Facility for the forming of frozen granules from food liquids

• US 8,348,651 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Victorino Juan Mata
• Original Assignee: Victorino Juan Mata
• Inventors: Juan Mata, Victorino
• Primary Examiner(s): Del Sole, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malekzadeh, Seyed Masoud
• Application Number:
  US12/599,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20100272840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,820 Days
• Field of Search: 425/6, 425/222, 425/256, 425/378.1, 425/526, 425/7, 425/10, 425/257, 425/379.1, 425/382.R, 264/14, 264/28, 62/521, 62/64, 62/74, 623/47, 623/73, 623/75, 623/76, 623/81, 625/12, 426/100, 426/101, 426/102, 426/418, 426/444, 426/512, 426/515, 426/524, 426/565, 426/660
• US Class Current: 425/10
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/44 characterised by shape, structure or physical form liquid products, solid products in the form of powders, flakes or granules for making liquid products A23G9/52
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/36 Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/375 with direct contact between the food and the chemical, e.g. liquid nitrogen, at cryogenic temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2/06 in a liquid medium

Abstract

A facility that is especially suited for the freezing of juices and similar products, which includes a cooling tank that supplies the product by means of an impelling pump to a freezing chamber that receives a supply of a liquefied gas at a temperature of around −140° C., preferably nitrogen, and pressurized air through an electro-valve to transform the juice into micro-drops or pellets and to freeze the droplets or the pellets inside the freezing chamber, which then exit the chamber through one or more dispensing valves, said freezing not affecting the original characteristics of the juice, in terms of its vitamin, protein and enzyme content.

Claims

1. A facility for the forming of frozen granules from food liquids, the facility comprising:

a cooling tank that receives the food liquid through an inlet and retains the food liquid therein, the cooling tank being equipped with cooling means that allows the tank to maintain its temperature constantly, the cooling tank feeding by means of an impelling pump, a freezing chamber to which are supplied a liquefied gas at a temperature of around −

140°

C. and pressurized air via an electro-valve in such a manner that pellets or small granules of food liquid are generated in said freezing chamber, which instantly freeze and exit the chamber through one or more dispensing valves, wherein said freezing chamber includes a first inlet for receiving said liquified gas, a second inlet for receiving said pressurized air, and a third inlet for receiving the food liquid, wherein said facility is configured so that pressurized air enters said freezing chamber to realize a collision between the liquid food product and the air to pulverize said liquid food product into pellets or micro-balls which are simultaneously frozen on contact with said liquified gas, whereby the food liquid retains its original organoleptic characteristics.

2. A facility for the forming of frozen granules from food liquids, according to claim 1, wherein cooling means that allows the cooling tank to maintain its temperature allows the cooling tank to maintain its temperature at levels of around 5°

C.

3. A facility for the forming of frozen granules from food liquids, according to claim 1, wherein the air enters the freezing chamber from an entrance and passes through a regulating manometer, a sanitary filter, a pressure reboiler and finally an electro-valve that opens and closes the passage of pressurised air to the aforementioned freezing chamber.

4. A facility for the forming of frozen granules from food liquids, according to claim 1, wherein heating coils are disposed in the freezing chamber to compensate for excessively low temperatures at the liquefied gas inlet.

5. A facility for the forming of frozen granules from food liquids, according to claim 1, wherein sensors, which supply information to a controller that governs the different facility parameters, are disposed in the freezing chamber.

6. A facility for the forming of frozen granules from food liquids, according to claim 1, wherein said liquified gas comprises nitrogen.

7. A facility for the forming of frozen granules from food liquids, according to claim 1, wherein said liquified gas comprises nitrogen.

8. A facility for the forming of frozen granules from food liquids, according to claim 5, wherein said controller comprises a computer system.