Adjustable steam injector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10004244-B2
Application number	US-86792909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2009
Priority date	Feb 20, 2008
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to an adjustable steam injector of the type which has an injector housing with an inlet for a product which is to be heated and an inlet for steam. The injector housing also has an outlet for the product mixed with steam. The injector also includes an injector body displaceable in the injector housing. About the front end of the injector body there are disposed concentric gaps for product and steam, respectively. The injector body has a recess in its front end. The recess has the same extent as the cross sectional surface of the injector body and has its greatest depth in the center of the injector body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable steam injector comprising
an injector housing with an inlet for a product,
a steam inlet and an outlet for the product mixed with steam,
the injector further including an injector body displaceable in the injector housing, there being provided about a front end of said injector body concentric gaps for product and steam, respectively,
wherein the injector body displays in its front end a recess so that the front end of the injector body is a recessed front end, the recess having the same extent as a cross sectional surface of the injector body and having its greatest depth in a centre of the injector body; and
the injector body preventing fouling by being displaced so that the product and the steam converge ahead of the recessed front end of said injector body.

2. The adjustable steam injector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the recess has straight side edges.

3. The adjustable steam injector as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the side edges meet and make an angle of 90-180°.

4. The adjustable steam injector as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the side edges meet and make an angle of 100-150°.

5. The adjustable steam injector as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the side edges meet and make an angle of 110-130°.

6. The adjustable steam injector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the recess forms a cup-shaped surface.

7. An adjustable steam injector comprising:
a tubular injector housing possessing an interior in which is provided at least one steam gap and at least one product gap;
a product inlet on the tubular injector housing in communication with the at least one product gap for introducing liquid product into the at least one product gap in the tubular injector housing;
a steam inlet on the tubular injector housing in communication with the at least one steam gap for introducing steam into the at least one steam gap in the tubular injector housing;
the at least one product gap and the at least one steam gap being concentrically arranged in the interior of the tubular injector housing so that the liquid product passing through the at least one product gap and the steam passing through the at least one steam gap are mixed together;
the tubular injector housing possessing an outlet in communication with the at least one product gap and the at least one steam gap so that the liquid product mixed with the steam flows into the outlet;
an injector body displaceable in the interior of the injector housing, the displaceable injector body possessing a cross-sectional surface;
a regulator device connected to the injector body to displace the injector body and thereby adjust a capacity of the steam injector;
the displaceable injector body possessing a front end around which are concentrically arranged the at least one product gap and the at least one steam gap;
the front end of the displaceable injector body possessing a front end surface facing towards the outlet, the front end surface being provided with a recess such that the front end is recessed in a direction away from the outlet to prevent fouling of a front end section of the displaceable injector body, the recess possessing an outer peripheral extent that is the same as the cross-sectional surface of the injector body;
the front end surface of the injector body having a centre as seen from the front end, the recess possessing a greatest depth in the centre of the injector body; and
the injector body preventing fouling by being displaced so that the product and steam converge ahead of the recessed front end of the injector body.

8. The adjustable steam injector as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the recess possesses an outer periphery and straight side edges extending from the outer periphery to the centre.

9. The adjustable steam injector as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the side edges meet and form an angle between the two sides edges of 90-180°.

10. The adjustable steam injector as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the side edges meet and form an angle between the two sides edges of 100-150°.

11. The adjustable steam injector as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the side edges meet and form an angle between the two sides edges of 110-130°.

12. The adjustable steam injector as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the recess is a cup-shaped recess.

13. An adjustable steam injector comprising:
a tubular injector housing possessing an interior in which is provided at least one steam gap and at least one food product gap;
a food product inlet on the tubular injector housing in communication with the at least one food product gap for introducing food product into the at least one food product gap in the tubular injector housing;
a steam inlet on the tubular injector housing in communication with the at least one steam gap for introducing steam into the at least one steam gap in the tubular injector housing;
the at least one food product gap and the at least one steam gap being concentrically arranged in the interior of the tubular injector housing so that the food product passing through the at least one food product gap and the steam passing through the at least one steam gap are mixed together;
the tubular injector housing possessing an outlet in communication with the at least one food product gap and the at least one steam gap so that the food product mixed with the steam flows into the outlet;
an injector body displaceable in the interior of the injector housing to adjust capacity of the injector, the displaceable injector body possessing a cross-sectional surface;
the displaceable injector body possessing a front end around which are concentrically arranged the at least one food product gap and the at least one steam gap;
the front end of the displaceable injector body possessing a front end surface facing towards the outlet, the front end surface being provided with a recess such that the front end is recessed in a direction away from the outlet, the recess possessing an outer peripheral extent that is the same as the cross-sectional surface of the injector body;
the front end surface of the injector body having a centre as seen from the front end, the recess possessing a greatest depth in the centre of the injector body; and
the injector body preventing fouling by being displaced so that the product and the steam converge ahead of the recessed front end of the injector body.

14. The adjustable steam injector as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the recess possesses an outer periphery and straight side edges extending from the outer periphery to the centre.

15. The adjustable steam injector as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the side edges meet and form an angle between the two sides edges of 90-180°.

16. The adjustable steam injector as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the recess is a cup-shaped recess.

Assignees

• Innings Fredrik
• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Innings Fredrik

Classifications

• A23C13/08

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• F28C3/06

  the heat-exchange media being a liquid and a gas or vapour (temperators for cooling steam F22) · CPC title

• A23L3/22

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• F04F5/461

  Adjustable nozzles · CPC title

• A23C3/037 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic