Egg decapitating device

Abstract

This invention relates to an egg shelling device (10), comprising: - a shell (11) defining a shelling chamber (A) and an unloading chamber (B); - a shelling device (12) housed in the shelling chamber (A) and configured to open egg shells; - an unloading device (13) housed in the unloading chamber (B) and including at least one hopper component (14a, 14b, 14c) adapted to receive and unload shelled products consisting of egg white, egg yolk, or a mixture of egg white and egg yolk; - a conveying device (15) including conveyors (16, 17), the conveyors (16, 17) being... The device is configured to convey egg white and egg yolk from the shelling device (12) to the unloading device (13); - sterilization devices (18, 19a, 19b, 20, 30), housed in a housing (11), adapted to emit ultraviolet radiation, and the sterilization devices (18, 19a, 19b, 20, 30) include a first auxiliary sterilization device (19a) positioned to irradiate the operating surface of the at least one hopper component (14a, 14b, 14c) to reduce the bacterial load on the operating surface, the operating surface being the surface that comes into contact with the egg yolk and / or egg white during the operation of the egg shelling device (10).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an egg shelling apparatus, particularly for obtaining a mixed product of egg yolk and egg white, or the egg shelling apparatus allows for the separate obtaining of egg yolk and egg white, wherein the shelled product allows for a longer shelf life compared to prior art solutions, with other processing conditions being equal. Background Technology

[0002] In the food processing sector, there is a strong demand for products with long shelf lives and sensory characteristics that closely resemble those of fresh products.

[0003] In the field of egg processing, long shelf life is achieved by adjusting pasteurization parameters.

[0004] In other words, products to be pasteurized, whether they are a mixture of egg yolk and egg white or pure egg white, must be brought into contact with a hot surface to receive the pasteurization heat from that surface.

[0005] Depending on the product to be pasteurized, the pasteurization temperature must be maintained in the range of approximately 57°C to 72°C to avoid product degradation at higher temperatures or to avoid inadequate pasteurization by using lower temperatures.

[0006] The purpose of pasteurization is to reduce the bacterial load present in the product to be pasteurized. Therefore, along with temperature, the key parameter of the pasteurization process is the duration of the isothermal period, that is, the duration for which the product is kept at the pasteurization temperature.

[0007] Within the aforementioned temperature limits, a longer isothermal time results in a greater reduction in bacterial load. Therefore, depending on the intended use of the final product, a combination of a higher pasteurization temperature and a shorter isothermal time should be selected, or conversely, a combination of a longer isothermal time and a lower temperature should be selected.

[0008] The pasteurization temperature and relative isothermal period will be determined based on the bacterial load contained in the product to be pasteurized.

[0009] Higher temperatures with shorter isothermal cycles are advantageous for productivity, while lower pasteurization temperatures and longer isothermal cycles are advantageous for the sensory quality of the resulting products.

[0010] Generally, the better the sensory quality of the resulting product, the less rigid the heat pasteurization process should be; that is, the lower the temperature and the shorter the isothermal time. Summary of the Invention

[0011] Therefore, the problem faced by this invention is to improve the shelf life of products made from shelled eggs, which are mixtures of egg white and yolk, or only egg white or only egg yolk, thereby achieving sensory quality that is significantly comparable to that of fresh products.

[0012] Therefore, the task of the egg shelling device according to the present invention is to solve this problem.

[0013] Within this scope, the object of the present invention is to provide an egg shelling device that ensures a bacterial load on the final product while using the same raw materials, which is much lower than that achievable by conventional devices and methods.

[0014] In this task, the object of the present invention is to provide an egg shelling apparatus that allows for a shorter production time compared to prior art apparatuses and methods for the same quality of final product.

[0015] Another object of the present invention is to provide an egg shelling device that is easy to implement and easy to use.

[0016] This objective is achieved by the means according to the appended independent claims, as well as these and other objectives which will be presented more fully below.

[0017] Detailed features of the egg-shelling device according to the invention are shown in the dependent claims. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the egg-shelling device shown by way of non-limiting examples in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an apparatus for processing eggs according to the present invention is shown; Figure 2 Details of an apparatus for processing eggs according to the present invention are shown, which involves a piston filter in the middle section; Figure 3 Details of an apparatus for processing eggs according to the present invention are shown, relating to a module for conveying egg yolk and egg white; Figure 4 Details of an apparatus for processing eggs according to the present invention are shown, which relates to Figure 3 A series of modules; Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the details of an apparatus for processing eggs according to the present invention, which relates to a shelling device and a transport device, some of which are removed to better highlight other components. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Specifically, referring to the accompanying drawings, reference numeral 10 generally denotes an egg-shelling device, which includes: Shell 11 defines the shell removal compartment A and the unloading compartment B; Shelling device 12 is housed in shelling compartment A and configured to open eggshells; The unloading device 13 is housed in the unloading compartment B and includes at least one hopper component 14a, 14b, 14c, which is adapted to receive and unload shelled products consisting of egg white, egg yolk, or a mixture of egg white and egg yolk. The conveying device 15 includes conveyors 16 and 17, which are configured to convey egg whites and egg yolks from the shelling device 12 to the unloading device 13 respectively. Sterilization devices 18, 19a, 19b, 20, and 30 are housed in housing 11 and adapted to emit ultraviolet radiation. The sterilization device includes a first sterilization device 18 and possibly a first auxiliary sterilization device 19a and a second auxiliary sterilization device 19b. The first auxiliary sterilization device 19a and the second auxiliary sterilization device 19b are positioned to irradiate the operating surfaces of hopper components 14a and 14b, respectively, to reduce the bacterial load on the operating surfaces of the hopper components, which are formed by surfaces that come into contact with egg yolks and / or egg whites during operation of the device.

[0020] Sterilization devices 18, 19a, 19b, 20, and 30 may include one or more ultraviolet lamps, which may be tubular.

[0021] For example, this ultraviolet radiation can have a concentration of 100 μW / cm². 2 With 2500 μW / cm 2 The power is maintained between 10 and 60 seconds to counteract bacterial growth, and in addition, each deshelling device is sterilized after each deshelling, for example by spraying with a 1.4% ozonated water or hydrogen peroxide solution.

[0022] Since the device 10 according to the invention is irradiated by sterilization devices 18, 19a, 19b, 20, 30, the bacterial load contained in the shelled product can be significantly reduced, so that the egg processing device including the device 10 allows products with a lower final bacterial load to be obtained with the same other functional parameters, and therefore have a longer shelf life.

[0023] In addition, in an egg processing apparatus including the device 10 according to the invention, a lower pasteurization temperature and / or a shorter time at the pasteurization temperature can be used because the bacterial load to be reduced is lower.

[0024] Therefore, using the device according to the invention in an apparatus for processing eggs allows for the production of products with better sensory qualities than those of prior art devices, while maintaining the same other functional parameters.

[0025] Sterilization devices 18, 19a, 19b, 20, and 30 may include a third sterilization device 20 positioned to irradiate working parts of the shelling device 12, wherein these working parts include components capable of contacting eggs or shells and / or shelled eggs during operation of the device 10, which eliminates or reduces any contamination of the egg shells and the shelled product, thereby reducing its bacterial load.

[0026] The shelling device 12 may include at least one conventional type of opening member 34 and is configured to open the egg shell, causing the yolk and egg white to fall out.

[0027] Conveyors 16 and 17 may include: At least the first conveyor 16 has multiple seats, each seat being adapted to hold an egg yolk; At least the second conveyor 17 has multiple seats, each adapted to hold egg whites.

[0028] Each opening component 34 can be placed above the first conveyor 16 to dispense egg yolks for each seat of the first conveyor.

[0029] The first conveyor 16 can be placed above the second conveyor 17 to dispense egg whites into the seat of the second conveyor 17.

[0030] The operating surfaces of the conveyors 16 and 17 may include the seats, so that during operation of the device 10, the seats are irradiated with ultraviolet radiation to reduce any bacterial load present thereon.

[0031] The first sterilization device 18 can be positioned such that, during the operation of the device 10, the seat is irradiated before it is respectively bonded to the egg yolk and egg white.

[0032] In this way, the possibility or extent of contamination of the deshelled product received by the deshelling device 12 is completely limited.

[0033] The first sterilization device 18 may be placed side by side with the shelling device 12. In particular, the first sterilization device 18 may be placed upstream of the shelling device 12 relative to the forward direction C of the seats of the conveyors 16 and 17, so as to sterilize the shelling device 12 just before it is filled.

[0034] Conveyors 16 and 17 may include: Multiple modules 22, each module including at least one of the seats, and can be connected in sequence to form a first chain member and a second chain member respectively closed in a ring; A first transmission unit 23 and a second transmission unit 24, a chain member connected to the first transmission unit 23 and the second transmission unit 24, the chain member extending between the second transmission unit 24 to define a front portion D and a return portion E of the chain member, the front portion D and the return portion E of the chain member extending from the shell removal compartment A to the unloading compartment B.

[0035] For example, Figure 5 The unpacking device 12 and the unloading device 13 are shown, and the unpacking device 12 and the unloading device 13 are in Figure 2 The middle part is indicated by a dotted line.

[0036] Figure 5 The unloading device 13 in the middle has removed some components to improve understandability.

[0037] exist Figure 5 In particular, conveyors 16 and 17 are shown, wherein the first conveyor 16 is shown in the front part D, and the second conveyor 17 is hidden below the first conveyor 16 in the front part D.

[0038] Conversely, in the return section E, the second conveyor 17 is visible, while the first conveyor 16 located beneath it is hidden.

[0039] exist Figure 5 In the example, one can see how conveyors 16 and 17 are integrated into a single product having multiple modules 22, which respectively form columns and rows in the transverse and longitudinal directions relative to the forward direction C.

[0040] The first chain component and the second chain component can constitute a single product, that is, it is composed of a single chain component.

[0041] The ultraviolet lamps of sterilization devices 18, 19a, 19b, 20, and 30 can extend laterally in the forward direction C to irradiate multiple side-by-side modules 22, which move along the forward direction C during system operation.

[0042] The seats of conveyors 16 and 17 may be defined by the first spoon-shaped element 25 and the second spoon-shaped element 26, respectively, for example, similar to Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 The spoon-shaped elements shown.

[0043] Each module 22 may include a first spoon-shaped element 25 and a second spoon-shaped element 26, the spoon-shaped elements being positioned relative to each other such that when the device 10 is used, along the front portion D, the first spoon-shaped element 25 is positioned above the second spoon-shaped element 26.

[0044] The first spoon-shaped element 25 can be configured to retain the yolk of an egg and discharge the egg white.

[0045] For example, the first spoon-shaped element may have at least one opening or hole 25a, which is positioned and configured to allow the egg white surrounding the yolk to pass through, rather than the entire yolk.

[0046] The second spoon-shaped element 26 can be configured to receive egg white unloaded from the first spoon-shaped element 25 of the same module 22.

[0047] Unloading device 13 may include: The emptying component can be operated to interfere with the second conveyor 17 in the first unloading position F of the unloading compartment B; The first hopper member 14a of at least one hopper member 14a, 14b, 14c is positioned such that in use at a first unloading position F it is below the second conveyor 17 to receive the contents of the seat of the second conveyor 17.

[0048] The emptying component can be configured to cause the contents of the seat of the first conveyor 16 to fall when the contents of the seat of the first conveyor 16 pass through the first unloading position F after its actuation.

[0049] For example, the emptying component can be configured to rotate the second scoop-shaped element 26 so that the second scoop-shaped element flips over so that its contents fall into the first hopper component.

[0050] The emptying components and conveyors 16 and 17 can be of the conventional type, and therefore will not be described or illustrated further.

[0051] The device 10 may include a first filter device 27, which is positioned above the first hopper member 14a in use to filter and retain eggshell fragments and allow shelled products to pass through.

[0052] The second sterilization device 19 may face the first filter device 27 and / or the first hopper component 14a to reduce any bacterial load present thereon.

[0053] The unloading device 13 may include a second hopper component 14b and / or a third hopper component 14c, which may be accommodated in the unloading compartment B and positioned relative to the conveyors 16 and 17 such that when the device is in use, the second hopper component 14b and / or the third hopper component 14c are located below the conveyors 16 and 17.

[0054] The second auxiliary sterilization device 19b can face the second hopper component 14b for sterilization.

[0055] The unloading device 13 can be configured to allow the shelled product to fall from the seats of the conveyors 16 and 17 into the second hopper component 14b, so as to collect the yolk and egg white together at the same time.

[0056] Additionally, the unloading device 13 can be configured to selectively drop shelled products from specific seats of conveyors 16 and 17 into a third hopper component 14c to collect waste egg yolks and / or egg whites.

[0057] In this case, the selection of the specific seat can be performed by an operator or a selection device, which may be equipped with an observation system facing the seat. The observation system is integrated with or connected to the unloading device 13 to operate the unloading device 13 so that its contents are unloaded from the specific seat when the contents of the unloading device are identified as to be discarded.

[0058] Unloading device 13 may include: Tank 28 is positioned in unloading compartment B such that, in use, tank 28 is located below the first conveyor 16 to receive shelled products from the first conveyor 16. A refrigeration device, not shown in the figure, is thermally connected to tank 28 to cool tank 28 to a temperature not exceeding 15 °C, preferably 0 °C to 4 °C, for example, through a cooling jacket that refrigerant is recirculated in connection with tank 28.

[0059] Device 10 can be configured to unload deshelled products from first conveyor 16 to a second unloading position G in unloading compartment B.

[0060] The device 10 may include a second filtration device 29, which is positioned to receive shelled product unloaded from the first conveyor 16 at the second unloading position G, in order to filter and retain egg shell fragments and allow the shelled product to pass through.

[0061] The device 10 may include a fourth sterilization device 30 among the sterilization devices 18, 19a, 19b, 20, and 30, the fourth sterilization device 30 facing the second filter device 29 to reduce any bacterial load present thereon.

[0062] The first filtration device 27 and / or the second filtration device 29 may each include a mesh or a perforated conveyor belt operable to drag eggshell fragments that have been filtered during operation of the device 10 along the spray directions H, J.

[0063] The spray direction H of the first filtration device 27 can be transverse to the forward direction C, and preferably perpendicular to the forward direction C.

[0064] The spray direction H of the second filtration device 29 can be parallel to the forward direction C, wherein the second unloading position G is located at the end of the conveying device 15 away from the shell removal device 12.

[0065] The device 10 may include a ventilation device that communicates with the internal air of the housing 11 to force airflow into the housing 11.

[0066] These ventilation devices may include one or more fans 31 or consist of one or more fans 31.

[0067] The gas may optionally be filtered air or a mixture of gases containing ozone.

[0068] The filtered air may preferably consist of an airflow filtered by a HEPA filter, which may be fixed to a fan 31 so that the airflow driven by the fan 31 passes through it.

[0069] The device 10 may include a suction unit 32, which is in communication with the internal gas of the housing 11 and is configured to suction the gas contained in the housing 11.

[0070] In particular, the device 10 is preferably configured to operate the ventilation device and / or the suction unit 32 such that if the gas introduced into the housing 11 by the ventilation device includes ozone, the interior of the housing 11 is in a state of relative degradation with respect to the exterior environment.

[0071] The apparatus 10 may also include a loading device 33 configured to load eggs into the shelling device 12 through the inlet compartment K of the housing 11.

[0072] The inlet compartment K can be located at the first end of the housing 11, and the spray opening L can be located at the second end of the housing 11, which is away from the first end relative to the forward direction C. The second filter device 29 can spray waste material from the housing 11 through the spray opening L.

[0073] The ultraviolet lamps of the first auxiliary sterilization device 19a and the second auxiliary sterilization device 19b are preferably disposed above the sides of the first hopper component 14a and the second hopper component 14b, respectively. For example, they are disposed such that the lamps are spaced apart along the forward direction C so that free space is left between the lamps for the shelled products to fall into the first hopper component 14a and the second hopper component 14b.

[0074] Therefore, it can be understood how the device according to the invention achieves the intended purpose and objective by improving the shelf life of products obtained from shelled eggs, which are mixtures of egg white and yolk or only egg white or only egg yolk, thereby obtaining a sensory quality of the product that is significantly equivalent to that of a fresh product.

[0075] Furthermore, the egg shelling apparatus according to the invention allows for a significantly lower bacterial load in the final product compared to that obtained using the same raw materials, using a much lower bacterial load than that achieved by prior art systems and methods. Additionally, the apparatus according to the invention allows for the acquisition of the same quality final product in a shorter production time compared to prior art apparatuses and methods.

[0076] Therefore, the present invention, in this way, is easy to modify and vary in many ways, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the appended claims.

[0077] Furthermore, all details can be replaced by other technically equivalent components.

[0078] Where a symbol or reference numeral follows a mentioned operational or technical feature, the symbol or reference numeral is used only to enhance the comprehensibility of the specification and claims themselves, and therefore, the symbol or reference numeral shall in no way constitute a limitation on the interpretation of each element identified by the symbol or reference numeral purely by way of example.

Claims

1. An egg shelling device (10), comprising: - The housing (11) defines the shell removal compartment (A) and the unloading compartment (B); - A shelling device (12) is housed in the shelling compartment (A) and configured to open the eggshell; - Unloading device (13), housed in the unloading compartment (B), and including at least one hopper component (14a, 14b, 14c) adapted to receive and unload shelled products consisting of egg white, egg yolk, or a mixture of egg white and egg yolk; - Conveying equipment (15), including conveyors (16, 17) configured to convey egg whites and yolks from the shelling equipment (12) to the unloading equipment (13), respectively. The shelling device (12) includes at least one opening member (34) configured to open the egg shell and cause the yolk and egg white to fall out. The egg shelling device is characterized in that it comprises: - Sterilization devices (18, 19a, 19b, 20, 30), housed in the housing (11), adapted to emit ultraviolet radiation, and the sterilization devices (18, 19a, 19b, 20, 30) include a first auxiliary sterilization device (19a) positioned to irradiate the operating surface of the at least one hopper component (14a, 14b, 14c) to reduce the bacterial load on the operating surface, wherein the operating surface is the surface that comes into contact with the yolk and / or egg white during the operation of the egg shelling device (10); The conveyors (16, 17) include: -At least the first conveyor (16) has multiple seats, each seat being adapted to hold an egg yolk; -At least a second conveyor (17) has multiple seats, each seat being adapted to hold egg white; Each of the opening members (34) is arranged above one of the at least one first conveyor (16) to unload egg yolks for each seat of the first conveyor (16); Each of the at least one first conveyor (16) is arranged on top of one of the at least one second conveyor (17) to unload egg whites into the seat of the second conveyor (17); The operating surface of the conveyor (16, 17) includes the seat; The first sterilizing device (18) of the sterilizing devices (18, 19a, 19b, 20, 30) is positioned such that the seat is irradiated before it comes into contact with the yolk and the white respectively during the operation of the egg shelling device (10).

2. The apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein, The sterilization equipment (18, 19b, 20, 30) includes a third sterilization device (20) positioned to irradiate the working parts of the egg shelling device (12), wherein the working parts include components capable of contacting the eggs during operation of the egg shelling device (10).

3. The apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The first sterilization device (18) is arranged side by side with the shelling device (12) and is positioned upstream of the shelling device (12) relative to the forward direction (C) of the seat, so as to sterilize the shelling device (12) before it is filled.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The unloading device (13) includes: - The emptying member is operable to interfere with the second conveyor (17) in the first unloading position (F) of the unloading compartment (B); the emptying member is configured to cause the contents to fall when the contents of the seat of the first conveyor (16) pass through the first unloading position (F) after its actuation; - The first hopper member (14a) of the at least one hopper member (14a, 14b, 14c) is positioned such that in use it is located below the second conveyor (17) in the first unloading position (F) to receive the contents of the seat of the second conveyor (17).

5. The apparatus (10) according to claim 4, comprising a first filtering device (27) positioned such that, in use, the first filtering device (27) is above the first hopper member (14a) to filter and retain eggshell fragments and allow the shelled product to pass through.

6. The apparatus (10) according to claim 5, wherein, The first auxiliary sterilization device (19a) in the sterilization equipment (18, 19a, 19b, 20, 30) faces the first filter device (27) and the first hopper component (14a) to reduce any bacterial load present thereon.

7. The apparatus (10) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The first filtration device (27) includes a mesh or a perforated conveyor belt, which is operable to drag eggshell fragments filtered during operation of the device (10) along the spray direction (H, J).

8. The apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein, The unloading device (13) includes: - A tank (28) is arranged in the unloading compartment (B) such that in use the tank (28) is below the first conveyor (16) to receive the shelled product from the first conveyor (16); - A refrigeration device, thermally connected to the tank (28), to cool the tank (28) to a temperature not exceeding 15 °C.

9. The apparatus (10) according to claim 8, wherein, The refrigeration equipment is thermally connected to the tank (28) to cool the tank (28) to a temperature of 0 ℃ to 4 ℃.

10. The apparatus (10) according to claim 8, wherein, The refrigeration equipment is thermally connected to the tank (28) to cool the tank (28) by means of a cooling jacket having a recirculated refrigerant associated with the tank (28).

11. The apparatus (10) of claim 8, wherein the apparatus (10) is configured to unload the shelled product from the first conveyor (16) to a second unloading position (G) of the unloading compartment (B); the apparatus (10) includes a second filtration device (29) arranged such that receiving the shelled product unloaded from the first conveyor (16) to the second unloading position (G) filters and retains eggshell fragments and allows the shelled product to pass through.

12. The apparatus (10) according to claim 11, comprising a fourth sterilization device (30) of the sterilization devices (18, 19a, 19b, 20, 30), the fourth sterilization device (30) facing the second filtration device (29) to reduce any bacterial load present on the second filtration device (29).

13. The apparatus (10) according to claim 11, wherein, The second filtration device (29) includes a mesh or a perforated conveyor belt, which is operable to drag eggshell fragments filtered during operation of the device (10) along the spray direction (H, J).

14. The device (10) according to claim 1, the device (10) includes a ventilation device in communication with the internal gas of the housing (11) to force gas into the housing (11).

15. The apparatus (10) according to claim 14, wherein, The gas is filtered air or a mixture of gases containing ozone; the filtered air consists of an airflow filtered through a HEPA filter.

16. The apparatus (10) according to claim 1, comprising a suction unit (32) in communication with the internal gas of the housing (11) and configured to suction gas contained in the housing (11).

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