System and method for heating and then cooling contents of flexible containers
DCFirst Claim
1. A system for processing product, comprising:
- heating means for heating product in a closed flexible container, the heating means, while heating the product, rotating and massaging the flexible container and thereby moving product at a central location in the flexible container towards a periphery hereof to promote faster heating of the product, said heating means comprising first and second opposing and offset hot fluid jets which rotate the flexible container therebetween.
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Abstract
A fluid conveyor jet moves flexible containers or bags along a trough from one station to the next in the trough in a process which efficiently heats or cools the contents of the containers. Side fluid jets positioned along opposite sides of the trough direct heating or cooling fluid (water) on the flexible containers at the stations. They direct the fluid generally in spaced horizontal planes on the flexible containers therebetween causing (1) the central contents of the containers to move away from central areas of the container towards the sides to promote temperature transfer between the contents and cooling or heating fluid from the fluid jet conveyor and the fluid jets and (2) the containers to rotate generally about axes parallel to a longitudinal axis of the trough also helping in the cooling or heating process. The side fluid jets are operatively positioned below the waterline of the trough. The fluid conveyor jet and the side fluid jets act alternately whereby the fluid conveyor jet moves the flexible containers from one active station to the next, and at each active station the side fluid jets are activated to massage the central contents towards the skin of the containers and to rotate the containers in the cooling or heating fluid in the trough. Thorough and efficient cooling or heating of product in the flexible containers results. This process can be used to heat product in sealed flexible containers and also to subsequently cool the sterilized product in the containers.
57 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A system for processing product, comprising:
heating means for heating product in a closed flexible container, the heating means, while heating the product, rotating and massaging the flexible container and thereby moving product at a central location in the flexible container towards a periphery hereof to promote faster heating of the product, said heating means comprising first and second opposing and offset hot fluid jets which rotate the flexible container therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for processing flowable product in flexible a containers, comprising:
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a heating trough;
first means for conveying the flexible containers into, along and out of the heating trough;
a cooling trough; and
second means for conveying the flexible containers from the heating trough, into, along and out of the cooling trough and further comprising fluid jet nozzles disposed to direct fluid against sides of the flexible container, when in the heating trough, and thereby move product in a central area of the flexible containers towards the container surfaces and thereby promote efficient heating of the product. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of processing product, comprising the steps of:
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filling a flexible container with cold or ambient product;
sealing the filled container;
after the sealing step, heating the product in the sealed container to a sterilization temperature; and
after the heating step, cooling the sterilized product in the sealed container to a substantially ambient temperature wherein the heating step includes massaging the product in the sealed container such that product in a central portion of the container moves towards a periphery thereof, while the container is in a hot fluid bath. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of processing product, comprising the steps of:
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filling a flexible container with cold or ambient product;
after the filling, closing the flexible container; and
heating the product in the closed flexible container using a hot fluid to a sterilization temperature, the heating includes massaging the flexible container to promote heating of product in a central area of the flexible container by the hot fluid. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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Specification