Thermal measurement and process control
First Claim
1. A system for measuring the temperature of food products processed at a thermal processing station under process parameters, comprising:
- (a) a conveyance system conveying the food products in a stream through the thermal processing station;
(b) a characterizing system physically characterizing all or some of the food products of the stream being carried by the conveyance system and based on the physical characterization of the food products;
(i) selecting sample food products for temperature measurement, and (ii) determining one or more locations on the selected sample food products that are expected to give a representative temperature at which to measure the internal temperature of the selected sample food products;
(c) temperature sensing devices to be inserted into food products to travel with the food products through the thermal processing station to monitor the temperature of the food product during the thermal processing of the food product;
(d) a powered multi-axis system inserting the temperature sensing devices into the selected sample food products at the selected locations on the sample food products that are expected to give a representative temperature of the sample food products as the selected sample food products are carried by the conveyance system at a location upstream of the thermal processing station, and wherein once the temperature sensing devices are inserted into the sample food products, the powered system is detached from the temperature sensing devices; and
(e) temperature monitoring devices monitoring the temperatures sensed by the temperature sensing devices that have been inserted into the sample food products, including during the thermal processing of the selected sample food products.
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Abstract
A thermal processing and control system (300) includes a thermal processing station (312) for receiving food products (14) being carried on a conveyor system (316). A first scanning station (318) is located upstream from the thermal processing station (312) for scanning the food products being carried by the conveyor (316). An actuator (420) automatically connects temperature measuring devices (402) with selected food products (14). A diverter conveyor (324) diverts selected food products (14) from the conveyor (316) to a transverse conveyor (326) for either further processing or alternative processing, depending on how system (300) is configured. The temperature measuring devices (402) are automatically removed from the food products at station (329).
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A system for measuring the temperature of food products processed at a thermal processing station under process parameters, comprising:
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(a) a conveyance system conveying the food products in a stream through the thermal processing station; (b) a characterizing system physically characterizing all or some of the food products of the stream being carried by the conveyance system and based on the physical characterization of the food products;
(i) selecting sample food products for temperature measurement, and (ii) determining one or more locations on the selected sample food products that are expected to give a representative temperature at which to measure the internal temperature of the selected sample food products;(c) temperature sensing devices to be inserted into food products to travel with the food products through the thermal processing station to monitor the temperature of the food product during the thermal processing of the food product; (d) a powered multi-axis system inserting the temperature sensing devices into the selected sample food products at the selected locations on the sample food products that are expected to give a representative temperature of the sample food products as the selected sample food products are carried by the conveyance system at a location upstream of the thermal processing station, and wherein once the temperature sensing devices are inserted into the sample food products, the powered system is detached from the temperature sensing devices; and (e) temperature monitoring devices monitoring the temperatures sensed by the temperature sensing devices that have been inserted into the sample food products, including during the thermal processing of the selected sample food products. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for measuring the temperature of food products processed at a thermal processing station under process parameters, comprising:
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(a) a conveyance system conveying the food products in a stream through the thermal processing station; (b) a scanner scanning the food products to physically characterize the food products being carried by the conveyance system; (c) a data processing system selecting sample food products for temperature measurement based on the results of the scanning of the food products and determining one or more locations on the selected sample food products expected to give a representative temperature of the food products at which to take temperature measurements; (d) temperature sensing devices to be inserted into food products and travel with the food products on the conveyance system to monitor the temperature of the food product during the thermal processing of the food product; (e) a powered multi-axis system inserting the temperature sensing devices into the selected sample food products at the one or more determined locations on the sample food product expected to give a representative temperature of the selected sample food products, and wherein once the temperature sensing devices are inserted into the food products, the powered system is detached from the temperature sensing devices; and (f) a temperature measuring device for monitoring the temperatures sensed by the temperature sensing devices, including during the thermal processing of the selected sample food products. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification