Treatment fluid application apparatus for foodstuffs and methods related thereto
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- an elongated housing structure extending from an inlet end to an outlet end along a longitudinal axis;
a shaft rotatably engaged with the housing structure to rotate about the longitudinal axis;
a plurality of paddles coupled to and protruding from the shaft, the paddles being adapted to rotatably convey and tumble foodstuffs from the inlet end to the outlet end of the housing structure; and
a fluid delivery system adapted to apply a treatment fluid to the foodstuffs as they are conveyed, while agitated and tumbled, from the inlet end to the outlet end.
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods for applying treatment fluids, such as disinfectants, flavoring agents, and tenderizing agents, to foodstuff surfaces to, for example, reduce populations of microorganisms or fungi, alter taste, or alter texture. In representative embodiments, the apparatus includes a housing, a fluid delivery system, and a shaft with a protruding surface, the latter adapted to rotatably convey, while agitating and tumbling, the foodstuffs from an inlet to an outlet of the housing, as the fluid delivery system applies a treatment fluid to the foodstuffs. In more specific embodiments, the protruding surface may be paddles, or paddles interconnected by a solid web and having angled distal surfaces, or a spiral blade with radial protrusions, or such a spiral blade along a first longitudinal portion of the shaft and paddles along a second longitudinal portion of the shaft.
94 Citations
63 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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an elongated housing structure extending from an inlet end to an outlet end along a longitudinal axis;
a shaft rotatably engaged with the housing structure to rotate about the longitudinal axis;
a plurality of paddles coupled to and protruding from the shaft, the paddles being adapted to rotatably convey and tumble foodstuffs from the inlet end to the outlet end of the housing structure; and
a fluid delivery system adapted to apply a treatment fluid to the foodstuffs as they are conveyed, while agitated and tumbled, from the inlet end to the outlet end. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. An apparatus comprising:
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an elongated housing structure extending from an inlet end to an outlet end along a longitudinal axis;
a shaft rotatably engaged with the housing structure to rotate about the longitudinal axis;
a spiral blade attached to and protruding from the shaft and continuously spiraling around the shaft, the shaft and blade being adapted to rotatably convey and tumble foodstuffs from the inlet end to the outlet end as the shaft rotates; and
a fluid delivery system adapted to apply a treatment fluid to the foodstuffs as they are rotatably conveyed, while agitated and tumbled, from the inlet end to the outlet end. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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63. A method for applying a treatment fluid to surfaces of foodstuffs, comprising the steps of:
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introducing foodstuffs into an inlet end of an elongated apparatus;
introducing, by means of a fluid delivery system, an effective amount of a treatment fluid into the apparatus so as to effect contact between the treatment fluid and substantially all of the surfaces of the foodstuffs as the latter are rotatably conveyed, while agitated and tumbled, from an inlet end to an outlet end of the apparatus, the effective amount of the treatment fluid realized by having
1) a sufficient flow rate of the treatment fluid from the fluid delivery system into the apparatus per unit mass of foodstuffs treated, and
2) a sufficiently long time of travel of the foodstuffs from the inlet end to the outlet end of the apparatus.
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Specification