Patent Application
20050039608
This application claims priority to co-pending German Patent Application No. 103 38 214.3 entitled “Tunnel zum Kühlen, Wärmen oder Trocknen von Nahrungsmitteln”, filed Aug. 20, 2003.
The present invention generally relates to a tunnel for treating food articles, especially sweets and candy. More particularly, the present invention relates to a tunnel for cooling, heating or drying such food articles. Such sweets and candy may be chocolate bars, filled chocolates, and the like. The food articles are placed on a conveying belt which is transported through the tunnel in the longitudinal direction of the tunnel. During this movement, the articles are tempered, meaning they are treated with respect to temperature. Especially, the tunnel may include an upper cooling system and/or a bottom cooling system. Tempering, especially cooling, may be realized by using respectively tempered air or by using a different tempering medium.
A tunnel for treating food articles is known from German Patent No. DE 100 04 754 C1 corresponding to US Patent Application No. US 2001/0011587 A1. The known tunnel has a modular design, meaning it includes a plurality of modular units or sections located in series. Each section usually includes a frame-like lower part on which a tunnel section is arranged. A treating portion is formed in the upper part of the tunnel, the treating portion being defined by an insolating plate and by at least one cover. Usually, a plurality of covers is located one after the other in each section of the tunnel. The insolating plate as well as the cover fulfills an insolating function for the treating portion. The tunnel may include a cover which extends across the working width of the tunnel and which is supported on the insolating plate at the right hand side and at the left hand side of the tunnel. The cover may be alternately opened by a pivotal movement from the left hand side and from the right hand side of the tunnel, and it may be locked in the opened position. The cover may additionally or instead be designed to be removable. The upward pivotal movement and/or the removal of the cover serve to get access to the treating portion of the tunnel for purposes of cleaning, maintenance and inspection. The conveying belt is transported through the tunnel in the longitudinal direction thereof. The upper part of the conveying belt runs through the treating portion. The conveying belt is supported on and guided by, respectively, a tempering plate. The tempering plate is arranged above the insolating plate at a vertical distance thereto such that a free space is formed. The free space resulting in this way may be used as a channel for a tempering medium, especially cold air. In this way, the cold air realizes a bottom cooling system for the tempering plate and for the conveying belt. However, it is also possible to use a tempering liquid for the bottom cooling system. In such a case, the tempering plate is designed as a closed hollow chamber extending across the working width of the tunnel. The cooling liquid flows through the hollow chamber being located above the free space.
Another tunnel for cooling, heating or drying food articles, especially sweets and candy, is known from German Patent No. DE 102 18 009 C1. The known tunnel also includes a conveying belt which is guided above a tempering plate being arranged above and spaced apart from the bottom of a treating portion of the tunnel. The covers extending across the working width of the tunnel may be pivoted in an upward direction, and they may be locked in the upwardly pivoted position. This locked position may be realized by means of lifting apparatuses, especially gas pressure damper units, such that the treating portion may be accessed for cleaning purposes.
An important drawback of such known tunnels, especially cooling tunnels, is the difficulty of cleaning the tunnel with water as intensive as possible. For this purpose, the chambers and spaces of the treating portion have to be accessible. Cleaning of the surface of the conveying belt usually causes no difficulties. Other components of the treating portion may be easily accessed by upwardly pivoting the covers such that it is then possible to clean the components with water, and to dry the components in the following.
However, it is more difficult to clean the free space between the tempering plate and the insolating plate in known tunnels. In case there is a sufficient free space, the free space may only be accessed from the side when the covers are located in the upwardly pivoted position. Due to the fact that such cooling tunnels may have a working width of two meters and more, the middle portion of the free space cannot be reached by hand from the side. Consequently, it is known to use spray poles to clean the tunnel. With such spray poles, water under high pressure is sprayed onto the places to be cleaned in the treating portion of the tunnel. Following drying of the elements of the treating portion requires the use of tools with which the cleaning water is to be removed in a time consuming and complicated way. Thus, the tunnel cannot be used for production purposes before complete drying has been attained.
The present invention relates to a tunnel for treating food articles. The tunnel includes a conveying belt, a tempering plate, an insolating plate, a cover and a treating portion. The conveying belt is designed and arranged to transport food articles in a longitudinal direction of the tunnel. The tempering plate is arranged below the conveying belt, and it is designed and arranged to support the conveying belt. The insolating plate is arranged below the tempering plate to form a free space between the tempering plate and the insolating plate. The insolating plate has a surface which declines in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the tunnel. The treating portion serves for the treatment of food articles, and it is defined between the cover and the insolating plate.
The present invention also relates to a tunnel for treating food articles being conveyed through the tunnel. The tunnel includes a frame, a bottom member and a cover. The frame is designed and arranged to support the tunnel on the ground. The bottom member is supported on the frame. The bottom member has a top surface being designed and arranged to be inclined with respect to the ground. The cover has an opened position and a closed position. The cover and the bottom member in the closed position of the cover are designed and arranged to define an interior of the tunnel between them. The interior is insulated by the cover and the bottom member. The food articles are transported through the interior to be treated in the sense of cooling, heating or drying.
The novel tunnel may be easily cleaned such that a cleaning process only requires a comparatively short period of time.
The surface of the insolating plate (or bottom member) limiting and defining, respectively, the treating portion of the tunnel is not arranged to be horizontal, but in a declined way in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the tunnel. In this way, the water which has been used for cleaning purposes may easily flow down the surface to exit the tunnel. When the tunnel is being cleaned, the water is especially sprayed onto the places to be cleaned by a spray pole. The water removes remainders of the food articles from the elements of the tunnel to be cleaned. During cleaning, the water reaches the lower portion of the treating portion located above the insolating plate. Due to the inclination and declination, respectively, of the insolating plate, the water flows down towards at least one side of the tunnel. The water may flow towards one side or towards both sides of the tunnel. In this way, undesired accumulation of cleaning water on the surface of the insolating plate is prevented. The angle of inclination may be in a range of approximately 1° to 15°, especially between 2° and 8°. The water can drip on the floor, or it may be intentionally removed by channels arranged in the floor. The surface of the insolating plate limiting the treating portion may be covered by a sheet and/or it may be treated to be water-repellant such that no more than water drops remain at the surface. These water drops may be removed by a tool, or they may be evaporated by warm air. In this way, the required period of time for cleaning the tunnel is substantially reduced compared to the prior art.
There are a number of possibilities of designing the surface of the insolating plate. The declination of the surface is realized by a shape similar to the one of a roof. Different roof-like shapes may be used, for example in the form of a monopitch roof, a gable roof, and the like. A monopitch roof includes a declined surface having its highest place at one longitudinal side of the tunnel, and it has its lowest place at the opposite side of the tunnel. This embodiment is especially suitable for tunnels having a comparatively small working width. It is to be understood that the working width extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tunnel. In tunnels having greater working widths, the highest point of the declined surface of the gable roof-like surface is located in the longitudinal center plane of the tunnel, meaning in the middle of the working width. The declined surface declines in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the tunnel towards its two outer sides. It is also imaginable to design the surface of the insolating plate to have an inverted gable roof design to allow for removal of the water in the center portion of the tunnel below the insolating plate. Such a design is especially preferred for tunnels including a bottom cooling system in which a cooling liquid is used.
Removable supporting shafts serving for the temporary support of the conveying belt may be arranged above the tempering plate at a vertical distance thereto. For cleaning purposes, the associated tensioning device of the conveying belt is released, and the upper part of the conveying belt is then moved in an upward direction to be supported on the supporting shafts such that the distance between the upper part of the conveying belt and the tempering plate is increased to attain an enlarged space. This space is accessible by a spray pole, for example, over the entire working width of the tunnel. The supporting shafts are arranged to be spaced apart from one another as it is required for temporary suspension of the upper part of the conveying belt during cleaning.
Preferably, the insolating plate is made as a form body of plastic, especially foamed plastic. The declined surface of the insolating plate is realized during shaping of the insolating plate. The edge portions right and left at the insolating plate may include edge profiles to increase stability of the insolating plate and to prevent damages of the edges of the insolating plate.
The tunnel may include one or more covers extending across the working width of the tunnel. The covers may be arranged to be pivotable in an upward direction in an alternating way from the right hand side and from the left hand side of the tunnel and/or to be removable. Such a design especially relates to small working widths in which a plurality of covers is located one after the other at each module of the tunnel.
However, it is also possible that each section of the tunnel includes two covers located one next to the other in a way that the module includes twice the amount of covers compared to the tunnel described above. Such covers are then arranged as pairs to be pivotable about the longitudinal center plane of the tunnel and/or to be removable. This embodiment is especially suitable for great working widths or when the covers are made of stainless steel.
The tunnel may include a bottom tempering system. Preferably, the bottom tempering system is designed as a convection tempering system which uses the free space between the insolating plate and the tempering plate. The tempering plate is designed to be plain since the upper part of the conveying belt is supported and guided thereon during normal operation of the tunnel. The surface of the insolating plate limiting and defining, respectively, the treating portion has the above described declined surface for accelerated removal of cleaning water. The tunnel may also include an upper tempering system. Preferably, the upper tempering system is designed as a convection tempering system, and it uses the treating portion above the tempering plate. In this way, the space above the conveying belt and above the tempering plate, respectively, is used for the upper tempering system. At the same time, sufficient room for arranging the removable supporting shafts is available.
The declined surface of the insolating plate made of plastic may be connected to a sheet metal, especially a sheet metal made of stainless steel and the like. It also makes sense to arrange water-repellant materials on the surface of the insolating plate or on the surface of the cover plate.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and the detailed description. It is intended that all such additional features and advantages be included herein within the scope of the present invention, as defined by the claims.
The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. In the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
Referring now in greater detail to the drawings,
A treating portion 3 is located in the upper part of the tunnel 1. The treating portion 3 serves for treatment of the food articles, especially sweets and candy, to be processed in the tunnel 1. The treating portion 3 at its bottom side includes a bottom member or insolating plate 4, and at its upper side, it includes a cover 5. In other words, the lower end of the treating portion 3 is defined and limited by the insolating plate 4, and the upper end of the treating portion 3 is defined and limited by the cover 5. The insolating plate 4 includes an inclined surface 6 facing the treating portion 3. In this embodiment, the surface 6 is designed similar to a monopitch roof or a lean-to roof. In other words, the surface 6 at the left hand side of the tunnel 1 has its highest point, and at the right hand side of the tunnel 1 it has its lowest point. Consequently, the surface 6 is respectively inclined (or declined) with respect to the horizontal plane and the ground. The angle of inclination may be in a range of approximately 2° to 10°, especially between 4° and 8°.
In this embodiment of the tunnel 1, a cover 5 extends along the entire working width of the tunnel 1, and it is designed to be opened by a pivotal movement about a hinge 7. It is to be understood that the working width extends in a direction perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal direction of the tunnel 1. For the pivotal movement, the cover 5 includes a handle 8 being located at the right hand side of the tunnel 1. The hinge 7 is designed as a fixed hinge.
A tempering plate 11 is located in the treating portion 3. The tempering plate 11 is supported on supports 12 in a way to be stationary. Due to the support on the supports 12 which is realized at certain points and in certain sections of the tunnel 1, respectively, the tempering plate 11 is located at a vertical distance with respect to the inclined surface 6 of the insolating plate 4 such that there is a free space 13 which may be freely reached from the side between two outer supports 12. The free space 13 forms a cross-section which may be used to guide tempered air, especially for a bottom cooling system using convection. The exemplary embodiment of the tunnel 1 in
A conveying belt 15 with its upper part 16 is guided on the stationary tempering plate 11. Articles of food are placed on the upper part 16 of the conveying belt 15, the articles being treated in the tunnel 1 with respect to temperature. The articles are not illustrated for reasons of clarity of the drawings. It is to be understood that the conveying belt 15 is driven. The conveying belt 15 moves in a longitudinal direction of the tunnel 1 through the treating portion 3. This means that it moves in a direction perpendicular with respect to the plane of illustration of
Supporting shafts 20 are located in the treating portion 3 above the upper part 16 of the conveying belt 15 and spaced apart to the conveying belt 15. The supporting shafts 20 are supported on stationary supports 19. The supporting shafts 20 are arranged in a spaced apart manner in the longitudinal direction of the tunnel 1. The supporting shafts 20 may be removed from the supports 19, and they may be reconnected to the supports 19. The supporting shafts 20 serve to support the upper part 16 of the conveying belt 15 in the cleaning position of the tunnel 1, as this is illustrated in
An upper tempering system 22 may be arranged in the upper part of the treating portion 3, meaning above the tempering plate 11 and above the upper part 16 of the conveying belt 15, respectively. Preferably, the upper tempering system 22 is realized by convection. This means that respectively tempered air flows through this part of the treating portion 3 which forms a channel. Turbulence sheets 23 may be arranged at the bottom side of the cover 5 for attaining a swirling effect of the flow of air. The bottom sides of the food articles are treated by a bottom cooling system and a bottom tempering system, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment of the tunnel 1, the system uses a cooling medium which flows through the hollow space between the tempering plate 11 and the profiled sheet 14. Preferably, the insolating plate 4 and the cover 5 are made of foamed plastic. They may also be made of any other material having a comparatively great insolating effect. These insolating properties are indicated by crosshatching in the drawings. The cover 5 in its middle portion may include an especially thick insolating layer.
The cover 5 is opened by a pivotal movement to reach the cleaning position of the tunnel 1 according to
Many variations and modifications may be made to the preferred embodiments of the invention without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of the present invention, as defined by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 103 38 214.3 | Aug 2003 | DE | national |
