Meat injection device

Abstract

An injection device (5) for injecting a liquid into meat, comprising: a housing (61); a conveyor (53); and a modular needle bridge (4) arranged above and across the conveying surface portion (54) of the endless belt of the conveyor (53). A drive system (70) is provided to move the transfer surface portion (54) in at least two opposite transfer reverse directions. The needle bridge (4) comprises vertically stacked needle bridge blocks (3) with alignment means (32) and a needle cavity (31) with a non-circular cross-section for receiving a correspondingly shaped needle (1) with a hollow injection needle (12), the injection needle (12) being vertically movable in the needle cavity (31). The needle cavities (31) are arranged in rows to form a continuous regular injection pattern.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a device for injecting liquid into a meat product, a needle bridge for a meat injection device, a modular needle bridge block for assembling the needle bridge, a needle for the needle bridge, a drive system for a meat injection device, a method for manufacturing a needle and a needle bridge block, and a method for injecting meat using a meat injection device. Background Art

[0002] The process of tenderizing or juicing meat prior to consumption has been practiced for many years to improve the taste and / or tenderness of meat products. In a typical example, meat is juiced by applying a fluid to the surface, or a hand-held tool with a series of teeth, such as a stick or hammer, is used to strike the meat product to create openings. These openings are often used to introduce an edible fluid, such as brine, to penetrate the meat. Brine is also often used to soften the meat and also to introduce condiments.

[0003] Nowadays, automatic meat injection devices are known in the meat industry. These devices usually have a fluid main with a fluid reservoir and a group of injection needles associated with the reservoir. The purpose of these machines is to inject brine into the meat pieces in a predetermined percentage on a larger scale, mainly for the purpose of improving preservation, increasing flavor and increasing volume. It is also known to use a needle bridge or injection head in the device, which is used to inject brine into the meat pieces located on the supporting surface of the meat conveyor. These needle bridges usually include a body and a plurality of parallel hollow needles, which can be retracted relative to the body against elastic means, and the elastic means act on the upper end of each needle opposite to the tip of the needle. In this injection device, the bridge is actuated by a drive means to reciprocate vertically between an upper position and a lower position, in which the tip of the needle is at a distance from the supporting surface of the conveyor sufficient to enable the meat piece to pass under the needle bridge, and in the lower position, the lower needle part of the needle penetrates into the meat piece located below the needle bridge. Brine supply means are typically arranged to supply brine to the inlet opening of each needle when the needle is in the lower position.

[0004] It is also known to provide a meat injection device with two or more needle bridges, mounted at the same level above the conveyor, for continuously injecting brine into the pieces of meat on the conveyor, usually for increasing the total amount of brine injected into each piece of meat. Each needle bridge may include an array of parallel hollow injection needles mounted thereon, the injection needles being generally perpendicular to the support surface of the conveyor, each injection needle having a longitudinal internal passage for the brine to be injected.

[0005] A key aspect of introducing brine or solution into meat in an effective manner is that the solution is evenly distributed. This avoids the creation of untreated areas and so-called "brine pockets" in which an amount of brine is injected that is greater than the absorptive capacity of the surrounding meat. To this end, it has been a long-sought goal to provide an injection device that achieves regular and dense injection points in meat. The construction of both the needle and the needle bridge must be strong to meet the requirements of withstanding severe and repeated mechanical stresses during operation. This requirement sets a lower limit for the size of the needle and the size of the needle cavity in the corresponding needle bridge for accommodating the needle, and therefore sets an upper limit for the number and density of needles carried by the needle bridge. As disclosed in WO2010061406A1, the attempted prior art solution is to increase the density of the injection points by reducing the stroke travel distance, at least in the direction of travel of the conveyor belt, thereby increasing the frequency of injection points for brine on the meat. However, although this approach is a less preferred solution by increasing the density of injection points in only one dimension, it still results in an increased stroke to coverage ratio and increased wear on all component parts of the machine. Therefore, there is a need to provide a solution that allows a more regular and dense injection point pattern for meat injection while maintaining a relatively low operating rate.

[0006] Other disadvantages of existing meat injection devices are: insufficient control over the amount of brine injected into the meat product; lack of adaptability of the needle bridge to cover different meat sizes and adapt to different conveyor sizes; difficulty in cleaning the components, especially the needle bridge; loss of brine material; and difficulty in filtering brine material that causes clogging of the needle. Summary of the invention

[0007] It is therefore a primary object of the present disclosure to provide an injection device for meat products that addresses and overcomes at least some of the above-mentioned and other disadvantages of existing meat injection machines.

[0008] The above-mentioned objects and other objects are achieved by the features of the independent claims. Further implementation forms are evident from the dependent claims, the description and the drawings.

[0009] According to a first aspect, a modular needle bridge block for assembling a needle bridge of a meat injection device is provided, the modular needle bridge block comprising an alignment device for adjacently aligning a plurality of needle bridge blocks, the modular needle bridge block comprising at least one needle cavity for receiving a needle, the needle cavity defining a non-circular cross-section over at least a portion of the length of the needle cavity.

[0010] Such a modular needle block provides advantages over the related art: multiple needle bridge blocks can be arranged adjacent to each other and / or stacked on top of each other, thereby achieving greater variability to accommodate different meat sizes and conveyor sizes. Such modular blocks are easy to assemble and disassemble and allow for more efficient cleaning of the components of the needle bridge. In addition, compared to the complex and variable components of the needle bridge of the related art, the modular needle block is simpler and more cost-effective to manufacture on a large scale. The ability to align adjacent modular needle blocks and the needle head cavity defined with a non-circular cross-section also allow for a regular and specific needle pattern, which can ensure uniform distribution of brine in the meat product to be injected.

[0011] In a possible implementation form of the first aspect, at least one needle cavity is arranged as a through hole connecting two opposite surfaces of a needle bridge block, wherein the alignment device is configured to align a plurality of modular needle bridge blocks stacked one on top of another, so that the needle cavity defines a continuous passage for moving the needle within the needle cavity.

[0012] In another possible implementation form of the first aspect, the modular needle bridge block includes a plurality of needle cavities evenly spaced apart at a third distance d3.

[0013] In another possible implementation form of the first aspect, multiple needle cavities are arranged relative to each other and relative to corresponding edges of the modular needle bridge block so that: when multiple modular needle bridge blocks are arranged adjacent to each other, the needle cavity of one block and the needle cavity of an adjacent block are evenly spaced apart by a third distance d3.

[0014] In a possible implementation form of the first aspect, the alignment means is arranged between at least one pair of rows of needle lumens.

[0015] In a possible implementation form of the first aspect, the bridge block is further provided with temporary attachment means for fixing the blocks together during assembly of the needle bridge, such as magnetic elements arranged on one or more sides of the modular needle bridge block.

[0016] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the alignment means is interlockable.

[0017] In another possible implementation form of the first aspect, the alignment device includes at least one protrusion or recess arranged on the first surface of the block for receiving a corresponding protrusion arranged on a different modular needle bridge block, thereby aligning multiple modular needle bridge blocks adjacently.

[0018] In another possible implementation form of the first aspect, the alignment device includes at least one protrusion or recess arranged on the first surface of the block, and at least one protrusion or recess arranged on the first surface of the block or on a second surface different from the first surface, for receiving corresponding protrusions arranged on different modular needle bridge blocks, thereby aligning multiple modular needle bridge blocks adjacent to each other.

[0019] In another possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first surface and the second surface are arranged on opposite sides of the block for aligning the plurality of modular needle bridge blocks when the plurality of modular needle bridge blocks are stacked one above the other or adjacent to each other.

[0020] In a possible implementation form of the first aspect, the at least two blocks further comprise fastening means for releasably fastening the at least two blocks to each other.

[0021] In a possible implementation form of the first aspect, the fastening means comprises means for fastening at least two blocks to each other, such as a hook and a pin, a screw, a bolt or a quick release mechanism.

[0022] In another possible implementation form of the first aspect, the modular needle bridge block includes at least one guide channel, which is configured to receive an elongated fastening device, and the guide channel is arranged to form a continuous channel passing through multiple needle bridge blocks when the multiple needle bridge blocks are stacked on top of each other or stacked adjacent to each other.

[0023] In a possible implementation form of the first aspect, the guide channels are integrated with the alignment means for saving space on the surface of the block, wherein each guide channel comprises a protrusion and a recess arranged on opposite surfaces of the needle bridge block.

[0024] In a possible implementation form of the first aspect, the needle bridge block also includes an additional through hole extending parallel to the guide channel to accommodate additional columnar members required for the operation of the needle bridge, the additional columnar members include: a pair of pawl columnar members, a pair of pawl columnar members for supporting the stripping plate; and a pair of elastic columnar members, a pair of elastic columnar members for supporting the columnar elastic members arranged on the elastic columnar members, thereby adjusting the tension on the stripping plate.

[0025] In another possible implementation form of the first aspect, the peripheral portion of at least one needle cavity defines a non-circular cross-section over at least a portion of the length of the peripheral portion, the non-circular peripheral portion being substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, the non-circular cross-section corresponding to the shape of the base of the needle.

[0026] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, a peripheral portion of a cross section of the needle cavity in the needle bridge block includes at least two arc portions that do not share the same center.

[0027] In a possible implementation form of the first aspect, the peripheral portion of the cross-section of the needle cavity in the needle bridge block includes three first arc portions and three second arc portions, the three first arc portions are approximately equal in curvature and length, the three second arc portions are approximately equal in curvature and length, and the curvature and / or length of the second arc portion are different from the first curvature and length of the first arc portion, so that the peripheral portion is limited to a shape with triple rotational symmetry.

[0028] In a possible implementation form of the first aspect, the needle bridge block is manufactured as a solid block by additive manufacturing such as grinding, casting, molding or 3D printing, or by subtractive manufacturing; the needle bridge block is manufactured to have a needle cavity and an alignment device, which is arranged as a cavity, a protrusion and a recess in the solid block.

[0029] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, at least one of the first block and / or the second block comprises a polymer such as polyoxymethylene.

[0030] In a possible implementation form of the first aspect, at least one of the first block and / or the second block includes a polymer selected from the following: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), PETP, polyester TX (PETP-TX), polyethylene (PE), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polypropylene (PP).

[0031] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, at least one of the first block and / or the second block comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of: EN 1.4418; EN 1.4405; EN 1.4401; EN 1.4301; EN 1.4305; and EN 1.4307.

[0032] According to a second aspect, a modular kit for assembling a needle bridge of a meat injection device is provided, the modular kit comprising at least one first block according to any possible implementation form of the first aspect and a second block configured to be stacked adjacent to the first block, the second block comprising an alignment device, the alignment device of the second block being used to align the second block with at least one first block in a stacked arrangement structure, wherein at least one of the second blocks comprises a liquid supply device, the liquid supply device being arranged to be fluidically connected to at least one needle cavity of the corresponding first block when the second block is stacked on top of the first block.

[0033] In a possible implementation form of the second aspect, the second block includes a second block bottom surface for being placed on top of the corresponding first block, and wherein the liquid supply device includes at least one liquid channel arranged in the second block bottom surface, each liquid channel being arranged to align with at least one needle cavity of the corresponding first block to define a sealed fluid communication passage between the at least one needle cavity and the fluid channel.

[0034] In a possible implementation form of the second aspect, the sealing is provided by a sealing device, such as an O-ring or a flat gasket, included between the bottom surface of the second block and the corresponding first block.

[0035] In a possible implementation form of the second aspect, the sealing is provided by a fine tolerance compression between the two blocks.

[0036] In a possible implementation form of the second aspect, the sealing is provided by two conical surfaces arranged on the surfaces of the first block and the second block.

[0037] In a possible implementation form of the second aspect, the liquid supply device includes at least one liquid channel arranged in the bottom surface of the second block, each liquid channel being arranged to align with a corresponding needle cavity of the first block. Such an arrangement structure can advantageously reduce brine overflow between channels.

[0038] In another possible implementation form of the second aspect, each liquid channel is arranged as an elongated recess in the bottom surface of the second block, and wherein at least one first block includes a plurality of needle cavities arranged in at least one row, each row of needle cavities being aligned with a corresponding liquid channel of the second block to define a sealed fluid communication path between the rows of needle cavities and the liquid channel. Such an arrangement structure can provide ease of replacement of components such as sealing devices, thereby increasing the convenience of manufacturing.

[0039] In a further possible implementation form of the second aspect, the second block comprises a plurality of elongated liquid channels arranged parallel to one another.

[0040] In another possible implementation form of the second aspect, the liquid supply device further includes: a liquid inlet arranged in the second block, the liquid inlet being configured to be connected to a liquid source; and at least one liquid valve arranged between the liquid inlet and the at least one liquid channel.

[0041] In a further possible implementation form of the second aspect, the second block comprises a corresponding liquid valve, which is arranged between the liquid inlet and each of the at least one liquid channel for individually supplying liquid to each of the liquid channels.

[0042] In another possible implementation form of the second aspect, the second block includes a pressure relief valve.

[0043] In a further possible implementation form of the second aspect, the liquid valve and / or the pressure relief valve is operatively connected to a pawl column arranged in the needle bridge by a rocker arm when assembled.

[0044] In another possible implementation form of the second aspect, at least one of the first block and / or the second block comprises a polymer, such as polyoxymethylene.

[0045] In a possible implementation form of the second aspect, at least one of the first block and / or the second block includes a polymer selected from the following: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), PETP, polyester TX (PETP-TX), polyethylene (PE), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polypropylene (PP).

[0046] In a further possible implementation form of the second aspect, at least one of the first block and / or the second block comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of: EN 1.4418; EN 1.4405; EN 1.4401; EN 1.4301; EN 1.4305; and EN 1.4307.

[0047] According to a third aspect, a needle bridge for a meat injection device is provided, the needle bridge comprising a plurality of modular needle bridge blocks, the plurality of modular needle bridge blocks being arranged adjacent to each other and aligned by an alignment device to define a bottom surface of the needle bridge, each modular needle bridge block comprising at least one needle cavity for receiving a needle, wherein each of the needle cavities is accessible from the bottom surface of the needle bridge.

[0048] In a possible implementation form of the third aspect, the needle bridge includes a plurality of modular needle bridge blocks according to any possible implementation form of the first aspect, and the modular needle bridge blocks are arranged adjacent to each other and aligned by alignment devices included in the modular needle bridge blocks to define a bottom surface of the needle bridge, wherein each needle cavity in the needle cavity can be accessed from the bottom surface of the needle bridge.

[0049] In a possible implementation form of the third aspect, at least two of the modular needle bridge blocks are arranged vertically one above the other and are vertically dimensioned to cover the full height requirement of a needle bridge used in a brine injection machine.

[0050] In another possible implementation form of the third aspect, the alignment device includes a frame configured to receive a plurality of modular needle bridge blocks arranged adjacently along at least one axis.

[0051] In an embodiment, the frame is configured to receive a plurality of modular needle bridge blocks arranged adjacently along at least two substantially perpendicular axes. In another embodiment, the frame is configured to receive a plurality of modular needle bridge blocks arranged adjacently along three substantially perpendicular axes in three dimensions.

[0052] According to a fourth aspect, a needle bridge for a meat injection device is provided, the needle bridge being assembled from a modular kit according to any possible implementation form of the second aspect, the modular kit comprising a second block superimposed on top of at least one first block and aligned by an alignment device to define a bottom surface of the needle bridge, wherein each needle cavity of at least one needle cavity is accessible from the bottom surface of the needle bridge.

[0053] In a possible implementation form of the fourth aspect, the second block stacked on top of the at least one first block defines a modular stack, wherein the needle bridge comprises a plurality of modular stacks arranged adjacently with respect to each other.

[0054] In a possible implementation form of the fourth aspect, the needle bridge includes at least one modular stacked array member, which includes a plurality of modular stacked array members arranged along a first axis, each modular stacked array member being sized to meet a width requirement of a needle bridge used in a brine injection machine.

[0055] In another possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the needle bridge comprises a plurality of modular stacked array members arranged along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis, the plurality of modular stacked array members being sized to meet a length requirement of a needle bridge used in a brine injection machine.

[0056] In a possible implementation form of any of the above aspects, the plurality of modular pin bridge blocks, or the second block, and the first block are sized to be substantially equal.

[0057] According to the fifth aspect, a meat injection device is provided, which comprises a conveying device defining a conveying direction, the conveying device comprising a conveying surface portion for placing meat products; the meat injection device also comprises a needle bridge according to any possible implementation form of the third aspect, the needle bridge comprising a plurality of modular needle bridge blocks arranged adjacently and aligned by an alignment device, each modular needle bridge block comprising at least one needle cavity, and the needle is arranged in the needle cavity in a manner capable of moving in a direction orthogonal to the conveying surface portion; wherein the plurality of modular needle bridge blocks are arranged to define continuous rows of needle cavities in the conveying direction; wherein the conveying device is configured to move in a stepwise manner along the conveying direction, each step moving a step length S; and wherein a second distance d2 between continuous rows of needle cavities in the conveying direction is equal to the step length, d2=S.

[0058] In a possible implementation form of the fifth aspect, each of the needle heads comprises at least one needle, the needle cavities are arranged so that the needles are evenly distributed in the rows of needle cavities in an equilateral triangle pattern, wherein the needles have a first distance d1 between them; and wherein the step size S is a substantially integer multiple of the first distance d1. As used herein, an integer multiple refers to any rational number that can be expressed as a sum or difference of a finite number of units, and a rational number is an element in the set ... -3, -2, -1, 1, 2, 3 ... (non-0).

[0059] The equilateral triangle pattern of needles and the relationship between the step size of the conveying device and the distance between consecutive rows of needle cavities allow a uniform liquid injection pattern to be formed on meat products of different sizes, which in turn ensures uniform distribution of liquid brine in the meat product conveyed under the needle bridge.

[0060] In an embodiment, the first distance d1 =11 mm, and the step length S =33 mm.

[0061] According to a sixth aspect, there is provided a method for injecting meat, the method comprising:

[0062] providing a conveying device, the conveying device defining a conveying direction, the conveying device comprising a conveying surface portion;

[0063] A needle bridge according to any possible implementation form of the third aspect is provided above the conveying surface portion by arranging a plurality of modular needle bridge blocks adjacent to each other and aligning the plurality of modular needle bridge blocks by an alignment device, each modular needle bridge block comprising at least one needle cavity, a needle being arranged in the needle cavity in a manner movable in a direction orthogonal to the conveying surface portion, so that the plurality of modular needle bridge blocks define continuous rows of needle cavities in the conveying direction, and a second distance d2 between continuous rows;

[0064] placing the meat product on the conveying surface; and

[0065] The conveying device is moved in a stepwise manner along the conveying direction, each step being a step length S, wherein the step length S is equal to a second distance d2 between consecutive rows of needle cavities, and

[0066] When the front part of the meat product in the conveying direction is aligned with the first row of needle cavities, liquid is injected into the meat product alternately from the needles arranged in consecutive rows of needle cavities, and skipped injection is performed for the next step after each injection step until the entire volume of the meat product is fully and evenly injected.

[0067] According to a seventh aspect, there is provided a needle for use in a brine injection machine, the brine injection machine being in particular a brine injection needle bridge, the needle defining a longitudinal axis and comprising a base, wherein the base has a substantially non-circular cross-section, the cross-section being substantially orthogonal to the axis, and at least one needle extending from the base.

[0068] By including needles with non-circular cross-sections, an adjacent arrangement of multiple needles in a needle bridge can be achieved, which allows for a denser distribution of needles.

[0069] In a possible implementation form of the seventh aspect, the needle head comprises a single needle extending from the base.

[0070] In a possible implementation form of the seventh aspect, the needle includes a plurality of needles extending from the base. The number of needles extending from the base of the needle can be any number, such as two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, etc.

[0071] By comprising a needle head having a non-circular cross-section and further comprising a plurality of needles, such as two needles, the needles can be arranged in a corresponding needle bridge in a manner allowing a denser pattern of injection points to be formed on the meat to be processed.

[0072] A dense needle pattern with a greater number of injection points promotes improved brine distribution.

[0073] In certain implementations of the seventh aspect, the needle head includes at least three needles, wherein insertion points of the three needles into the base of the needle head are arranged at approximately 60°.

[0074] By having an angle of approximately 60° between the insertion points of the three needles inserted into the needle head, all needles included in a needle head can advantageously be arranged equidistant from the other two needles.

[0075] In a possible implementation form of the seventh aspect, the travel distance of the conveyor belt per stroke corresponds to an integer multiple of the distance between the insertion points of the two needles inserted into the needle head. As used herein, an integer multiple refers to any rational number that can be expressed as the sum or difference of a finite number of units, and is an element in the set ... -3, -2, -1, 1, 2, 3 ... (non-0). Therefore, a regular injection pattern is advantageously achieved on the meat when the meat is processed.

[0076] In certain implementations of the seventh aspect, the needle head includes three needles, wherein the insertion points of the needles into the base of the needle head are arranged equidistant from each other. This number of needles per needle head provides an ideal balance between achieving the desired effect of allowing a denser arrangement of needles on the needle bridge, while providing a unit size of needle that is sufficient for efficient replacement from the needle bridge in the event of a needle breakage or uneven wear across the width of the conveyor belt.

[0077] In a certain implementation form of the seventh aspect, the needle includes a needle plate to provide additional support and engagement surface for the needle to be arranged and fixed in the base. The needle plate can be made of a material different from the base, and the material can provide sufficient structural support for the needle end, such as a metal piece. In an embodiment, the needle plate is a steel plate connected to the body via screws.

[0078] In a possible implementation form of the seventh aspect, the peripheral portion of the cross section of the needle includes at least two arc portions that do not share the same center.

[0079] In a possible implementation form of the seventh aspect, the peripheral portion of the cross-section of the needle defines a substantially regular curved polygon with a constant width, and is a Reuleaux triangle. In this case, the insertion points of the three needles are arranged close to the vertices of the Reuleaux triangle. This arrangement structure advantageously allows a plurality of such needles to be arranged closer to each other in a needle bridge, while allowing sufficient distance between the needle cavities on the surface of the needle bridge to withstand the mechanical stresses generated during operation. The arrangement structure allows a tighter arrangement of the needles in the needle bridge than the needles included in the needle with a peripheral portion that is approximately circular. Therefore, this arrangement allows a denser injection pattern.

[0080] In a certain implementation form of the seventh aspect, the peripheral portion of the cross-section of the needle also includes at least two straight portions. Thus, the cross-section of the needle may define a rectangular shape including straight portions connecting rounded ends, or, for example, the cross-section of the needle may define a triangle shape including straight portions connecting rounded corners.

[0081] By arranging the arc at the tip of the rectangular shape or replacing the corner of a triangle, for example, the base of the needle includes a surface around the peripheral edge of the base that can better contact the sealing device, thereby reducing leakage of brine around the needle and thus reducing dripping.

[0082] In a possible implementation form of the seventh aspect, the peripheral portion of the cross section of the needle includes a first arc portion and a second arc portion, each arc portion is defined by at least a curvature and a length, wherein the first arc portion and the second arc portion differ in arc curvature. Therefore, the connecting portion may also be rounded, although the connecting portion has a smaller curvature than the portion at the expected position of the corner portion of the shape portion, thereby also providing a needle with the following peripheral surface: the peripheral surface provides reduced brine leakage around the needle, which can reduce dripping and waste of brine during operation.

[0083] In a possible implementation form of the seventh aspect, a length of the first arc portion is different from a length of the second arc portion.

[0084] In a possible implementation form of the seventh aspect, the peripheral portion of the cross-section includes a first arc portion and a second arc portion, each of the arc portions being defined by at least a curvature and a length, wherein the first arc portion and the second arc portion differ in arc curvature, optionally, the first arc portion and the second arc portion differ in length, and in addition, the peripheral portion of the cross-section also includes at least one straight portion.

[0085] In a possible implementation form of the seventh aspect, the peripheral portion of the cross-section includes at least two first arc portions and at least two second arc portions, at least two first arc portions are roughly equal in curvature and length, and at least two second arc portions are roughly equal in curvature and length.

[0086] This arrangement structure can enable the cross-section of the needle to be defined as an elliptical shape, which provides a surface around the peripheral edge of the needle that improves contact with the sealing device, thereby providing reduced brine leakage around the needle, which can reduce dripping and waste of brine during operation.

[0087] In a possible implementation form of the seventh aspect, the peripheral portion of the cross section includes three first arc portions and three second arc portions, the three first arc portions are approximately equal in curvature and length, and the three second arc portions are approximately equal in curvature and length, so that the peripheral portion defines a shape with three-fold rotational symmetry. While combining the advantages of the above-mentioned implementation forms, this arrangement structure provides the possibility of each needle head including three needles, which is the ideal number of needles for each needle head. In this arrangement structure, the insertion points of the three needles are arranged to be close to the arc portion with a larger curvature, that is, the narrower turning portion. This arrangement structure advantageously allows a plurality of such needle heads to be arranged closer to each other in the needle bridge, while allowing the distance between the needle cavities on the surface of the needle bridge to be sufficient to withstand the mechanical stress generated during operation. Compared with the needle included in the needle head with an approximately circular peripheral portion, the arrangement structure allows the needle to be closer in the needle bridge. Therefore, this arrangement structure allows a denser injection pattern.

[0088] In a possible implementation form of the seventh aspect, the base of the needle includes a groove arranged on the periphery for attaching a sealing device in a releasable manner. The sealing device can be an O-ring, a gasket or a similar device. By having a device that can be attached in a releasable manner, the sealing device can be easily replaced when the existing sealing device reaches the end of its service life.

[0089] In a possible implementation form of the seventh aspect, the depth or width of the groove arranged on the periphery varies by more than 5%, such as between 10% and 20%, on the periphery of the base of the needle.

[0090] In a certain implementation form of the seventh aspect, the depth or width of the groove arranged on the periphery is more than 5% smaller than (along) the portion of the periphery of the needle base that coincides with the shorter arc portion with a sharp curvature, such as 10% to 20% smaller.

[0091] In the case where the depth or width of the peripherally arranged grooves is reduced on the portion of the peripheral portion of the needle base that coincides with the short arc portion with the sharp curvature, the sealing means such as an O-ring protrudes further outward on the peripheral portion of the needle base where the curvature is sharp, thereby compensating for the increased stretching of the sealing means at these locations due to the sharp curvature. The effect is that the seal in these areas is tighter and the needle provides improved water tightness all around.

[0092] In an alternative implementation of the seventh aspect, the needle base includes an integrated sealing device, such as a radial projection arranged on the periphery around the outer periphery of the needle base. By integrating the sealing device into one piece with the needle base, such as by an injection molding process, the need for additional sealing devices such as O-rings or gaskets can be eliminated.

[0093] In a possible implementation form of the seventh aspect, the needle comprises one or more polymers.

[0094] In a possible implementation form of the seventh aspect, the needle includes polyoxymethylene (POM).

[0095] In a possible implementation form of the seventh aspect, one or more polymers included in the needle are selected from the following: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), PETP, polyester TX (PETP-TX), polyethylene (PE), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polypropylene (PP).

[0096] In another possible implementation form of the seventh aspect, the needle comprises EN1.4 metal, for example, the needle comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of: EN1.4418; EN1.4405; EN1.4401; EN1.4301; EN1.4305; and EN1.4307.

[0097] According to an eighth aspect, there is provided a needle bridge block comprising at least one needle cavity defining a longitudinal axis, wherein the cavity defines a generally non-circular peripheral portion over at least a portion of the longitudinal axis, the non-circular peripheral portion being generally orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.

[0098] In a possible implementation form of the eighth aspect, a peripheral portion of a cross section of the needle cavity in the needle bridge block includes at least two arc portions that do not share the same center.

[0099] In a possible implementation form of the eighth aspect, a peripheral portion of a cross section of the needle cavity in the needle bridge block defines a substantially regular curved polygon with a constant width, and is a Reuleaux triangle.

[0100] In a possible implementation form of the eighth aspect, the peripheral portion of the cross section of the needle cavity in the needle bridge block further includes at least two straight portions.

[0101] In a possible implementation form of the eighth aspect, the peripheral portion of the cross-section of the needle cavity in the needle bridge block includes at least a first arc portion and a second arc portion, each arc portion being defined by at least a curvature and a length, wherein the first arc portion and the second arc portion differ in arc curvature, and optionally, the first arc portion and the second arc portion also differ in length.

[0102] In a possible implementation form of the eighth aspect, the peripheral portion of the cross-section of the needle cavity in the needle bridge block includes a first arc portion and a second arc portion, each of the arc portions being defined at least by a curvature and a length, wherein the first arc portion is different from the second arc portion in curvature, and optionally, the first arc portion is different from the second arc portion in length, and in addition, the peripheral portion also includes at least one straight portion.

[0103] In a possible implementation form of the eighth aspect, the peripheral portion of the cross-section of the needle cavity in the needle bridge block includes at least two first arc portions and at least two second arc portions, at least two first arc portions are approximately equal in curvature and length, at least two second arc portions are approximately equal in curvature and length, and the curvature and / or length are different from the first curvature and length.

[0104] In a possible implementation form of the eighth aspect, the peripheral portion of the cross-section of the needle cavity in the needle bridge block includes three first arc portions and three second arc portions, the three first arc portions are approximately equal in curvature and length, the three second arc portions are approximately equal in curvature and length, the curvature and / or length of the second arc portion are different from the first curvature and length of the first arc portion, so that the peripheral portion defines a shape with triple rotational symmetry.

[0105] In a possible implementation form of the eighth aspect, the needle bridge includes a plurality of modular needle bridge blocks, which are arranged adjacent to each other and aligned by an alignment device to define a bottom surface of the needle bridge, each modular needle bridge block includes at least one needle cavity for receiving a needle according to any implementation form of the seventh aspect, wherein each of the needle cavities is accessible from the bottom surface of the needle bridge.

[0106] In a possible implementation form of the eighth aspect, the needle bridge block includes a plurality of needle cavities, wherein the centers of the cavities and the orientations of the cavities are arranged such that: when the needle head is installed in the needle bridge block, the distance between the insertion points of the plurality of needles in one needle head base is approximately equal to the distance between the insertion points of two needles belonging to two separate needle heads.

[0107] In a possible implementation form of the eighth aspect, the needle bridge block includes a plurality of needle cavities, wherein the center of the peripheral portion of the cavity and the orientation of the peripheral portion of the cavity are arranged so that the angle between the insertion points of the three needles in the two needle head bases is approximately 60°, wherein at least two of the three needles are mounted on separate needle heads.

[0108] In a certain implementation form of the eighth aspect, the plurality of needle cavities are arranged to form at least one row of aligned cavities, wherein the rotation angles of the peripheral portions of the cross-sections of the needle cavities relative to the longitudinal axis of the needle bridge block are substantially the same. Combined with the conservative distance between the insertion points of the needles on one needle head and the conservative distance between the insertion points of two needles belonging to different needle heads, this arrangement ensures that the injection pattern formed on the processed meat is very uniform.

[0109] In a certain implementation form of the eighth aspect, the plurality of needle cavities are arranged to form two rows of cavities, with the rotation angle of the cavities between the rows differing by 60°. This arrangement advantageously allows the rows of needles to pierce at different locations in the meat being processed, so that a regular pattern continues to obtain a uniform injection pattern.

[0110] According to a ninth aspect, there is provided a method for producing a needle as described herein, wherein the base of the needle is ground and the needle is assembled in the needle by heat shrink fitting.

[0111] In a possible implementation form of the ninth aspect, the needle is glass blasted so that the clamping between the needle and the needle head is improved.

[0112] According to a tenth aspect, there is provided a method for producing a needle, wherein the needle is formed by injection moulding.

[0113] By methods of producing needles and / or needle bridge blocks, including injection molding, production steps performed in the related art can be avoided, such as drilling holes in the needle base and / or needle bridge. Therefore, injection molding a polymer to form a needle base and / or a needle bridge block can greatly reduce production time and capital expenditure. In addition, injection molding a polymer to form a needle base and / or a needle bridge block can significantly improve the tolerance when the molded needle is installed in the needle bridge cavity. This is because injection molding is a process in which the final dimensions of the formed product are more easily controlled. In fact, grinding an entire part or cavity with relatively large dimensions may produce embedded tension and / or stress on the polymer material, which may cause undesirable material warping. Therefore, injection molding provides less product variation and better tolerance between the needle bridge and the installed needle. In addition, by installing the needle in a needle bridge of the same material, the thermal expansion and compression of the two components are allowed to be similar, because the two components are essentially subjected to the same thermal expansion coefficient, resulting in better tolerance between the two components at different temperatures.

[0114] In a possible implementation form of the tenth aspect, injection molding is followed by machining. As used herein, machining is the process of using machine tools to cut, shape, or remove material from a workpiece. One such process is grinding. Grinding can be used to obtain an improved finish of the final product.

[0115] In a particular implementation of the tenth aspect, the base of the needle comprises a polymer as disclosed herein, and the base of the needle is injection molded onto the at least one needle.

[0116] By including injection molding to produce the needle, production steps performed in the related art such as inserting the needle into a newly drilled hole, welding the needle to the base, welding the needle face to the needle, and repetitions due to the production of many needles can be avoided. Thus, injection molding the polymer directly onto the needle can significantly reduce production time and capital expenditures.

[0117] According to an eleventh aspect, a method for producing a needle head and / or a needle bridge block is provided, wherein the needle head and / or the needle bridge block is formed by 3D printing.

[0118] In a possible implementation form of the eleventh aspect, 3D printing is followed by grinding. The combination of 3D printing and subsequent grinding can be particularly advantageous, because 3D printing is both cheap and fast, and the subsequent grinding ensures that the needle bridge cavity and the needle base can interact with improved tolerances. Therefore, this production method ensures lower production costs and high-quality products.

[0119] According to a twelfth aspect, a stripping plate suitable for use in a brine injection machine is provided, wherein the stripping plate comprises a plurality of through holes arranged in a pattern corresponding to a pattern defined by a plurality of needles of a needle head according to any implementation form of the seventh aspect as described herein above.

[0120] In a possible implementation form of the twelfth aspect, depending on the number of needles in a single needle head, the stripping plate includes m×n through holes, where m is equal to the number of needles in a single needle head, n is equal to the number of needles according to the present invention installed in the needle bridge, or where n is equal to the number of needle cavities included in the needle bridge block according to any implementation form of the eighth aspect.

[0121] In a possible implementation form of the twelfth aspect, the stripping plate is elastically loaded using an elastic column arranged in the needle bridge, wherein the elastic column has a columnar elastic member arranged therein and a plurality of possible position settings for adjusting the elastic tension on the stripping plate, thereby adjusting the pressure of the stripping plate on the meat product to be injected.

[0122] According to a thirteenth aspect, there is provided an injection device for injecting liquid into meat, the injection device comprising:

[0123] a housing including a bottom, a top surface portion, and at least two oppositely disposed lateral side walls that together define an enclosure;

[0124] The top surface portion includes two support walls separated by an upwardly open channel, the channel extending generally straight between and opening toward the oppositely disposed side walls;

[0125] a conveyor including a conveying surface portion arranged in the channel for moving the food product in a conveying direction along the channel;

[0126] a needle bridge disposed above the conveying surface portion, the needle bridge including a plurality of hollow injection needles arranged to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the conveying surface portion; and

[0127] An at least partially removable cover is disposed over the channel, the cover at least partially covering the needle bridge.

[0128] The meat injection device according to the thirteenth aspect allows for reduced occupied space when in use and not in use, while the removable cover enables easy access for removing and / or cleaning otherwise enclosed or covered components such as the conveyor and needle bridge.

[0129] In an embodiment, the channel is defined by a rectangular U-shaped cross-section over at least a portion of its length. In an embodiment, the channel is defined by a rectangular U-shaped cross-section over its entire length.

[0130] In an embodiment, the channel extends horizontally, wherein the transfer surface portion is also arranged horizontally, and the hollow plurality of injection needles are arranged to be movable in a vertical direction in the needle bridge.

[0131] In an embodiment, the housing is defined by a rectangular parallelepiped shape having four lateral side walls.

[0132] In an embodiment, the cover is arranged to correspond to the contour of the top surface portion and completely cover the channel.

[0133] In an embodiment, the cover is arranged to completely surround the needle bridge.

[0134] In an embodiment, the cover is arranged on top of and supported by the support wall.

[0135] In a possible implementation form of the thirteenth aspect, the at least partially removable cover includes a cover frame extending above the needle bridge and at least a first cover element and a second cover element, wherein the first cover element and the second cover element are arranged on opposite sides of the cover frame and are arranged to be individually removable from above the channel.

[0136] In an embodiment, the cover frame comprises two legs, each leg being supported by one of the support walls.

[0137] In another possible implementation of the thirteenth aspect, at least one of the first cover element and the second cover element is connected to the cover frame by at least one hinge element, thereby allowing the first cover element and / or the second cover element to swing around the at least one hinge element to an open position to allow access to the needle bridge and / or the transmitter.

[0138] In an embodiment, wherein at least one of the first cover element and the second cover element is at least partially transparent for allowing an operator to see through the cover, even when the cover is closed. In an embodiment, at least one of the first cover element and the second cover element comprises a heat molded transparent polycarbonate shell.

[0139] In another possible implementation form of the thirteenth aspect, the conveying surface portion includes an extension portion, which extends from the channel in at least one direction to exceed the corresponding side wall of the shell; wherein the conveyor includes at least one foldable end portion, which protrudes from the side wall to support the extension portion of the conveying surface portion; and wherein the foldable end portion is connected to the side wall by a connecting device, thereby allowing the foldable end portion to be folded upward or downward to reduce the occupied space of the device.

[0140] In a further possible implementation form of the thirteenth aspect, the housing comprises a removable tank for supplying brine to the needle bridge, the removable tank being arranged to fit into the enclosure with its entire volume.

[0141] In another possible implementation form of the thirteenth aspect, the device also includes a pump for pumping brine from the tank to the needle bridge, and the pump is at least partially arranged in the enclosure.

[0142] In an embodiment, the pump at least partially protrudes from the enclosure to allow easier access for maintenance.

[0143] In a further possible implementation form of the thirteenth aspect, the device further comprises at least one particle filter, which is arranged downstream of the pump and substantially within the enclosure. This allows preventing clogging of the injection needle.

[0144] In an embodiment, the filter at least partially protrudes from the enclosure through the opening, thereby allowing easier access for maintenance.

[0145] In an embodiment, the filter is a fine filter arranged to filter out particles having a diameter greater than 0.5 mm to prevent the injection needle 12 from clogging.

[0146] In an embodiment, the device further comprises a coarse filter incorporated in the tank for additional filtering upstream of the pump, the coarse filter being arranged for filtering out particles having a diameter greater than 2 mm.

[0147] In another possible implementation form of the thirteenth aspect, the device further comprises a control panel connected to a side wall of the device housing in a movably and / or removably manner, the control panel comprising a control interface allowing manual control of the device.

[0148] In an embodiment, the control panel is generally wing-shaped, the control panel having a generally rectangular middle portion comprising the control interface, and two triangular side portions arranged on opposite sides of the middle portion.

[0149] In an embodiment, the control interface includes a display device, such as a touch screen module, and / or a rotatable knob for manually and dynamically adjusting various settings during operation.

[0150] In an embodiment, the control panel is arranged to be removable using bolts, thereby allowing efficient updating of hardware and software without having to replace or transport the rest of the device.

[0151] In another possible implementation of the thirteenth aspect, the housing further comprises a liquid collecting device arranged within the enclosure and below the conveyor for collecting brine overflowing the conveying surface portion, the liquid collecting device comprising at least one downwardly inclined guide surface for guiding the overflowing brine to the trough, the trough comprising at least one opening arranged to allow the collected brine to flow into the tank. This can save and reuse the overflowing brine, which would otherwise be wasted.

[0152] In another possible implementation form of the thirteenth aspect, the needle bridge includes a plurality of stacked modular needle bridge blocks, the modular needle bridge blocks include a plurality of needle cavities, wherein the needles are arranged in the needle cavities in a manner capable of moving in a direction orthogonal to the conveying surface portion, and each needle includes at least one injection needle.

[0153] This modular design allows for greater variability to accommodate different meat sizes and conveyor sizes. The modular blocks are also easy to assemble and disassemble, and allow for more efficient cleaning of the needle bridge components. Furthermore, the modular needle blocks are simpler and more cost-effective to manufacture on a large scale than the complex and varying components of the needle bridges of the related art. The ability to align the modular needle blocks adjacently also allows for a regular and specific needle pattern, which can ensure uniform distribution of brine in the meat product to be injected.

[0154] In a possible implementation form of the thirteenth aspect, the needle bridge block is manufactured as a solid block by additive manufacturing such as grinding, casting, molding or 3D printing, or subtractive manufacturing; the needle bridge block is manufactured to have a needle cavity and an alignment device, which is arranged as a cavity, a protrusion and a recess in the solid block.

[0155] In an embodiment, the edges and / or corners of the housing are chamfered to reduce any risk of accidents and to provide a different appearance.

[0156] According to the fourteenth aspect, there is provided an injection device for injecting liquid into meat, the injection device comprising: a shell; a conveyor, the conveyor comprising a conveying surface portion, the conveying surface portion being arranged to move food between an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being arranged at one side of the shell, and the outlet being arranged at an opposite side of the shell; a needle bridge arranged above the conveying surface portion, the needle bridge comprising a plurality of hollow injection needles, the injection needles being arranged in a manner capable of moving in a direction orthogonal to the conveying surface portion; and a drive system, the drive system being configured to move the conveying surface portion between the inlet and the outlet in at least two opposite conveying directions.

[0157] The meat injection device according to the fourteenth aspect allows improved adaptability to different usage situations and production layouts compared to related art devices.

[0158] In an embodiment, the drive system is configured to move the conveying surface portion in a direction from the inlet to the outlet and also to move the conveying surface portion in a direction from the outlet to the inlet.

[0159] In a possible implementation form of the fourteenth aspect, the conveying surface portion is part of an endless belt arranged to be moved by at least one reversibly rotatable conveyor belt wheel operatively connected to a drive system.

[0160] In another possible implementation form of the fourteenth aspect, the conveying surface portion is arranged to rotate around at least one conveyor pin, and the at least one conveyor pin is arranged in the conveyor in a removable manner to provide tension along the opposite conveying direction and remove the tension when the at least one conveyor pin is removed from the conveyor.

[0161] In a further possible implementation form of the fourteenth aspect, at least one conveyor pin is arranged to be accessible and removable from at least one side of the conveyor, thereby allowing removal of the conveying surface portion from the conveyor.

[0162] In a further possible implementation form of the fourteenth aspect, the conveyor comprises at least one foldable end portion, which is arranged to fold into the housing when the conveyor pin is removed and the tension on the conveying surface portion is removed.

[0163] In another possible implementation form of the fourteenth aspect, the drive system is configured to move the conveying surface portion in a stepwise manner along at least one of the conveying directions, with each step causing the conveying surface portion to move a step length S for each stroke of the needle bridge.

[0164] In an embodiment, the needle bridge comprises consecutive rows of needles along a conveying direction, with a second distance d2 defined between consecutive rows; and wherein the second distance d2 between consecutive rows of needle cavities in the conveying direction is equal to the step length d2=S.

[0165] In an embodiment, the step length is S=33 mm.

[0166] In another possible implementation form of the fourteenth aspect, the drive system includes a slotted wheel drive, the slotted wheel drive including a driving gear driven by a reversible operation, a continuously rotating driving device, the driving gear including a driving pin, the driving pin being arranged to periodically engage and disengage a groove arranged in the slotted wheel gear, while causing the slotted wheel gear to rotate at an angle defined by the radius and number of grooves of the slotted wheel gear, thereby converting the continuous rotation of the driving device into a step-by-step rotation of the slotted wheel gear.

[0167] In a further possible realization form of the fourteenth aspect, the transfer surface portion is arranged to be moved by at least one rotating transfer pulley, and wherein the sheave gear is operatively connected to the transfer pulley by at least one timing belt.

[0168] In another possible implementation form of the fourteenth aspect, an angle gear is further arranged between the groove wheel gear and the transmission pulley.

[0169] In an embodiment, the angle gears are arranged in a 1:1 ratio.

[0170] In another possible implementation form of the fourteenth aspect, the device further comprises a control interface to allow manual control of the conveying direction of the conveyor.

[0171] These and other aspects will become apparent from the embodiments described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0172] In the following detailed portion of the present disclosure, various aspects, embodiments and implementations will be described in more detail with reference to example embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0173] Figure 1 is an elevated view of a needle according to the present disclosure.

[0174] Figure 2 is a detailed view of the base of a needle according to the present disclosure.

[0175] Figure 3 is a side view of the base of the needle.

[0176] Figure 4 is a bottom view of the base of the needle and the insertion point of the needle.

[0177] Figure 5 A sealing device according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0178] Figure 6 is a top view of the base of a non-circular needle according to the present disclosure.

[0179] Figure 7 is a top view of an alternative needle according to the present disclosure.

[0180] Figure 8 is a top view of the base of an alternative non-circular needle according to the present disclosure.

[0181] Fig. 9 is a bottom isometric view of a needle bridge block according to the present disclosure.

[0182] Fig.10 is a top isometric view of a needle bridge block according to the present disclosure.

[0183] Fig.11 Possible needle base perimeter shapes according to the present disclosure are shown.

[0184] Fig.12 Possible needle arrangement structures in a needle bridge block according to the present disclosure are shown.

[0185] Fig.13 Possible injection patterns obtained on processed meat after needle bridge injection using the present disclosure are shown.

[0186] Fig.14 Examples of injection patterns resulting from use of a needle bridge and needles according to examples of the present disclosure are shown.

[0187] Fig.15 is a top view of two assembled needle bridge blocks according to the present disclosure.

[0188] Fig.16is a bottom view of two assembled needle bridge blocks according to the present disclosure.

[0189] Fig.17 is a bottom view of a second needle bridge block according to the present disclosure.

[0190] Fig.18 and Fig.19 are top and bottom views of an assembled stack of needle bridge blocks according to the present disclosure.

[0191] Fig. 20 is a front view of a needle bridge in a brine injection machine according to the present disclosure.

[0192] Fig.21 and Fig. 22 are top and lower views of a needle bridge according to the present disclosure.

[0193] Fig.23 is a schematic diagram of the injection sequence according to the present disclosure.

[0194] Fig.24 is a schematic diagram of a modular stacked array element according to the present disclosure, wherein the modular stacked array element comprises a plurality of modular stacked elements arranged along a first axis, a second axis and a third axis.

[0195] Fig.25 A meat injection device according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0196] Fig.26 is a left side view of a meat injection device according to the present disclosure.

[0197] Fig. 27 is a front view of a meat injection device according to the present disclosure.

[0198] Fig.28 is a top view of a meat injection device according to the present disclosure.

[0199] Fig.29 and Fig.30 is a top view showing the right side of a meat injection device according to the present disclosure, wherein the meat injection device has two cover elements thereon and one of the cover elements is removed.

[0200] Fig.31 and Fig.32 is a top view showing the left side of a meat injection device according to the present disclosure, wherein the meat injection device has two cover elements thereon and one of the cover elements is removed.

[0201] Fig.33 and Fig.34 are cross-sectional side and front views of a meat injection device according to the present disclosure.

[0202] Fig.35 is a cut-away, isolated view of a conveyor of a meat injection device according to the present disclosure.

[0203] Fig.36 is a detailed front view of a modular needle bridge for a meat injection device according to the present disclosure.

[0204] Fig.37 and Fig.38 is a cutaway detail view of a valve of a modular needle bridge according to the present disclosure.

[0205] Figure 39 to Figure 41 is a cut-away view of a drive system for a meat injection device according to the present disclosure.

[0206] Figure 42 to Figure 44 is a top view of an arrangement of different cover elements for a meat injection device according to the present disclosure.

[0207] Fig.45 is an isometric view of a cover element for a meat injection device according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0208] First refer to Figure 1 The needle 1 according to the example of the present disclosure is to be used in the modular needle bridge 4 of the meat injection device 5 according to the present disclosure, and the needle 1 includes a base 11 forming a body, and the needle 1 includes at least one needle 12 extending from the base 11. The needle 1 defines a longitudinal axis, which is shared by the body 11 and the at least one needle 12. Thus, both the body 11 and the at least one needle 12 also define a longitudinal axis, which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the needle previously defined. In the illustrated embodiment, three needles 12 extend from the base 11. As shown Figure 4 As can be seen in FIG. 1 , one or more needles 12 are at least partially embedded in the base 11. The base 11 of the needle also includes at least one fluid inlet 13, Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment there are three fluid inlets 13 , which are cavities in the base 11 of the needle that fluidly connect the needle 12 to the first surface 14 of the needle body.

[0209] The base 11 of the needle 1 may include a needle plate 10 for providing additional support and engagement surfaces to arrange and secure the needle 12 in the base 11. The needle plate 10 is made of a different material than the base 11, and the needle plate 10 may provide sufficient structural support, such as metal, for the needle end. Figures 1 to 4 In the exemplary embodiment shown in , the needle plate 10 is a steel plate connected to the body 11 via screws, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown.

[0210] The base 11 of the needle 1 also includes a groove 15, which extends around the base 11 of the needle on the periphery. Figure 3 The groove 15 is sized to accommodate the sealing device 2 so that the sealing device 2 is firmly fixed to the base 11 of the needle, thereby being sufficient to withstand the drag caused by the friction between the needle 1 and the interior of the needle cavity 31 when the brine injection machine is running, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown in , the sealing device 2 is an O-ring.

[0211] Alternatively, the circumference of the needle 1 may include at least one annular protrusion arranged around the circumference of the base 11 of the needle, the annular protrusion being suitable for fixing a sealing device (not shown). Such a protrusion may achieve the same purpose as the groove 15.

[0212] In one implementation (not shown), the depth of the groove 15 varies, e.g. becomes shallower, around the second arc 17, which has a more abrupt curvature than the first arc 18. The corresponding sealing device 2 is shaped to be seated in the groove 15 and thereby releasably secured. The shallower portion of the groove 15 around the second portion 17 makes the second arc 21 of the sealing device convex sufficiently to compensate for the increased stretching of the O-ring material around the second arc 17 of the peripheral portion of the needle base.

[0213] In one embodiment, the depth of the groove 15 around the second arc portion 17 is 11% to 15% shallower than the depth around the first arc portion 18. Therefore, when the depth of the groove 15 is between 1.5 mm and 1.7 mm, the depth of the groove 15 varies by about 0.2 mm.

[0214] Figure 6 and Figure 8 An implementation of a needle having a base periphery is shown which includes three first arcs 18 and three second arcs 17 of varying curvature and length. As used herein, an arc is any portion of the outer periphery of a ring (rather than the entire curved portion).

[0215] This arrangement creates a needle base 11 having a peripheral portion defining a shape having three-fold rotational symmetry. Such an arrangement is optimal for a case comprising three needles 12, and when the needle is mounted in a position such as Fig. 9 and Fig.10 In the needle bridge block 3 shown in FIG. 1 , such an arrangement allows the distance d1 between the three needles of the needle head to be approximately equal to the distance (also d1 ) between two needles 12 belonging to two separate needle heads 1 .

[0216] Figure 7 and Figure 8An embodiment of the needle 2 is shown in which the base 11 is homogeneous, in which the needle plate 10 is not provided, or the needle plate 10 is defined as the upper part of the needle base 11 above the recess 15 .

[0217] In such an embodiment, the needle 1 can be made of a polymer, such as polyoxyethylene (POM), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), PETP, polyester TX (PETP-TX), polyethylene (PE), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polypropylene (PP).

[0218] In these embodiments, the base 11 of the needle is manufactured by injection molding, thereby avoiding drilling in the base 11 of the needle and reducing production time and capital expenditure. In one possible implementation, injection molding is followed by machining. As used herein, machining is the process of using machine tools to cut, shape or remove material from a workpiece. One such process is grinding. Grinding can be used to obtain an improved finish of the final product.

[0219] In a particular implementation, the needle base 11 comprises a polymer as disclosed herein and is injection molded onto the at least one needle 12 .

[0220] Alternatively, the needle 1 may be made of EN 1.4 metal, such as a metal selected from the group consisting of: EN 1.4418; EN 1.4405; EN 1.4401; EN 1.4301; EN 1.4305; and EN 1.4307.

[0221] The needle 12 may also be glass blasted so that the grip between the needle 12 and the needle head 1 is improved.

[0222] Alternatively, the needle 1 can be formed by 3D printing. In one possible implementation, 3D printing is followed by grinding. The combination of 3D printing and subsequent grinding may be particularly advantageous, because 3D printing is both cheap and fast, and the subsequent grinding ensures that the needle bridge cavity and the needle base 11 can interact in a manner that improves tolerance. Therefore, this production method ensures lower production costs and high-quality products.

[0223] Alternative arrangements of needles comprising other numbers, such as 2, 4 or 5, of needles according to the invention are possible. Fig.12As shown. Among them, preferred are needle bases such as needle base 11b having a peripheral portion defining at least two arcs, at least two arcs having different centers. Those needle bases such as needle base 11a including at least two first arcs and two second arcs are even more preferred. It should be mentioned that, Figures 11 to 13 Any shapes shown in are not limiting but are merely examples, and it should be understood that any shape portion with sharp angles, such as shape portion 11c, may also be provided as a shape portion with rounded corners, such as shape portion 11a, and therefore also be included as part of the present disclosure.

[0224] In an exemplary embodiment, a single needle 12 with a diameter of 4 mm arranged in the needle head 1 may be used for bone-in products, and an arrangement of three needles 12 with diameters of 2 mm and 3 mm in the needle head 1 may be used for fish and boneless products, respectively.

[0225] When arranged in series, the arrangement structure of several needle bases ( Fig.12 , Fig.13 ) can allow: when the needle head is installed in the needle bridge block 3, the first distance (d1) between the plurality of needles 12 of the needle head is approximately equal to the second distance (also d1) between two needles 12 belonging to two separate needle heads 11. When the needle head 11 is installed in the needle head cavity 31, the angle formed between the three needles 12 is approximately 60°, wherein at least two needles belong to two different needle heads 11. Therefore, the three needles 12 define the following Fig.14 The needle 11 is shown as an equilateral triangle.

[0226] Fig.13 It is shown how a plurality of needles 11 are arranged in two rows, wherein the angle of rotation of the heads differs by approximately 180° between the rows. This arrangement makes it possible to obtain in the meat being processed a certain degree of rotation, depending on the ratio of the advancement to the stroke of the conveyor belt on which the meat is placed. Fig.14 Regular and evenly distributed injection pattern shown.

[0227] Now go to Fig. 9 and Fig.10 The needle bridge block 3 includes two rows of needle cavities 31, which are arranged to form two rows of alignment cavities, wherein the rotation angles of the peripheral portions of the cross-sections of the needle cavities in one row relative to the longitudinal axis of the needle bridge block 3 are substantially the same. The rotation angles of the cavities differ by approximately 180° between the rows. This arrangement allows the above and Fig.14 Regular and evenly distributed injection pattern shown.

[0228] The needle bridge block 3 is aligned by means of an alignment device 32, which may include a protrusion 33 and a recess 34, and the alignment device 32 has the following shape: the shape allows the recess 34 to engage with the corresponding protrusion 33 when the blocks 3 are stacked, thereby achieving vertical alignment of the blocks. The needle bridge block 3 also includes two guide channels 38 arranged between the rows of needle cavities 31 and located on opposite sides of the block 3 to receive an elongated fastening device 37, such as a threaded rod, so as to keep the stacked blocks 3 in place during operation, such as Fig.18 and Fig. 20 In the example shown, the guide channels 38 are integrated with the alignment means 32 to save space on the surface of the block, wherein each guide channel 38 comprises a protrusion 33 and a recess 34 arranged on opposite surfaces 35 , 35 of the needle bridge block 3 .

[0229] like Fig. 9 and 10 In the example shown, the needle bridge block 3 may also include cavities on at least two lateral sides to serve as handles to lift the block 3 into place and / or to arrange the block 3 into a Figure 15 to Figure 16 The stack shown in .

[0230] Fig.15 and Fig.16 Two modular needle bridge blocks 3 as described above are shown, which are arranged adjacent to each other in the stack in the vertical direction. As mentioned above, each block 3 includes needle cavities 31, which are arranged in two rows on the first surface 35 of each block 3 and extend through the depth of the block 3 to at least the second surface 36 of the block 3, thereby creating a continuous elongated cavity in which the needle 1 can travel. The continuity of the elongated cavity is achieved by the alignment device 33. Here, the continuity of the elongated cavity is achieved by the interaction of pairs of corresponding protrusions 33 on the first surface 35 of the first needle block 3 and corresponding cavities 34 on the second surface 36 of the second needle block 3, the corresponding protrusions 33 and the corresponding cavities 34 being arranged to receive elongated fastening devices 37, which pass through the guide channel 38 defined between the first needle block 3 and the second needle block 3.

[0231] The needle bridge block 3 also includes additional through holes extending parallel to the guide channel 38 to accommodate additional columnar members required for the operation of the needle bridge 4, such as a pair of pawl columnar members 52 for supporting the stripping plate 51, and a pair of elastic columnar members for supporting the columnar elastic members 85, which are arranged on the elastic columnar members for adjusting the tension on the stripping plate 51.

[0232] The needle cavities 31 are spaced apart by a distance d3, which is selected to allow the maximum number of needles 1 to fit in each block 3 while ensuring the robustness and structural integrity of the cavities 31. Thus, the needle cavities 31 are arranged relative to each other and relative to the respective edges of the modular needle bridge block 3 so that the needle cavities 31 are evenly spaced apart by the distance d3.

[0233] Fig.17 A second needle block 40 is shown, which includes a liquid supply device having a liquid inlet 43 configured to be connected to a liquid source. The second needle block 40 also includes a liquid valve 44 and a pressure relief valve 100 for releasing pressure, the liquid valve 44 being arranged between the liquid inlet 43 and at least one liquid channel 42, the liquid channel 42 being configured to supply the liquid received from the liquid inlet 43 to the needle cavity 31 arranged in the first block 39 as described above. The liquid valve 44 and the pressure relief valve 100 are operatively connected to the pawl column 52 arranged in the needle bridge 4 through the rocker arm 86 when assembled.

[0234] The second needle block 40 also comprises an alignment means 33 in the form of at least a recess 34 for aligning with the Fig.18 and Fig.19 The first piece 39 is shown aligned to form a stack of needle bridges 4. Additional details of the liquid valve 44 and the pressure relief valve 100 are combined Figure 37 to Figure 38 Give a description.

[0235] Fig. 20 Shows Figures 17 to 19 The arrangement structure is mounted on the support plate 60. Fig. 22 The support plate 60 shown includes cavities 61 arranged to have the same number and corresponding positions and shapes as the needle cavities 31 of the needle bridge 4 so as to extend the needle cavities 31 of the needle bridge 4. The stripping plate 51 is arranged to strip the meat from the needles 12 during operation and is arranged at the end of the pawl column 52. The stripping plate 51 also includes through holes arranged to receive the needles 12 and thus match the distribution of the needles 12 in the needle head 1.

[0236] Fig.23An injection sequence is shown which includes a conveying device 53 defining a conveying direction, the conveying direction being defined by the direction of the belt. When the meat piece is placed on the conveying surface portion 54, the meat piece travels a step distance S per stroke, the step distance S being equal to the distance between two parallel rows of needle cavities 31 in the needle bridge 4 according to any possible implementation form described above. The needles 1 included in the needle cavities 31 of the needle bridge 4 are arranged in the needle cavities 31 in a manner capable of moving in a direction orthogonal to the conveying surface portion; when a plurality of modular needle bridge blocks 3 are arranged to define continuous rows of needle cavities in the conveying direction and the conveying device 53 is configured to travel in a stepwise manner along the conveying direction, each step travels a step length S; and when the second distance d2 between continuous rows of needle cavities in the conveying direction is equal to the step length d2=S, the final pattern obtained on the injected meat is a regular and dense pattern of uniformly distributed injection points, such as Fig.14 shown.

[0237] In this example, the needle head 1 comprises three needles 12, and the needle head cavity 31 is arranged so that the needles 12 are evenly distributed in a pattern of repeated equilateral triangles in rows, with a first distance d1 between the needles. The step length S is an approximately integer multiple of the first distance d1.

[0238] The relationship between the step length S of the conveying device 53 and the distance d2 between consecutive rows of needle cavities 31 and the equilateral triangle pattern of the needles 12 allow a uniform pattern of liquid injection to be formed on meat products of different sizes, which in turn ensures a uniform distribution of liquid brine in the meat products traveling under the needle bridge 4.

[0239] In the example, the first distance d1 is 11 mm, and the step length S=33 mm.

[0240] Liquid is injected into the meat product alternately from the needles 1 arranged in the needle cavities 31 in a row and skipping injections are performed for one stroke 101, 102, 103, 104 after each injection, resulting in a liquid product such as Fig.14 The pattern shown.

[0241] Now go to Fig.24 The needle bridge 4 includes a modular stacked array member, the modular stacked array member 48 includes a plurality of modular stacked members 47 arranged along a first axis x, a second axis y and a third axis z, the axis y and the axis z are substantially perpendicular to the first axis x, and the size of the modular stacked array member 48 is set to meet the following conditions: Fig.25 The requirements for the width, length and height of the needle bridge 4 used in the brine injection device 5 shown in FIG.

[0242] Alternatively, the needle bridge 4 may include the following modular stacked array piece 48: the modular stacked array piece 48 includes a plurality of modular stacked pieces 47 arranged along a first axis x, y or z and a second axis x, y or z, the second axis being substantially perpendicular to the first axis, so that the size of the modular stacked array piece 48 is set to meet the width, length and / or height requirements of the needle bridge 4 used in the brine injection device 5.

[0243] The needle bridge 4 may also include a plurality of modular stacked array members 48 arranged along a first axis x, a second axis y and / or a third axis z, wherein the axis y and / or z are substantially perpendicular to the first axis, and the dimensions of the plurality of modular stacked array members 48 are configured to meet the width, length and / or height requirements of the needle bridge 4 used in the brine injection device 5.

[0244] exist Fig.24 In the stacked array element 48, the plurality of modular pin bridge blocks 3, the second block 40 and the first block 39 are sized to be substantially equal.

[0245] Fig.25 An exemplary brine injection device 5 is shown having an elongated needle bridge 4, wherein the needle bridge block is arranged in a frame 46 having holes corresponding to the needles 12, and a subframe 49 for additional support. Additional details of the exemplary device 5 are described below.

[0246] Figure 26 to Figure 28 Different views of a meat injection device 5 according to the present disclosure are shown.

[0247] The device 5 is configured to inject liquid, in particular brine, into food products such as meat products, with the main purpose of improving preservation, increasing flavor and increasing volume. The preparation of brine (including recipe) and operation of the device 5 are the responsibility of the user.

[0248] For the quality of the final product related to the injection level in the food, it is important to be able to control the injection accurately, i.e. the device 5 ensures a uniform distribution of the brine in the final product and the correct amount of brine. This is ensured by a combination of brine filtration, injection pressure, injection speed, needle design and needle bridge design. A third parameter that influences the injection level is the brine temperature. However, this is not controlled by the device 5.

[0249] As shown in the figure, the main components of the meat injection device 5 are: a device housing 61 in a roughly box-shaped or rectangular cuboid shape, the device housing 61 having side walls 91, a bottom 92 and a top surface portion 93 that enclose the main operating components of the device 5; the device housing 61 having a straight U-shaped channel 95 located on the top between two supporting walls 94; and a conveyor 53 arranged in the channel 95. The channel 95 is protected by a curtain 96 on at least one side, and the conveying surface portion 54 is used to place the food to pass through the curtain 96 and be conveyed into the device 5, so as to inject brine by using a needle bridge 4 with a vertically movable hollow injection needle 12 arranged above and across the conveying surface portion 54. The travel direction of the conveying surface portion 54 is defined as follows: Fig.29 Conveyor 53 is shown with an inlet 77 and an outlet 78, which may be reversed via a control interface 59 to be described below.

[0250] The housing has a service door 97 arranged on one of the side walls 91 and may have chamfered edges and corners to reduce any risk of accidents and to provide a different appearance.

[0251] In the housing 61, there are also incorporated a removable brine tank 55, arranged to fit properly into the box shape and to be accessible for removal from one side of the device 5, a pump 56 for pumping brine from the brine tank 55 to be injected into the food, and a fine filter 57 arranged downstream of the pump 56 for filtering out particles with a diameter greater than 0.5 mm, thereby preventing the injection needle 12 from clogging. For additional filtering upstream of the pump 56, the brine tank may include an incorporated coarse filter for filtering out particles with a diameter greater than 2 mm. The thus finely filtered brine is transferred to the needle bridge 4 arranged under the removable cover 58, the needle bridge 4 comprising a needle head 1 with an injection needle 12, through which the food is injected, as described in detail below. Both the fine filter 57 and the pump 56 are arranged to protrude slightly from the box-shaped housing 61, thereby allowing easier access for cleaning.

[0252] The brine tank 55 has three different uses. In operation, the tank 55 is used to mix the brine and to feed the system as a buffer tank. The coarse filter cage located in the top of the tank 55 filters out particles larger than 2 mm. During cleaning, the tank 55 is used as a cleaning station to store all the parts to be cleaned that are disassembled from the device 5, such as the removable conveyor frame 83, the conveyor 54, the parts of the needle bridge 4, the injection needles 12 and the needles 1. When the device 5 is not running (parked), the tank 55 is used to store the aspiration tube.

[0253] The device housing 61 also includes: a reversible drive system 70 for the conveyor; and a liquid collection device 64, which is used to collect overflowing brine and return the brine to the brine tank 55, thereby closing the cycle of liquid flow.

[0254] The device 5 is operated via a control interface 59 arranged in a wing-shaped control panel 69 at the left side of the device 5, such as Fig.26 and Fig. 27 The control interface 59 may include a display device, which may be a touch screen module, and a rotatable knob for adjusting various settings.

[0255] The wing-shaped control panel 69 may be arranged to be removable, for example, by removing bolts, thereby allowing efficient updating of hardware and software without having to replace or transport the rest of the device 5. The control panel 69 may also be connected to the side of the device 5 by adjustable connection means, such as a hinge, thereby allowing the viewing angle of the control interface 59 on the control panel 69 to be changed. The shape of the control panel 69 may also be different from Fig.26 In the exemplary embodiment of the wing shape shown, the shape of the control panel 69 is, for example, rectangular or any other shape that can be easily imagined by a skilled person.

[0256] To control the injection level, the operator can adjust the pump pressure and speed (number of bridge strokes per minute) on the control panel 69 through the control interface 59. A further feature of the control panel 69 is optional to save predefined settings of pump pressure and bridge speed (recipes).

[0257] Structures and features that are identical or similar to corresponding structures and features described above or shown below are denoted by the same reference numerals as used above, not only for simplicity, but also to indicate that the features solve the technical problem in a similar manner.

[0258] like Fig.29 and Fig.30 as well as Fig.31 and Fig.32 As shown in , the removable cover element 58 may include at least two cover elements that can be operated in different ways, namely a first cover element 58A and a second cover element 58B. These cover elements can be removed from the housing 61 individually, such as Fig.30 and Fig.32 As shown, thereby allowing access to the conveyor 53 and the needle bridge 4 for cleaning, adjustment or removal. The cover elements 58A and 58B may also be hinged to allow them to be rotated open upward or to the side of one element or both elements, such as Figure 42 to Figure 44 shown and explained later.

[0259] At least one or all of the cover elements 58A and 58B can be transparent to allow the operator to view and monitor the injection process through the cover 58, in particular to be able to see the needle bridge 4 and the transfer surface portion 54, and the injection process can be viewed and monitored through the cover 58 even in the closed state, in particular to be able to see the needle bridge 4 and the transfer surface portion 54.

[0260] like Figure 33 to Figure 35 As shown, the conveying surface portion 54 of the conveyor 53 may be arranged as an endless belt that travels around conveyor pulleys 75 , wherein at least one conveyor pulley 75 is arranged to be driven by a reversible drive system 70 located in the housing 61 .

[0261] The end portion 79 of the conveyor 53 protrudes on both sides from the body of the device 5 and comprises supporting elements of the conveyor frame 83 (such as Fig.35 ), the end portion 79 can be folded from the horizontal position of the end portion 79 to the vertical position in the device housing 61, thereby reducing the occupied space of the device when not in use. This allows the box-shaped device 5 to occupy a total occupied space of about 1200mm×800mm when it is stored.

[0262] The endless belt elements of the conveying surface portion 54 are held together by conveyor pins and are tensioned by the foldable end portion 79 of the conveyor 53 in a horizontal position. Fig.33 As shown, at least one conveyor pin 76 can be arranged to be removable in the axial direction. Flipping one of the foldable end portions 79 from its tensioned horizontal position to a non-tensioned vertical position releases the tension on the conveying surface portion 54, which makes it easier to remove the conveyor pin 76. The conveying surface portion 54 can then be disassembled and removed for cleaning or replacement. The maneuverability of the device 5 is further enhanced by the wheels 68, each of which rotates around a horizontal wheel axis and is also arranged to rotate around a vertical rotation axis for better maneuverability.

[0263] like Fig.33 As further shown, a liquid collecting device 64 is also arranged in the housing 61 for collecting the overflowing brine through the conveying surface portion 54, which overflowing brine is guided by an inclined guide surface 65 arranged below the conveyor 53 towards a groove 66, which protrudes downwards towards the brine tank 55. An opening 67 arranged in the groove 66 directs the overflowing brine to the brine tank 55 through a coarse filter as described above. The guide surface 65 and the groove 66 also help to visually separate the clean "food processing" area from the surrounding environment.

[0264] Fig.34 Shown with Fig.33 The cross section at a plane perpendicular to the cross section of the pane shows the drive system 70 incorporated into the housing 61, and the drive system 70 will refer to Figure 39 to Figure 41 The cross section also shows the needle bridge 4 arranged on a support plate 60 above the conveying surface portion 54 .

[0265] Fig.35 A reversible conveyor 53 is shown defining a conveying surface portion 54, in this case an endless belt, the conveying direction itself being defined by the rotational movement of a conveyor pulley 75 driven by a reversible drive system 70, to which reference will be made below. Figure 39 to Figure 40 When a piece of meat is placed onto the conveying surface 54 from the inlet 77 (also defined by the conveying direction), the piece of meat moves one step with each stroke of the conveyor pulley 75. Figure 20 to Figure 22 The needles 1 included in the needle cavities 31 of the needle bridge 4 are shown arranged in a manner that allows them to move in a direction orthogonal to the conveying surface portion 54. When in use, the conveyor 53 is configured to move in a stepwise manner along the conveying direction, each step being a step length S, which in a particular embodiment is equal to the second distance d2 between two parallel rows of needle cavities 31 in the needle bridge 4. When the second distance d2 between consecutive rows of needle cavities 31 in the conveying direction is equal to the step length d2=S, the final pattern obtained on the injected meat is a regular and dense pattern of evenly distributed injection points.

[0266] Also like Fig.35 As shown, the conveyor may include a removable conveyor frame 83 which may also be removed from the apparatus 5 when the tension on the conveyor belt 54 is released and the belt 54 is removed.

[0267] exist Figure 26 to Figure 45 In the example shown, the needle bridge 4 comprises modular needle bridge blocks 3 arranged one above the other, as described above. Figures 15 to 24 Detailed description is given in combination. The needle bridge block 3 is aligned by alignment means such as protrusions 33 and recesses 34 arranged in corresponding surfaces of the block 3. The modular block 3 also includes a fastening means 37, which includes two guide channels 38, which are arranged to receive an elongated fastening means 37, such as a threaded rod-shaped member, to keep the stacked blocks 3 in place during operation. The modular needle bridge block 3 also includes needle cavities 31, which are arranged in two rows to form a continuous elongated cavity, for example, when any of the needles 12 touches a bone in a meat product on the conveyor 53, the needle 1 and the corresponding needle 12 can travel in the continuous elongated cavity. The needle cavities 31 are spaced apart at the following distance: the distance is selected to allow the maximum number of needles 1 to be fitted in each block 3 while ensuring the solidity and structural integrity of the cavity 31.

[0268] like Fig.36 As shown, the modular needle bridge 4 includes two types of blocks 3: one or more first needle blocks 39, the first needle block 39 is used to define the lower part of the needle bridge 4 located directly above the conveyor 53, the first needle block 39 has the needle head cavity 31 as described above; and the second needle block 40, the second needle block 40 is arranged on the top of the first needle block 39, the second needle block 40 includes a liquid supply device with a liquid inlet 43, and the liquid inlet 43 is configured to be connected to the downstream side of the pump 56 after the fine filter 57 for receiving filtered brine from the brine tank 55.

[0269] The needle bridge block 3 also comprises fastening means, in the example shown, two guide channels 38 arranged on opposite sides of the block 3, the guide channels 38 being arranged to receive elongated fastening means 37, such as threaded rods, to hold the stacked blocks 3 in place during operation. In the example shown, the guide channels are integrated with the alignment means 32 to save space on the surface of the blocks, wherein each guide channel 38 comprises a protrusion 33 and a recess 34 arranged on opposite surfaces of the needle bridge block 3.

[0270] The needle bridge block 3 also includes additional through holes extending parallel to the guide channel 38 to accommodate additional pillars required for the operation of the needle bridge 4 .

[0271] In particular, a pair of latching columns 52 extend through the block 3 of the needle bridge 4 to support a stripping plate 51 disposed at the lower end of the needle bridge. The stripping plate 51 is designed to strip the meat from the needle 12 during injection, such as Figure 20 to Figure 22 The stripping plate 51 comprises through holes which are arranged to receive the needles 12 and thus match the distribution of the needles 12 described above.

[0272] There are also arranged a pair of elastic columns 84 passing through the block 3 of the needle bridge 4, which are used to provide elastic load to the operation of the stripping plate 51 via the column elastic members 85 arranged on the elastic columns 84. The elastic columns 84 have a plurality of possible position settings for adjusting the elastic member tension on the stripping plate 51, thereby adjusting the pressure of the stripping plate on the meat product to be injected. This prevents the stripping plate 51 from squeezing softer meat products such as fish, but also allows a greater tension to be set for harder meat products.

[0273] like Figure 37 to Figure 38As shown, the second needle block 40 located on the top also includes: a liquid valve 44 arranged between the block 40 itself and the liquid inlet 43, the liquid valve 44 is used to control the liquid supply to the needle cavity 31 and the needle 1 arranged in the needle cavity 31; and a pressure relief valve 100 arranged downstream of the second needle block 40. The liquid valve 44 and the pressure relief valve 100 are operatively connected to the pawl column 52 arranged in the needle bridge 4 through the rocker arm 86.

[0274] When the product travels to a position below the needle bridge 4 , the stripping plate 51 supported by the pawl column 84 will first “hit” the meat product, and then the stripping plate 51 will retract upward via the adjustable, spring-loaded pawl column 52 located in the needle bridge 4 .

[0275] like Fig.38 As shown, such retraction will open the liquid valve 44 at the liquid inlet 43 by displacing the liquid valve stem 87 from the liquid valve seat 88 and allow brine to flow to the needle 12. With the stripper plate 51 retracted, the needle 12 will be pressed into the product and brine will therefore be deposited in the product.

[0276] The needle 12 can move freely vertically in the needle cavity 31. The hydraulic pressure of the brine on the needle 1 exerts a force on the needle 1 so that the needle 12 can penetrate the product. If the needle 12 hits a bone in the product, the hydraulic pressure is exceeded and the needle 12 retreats upward into the needle cavity 31 to prevent the needle 12 from being damaged.

[0277] On the upward stroke of the needle 12, the peel plate 51 peels the product from the needle 12. When the peel plate 51 is seated in the bottom position, the liquid valve 44 will be in the closed position, wherein the liquid valve stem 87 is pushed to the liquid valve seat 88.

[0278] On the downstream side, Fig.37 As shown, the operation of the stripping plate 51 and the corresponding movement of the pawl column 52 will operate the pressure relief valve 100 in a reverse manner via the rocker arm 86 through the reverse movement of the valve stem 87 of the pressure relief valve 100 relative to the valve seat 88, that is, the pressure relief valve 100 is closed when the liquid valve 44 is opened, or the pressure relief valve 100 is opened when the liquid valve 44 is closed.

[0279] The valve seat 88 in the pressure relief valve 100 is spring loaded, allowing the valve stem 87 to travel further than the valve seat 88 .

[0280] The valve 44 and the valve 100 have an overlap when both valves are open, thereby allowing air to escape and equalizing the pressure within the needle bridge 4 .

[0281] Here, an additional check valve 89 is arranged downstream of the pressure relief valve to prevent air from entering the system.

[0282] If the needle 12 has been withdrawn over the bone during the downstroke, the brine pressure on the needle head 1 will return the needle to its position in the needle bridge 4. The needle bridge 4 is then ready for the next downstroke.

[0283] In one embodiment, the maximum height of the product that the device 5 can handle is 230mm, and the stroke height of the needle bridge 4 is 280mm. In this case, the conveyor 53 moves one step S in the following period: from the upper stroke of 230mm above the conveying surface portion 54 → the top stop point 280mm of the needle bridge 4 above the conveying surface portion 54 → the lower stroke of 230mm above the conveying surface portion 54. This ensures that the conveying surface portion 54 only moves when the needle 12 is separated from the product. After the conveying surface portion 54 moves one step S, the product will be in a position for the next lower stroke, where the needle 12 is positioned at a position where the product has not yet been injected. When the product has traveled and completely passed through the device 5, the product has been injected with a uniform needle pattern and by pressure and speed controlled by the operator. The product can then leave the device on the conveying surface portion 54 at the outlet side 78.

[0284] Alternatively, the needle bridge 4 may also be split along the width of the conveyor surface 54 into two sections with separate stripper plates 51, valves 44 and needle chambers 31. Splitting means that only the section of the bridge 4 with the product below the stripper plate 51 will be open to flow through the needles 12. This prevents unnecessary flow of brine, which would otherwise aerate the brine, which is undesirable.

[0285] In essence, through this system of modular blocks 3, the needle bridge 4 can be completely disassembled from the device 4 for proper cleaning, while also keeping the number of parts of the device to a minimum to reduce complexity during disassembly and assembly.

[0286] Figure 39 to Figure 41 A reversible drive system 70 for the conveyor 53 of the above-described apparatus 5 is shown, the drive system 70 representing a core part of the operation of the apparatus.

[0287] Before operating the device 5, brine is prepared in the brine tank 55. If the pump 56 is a centrifugal pump, it also needs to be prepared before operation. Gravity will ensure that the brine flows to the pump 56, and no additional preparation is required.

[0288] When ready, the device 5 can be started. The control system will first turn on the pump. If the control system does not receive feedback from the pressure sensor that the system is pressurized, the control system will shut down the pump 56 and issue an error, which is displayed on the control interface 59. This is to prevent overheating of the gaskets located in the pump 56. If the system is pressurized, this means that the brine is filtered through the fine filter 57 and pressurized the liquid valve 44 as previously described.

[0289] The device 5 will then proceed to activate the motor 82 of the drive system 70 to operate the needle bridge 4 and the conveyor 53 .

[0290] The operator then places the product on the conveying surface portion 54 , ie on the conveyor belt at the inlet side 77 , and the drive system 70 moves the conveying surface portion 54 by one step S for each stroke of the needle bridge 4 , as described above.

[0291] The step-by-step travel of the conveying surface portion 54 is achieved using a Geneva drive as shown, where a motor 82 drives a drive gear 80 via a drive pin 81, which engages a Geneva gear 71, thereby converting the continuous rotation of the drive gear 80 into a step-by-step rotation of the Geneva gear 71. An angle gear 72 changes the orientation of the Geneva gear 71, thereby achieving practical use of space below the conveyor 53 within the box-shaped housing 61. A timing belt 73 and timing belt pulley 74 are used to connect the Geneva gear 71, the angle gear 72 and the conveyor pulley 75 that drives the conveying surface portion 54. The angle gears 72 can be arranged in a 1:1 ratio, but any other configuration and ratio that can be easily imagined by the skilled person is also possible.

[0292] The system of using sheave gears 71 and pulleys and belts also enables the rotation of the gears and pulleys to be easily reversed, thereby enabling the device to be adapted to its use in different production layouts. The direction of the conveying surface portion 54 can be conveniently set on the control interface 59 before starting the device 5 .

[0293] Fig.41 The use of a proximity switch 98 is shown, which is configured to detect the metal wing 99 to ensure the home function of the needle bridge 4, that is, the metal wing 99 is arranged so that when the metal wing 99 is located in front of the proximity switch 98, the needle bridge 4 is in the "home" position.

[0294] Figure 42 to Figure 44 Different possibilities for accessing the needle bridge 4 and the conveyor 53 of the device 5 through the removable cover 58 are shown. As mentioned before, the removable cover 58 may comprise at least two cover elements that can be opened in different ways, for example, a first cover element 58A and a second cover element 58B. These cover elements may be opened separately, such as Figure 42 to Figure 43 , or open them simultaneously, as shown Fig.44 shown.

[0295] In an embodiment, the cover elements 58A and 58B are connected to the central cover frame 62 by hinge elements 63, thereby allowing one or both of the elements 58A and 58B to be rotated open. In other words, this hinged solution allows one of the cover elements 58A or 58B to be opened up to 180 degrees about its hinge 63 relative to the cover frame 62, such as Fig.43 As shown, either both cover elements 58A and 58B are opened up to 90 degrees relative to the cover frame 62 about their hinges 63 .

[0296] like Fig.45 As shown, one or both of the cover elements 58A and 58B may be arranged to be transparent, for example, by using a heat molded transparent polycarbonate shell. This enables the operator to see the process inside the device 5 from all viewing angles. Compared to related art devices with limited visibility inside the machine, this enables quick reaction in the event of a situation requiring attention.

[0297] Various aspects and implementations have been described in conjunction with various embodiments herein. However, other variations of the disclosed embodiments may be understood and implemented by a person skilled in the art who practices the protected subject matter, through a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims. In the claims, the term "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single needle bridge block or other unit may fulfil the functions of several claims listed in a claim. The fact that certain measures are listed in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0298] The reference signs used in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope. Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings are to be read together with the specification and are to be considered as part of the entire written description of the present disclosure. As used in the specification, the terms "horizontal", "vertical", "left", "right", "upper" and "lower", and their adjective and adverb derivatives (such as "horizontally", "rightwardly", "upwardly", etc.), refer only to the orientation of the structure shown when the figure of a particular drawing faces the reader.

Claims

1. A modular needle bridge block (3), the modular needle bridge block (3) being used to assemble a needle bridge (4) of a meat injection device (5), the modular needle bridge block (3) comprising an alignment device (32) for aligning a plurality of needle bridge blocks (3) adjacent to each other, the modular needle bridge block (3) comprising at least one needle cavity (31), the needle cavity (31) being used to receive a needle (1); wherein, At least one of the needle cavities (31) defines a non-circular cross-section over at least a portion of the needle cavity (31).

2. The modular needle bridge block (3) according to claim 1 comprises a plurality of needle cavities (31), and the plurality of needle cavities (31) are arranged relative to each other and relative to corresponding edges of the modular needle bridge block (3) such that: when the plurality of modular needle bridge blocks (3) are arranged adjacent to each other, the needle cavity (31) of one block (3) and the needle cavity (31) of an adjacent block (3) are evenly spaced apart by a third distance d3.

3. A modular kit for assembling a needle bridge (1) of a meat injection device, the modular kit comprising at least one first block (39) according to any one of claims 1 or 2 and a second block (40) configured to be arranged adjacent to the first block (39), the second block (40) comprising an alignment device (32), the alignment device (32) of the second block (40) being used to align the second block (40) with at least one of the first blocks (39) in a stacked arrangement structure, wherein, At least one of the second blocks (40) comprises a liquid supply device, which is arranged so that when the second block (40) is arranged on top of the first block (39), the liquid supply device is fluidically connected to at least one needle cavity (31) of the corresponding first block (39).

4. The modular kit according to claim 3, wherein: The second block (40) includes a second block bottom surface (41) for being placed on top of the corresponding first block (39), and wherein the liquid supply device includes at least one liquid channel (42) arranged in the second block bottom surface (41), each liquid channel (42) being arranged to align with at least one needle cavity (31) of the corresponding first block (39) to define a sealed fluid communication passage between at least one of the needle cavities (31) and the fluid channel (42).

5. The modular kit according to claim 4, wherein: Each liquid channel (42) is an elongated recess in the second block bottom surface (41), and each liquid channel (42) is arranged to define a sealed fluid communication path between the plurality of needle cavities (31) and the liquid channel (42).

6. A needle bridge (4) for a meat injection device, the needle bridge (4) comprising a plurality of modular needle bridge blocks (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the plurality of modular needle bridge blocks (3) being arranged adjacent to each other and aligned by an alignment device (32) included in the modular needle bridge blocks (3) to define a needle bridge bottom surface (45), and each needle cavity in at least one of the needle cavities (31) being accessible from the needle bridge bottom surface (45).

7. The needle bridge (1) according to claim 6, wherein: The alignment device (32) includes a frame (46) configured to receive a plurality of modular needle bridge blocks (3) arranged adjacently along at least one axis x, y or z.

8. The needle bridge (1) according to claim 6, wherein: A second block (40) arranged on top of at least one first block (39) defines a modular stack (47), and wherein the needle bridge (1) comprises a plurality of modular stacks (47) arranged adjacent to each other.

9. A meat injection device, comprising a conveying device (53) defining a conveying direction, the conveying device (53) comprising a conveying surface portion (54) for placing a meat product; The meat injection device further comprises a needle bridge (4) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, the needle bridge (4) comprising a plurality of modular needle bridge blocks (3), the plurality of modular needle bridge blocks (3) being arranged adjacent to each other and aligned via an alignment device (32), each modular needle bridge block (3) comprising at least one needle cavity (31), and the needle (1) being arranged in the needle cavity (31) in a manner capable of movement in a direction orthogonal to the transmission surface portion (54); in, A plurality of the modular needle bridge blocks (3) are arranged to define continuous rows of needle cavities (31) in the conveying direction, and a second distance d2 is defined between continuous rows; wherein the conveying device (53) is configured to move along the conveying direction in a stepwise manner, with each step moving a step length S; and Wherein, a second distance d2 between consecutive rows of needle cavities (31) in the conveying direction is equal to the step length, d2=S.

10. The meat injection device according to claim 9, wherein: Each of the needle heads (1) comprises three needles (12), the needle cavities (31) being arranged such that the needles (12) are evenly distributed in rows of the needle cavities (31) in an equilateral triangle pattern, wherein there is a first distance d1 between the needles (12); and wherein the step length S is an integer multiple of the first distance d1.

11. A needle (1) for use in a brine injection needle bridge, the needle (1) defining a longitudinal axis, and the needle (1) comprising: a base (11), wherein the base forms a body and has a generally non-circular cross-section, the cross-section being generally orthogonal to the longitudinal axis; and At least one needle (12) extends from the base.

12. The needle according to claim 11, wherein The peripheral portion of the cross section includes at least two arc portions (17, 18) that do not share the same center point. Preferably, the peripheral portion of the cross section includes at least two circular arc portions (17, 18) that do not share the same center point.

13. The needle according to claim 12, wherein: The peripheral portion of the cross section includes a first arc portion (18) and a second arc portion (17), each of the arc portions (17, 18) being defined at least by a curvature and a length, wherein the first arc portion and the second arc portion differ in arc curvature.

14. The needle according to claim 13, wherein: The peripheral portion of the cross section includes at least two first arc portions (18) and at least two second arc portions (17), wherein the at least two first arc portions (18) are substantially equal in curvature and length, and the at least two second arc portions (17) are substantially equal in curvature and length.

15. The needle according to claim 14, wherein The peripheral portion of the cross section includes three first arc portions (18) and three second arc portions (17), wherein the three first arc portions (18) are substantially equal in curvature and length, and the three second arc portions (17) are substantially equal in curvature and length, so that the peripheral portion defines a shape having three-fold rotational symmetry.

16. The needle according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein The base of the needle (1) comprises a groove (15) arranged on the periphery, the groove (15) being used to releasably attach the sealing device (2).

17. The needle head according to any one of claims 11 to 16, comprising at least three needles (12), wherein: The insertion points (16) of the three needles in the base (11) of the needle head are arranged at approximately 60°.

18. The needle bridge block (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: At least one of the needle cavities (31) is arranged to receive a needle (11) according to any one of claims 11-17.

19. The needle bridge block according to claim 18 comprises a plurality of needle cavities (31), and the needle cavities (31) are arranged so that: when the needle is installed in the needle bridge block (3), the distance (d1) between the plurality of needles (12) of the needle head (11) is approximately equal to the distance (d1) between two needles (12) belonging to two separate needle heads (11).

20. An injection device (5) for injecting a liquid into meat, the injection device (5) comprising: a housing (61) comprising a bottom portion (92), a top surface portion (93), and at least two oppositely disposed lateral side walls (91) that together define an enclosure (90); The top surface portion (93) includes two support walls (94) separated by an upwardly open channel (95), the channel (95) extending generally straight between the oppositely arranged side walls (91) and opening toward the oppositely arranged side walls (91); a conveyor (53) comprising a conveying surface portion (54) arranged in the channel (95) for moving food along the channel (95) in a conveying direction; a needle bridge (4), the needle bridge (4) being arranged above the conveying surface portion (54), the needle bridge (4) comprising a plurality of hollow injection needles (12), the injection needles (12) being arranged in a manner movable in a direction orthogonal to the conveying surface portion (54); as well as An at least partially removable cover (58) is arranged over the channel (95), the cover (58) at least partially covering the needle bridge (4).

21. The injection device (5) according to claim 20, wherein: The at least partially removable cover (58) includes a cover frame (62) extending over the needle bridge (4) and includes at least a first cover element (58A) and a second cover element (58B), wherein the first cover element (58A) and the second cover element (58B) are disposed on opposite sides of the cover frame (62) and are arranged to be independently removable from above the channel (95).

22. The injection device (5) according to any one of claims 20 or 21, wherein The conveying surface portion (54) includes an extension portion, which extends from the channel (95) in at least one direction to exceed the corresponding side wall (91) of the shell (61); wherein the conveyor (52) includes at least one foldable end portion (79), which protrudes from the side wall (91) to support the extension portion of the conveying surface portion (54); and wherein the foldable end portion (79) is connected to the side wall (91) via a connecting device, thereby allowing the foldable end portion (79) to be folded upward or downward to reduce the occupied space of the device (5).

23. The injection device (5) according to any one of claims 20 to 22, wherein: The shell (61) also includes a liquid collecting device (64), which is arranged in the enclosure (90) and below the conveyor (53) for collecting brine overflowing from the conveying surface portion (54), and the liquid collecting device (64) includes at least one downwardly inclined guide surface (65) for guiding the overflowing brine to a trough (66), the trough including at least one opening (67), and the opening (67) is arranged to allow the collected brine to flow into the tank (55).

24. The injection device (5) according to any one of claims 20 to 23, wherein: The needle bridge (4) includes a plurality of stacked modular needle bridge blocks (3), each of which includes a plurality of needle cavities (31), and the needles (1) are arranged in the needle cavities (31) in a manner capable of moving in a direction orthogonal to the transmission surface portion (54), and each needle (1) includes at least one injection needle (12).

25. An injection device for injecting liquid into meat, the injection device comprising: Housing (61); a conveyor (53) comprising a conveying surface portion (54) arranged to move food products between an inlet (77) arranged at one side of the housing (61) and an outlet (78) arranged at an opposite side of the housing (61); a needle bridge (4) arranged above the conveying surface portion (54), the needle bridge (4) comprising a plurality of hollow injection needles (12) arranged in a manner movable in a direction orthogonal to the conveying surface portion (54); as well as A drive system (70) is configured to move the conveying surface portion (54) between the inlet (77) and the outlet (78) in at least two opposing conveying directions.

26. Injection device (5) according to claim 25, wherein The conveying surface portion (54) is part of an endless belt arranged to be moved by at least one reversibly rotatable conveyor pulley (75) operatively connected to the drive system (70).

27. Injection device (5) according to any one of claims 25 or 26, wherein The conveying surface portion (54) is arranged to rotate around at least one conveyor pin (76), and at least one conveyor pin (76) is arranged in the conveyor (53) in a removable manner to provide tension in the opposite conveying direction and to remove the tension when at least one conveyor pin (76) is removed from the conveyor (53).

28. Injection device (5) according to claim 27, wherein At least one of the conveyor pins (76) is arranged to be accessible and removable from at least one side of the conveyor (53), thereby allowing the conveying surface portion (54) to be removed from the conveyor (53).

29. Injection device (5) according to any one of claims 25 to 28, wherein The drive system (70) is configured to move the conveying surface portion (54) in a stepwise manner along at least one of the conveying directions, with each step causing the conveying surface portion (54) to move a step length S for each stroke of the needle bridge (4).

30. The injection device (5) according to claim 29, wherein: The drive system (70) includes a sheave drive, which includes a drive gear (80) driven by a reversible operation, a continuously rotating drive device (82), and the drive gear (80) includes a drive pin (81), which is arranged to periodically engage and disengage with a groove arranged in the sheave gear (71), while causing the sheave gear (71) to rotate at an angle defined by the radius and number of grooves of the sheave gear (71), thereby converting the continuous rotation of the drive device (82) into a step-by-step rotation of the sheave gear (71).

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