Shrimp processing apparatus and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9826749-B2
Application number	US-201414452593-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2014
Priority date	Aug 6, 2013
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for deheading and peeling shrimp hydraulically using the Venturi Effect. A shrimp-laden fluid is pumped through a conduit system including one or more venturi tubes. The acceleration of the fluid through the venturis detaches the heads and loosens or detaches the shells from the shrimp. The venturis may be used in conjunction with a roller peeler to increase peeling quality. An inspection station receives shrimp from the roller peeler and directs incompletely peeled shrimp back to the peeler or one or more of the venturis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for processing shrimp comprising:
a hydraulic head detacher including one or more venturis accelerating a flow of fluid carrying shrimp to subject the shrimp to turbulence detaching heads from the bodies of the shrimp;
a peeler for detaching shells, appendages, and residual heads from the headless shrimp bodies received from the hydraulic head detacher;
a conveyor conveying all the shrimp bodies processed by the peeler along a single conveying path; and
an inspection station including a visioning system that receives all the shrimp bodies on the single conveying path before inspection and then inspects all the shrimp bodies received from the conveyor on a single inspection path, the inspection station redirecting shrimp bodies identified by the visioning system to have residual shell or appendages back to the peeler.

2. A system as in claim 1 further comprising a shell separator receiving the headless shrimp bodies from the peeler and separating the detached shell and appendages from the shrimp bodies.

3. A system as in claim 1 further comprising a head separator receiving the headless shrimp bodies and the detached heads from the hydraulic head detacher and separating the headless shrimp bodies from the detached heads.

4. A system as in claim 1 further comprising a first collector collecting the detached heads and shrimp bodies from the flow of water exiting the hydraulic head detacher.

5. A system as in claim 1 wherein the peeler is a roller peeler.

6. A system as in claim 1 wherein the peeler comprises a hydraulic shell detacher including one or more venturis accelerating a flow of water carrying headless shrimp to subject the shrimp to turbulence detaching shell from the bodies of the shrimp.

7. A system as in claim 6 further comprising a first collector collecting the detached heads and shrimp bodies from the flow of water exiting the hydraulic head detacher and a second collector collecting the detached shell, appendages, and shrimp bodies from the flow of water exiting the hydraulic shell detacher.

8. A system as in claim 1 further comprising a water recirculation system treating the fluid exiting the hydraulic head detacher and recirculating the treated fluid back through the hydraulic head detacher.

9. A system as in claim 1 wherein the hydraulic head detacher and the peeler are at different geographical locations.

10. A method for processing shrimp comprising:
(a) detaching heads from the bodies of the shrimp by flowing a fluid carrying the shrimp bodies through one or more venturis;
(b) subjecting the headless shrimp bodies to a peeling process to remove the shells from the shrimp meat;
(c) conveying all the headless shrimp bodies subjected to the peeling process along a single conveying path to a single inspection path through a visioning system;
(d) inspecting all the peeled headless shrimp bodies on the single inspection path for residual shell and appendages with the visioning system; and
(e) repeating step (b) on headless shrimp bodies identified by the visioning system as having residual shell or appendages.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising peeling the headless shrimp bodies with a roller peeler.

12. The method of claim 10 comprising peeling the headless shrimp bodies by flowing a fluid carrying the shrimp bodies through a cascade of venturis.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising shipping the headless shrimp bodies from a first geographical location where the heads are detached to a different second geographical location where the headless shrimp are peeled.

14. A system for processing shrimp comprising:
a hydraulic head detacher including one or more venturis accelerating a flow of fluid carrying shrimp to subject the shrimp to turbulence detaching heads from the bodies of the shrimp;
a hydraulic shell detacher including one or more venturis accelerating a flow of water carrying headless shrimp to subject the shrimp to turbulence detaching shell from the bodies of the shrimp received from the hydraulic head detacher;
a conveyor conveying all the shrimp bodies processed by the hydraulic shell detacher along a single conveying path; and
an inspection station including a visioning system that receives all the shrimp bodies on the single conveying path before inspection and then inspects all the shrimp bodies received from the conveyor on a single inspection path, the inspection station redirecting shrimp bodies identified by the visioning system to have residual shell or appendages back to the hydraulic shell detacher.

15. A system as in claim 14 further comprising a head separator receiving the headless shrimp bodies and the detached heads from the hydraulic head detacher and separating the headless shrimp bodies from the detached heads.

16. A system as in claim 14 wherein the hydraulic head detacher and the hydraulic shell detacher are at different geographical locations.

17. A system for processing shrimp comprising:
a hydraulic shell detacher including one or more venturis accelerating a flow of water carrying shrimp to subject the shrimp to turbulence detaching shell from the bodies of the shrimp;
a conveyor conveying all the shrimp bodies processed by the hydraulic shell detacher along a single conveying path; and
an inspection station including a visioning system that receives all the shrimp bodies on the single conveying path before inspection and then inspects all the shrimp bodies received from the conveyor on a single inspection path, the inspection station redirecting shrimp bodies identified by the visioning system to have residual shell or appendages back to the hydraulic shell detacher.

18. A system as in claim 17 further comprising a hydraulic head detacher including one or more venturis accelerating a flow of fluid carrying head-on shrimp to subject the head-on shrimp to turbulence detaching heads from the bodies of the head-on shrimp to present headless shrimp bodies to the hydraulic shell detacher.

Assignees

• Laitram Llc

Inventors

• Vedsted Lars

Classifications

• A22C29/026

  Mechanically peeling and shelling shrimps, prawns or other soft-shelled crustaceans · CPC title

• A22C29/024 Primary

  Opening, shelling or peeling shellfish · CPC title

• A22C17/008 Primary

  for measuring quality, e.g. to determine further processing · CPC title

• A22C29/028

  Beheading shellfish · CPC title