Food processing system capable of cleaning-in-place and cleaning method of same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12377445-B2
Application number	US-202118027620-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2021
Priority date	Nov 17, 2020
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

The food processing system according to the present invention comprises: a transport unit for continuously transporting food; a processing unit through which the transport unit passes and which is provided with an internal space for processing food transported by the transport unit; and a cleaning unit provided with a plurality of nozzles for spraying the internal space with liquid, either cleaning material or cleaning water, to clean the interior of the processing unit, and a liquid supply module for selectively supplying the plurality of nozzles with either the cleaning material or cleaning water.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A food processing system comprising:
a transport unit configured to continuously transport foods;
a processing unit through which the transport unit passes and which is provided with an internal space in which the foods transported by the transport unit are processed; and
a cleaning unit comprising a plurality of nozzles configured to inject liquid, which is any one of cleaning material and cleaning water, into the internal space so as to clean the interior of the processing unit, and a liquid supply module configured to selectively supply any one of the cleaning material and the cleaning water to the plurality of nozzles,
wherein the processing unit comprises a first processing unit and a second processing unit, wherein one of a steaming unit, a cooling unit, a pre-freezing unit and a freezing part is the first processing unit, and the other is the second processing unit,
wherein a flow rate of the liquid injected by a nozzle of the plurality of nozzles, which is disposed in the first processing unit, and a flow rate of the liquid injected by a nozzle of the plurality of nozzles, which is disposed in the second processing unit, are controlled to be independent of each other.

2. A food processing system comprising:
a transport unit configured to continuously transport foods;
a processing unit through which the transport unit passes and which is provided with an internal space in which the foods transported by the transport unit are processed; and
a cleaning unit comprising a plurality of nozzles configured to inject liquid, which is any one of cleaning material and cleaning water, into the internal space so as to clean the interior of the processing unit, and a liquid supply module configured to selectively supply any one of the cleaning material and the cleaning water to the plurality of nozzles,
wherein the internal space comprises a first space and a second space, which does not overlap the first space and is a space different from the first space,
wherein the plurality of nozzles comprise a plurality of first nozzles disposed in the first space, and a plurality of second nozzles disposed in the second space, and
a flow rate of the liquid injected by the plurality of first nozzles and a flow rate of the liquid injected by the plurality of second nozzles are controlled to be independent of each other.

3. The food processing system of claim 2 , wherein the transport unit comprises a first transport stage and a second transport stage, which are disposed to be spaced apart from each other vertically,
wherein the first transport stage is disposed in the first space, and the second transport stage is disposed in the second space.

4. The food processing system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of nozzles comprises a lower injector configured to inject the liquid downward.

5. The food processing system of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of nozzles comprises an upper injector disposed above the lower injector and configured to inject the liquid therearound.

6. The food processing system of claim 5 , wherein the lower injector is provided to inject the liquid at a pressure higher than a pressure at which the upper injector injects the liquid.

7. The food processing system of claim 5 , wherein the upper injector comprises a plurality of upper injection holes through which the liquid is injected in a direction crossing a vertical direction,
wherein directions in which the liquid is injected through the plurality of upper injection holes, respectively, are different from each other.

8. The food processing system of claim 5 , wherein the upper injector comprises a rotary injector configured to inject the liquid therearound while rotating.

9. The food processing system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid supply module comprises a pump configured to forcibly supply the liquid to the plurality of nozzles, and further comprises an inverter configured to adjust a pressure at which the pump forcibly supplies the liquid.

10. The food processing system of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning material comprises at least one of steam, cleaning foam, sanitizer, or compressed air.

11. The food processing system of claim 10 , wherein the liquid supply module supplies the liquid in order of the cleaning water, the cleaning foam, the cleaning water, the sanitizer, and the cleaning water, to the plurality of nozzles in a cleaning mode.

12. The food processing system of claim 11 , wherein the food transported by the transport unit is frozen in a freezing space that is at least a portion of the internal space,
wherein the liquid supply module supplies the compressed air to the plurality of nozzles disposed in the freezing space after the cleaning mode is performed.

13. The food processing system of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning unit comprises:
a slider coupled to the plurality of nozzles; and
a nozzle moving part provided with a cylinder part coupled to the slider so as to allow the plurality of nozzles to move linearly.

14. A method for cleaning the food processing system of claim 1 , the method comprising:
injecting cleaning water into the internal space for removal of residues present in the internal space;
injecting cleaning foam into the internal space;
injecting the cleaning water into the internal space for removal of the cleaning foam;
injecting a sanitizer into the internal space; and
injecting the cleaning water into the internal space for removal of the sanitizer.

15. The food processing system of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of nozzles comprises a lower injector configured to inject the liquid downward.

16. The food processing system of claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of nozzles comprises an upper injector disposed above the lower injector and configured to inject the liquid therearound.

17. The food processing system of claim 16 , wherein the lower injector is provided to inject the liquid at a pressure higher than a pressure at which the upper injector injects the liquid.

18. The food processing system of claim 16 , wherein the upper injector comprises a plurality of upper injection holes through which the liquid is injected in a direction crossing a vertical direction,
wherein directions in which the liquid is injected through the plurality of upper injection holes, respectively, are different from each other.

19. The food processing system of claim 16 , wherein the upper injector comprises a rotary injector configured to inject the liquid therearound while rotating.

Assignees

• Cj Cheiljedang Corp

Inventors

• Moon Sung Yang
• Jeong Doo Seong
• Lee Gun Woo

Classifications

• B08B2230/01

  Cleaning with steam · CPC title

• B08B2203/027

  Pump details · CPC title

• B08B3/003

  Cleaning involving contact with foam · CPC title

• B05B3/02

  with rotating elements (electric spraying discharge apparatus characterised by having rotary outlet or deflecting elements B05B5/04) · CPC title

• B05B1/14

  with multiple outlet openings (B05B1/02, B05B1/26 take precedence); with strainers in or outside the outlet opening · CPC title