Field of Invention

This invention relates to a partial vacuum sterilizing method for sterilizing unwashed\un-cleaned and\or pre-washed\pre-cleaned fresh loose fruits (flf) and\or fresh fruit bunches (ffb) of oil palm or other fruitsMoodstuffs and relates more particularly to a method where the fresh loose fruits and\or fresh fruit bunches of oil palm or other fruitsMoodstuffs is sterilized in a sterilizer which sterilizing process operates in partial vacuum or ih the negative pressure of air or at near negligible air.

An apparatus for the partial vacuum sterilizing of unwashed\un-cleaned and\or pre-washed\pre-cleaned fresh loose fruits and\or fresh fruit bunches of oil palm or other fruits\foodstuffs in partial vacuum or in the negative pressure of air or at near negligible air is also disclosed.

Background to the Invention

The last known, most advantageous and effective prior art relating to the sterilizing process of oil palm fruits, oil palm fruit bunches and other foodstuffs is to be found in Patent MY-134916-A which is titled - "Method And Apparatus For Sterilizing Oil Palm Fruit" by the same inventor and the said sterilizing method disclosed therein comprises: directly feeding a batch of oil palm fruit bunches into a sterilizer filled with some water wherein the water dampen the impact on the fruit during movement into the sterilizer as well as gradually displaces the air present in the oil palm fruit bunches and in the sterilizer;

- when the sterilizer is completely filled with the oil palm fruit bunches and the door to the sterilizer is closed, the remaining water is then drained out by its own weight; and

- simultaneously the sterilisation process is started by the introduction of pressurised steam into the sterilizer wherein the said steam causes a systematic displacement of air, water and condensate in the sterilizer and at the same time sterilizes the fruit.

The above said sterilizing method is still very time consuming, carries very high utilities costs, laborious and still not within the margin of the inventor's very high standard of operational safety.

Summary of Invention

Therefore the invention has as its objects a method and apparatus for overcoming the above-said disadvantages and accordingly there is provided a partial vacuum sterilizing method, the method comprising:- directly feeding a batch of unwashed\uή-cleaned and\or pre- washed\pre-cleaned fresh loose fruits and\or fresh fruit bunches of oil palm or other fruitsMbodstuffs into a sterilizer; purging of any remaining water, condensate, oil, gas, steam, sand and other ^: unwanted materials from within said sterilizer; causing a situation of partial vacuum or a situation of negative pressure of air or at near negligible air within said sterilizer; introducing pressurized steam in a gradual-to-rapid and homogenous manner to start the sterilizing process in partial vacuum or in the negative pressure of air or at near negligible air; depressurizing the sterilizer; evacuating the batch of sterilized fruit (sf) and\or the sterilized fruit bunches (sfb) or other fruitsMbodstuffs from the sterilizer for further processing; and evacuating the water, condensate, oil, gas, steam, sand and other unwanted materials for further processing and\br recycling.

Conveniently the situation of partial vacuum or a situation of negative pressure of air or at near negligible air within said sterilizer is carried out by means of a vacuum tank equipped with sufficiently size pipes equipped either with automated vacuum pressure valves or automated vacuum\water pressure valves and a sufficiently size water overflow pipe equipped with an automated vacuum\water pressure valve, working in sequence or at a predetermined stage or in tandem with an open-top water buffer tank equipped with sufficiently size pipes equipped with automated vacuum\water pressure valves and a pump and pipe unit of a sufficient size and capacity.

Conveniently, the method also includes the use of a specifically designed, configured and automated pressure-holding-safety-door working in tandem with an automated conveyor for regulating the easier charging or feeding of the fresh loose fruits and\or the fresh fruit bunches or other fruits\foodstuffs into said sterilizer.

Advantageously the method includes the use a spiral-cone-slide-spreader- collectoπ- for the fresh loose fruits and\or fresh fruit bunches of oil palm or other fruits\foodstuffs to be gradually conveyed without further bruising or harm into said sterilizer; to prevent any damage to any part of said sterilizer during the loading or charging process; to serve either as an arch builder or breaker at a predetermined stage during the operation process; to serve as a uniform-pressurized-steam-spreader at a predetermined stage during the operation process; and to serve as a separator, diverter, channeller for the collection of oil and condensate during the operation process.

Conveniently, the method includes the use of a plurality of steam inlets and steam exhausts located at various levels and points of said sterilizer for the gradual-to-rapid and homogenous injection of pressurized steam for faster and more homogenous sterilization or for the faster exhaust of pressurized steam when in operation.

Conveniently, the method also includes the use of a specifically designed, configured and inclined pressure-holding-safety-door working in tandem with an auger unit or any other similar means for regulating the easier discharging or evacuation of the sterilized fruit and\or the sterilized fruit bunches or other fruits\foodstuffs.

Conveniently, the method also includes the use of a drain located at the bottommost part of said sterilizer and which works in harmony with the spiral- cone-slide-spreader-collector for the easier draining of water, condensate, oil, gas, steam, sand and other unwanted materials from said sterilizer when in operation.

There is also provided an apparatus for sterilizing the fresh loose fruits and\or fresh fruit bunches of oil palm or other fruits\foodstuffs, the apparatus as a whole comprising:- a sterilizer of any shape and inclination and which best suits the site; said sterilizer also equipped with a pressure-holding-safety-door located at the top for loading or charging of the unwashed\un-cleaned and\or pre- washed\pre-cleaned fresh loose fruits and\or fresh fruit bunches of oil palm or other fruits\foodstuffs; said sterilizer also equipped within with a spiral-cone-slide-spreader- collector from top to bottom; said sterilizer also equipped with a drain located at the bottommost part of said sterilizer and which works in harmony with said spiral-cone-slide- spreader-collector for the easier draining of water, condensate, oil, gas, steam, sand and other unwanted materials from said sterilizer when in operation; said sterilizer also equipped with a specifically designed, configured and inclined safety door located near or at the bottom or at the side of the said sterilizer working in tandem with an auger unit or any other similar means for regulating the easier discharging or evacuation of the sterilized fruit and\or sterilized fruit bunches or other fruitsMbodstuffs; and said sterilizer is also equipped with a plurality of steam inlets and steam exhausts located at various levels and points of said sterilizer for the gradual-to-rapid and homogenous injection of pressurized steam to faster start the sterilizing process or for the faster exhaust of pressurized steam after sterilization when in operation.

Conveniently, the apparatus as a whole also includes the use of a sufficiently size pipe equipped with an automated vacuum pressure valve linking the said sterilizer to a vacuum tank of sufficient size for sucking out air from said sterilizer when in operation.

Conveniently, the said vacuum tank also includes the use:- of a sufficiently size water overflow pipe equipped with an automated vacuum\water pressure valve to enable air to be completely pushed out of said vacuum tank by the overflowing water when in operation; of a sufficiently size pipe equipped with an automated vacuum\water pressure valve to be linked to an open-top water buffer tank for water to be rapidly drained from vacuum tank to open-top water buffer tank; of a vacuum pump or steam ejector or any other similar means to assist in creating the partial vacuum situation within vacuum tank; and the use of the pump and pipe unit to hasten the draining of water from the vacuum tank to the open-top water buffer tank. Conveniently, the apparatus as a whole also includes the use of an open-top water buffer tank equipped with a pipe of sufficient size equipped with an automated vacuurrΛwater pressure valve and linked to a pump and pipe unit.

Conveniently, the apparatus as a whole also includes the use of a pump and pipe unit of sufficient capacity and size for water to be rapidly pumped from the open- top water buffer tank into the vacuum tank.

Description of Drawings

In order that the invention may be better understood and readily be put into practical effect, there shall now be described by way of non-limitative example a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the description being in reference to the accompanying illustrative drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment. Description of the Preferred Embodiments

According to the preferred embodiment and as shown in Figure 1 - the schematic diagram of the preferred embodiment, there is provided a method (14) where the unwashed\un-cleaned and\or pre-washed\pre-cleaned fresh loose fruits and\or fresh fruit bunches of oil palm or other fruits\foodstuffs are directly fed into a sterilizer (A), which conveniently can be of any shape and inclination and which best suits the site, equipped with an automated pressure-holding-safety-door (1) preferably located at the top for the loading or charging of the unwashed\un- cleaned and\or pre-washed\pre-cleaned fresh loose fruits and\or fresh fruit bunches of oil palm or other fruits\foodstuffs for sterilization.

Said sterilizer (A) is advantageously equipped with a spiral-cone-slide-spreader- collector (2) from top to bottom:- to enable the unwashed\un-cleaned and\or pre-washed\pre- cleaned fresh loose fruits and\or fresh fruit bunches of oil palm or other fruits\foodstuffs to be gradually conveyed without further bruising or harm into said sterilizer (A); to prevent any damage to any part of said sterilizer (A) during the loading or charging process; to serve either as an arch builder or breaker within sterilizer (A); to serve as a uniform-pressurized-steam-spreader within sterilizer (A); and to serve as a separator, diverter, channeller for the collection of oil and condensate during the operation process.

Said sterilizer (A) is also equipped with a drain (5) located at the bottommost part of sterilizer (A) and which works in harmony with the spiral-cone-slide-spreader- collector (2) for the easier draining of water, condensate, oil, gas, steam, sand and other unwanted materials from sterilizer (A) when in operation.

Said sterilizer (A) is also advantageously equipped with a specifically designed, configured and inclined safety door (3) most preferably located near or at the bottom or at the side of the sterilizer (A) working in tandem with an auger unit (4) or any other similar unit for regulating the easier discharging or evacuation of the sterilized fruit and\or sterilized fruit bunches or other fruitsMbodstuffs.

And said sterilizer (A) is also advantageously equipped with a plurality of steam inlets (6) and steam exhausts (6) located at various levels and points of sterilizer (A) for the gradual-to-rapid and homogenous injection of pressurized steam to faster start the sterilizing process or for the faster exhaust of pressurized steam after sterilization when in operation.

Conveniently, the said sterilizer (A) is linked by a sufficiently size pipe (7) equipped with an automated vacuum pressure valve (8) to (B), which is a vacuum tank of sufficient size for sucking air out of said sterilizer (A) when in operation.

Conveniently, the said vacuum tank (B) is also equipped with a sufficiently size overflow pipe (9) equipped with an automated vacuum\water pressure valve (10) preferably located at the top of said vacuum tank (B) to enable air to be completely pushed out of said vacuum tank (B) by the overflowing water when in operation.

Conveniently, the said vacuum tank (B) is also equipped with a vacuum pump or steam ejector or any other similar means located next to the automated vacuum\water pressure valve (10) to assist in creating the partial vacuum situation within vacuum tank.

Conveniently, the said sterilizer (A) and said vacuum tank (B) thus linked is also linked by a sufficiently size pipe (11) equipped with an automated vacuum\water pressure valve (12) preferably located at the bottom and\or side of said vacuum tank (B) to (C) which is an open-top water buffer tank of sufficient size to enable water to be rapidly drained from the vacuum tank (B) to the open-top water buffer tank (C) when in operation.

Conveniently, the drainage of water from said vacuum tank (B) to the open-top water buffer tank (C) could be rapidly hasten by the use of more sufficiently size pipes (11) with automated vacuum\water pressure valves (12) and assisted by the pump and pipe unit (D). Conveniently, the said sterilizer (A), said vacuum tank (B) and said open-top water buffer tank (C) thus linked is preferably linked by a pipe (13) of sufficient size to (D) which is a pump unit of sufficient capacity for water to be rapidly pumped vide the sufficient size pipe (13) from the open-top water buffer tank (C) to the top of the vacuum tank (B) when in operation.

The said sterilizer (A), said vacuum tank (B), said open-top water buffer tank (C) and said pump unit (D) when working in tandem or in sequence causes air to be rapidly sucked out of sterilizer (A) prior to the sterilization of the fresh loose fruits and\or fresh fruit bunches of oil palm or other fruits\foodstuffs.

When the unwashed\un-cleaned and\or pre-washed\pre-cleaned fresh loose fruits and\or fresh fruit bunches of oil palm or other fruits\foodstuffs loading or charging has been completed, i.e. sterilizer (A) is now completely filled with the unwashed\un-cleaned and\or pre-washed\pre-cleaned fresh loose fruits and\or fresh fruit bunches of oil palm or other fruits\foodstuffs, its automated loading pressure-holding-safety-door (1) is then closed.

Prior to or up to this stage, any remaining water, condensate, oil, gas, steam, sand and other unwanted materials within sterilizer (A) would by then have been purged vide the said spiral-cone-slide-spreader-collector (2) which works in harmony with the drain (5) at the bottommost part of sterilizer (A).

Meanwhile or at a pre-determined stage depending on operational timing, the automated vacuum pressure valve (8) linking said Sterilizer (A) to vacuum tank (B) and the automated vacuum\water pressure valve (12) linking the vacuum tank (B) to the open-top water buffer tank (C) are closed. Then the automated vacuum\water pressure valve (10) of the overflow pipe (9) is opened simultaneously with the starting of the pump and pipe unit (D) to pump water into vacuum tank (B). When the vacuum tank (B) is full and water is flowing out of the overflow pipe (9), the automated vacuum\water pressure valve (10) of the overflow pipe is then closed simultaneously with the stopping of the pump and pipe unit (D).

At this stage, the automated vacuum\water pressure valve (12) linking the vacuum tank (B) to the open-top water buffer tank (C) is opened and the water is allowed to be rapidly drained out of vacuum tank (B) and when this is done the automated vacuurmwater pressure valve (12) linking the vacuum tank (B) to the open-top water buffer tank (C) is closed. In this manner, the water being rapidly drained out of the vacuum tank (B) to the open-top water buffer tank (C) causes a vacuum in the vacuum tank (B) ₁ a situation of vacuum preparedness and readiness for immediate use.

Also at a pre-determined stage and also depending on operational timing, the automated vacuum pressure valve (8) linking vacuum tank (B) and said sterilizer (A) is opened. When this happens air is rapidly sucked out of said Sterilizer (A). When the pressure within said Sterilizer (A) and pressure within said vacuum tank (B) are at or at near balance then the automated vacuum pressure valve (8) is closed.

At this stage pressurized steam is then gradual-to-rapid and homogenously injected vide the plurality of steam inlets (6) and the said spiral-cone-slide- spreader-collector (2) into said Sterilizer (A) to faster start the sterilizing process in partial vacuum or in the negative pressure of air or at near negligible air.

Meanwhile also at this stage or also at a pre-determined stage depending on operational timing, the automated vacuum\water pressure valve (10) of the overflow pipe (9) is again opened simultaneously with the starting of the pump and pipe unit (D) to pump water from the open-top water buffer tank (C) back into the vacuum tank (B) and when the vacuum tank (B) is again full and water is again flowing out of the overflow pipe (9), then the automated vacuum\water pressure valve (10) of the overflow pipe (9) is again closed simultaneously with the stopping of the pump and pipe unit (D). Then the automated vacuum\water pressure valve (12) linking vacuum tank (B) to the open-top water buffer tank (C) is again opened and all the water within is again allowed to be rapidly drained out of vacuum tank (B) and when this is done, the automated vacuum\water pressure valve (12) linking the vacuum tank (B) to the open-top water buffer tank (C) is again closed. In this manner, the water being rapidly drained out of the vacuum tank (B) to the open-top water buffer tank (C) again causes a vacuum in the vacuum tank (B) ₁ a situation of vacuum preparedness and readiness for immediate use in the next cycle. [It is to be noted that the opening and shutting of said valves also depend on the operational optimization of time when in operations].

When each partial vacuum sterilization process is completed, the auger unit (4) or any other similar unit is then started to regulate the easier discharging or evacuation of the sterilized fruit and\or sterilized fruit bunches or other fruitsVfoodstuffs through the automated and specifically designed, configured and inclined pressure-holding-safety door (3) located near or at the bottom or at the side of said Sterilizer (A).

The preferred embodiment of the present invention results in tremendous savings in terms of sterilizing processing time, utilities' costs, man power and man-power costs; an increase in operational safety and a greater reduction in environmental pollution.

Whilst there has been described in the foregoing description the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the technology concerned that many variations or modifications may be made to details of design or construction without departing from the present invention.