DISADVANTAGES REGISTER

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a needle register for injection devices for injecting liquid into food products, comprising a needle carrier which forms a distribution chamber for the liquid, a plurality of parallel, hollow needles which are held on the needle carrier in such a way that a section of the needle, which contains a supply opening for supplying the liquid into the needle, lies within the distribution chamber or is at least movable into the distribution chamber.

[0002] Examples of injection devices that use such needle registers include curing devices used to inject brine into meat products. Typically, one or more needle registers are arranged vertically above a conveyor on which the cured product is advanced step by step. When the conveyor stops, the needle registers are lowered so that the needles penetrate the cured product and the brine can be injected.

[0003] EP 3 449 731 A1 discloses a needle register of this type, in which several needles are each held on a common perforated plate that is removably accommodated in the distribution chamber. Several of these perforated plates are arranged adjacent to one another in the distribution chamber in a tile pattern. This allows for easy needle replacement.

[0004] Since the liquids injected into the food products come into contact with the inner surfaces of the needles and the distribution chamber, regular and thorough cleaning of the needle register is essential.

[0005] The object of the invention is to create a needle register that is easy to clean. This object is achieved according to the invention in that the needle carrier is divided into several abutting segments, each of which forms a part of the distribution chamber, and in that the parts of the distribution chamber are flush with one another at the butt joints of the segments.

[0006] When the pickling device is ready for operation, the segments of the needle carrier are held firmly together – e.g., in a frame – so that the outer surfaces into which the respective parts of the distribution chamber open fit tightly against one another. The segments together define a continuous distribution chamber into which the pickling brine, supplied via an inlet, is distributed among the needles held in the segments of the needle carrier. When the needle register needs to be cleaned, the frame is opened, and the segments of the needle carrier are separated from one another so that they can be cleaned individually. For this purpose, the needles are removed and, if necessary, cleaned separately.The part of the distribution chamber formed by a single segment is then a continuous channel open at both ends with smooth walls, which has no corners that are difficult to clean and can therefore be easily cleaned, for example with a brush pushed through the channel.

[0007] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims. The needles can be held in groups in perforated plates that are releasably mounted in or on the individual segments of the needle carrier, so that all needles located on the same perforated plate can be removed from the respective segment of the needle carrier with a single movement.

[0008] Optionally, each segment of the needle carrier can also have a removable cover that allows access to the distribution chamber. In this case, the perforated plates can also be arranged inside the distribution chamber.

[0009] If the perforated plates are located outside the distribution chamber, they can be arranged in such a way that, in the position of use, they abut one another in the same way as the segments of the needle carrier and that the needles are arranged in a uniform grid across the boundaries of the segments.

[0010] The outlets of the distribution chamber segments can be enclosed by a seal that reliably prevents brine from escaping at the joints between the individual segments. Optionally, these outlets can be designed as complementary connectors that ensure the various parts of the distribution chamber fit flush with one another.

[0011] In the following, an embodiment example is explained in more detail using the drawing.

[0012] They show: Fig. 1 a segment of a needle carrier of a needle register according to the invention in a front view; Fig. 2 the segment according to Fig. 1 in plan view; and Fig. 3 the complete needle register in plan view.

[0013] In Fig. 1 a single segment 10 of a needle carrier 12 is shown. The needle carrier 12 is part of a needle register 14, which is completely Fig. 3 shown and which is used, for example, in a pickle injector to inject brine into pieces of meat. Attached to each segment 10 of the needle carrier 12 are several hollow needles 16 which extend vertically downwards from the needle carrier. Fig. 1 For the sake of simplicity, only one of these needles 16 is shown.

[0014] In the cure injector, the needle register 14 is arranged vertically movable above a conveyor (not shown), on which the meat pieces are fed. When the needle carrier is lowered, the needles 16 pierce the meat, allowing the cure layer to be injected.

[0015] Each segment 10 of the needle carrier 12 is formed mainly by a block 18 made of a food-grade plastic, in which a Fig. 1 continuous channel 20 is cut out. This channel 20, together with corresponding channels of other segments 10 of the needle carrier 12, forms a continuous distribution chamber 22, which occupies the largest part of the base area of ​​the needle carrier 12. In the example shown, the distribution chamber 22 on the left side in Fig. 1 a supply channel 24, which extends over the entire length of the distribution chamber and has a larger cross-section than the rest of the distribution chamber. This supply channel 24 is connected to the right in Fig. 1 a flatter section 26 of the distribution chamber.

[0016] The needles 16 extend in the area of ​​the section 26 of the distribution chamber through bores 42 ( Fig. 2 ) of the block 18 and are fastened with their upper ends outside the block 18 in holes of a perforated plate 28 which is detachably fixed to the block 18 and is supported on the upper side of the block 18 via supports 30. Each needle 16 has a section 32 which runs vertically through the interior of the distribution chamber 22. In this section 32 there is at least one feed opening 34 through which the brine can pass from the distribution chamber into the interior of the hollow needles. On the underside of the block 18 there is fastened a further perforated plate 36 made of metal which provides stable guidance for the needles 16. In the bores of the block 18 above and below the section 26 of the distribution chamber each needle 16 is sealed off from the bore by seals (not shown) so that the escape of brine through these bores is prevented.

[0017] On the Fig. 1 On the visible end face of block 18, a slightly raised plateau 38 is formed, in which the opening of channel 20 is located and whose edge follows the course of the wall of this channel. A groove 40 is formed in the end face of this plateau, which circumferentially surrounds channel 20 and accommodates a seal for sealing the joint between adjacent segments 10 of needle carrier 12. A corresponding plateau and groove are also formed on the opposite end face of block 18, so that the aforementioned seal engages the grooves 40 of both abutting segments 10.

[0018] In Fig. 2 The block 18 is shown in plan view, so that the plateaus 38 are visible on both faces of the block. In addition, Fig. 2 the openings of the bores 42, which accommodate the needles 16 and which form a regular grid. Mounting holes 44 for the perforated plate 28 are also visible. In the area of ​​the perforated plate 28, the two opposite end faces of the block 18 outside the plateaus 38 each have a wave profile 46 and 48, respectively. These wave profiles 46, 48 are complementary to one another, so that the wave profiles of two adjacent segments 10 interlock and hold the segments in a relative position in which the channels 20, which form the distribution chamber 22, are flush with one another. At the same time, these wave profiles 46, 48 make it possible to arrange the bores 42 so closely to the end faces of the block 18 that the grid of these bores 42 continues beyond the butt joint between the segments 10 in the adjacent segment.

[0019] In Fig. 3 The complete needle register 14 is shown in a top view, the needle carrier 12 of which in this example is formed by three segments 10 arranged one after the other. Fig. 3 Needles 16 not shown, the perforated plates 28 have holes 50 which are arranged in the same grid as the holes 42 in Fig. 2 The perforated plates 28 also have interlocking wave profiles on their edges, which correspond to the wave profiles 46, 48. The front surface of the Fig. 3 uppermost segment 10 connects with its projection 38 to a nozzle 52 of a connection block 54, through which the brine supplied via an inlet 56 is fed under pressure into the distribution chamber 22. The Fig. 3The lowermost segment 10 connects with its projection 38 to an end plate 58. The connecting block 54 and the end plate 58 are held between two frame elements 60, which are releasably connected to one another by tension bolts 62 and can be clamped against one another, so that the connecting block 54, the segments 10, and the end plate 58 are firmly held together. On the outside, the frame elements 60 each have two guide eyes 64, with which the needle register 64 is guided for vertical movement on guide rods (not shown).

[0020] When the tension bolts 62 are loosened, the segments 10 of the needle carrier 12 can be separated from one another, and after removing the perforated plates 28 equipped with the needles 16, the through channels 20 of the individual segments can be easily and thoroughly cleaned.

[0021] While in the example shown the needles 16 are held rigidly on the needle carrier 12, the invention is also applicable to needle registers with spring-loaded needles, in which the needles are movable relative to the needle carrier so that they can deflect when hitting bone, for example.

Claims

1. A needle register for injection devices for injecting liquid into food products, comprising a needle carrier (12) forming a distribution chamber (22) for the liquid, a plurality of parallel hollow needles (16) held on the needle carrier (12) such that a respective portion (32) of the needle, the portion including a supply opening (34) for supplying the liquid into the needle, lies within the distribution chamber (22) or is at least movable into the distribution chamber, characterized characterized in that the needle carrier is divided into a plurality of segments (10) which adjoin one another and each form a part (12) of the distributon chamber (22), and in that the parts of the distributon chamber (22) adjoin one another flush at the butt joints of the segments (10).

2. The needle register according to claim 1, wherein the segments (10) of the needle carrier (12) are arranged in a row.

3. The needle register according to claim 2, wherein the segments (10) can be clamped against one another in such a way that their abutting end faces are pressed firmly against one another.

4. The needle register according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the distribution chamber (22) has a section (26) through which the needles (16) pass, and an adjoining feed channel (24) extending over all the segments (10) and having an enlarged transverse section.

5. The needle register according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the butt joints formed between the segments (10) are each sealed with a seal (40) surrounding the distribution chamber (22).

6. The needle register according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the needles (16) are arranged in a uniform grid over the boundaries of the segments (10).

7. The needle register according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a respective plurality of needles (16) are rigidly arranged on a common perforated plate (28) which is detachably held on one of the segments (10) of the needle carrier (12).

8. The needle carrier according to claim 6, wherein the abutting end faces of the segments (10) have mutually complementary wave profiles (46, 48) which run parallel to the needles (16).