PROCEDURE AND DEVICE FOR TRAPPING AIR OR AN INERT GAS IN A LIQUID OR A LIQUID-SOLID MIXTURE.

Description

TITLE PROCEDURE AND DEVICE FOR TRAPPING AIR OR AN INERT GAS IN A LIQUID OR A LIQUID-SOLID MIXTURE. INV. DES MICHAEL CAIS MOSHE SHIMONI PRIORITY ISRAEL DOM. PATENT NO. 69645 OF SEPTEMBER 2, 1983 August 8, 1987 Rome, fi................................................................................... „ ,27.¢8001 .1 2ΙΤ. 1 2 Register A 00121 / 334 Protocol No. 222G7 A / 64 MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY, COMMERCE AND ARTSMANSHIP Provincial Office of Industry, Commerce and Crafts of Milan COPY OF THE MINUTES OF FILING FOR INDUSTRIAL INVENTION PATENT The year 1984 on the NINTH day of the month of AUGUST the Company LDEX CORPORATION LTD, headquartered in Israel TECHNION CITY, HAIPA (Israel) rè&òam In through agents: Eng. Giuseppa RIGHETTI - Eng. Franco Z0RZ0LI · Eng. Carlo GHIOKI and with domicile for legal purposes in Milan - Via Carlo farini, el presso bugnion s,pj. presented to me, the undersigned: - Stamped application for the granting of a PATENT FOR INDUSTRIAL INVENTION entitled: PROCEDURE AND DEVICE FOR TRAPPING AIR OR AN INERT GAS IN A LIQUID OR A LIQUID-SOLID MIXTURE Designated Inventors: MICHAEL CAIS, MOSHE SHIMONI Priority of the patent application in: ISRAEL No. 69645 of September 2, 1983 accompanied by: - Description in duplicate of 18 pages of writing. - Drawings, plate no. 3 in duplo, - Letter of appointment - Certificate of authenticity and Italian translation (with reservation) XX&WWàXiW ìi ΒΪ 'dl - Act of designMtion of the inventor. - Proof of payment into postal account no. 00668004 in the name of the Tax and Concession Registry Office of Rome of L. 214,000 issued by the Post Office of Milan 30 on 8 / 8 / 1984 no. 649 * Revenue stamp L. 3,000. The application, descriptions and drawings listed above have been signed by the applicant and countersigned by me and stamped with the office stamp. p. the Direttele Benito Boschetto, the Patent Office Clerk ......^Gttgfàlmo.-SpaJtanie'P··; ,JL DEPOSITOR THE AUTHORIZED OFFICER William Spetti For a copy certified to the original, it is specified that for the request and attachments the stamp duty is applied in accordance with the circular P liAcl u-:.'UC,D,. «unsubject to any ;,·! < ir will be requested by the -tìeWJi · ta -'--di' <' v cr.-.AS· .·«· ί, ί The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Crafts at the CENTRAL PATENT OFFICE ..=..............................................ROME -OOO- Ò9.ca84 0222S7 The firm LIDEX CORPORATION LTD. of Israeli nationality with registered office in..........TECHN10N CITY, HAIFA (Israel) and with domicile of choice at the offices of Eng. Giuseppe Righetti and others (see letter of assignment) of BUGNION SpA, Via C. Fa- , j; .rini, .....81- MILAN..,..........applies for a certificate of bre_____ vetto.....for INDUSTRIAL INVENTION entitled: PROCEDURE......AND......DEVICE TO TRAP AIR 0 AN INERT GAS IN A LIQUID OR A LIQUID-SOLDER MIXTURE............ ...... ...................... Jrtvendors designated: MICHAEL CAIS, MOSHE SHIMONI Priority of patent application in: ....................... ISRAEL N. 69643 of 2 September 1983 for this purpose the following are attached: ................................................................. .1) Description of the invention in duplicate, 16 pages .2) No. ......3 drawing tables in duplicate, 3) letter of assignment .......................-.......-............................. 4) Att. of vcrs. in c / c pn......00668004 of L.214,000) Deed of designation of the inventors................................. [6) Priority document and Italian translation (with reservation) Milan, 9 August 1984 ........ ...............-.............................-.................................. more; of the Company LXDEX CORPORATION..........LTD. In faith? THE AGENCY Ina—.Carlo Raoul GHIONI 2ÌG8001.12IT12 ZF / mp BUGNION SpA DESCRIPTION attached to a patent application for an INDUSTRIAL INVENTION entitled: “PROCEDURE AND DEVICE FOR TRAPPING AIR AN INERT GAS IN A LIQUID OR A LIQUID-SOLID MIXTURE Applicant: LIDEX CORPORATION LTD., an Israeli company based in TECHNION CITY HAIFA (Israel) Agents: Eng. Giuseppe RIGHETTI, Eng. Franco ZORZOLI, Eng. Carlo RaoulGHIONI of BUGNION SpA - Via Carlo Parini, - MILAN Filed on 9 AUG. 1984 “ ·>>· 222874 / 81 ^0=0=0=0=0= SUMMARY The present invention relates to a process and a device for trapping air or an inert gas in a liquid or a liquid-solid mixture. In accordance with the invention, the constituents are introduced into a receptacle through which a piston slides, connected at its lower end to at least one first element equipped with a multi-channel passage. By pushing in and out 1φ piston in the receptacle, the air or iner gas k BUGNION SpA,. te is trapped in the liquid or liquid-solid mixture. The device for the process according to the present invention is technically simple, easy to ship and inexpensive* DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a simple method and device for trapping gas in a mass. More specifically, the invention relates to a simple method and device for rapidly trapping air or an inert gas in a liquid or a liquid-solid mixture. The operation of gas trapping in a liquid or liquid-solid mixture is finding increasing application in various areas. The main technical uses are in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products (creams, ointments) and in food preparations such as whipped cream, beaten eggs, cocktails, malts, waffles, batters, pancakes, etc. In the air-trapping operation, the liquid or liquid-solid phase is present in droplets of microscopic or ultramicroscopic size. The particle size of the dispersed phase of most common systems is on the order of 1-20 in diameter. In most irrigated systems, one of the liquids present is of an aqueous nature. One problem that exists in the operation of air trapping is the tenuous equilibrium prevailing in the system, where excess trapped air can destroy entities formed by this operation. Most air-trapping equipment requires a special design that emphasizes the principle of subjecting the liquid mixture to a very vigorous shearing action. Typically this shearing action is achieved by forcing liquids under pressure through small orifices or between closely spaced but relatively fixed surfaces such as a valve cap and its seat. The product develops a very high velocity and then passes through the extremely small opening. As a result of this velocity and the frictional resistance of the material in actual contact with the valve cap and seat surfaces, high shear forces are developed within the product, which tend to break the particle size of the dispersed phase. Maintaining this finely divided condition after the force application has ceased BUGNION SpA Mechanical stability is very difficult, because the liquid globules present in the formed system are subject to complete coalescence upon contact. In order to maintain the stability of such systems, the incorporation of foreign reagents is required to decrease the interfacial tension between the liquid phases. However, for many systems external constituents may be undesirable. An object of the present invention is to provide a simple method and device for trapping a gas in a liquid or liquid-solid mixture. Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple method and device for trapping a gas in a liquid or liquid-solid mixture without the necessity of incorporating a foreign reagent to stabilize the system. The invention therefore consists of a process and a device for rapidly trapping air or an inert gas in a liquid or liquid-solid mixture which consists in the introduction of the constituents into a receptacle through which slides a plunger connected in its lower part to at least a first element equipped with a passage with many channels, the trapping of the air or gas introduced taking place by pushing in and out the said BUGNION SpA piston in the receptacle, the constituents and air being moved in and out through the passage to many channels. It has been found that the air-trapped products obtained in accordance with the present invention are characterized by remarkable stability. Generally, the product of air trapped in a liquid or liquid-solid mixture appears as a foam which is in fact a gas-solid dispersion, usually of air or an inert gas in a liquid as a continuous phase. It is well known that in order to obtain the re- rank. requested for stability, a third compound is used in addition to the components present therein, gene Thus in the range from 1 to 5% by weight of the components. The present invention is based on a practical reduction of a function that correlates the various parameters present in the system, which allows to obtain stable air-trapped products without incorporating any ingredients. The inventors found that the efficiency of air imprisonment can be defined as the following function: - air entrapment efficiency <= dal6 BUGNION SpA « f(A fV,A ,V, ,H in which: c ρ 1 cz 1 Z A » cross-section of each passage in the c element. piston cross-section V » piston movement speed Vj» volume of a first component V2* volume of the second component Ij» viscosity of the first component 12* viscosity of the second component H c* height of the passage in the element. The aforementioned function is also related to the prevailing temperature during the operation of the air trap, since it is known that a decrease in temperature increases the physical properties of the product trapped in air. The cross-section of the passage can be selected in a wide range, for example a diameter between 0.2 mm and 10 mm depending on the capacity of the mixture of constituents, as well as the amount of trapped air. An optimum diameter of each orifice in the multi-channel element. will determine the ease of passage of the constituents during the air trapping process. The cross-section of the piston is not so GUGNION SpA criticizes, being actually a function of the ability of the constituents to be handled in the air-trapping operation. The faster the piston moves, the faster the gas will be trapped. This will, of course, also depend on the relative viscosities of the constituents. The height of the passage in the element will determine the degree of mixing of the constituents as well as the amount of gas trapped. The higher the passage in the element, the more intimate the mixing of the constituents will be during each movement of the piston, with a direct consequence on the speed of the trapped air. Movements of the piston in the receptacle impart a certain pressure to the mass and as a consequence, a transfer of the liquid constituents, air, and solid particles that may be present among the ingredients occurs through the multichannel element. One of the advantages of the process is the fact that it allows the reconstitution of the mixture trapped in the air on site by repeating the movements in and out of the piston in the receptacle with the BUGNION SpA mixture of constituents, should there be a separation of the constituents caused by any unexpected reason. The process is characterized by its ease and applicability for the preparation of air-trapped products on a small scale as well as on a large scale. It also has the advantage that it can be used by anyone even without particular experience. In light of the tenuous equilibrium that exists in the system, it was generally assumed that only those skilled in the art could prepare the air-trapped products without damaging the system or obtaining unwanted products. The process can also be used in the kitchen for instant preparation of various edible items such as milkshakes, whipped cream, beaten eggs, etc. Under certain conditions, it can be used to prepare various emulsions such as mayonnaise, mineral oil adjuvants, or liposomes. The device is very simple and there are no problems in its manufacture. It can also be easily washed and cleaned. It can be manufactured BUGNION SpA with any construction material such as plastic (polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, etc.) or glass. In principle, a suitable metal can also be used. The novel device and process according to the present invention are technically simple, easy to ship and inexpensive and should be considered an ideal process for preparing air-trapped products. The versatility of the device will be described in more detail below by the attached figures, in which: - Fig. 1 is a schematic presentation of a first embodiment in which a metal spring assists the movements of the piston in the receptacle; - Fig. 2 is another embodiment where an Ο-ring seal is present around the outer diameter of the plunger and the inner diameter of the receptacle. - Fig. 3 is another embodiment where ground glass is along the entire outer diameter of the plunger» The device schematically presented in figure J consists of four main components. BUGNION SpA receptacle (B), piston (A) assisted by a spring 1* metal (E), which can be optionally enclosed by a lid (F), and the element <c) comprendente un numero di passaggi ( d) .By moving the plunger in and out of the receptacle, an operation assisted by the metal spring, the constituents are mixed and together with water are carried through passages in the upper part of the plunger above the element (C). After a few movements, a product trapped in the gas will appear in the receptacle (B). Figure 2 illustrates a variant of the device shown in Figure 1, in which the movements of the plunger (A) in the receptacle (B) are guided by a seal in the form of an O-ring (O). In this figure the other three components as before! Also present are the receptacle (B), piston (A) and element (C) which has a number of passages CD). Figure 3 presents another embodiment of the device in accordance with the present invention, wherein the precise insertion of the plunger (A) through the receptacle (B) is assisted by ground glass positioned around the inside of the receptacle and the outside of the BUGISI ΙΟΝ SpA piston.The element ίC) which has a number of passages (D) is positioned in the lower part of the piston. Of course, the above-mentioned figures are to be considered only as illustrative and are presented for a better understanding of the invention and its operation, since many variations can be conceived without being outside the scope of the invention. Therefore, for example, one can consider using more than one element with the passage of multiple channels in any of the aforementioned devices. This type will be particularly useful in the case of a particularly viscous mixture of compounds in which the process of gas trapping is more difficult. The shape of the device's components can be varied as required for any specific case. The volumes of the compartments above the multi-channel element and below the element can also be varied as required for each particular case, according to the volumes of the constituents and the product trapped in air. Among the various food products, 12 BUGNION SpA should be mentioned, including various frozen desserts such as mousses, ice creams, beaten eggs, etc., in which the trapped air creates a frothing effect, as in soufflés. Egg whites are often used separately in stiff meringues, which consist of air trapped in egg whites, sugar, and sweetening agents. Sometimes, various types of starch are an important ingredient as a thickening agent in many desserts obtained in this manner. While the invention will now be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the following examples are not intended to limit the invention to those particular embodiments. Rather, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that may be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Therefore the following examples which include preferred embodiments will serve to illustrate 1* practice of the present invention, it being noted that the particulars described are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of preferred embodiments of the present invention without being limited thereto. BUGNION SpA Example 1 A cocktail drink was prepared in the device according to Fig. 1. A quantity of 200 ml of gin and 300 ml of vermouth was placed in the receptacle. A few ice cubes were also inserted. After a few movements of the plunger, a tasty cold cocktail drink was obtained. Example 2 Similar to Example 1, an aperitif consisting of tomato juice was prepared. In this case, some spices (salt, pepper) were added to obtain the desired tasty drink. Example 3 In this experiment, a milkshake based on frozen cream was prepared in the device shown in Fig. 2. Milk, frozen cream, finely chopped peanuts, and small pieces of dried fruit were placed into the receptacle. After a few movements of the plunger, a frothy drink was obtained. 1HQB 3 * Example 4 Meringue cakes were prepared in the device according to Fig. 2. Egg whites were introduced into the receptacle together with sugar. After a few movements of the plunger, the mixture stiffened. It was removed and transferred to the oven as different cake shapes, which after 10 minutes had a brownish color on their surfaces. Example 5 In a similar way to the previous example, a mixture of egg and milk omelets was prepared. After a few movements of the plunger in the receptacle, a foamy mass was obtained, which gave a fluffy mixture that, when fried, gave a very tasty omelet.

Claims

1. CLAIMS 1) Process for the rapid imprisonment of air or an inert gas in a liquid or liquid-solid mixture, characterised in that it consists in the introduction of the constituents into a receptacle 10 through which a piston slides, connected in its lower part to at least a first element equipped with a passage with many channels, the imprisonment of the air or inert gas taking place by pushing said piston in and out of the receptacle. 2) Method according to claim 1 characterized in that the passage in the multi-channel BUGNION SpA element has a diameter between the range 0.2 mm and 10 mm. 3) Process according to claims 1 and 2 characterised by the fact that it is applied to pharmaceutical products, cosmetics and edible products. 4) Device for the rapid imprisonment of air or an inert gas in a liquid or liquid-solid mixture characterised in that it comprises a receptacle (B) through which a piston (A) slides, connected in its lower part to at least a first element (C) equipped with a multi-channel passage. 5) Device according to claim 4, characterised in that the movements of the piston in the receptacle are assisted by a metal spring. 6) Device according to claim 5 characterised in that said metal spring is enclosed by a cover (F) 7) Device according to claim 5 characterised in that the movements of the piston in the receptacle are guided by a seal in the form of an O-ring. 8) Device according to claim 5 characterized in that the movements of the pistons in the receptacle are assisted by ground glass positioned around the internal part of the receptacle and the external part of the piston. BUGNION SpA of the company LIDEX CORPORATION LTD. THE REPRESENTATIVE l„g. Cerio Reoul CH,OfcIk 222871181 2228 / ilSi, 2 / 3 3 / 3 I -D -C THE REPRESENTATIVE Ine- Cerio Reco! GHIONI V 222874 / 84 ATTO 1.0 DLS1GNAZ1ONF D : l L ' 1 NVFNTORF: .1 n rio mee per conte de 11 a D i ita •xxxx-xx LIDEX CORPORATION LTD. With registered office in ;χχχχχχχ·χχ a : TECHNION CITY, HAIEA (Israel) title 1 a re of the patent application for a US invention having as its title PROCEDURE AND DEVICE FOR TRAPPING AIR OR A GAS INERT IN A LIQUID OR A LIQUID-SOLID MIXTURE Claiming priority of, patent application ISRAEL No. 69645 of 2 September 1983 The undersigned representatives Eng. Giuseppe Righetti and others (seeletter of assignment) of XXXXXXWfìiXX'X^XXXXXWXWX'ÌO BUGNION SpA - Via Carlo Farini, 81 Milan, '(XX34KXÌXX.Ì who have been designated as inventors Messrs. - - MICHAEL CAIS, of Israeli nationality residing at 4 Harofe Str., HAIEA (Israel) - - MOSHE SHIMONI of Israeli nationality residing at MP Nahalal 10600 (Israel) '.Ulan, 9 August 1984 p.i., of the Company LIDEX CORPORATION LTD. THE REPRESENTATIVE THE I------ rio.