaimer. Ways of carrying out the invention

With reference to the figures, a device for fast smoking of food products, particularly for professional use in the field of catering, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a supporting body 2, constituted for example by a box-like body 2a. The supporting body 2 is associated with a brazier 3, which is connected, through a suction duct 4, to a suction device 5.

The suction device 5 in turn is connected to a discharge duct 6, which _s leads into a delivery outlet 7 for the smoke 10.

According to a particularly important aspect of the present invention, the device for smoking 1 has, between the brazier 3 and the delivery outlet 7, a heat exchange portion 8 which is adapted to allow control of the cooling of the smoke 10 sent to the delivery outlet 7.

In particular, it is advantageous to arrange the heat exchange portion

8 so that it lies along the suction duct 4 between the brazier 3 and the suction device 5 and is accordingly easily accessible by the user in order to

allow the user to act effectively to adjust the temperature of the smoke in output from the delivery outlet 7.

Conveniently, the suction device 5 is accommodated within the box- like body 2a and has a suction manifold 11, which is connected to the end of the suction duct 4 that lies opposite the brazier 3, and a discharge manifold 12, which in turn is connected to the discharge duct 6. Between the suction manifold 11 and the discharge manifold 12 there is a suction unit 13, which is connected to an electric power supply device 14.

In order to allow an effective adjustment of the temperature of the smoke 10 in output from the delivery outlet 7, the outer surface of the heat exchange portion 8 can be associable with forced cooling means.

Such forced cooling means can be provided, for example, by a container of a liquid (water) or ice to be placed in contact with the outer surface of the heat exchange portion 8. With reference to the embodiment shown in the figures, the heat exchange portion has at least one turn (preferably a plurality of turns) formed along the extension of the suction duct 4.

Conveniently, the brazier 3 is substantially funnel-shaped, so as to define a receptacle 3 a for accommodating the material to be burnt. However, there is nothing to prevent, as also shown in the constructive variation of Figure 3, the brazier from being constituted by a holder 3b for a cigarette.

The electric power source 14 for supplying the suction unit 13 can be constituted by a rechargeable battery, which is associated with a power-on switch 15 and optionally with a socket 16 designed to allow its recharging. It has been found that it is particularly advantageous to associate the suction device 5 with means for adjusting its flow-rate, which typically can be constituted by means for adjusting the speed of the suction fan.

With reference now to the constructive variation shown in Figure 4, we can see that the smoking device 1 can be provided with a tank 20 for collecting condensation.

In particular, it has been observed that the tank 20 can be constituted by a collection receptacle 21 arranged in a region of the box-like body 2a which is downward during use and in particular along the extension of the suction duct 4. The collection receptacle 21 can be accessed by means of inspection and cleaning openings 22a and/or 22b, which during use are blocked by plugs 23 or sealing devices in general.

It has in fact been observed that by cooling the smoke that passes through the suction duct 4, a highly aromatized condensation precipitates: it appears therefore advantageous to allow said condensation to deposit at the collection receptacle 21 so that the correct operation of the smoking device

1 is not compromised.

Advantageously, the tank 20 is interposed between the heat exchange portion 8 and the intake or suction manifold 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the suction unit 13 is constituted by two suction fans 13a and their axis of rotation is arranged at right angles to the longitudinal extension of the tank 20.

Operation of a device for fast smoking of food products according to the invention is evident from what has been described above. In particular, once the wood has been introduced in the brazier or the cigarette has been introduced in the holder, the material to be burnt is ignited and the device 1 is operated by means of the power-on switch 15.

If one wishes to cool the smoke 10 in output from the delivery outlet 7, forced cooling means (for example ice) are associated with the outer surface of the heat exchange portion 8.

If the user then wishes to vary the flow-rate of the smoke 10 in output from the delivery outlet 7, he can act on the means for adjusting the flow- rate associated with the suction device 5. In this case also, it is convenient to act on the cooling means in order to prevent the suction device from overheating.

Moreover, it has been observed by means of tests and laboratory analyses that any condensation collected in the receptacle 21 is absolutely non-toxic and accordingly, if it appropriately receives the addition of water, can be used to aromatize foodstuffs or to garnish plates. The particular structure of the device 1 and in particular the stability of the brazier 3 allow its use with a single hand.

All the characteristics of the invention indicated above as advantageous, convenient or the like may also be omitted or be replaced with equivalents. The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

Thus, for example, it is possible to associate with the fast smoking device 1 a temperature probe capable of measuring the temperature of the smoke proximate to the delivery outlet 7.

The probe (thermometer) can be associated with means (for example a display) for visualizing the measured value, so as to allow the user to act on the heat exchange portion 8 to ensure that the temperature of the smoke 10 in output is suitable for the type of product to be smoked. In practice it has been found that the invention has achieved the intended aim and objects in all of the embodiments.

In practice, the dimensions may be any according to requirements. Moreover, all the details may be replaced with other technically equivalent elements. The disclosures in Italian Patent Application no. VR2007A000143, from which this application claims priority, are incorporated herein by reference.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such

/ reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.