Egg shell removal device

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus (10) for deshelling eggs, comprising a casing (11) defining a shelling section (A) and an unloading section (B), a shelling device (12) accommodated in the shelling section (A) and configured to open the shells of eggs, an unloading device (13) accommodated in the unloading section (B) and having at least one hopper member (14a, 14b, 14c) suitable for receiving and unloading shelled products consisting of egg whites, egg yolks, or a mixture of egg whites and egg yolks, and a conveying mechanism (14b) adapted to convey the egg whites and egg yolks separately from the shelling device (12) to the unloading device (13). and sanitizing devices (18, 19a, 19b, 20, 30) housed in the casing (11) and adapted to emit ultraviolet radiation, the sanitizing devices comprising a first sanitizing device (19a) positioned to irradiate a working surface of the at least one hopper organ (14a, 14b, 14c) to reduce the bacterial load on the working surface, the working surface being a surface that comes into contact with egg yolk and / or egg white during operation of the apparatus (10).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for removing the eggshell, particularly an apparatus for obtaining a mixed product, i.e., a product in which egg yolk and egg white are mixed, or an apparatus for enabling the separate obtaining of egg yolk and egg white, where the shelled product can obtain a longer quality retention period compared to the prior art solutions when other treatment conditions are equal.

Background Art

[0002] In the field of food processing, there is a strong need for both obtaining a long quality retention period and obtaining a product having sensory characteristics close to those of fresh products.

[0003] In the field of egg processing, a long quality retention period is achieved by adjusting pasteurization parameters.

[0004] In other words, the product to be pasteurized, whether it is a mixture of egg yolk and egg white or pure egg white, is brought into contact with a hot surface, from which the product receives pasteurization heat.

[0005] The pasteurization temperature must be maintained substantially within the range of 57°C to 72°C depending on the product to be pasteurized in order to avoid deteriorating the product at high temperatures or obtaining insufficient pasteurization by using low temperatures.

[0006] The purpose of pasteurization is to reduce the bacterial load present in the product to be pasteurized. Therefore, together with the temperature, the main parameter of the pasteurization process is the duration of the isothermal period, i.e., the duration for which the product is maintained at the pasteurization temperature.

[0007] Within the temperature limits mentioned above, longer isothermal periods determine a greater reduction in the bacterial load; therefore, depending on the intended use of the final product, higher pasteurization temperatures may be selected and combined with shorter isothermal periods, or conversely, longer isothermal periods may be combined with lower temperatures.

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

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

[0010] Generally, the sensory quality of the resulting product is better the less stringent the heat pasteurization treatment is, that is, the lower the temperature and the shorter the isothermal period. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0011] Therefore, the fundamental problem of the present invention is to improve the shelf life of products derived from shelled eggs, whether they are a mixture of egg white and egg yolk, egg white only, or egg yolk only, and to obtain sensory quality of such products that is significantly comparable to that of fresh products.

[0012] Therefore, the objective of the eggshell removal device according to the present invention is to solve this problem.

[0013] Within the scope of this objective, the goal of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for removing eggshells that can ensure a significantly lower bacterial load on the final product than that can be obtained by conventional facilities and methods using the same raw materials.

[0014] In addressing this challenge, the object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for removing eggshells that enables shorter production times for the same quality final product compared to conventional facilities and methods.

[0015] Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for removing eggshells that is simple to implement and easy to use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] This purpose, as well as the purposes that will become more fully apparent below and other purposes, are achieved by the apparatus according to the attached independent claims.

[0017] Detailed features of the apparatus for removing eggshells according to the present invention are shown in the dependent claims.

[0018] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the description of preferred but non-exclusive embodiments of the apparatus for removing eggshells, which are shown in the accompanying drawings as non-limiting examples. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a diagram of an apparatus for processing eggs according to the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows details of the apparatus for processing eggs according to the present invention, relating to the piston filter in the intermediate section. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows details of an egg processing apparatus according to the present invention, relating to modules for transporting egg yolk and egg white. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows details of an apparatus for processing eggs according to the present invention, relating to the series of modules in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a detailed perspective view of an apparatus for processing eggs according to the present invention, relating to a shelling device and a transport device, with some parts removed to better highlight other parts. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0020] Referring in detail to the accompanying drawings, reference numeral 10 represents the entire device for removing the eggshell, and the device includes a casing 11 defining a shell-removing compartment A and a loading and unloading compartment B, a shell-removing device 12 housed in the shell-removing compartment A and configured to open the eggshell, a loading and unloading device 13 housed in the loading and unloading compartment B and provided with at least one hopper member 14a, 14b, and 14c suitable for receiving and loading the product with the shell removed, which consists of egg white, egg yolk, or a mixture of egg white and egg yolk, a conveying device 15 provided with conveyors 16, 17 configured to separately convey the egg white and egg yolk from the shell-removing device 12 to the loading and unloading device 13, a sanitizing device 18, 19a, 19b, 20, 30 housed in the casing 11 and adapted to emit ultraviolet radiation. Here, the sanitizing device includes a first sanitizing device 18 and, optionally, an auxiliary sanitizing device 19b, which are positioned to irradiate the operating surfaces of the hopper members 14a, 14b, respectively, in order to reduce the bacterial load on the operating surfaces of the hopper members. The operating surfaces consist of the surfaces that come into contact with the egg yolk and / or egg white during the operation of the device, and is provided with.

[0021] The sanitizing devices 18, 19a, 19b, 20, and 30 can be provided with one or more ultraviolet lamps that can be tubular.

[0022] For example, these ultraviolet radiations can have a power of 100 - 2500 μW / cm over a time period of 10 - 60 seconds to prevent the reproduction of bacteria. Further, each shell-removing device is sanitized after each shell removal, for example, by spraying ozone water or, for example, by spraying an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of 1.4%. 2

[0023] Thanks to the irradiation carried out by the sanitizing devices 18, 19a, 19b, 20, and 30, the bacterial load contained in the shelled product can be significantly reduced in the apparatus 10 according to the present invention, and thus an egg processing facility equipped with the apparatus 10 can obtain the product with a lower final bacterial load and therefore a longer shelf life, while maintaining the same other functional parameters.

[0024] Furthermore, in an egg processing facility equipped with the apparatus 10 according to the present invention, a lower pasteurization temperature and / or a shorter time at the pasteurization temperature can be employed because the bacterial load to be reduced is smaller.

[0025] Therefore, the use of apparatus according to the present invention in a facility for processing eggs makes it possible to obtain products with better sensory quality than those produced by prior art facilities, while maintaining the same other functional parameters.

[0026] The sanitizing devices 18, 19a, 19b, 20, and 30 may include a third sanitizing device 20 positioned to irradiate the working portion of the shelling device 12, wherein these working portions include parts that can come into contact with the egg or shell and / or the shelled egg during the operation of the device 10, thereby removing or reducing any contamination of the shell and therefore the shelled product, thereby reducing its bacterial load.

[0027] The shelling device 12 may include at least one conventional opening member 34 configured to open the eggshell and allow the yolk and egg white to fall out.

[0028] Conveyors 16 and 17 are, A first conveyor 16 having at least one set of sheets, each adapted to contain egg yolks, A second conveyor 17 having at least one set of sheets, each suitable for containing egg whites, It can be equipped with.

[0029] Each of the opening members 34 can be placed above the first conveyor 16 to discharge egg yolks from each sheet of the first conveyor 16.

[0030] The first conveyor 16 can be placed above the second conveyor 17 to discharge egg whites onto the sheet of the second conveyor 17.

[0031] The operating surfaces of the conveyors 16 and 17 may therefore be equipped with a sheet that is irradiated with ultraviolet radiation during the operation of the device 10 in order to reduce any bacterial load present on the sheet.

[0032] The first sanitizing device 18 can be positioned such that it irradiates the sheet before the sheet is combined with the egg yolk and egg white during the operation of the device 10.

[0033] In this way, the possibility, or degree, of contamination of the shelled product received by the shelling device 12 is limited to the greatest extent possible.

[0034] The first sanitizing device 18 can be placed alongside the shelling device 12 to sanitize it immediately before the shelling device 12 is filled, and in particular, it can be placed upstream of the shelling device 12 with respect to the direction of travel C of the sheets in the conveyors 16 and 17.

[0035] Conveyors 16 and 17 are, A plurality of modules 22, each comprising at least one of the sheets, which can be connected in a continuous manner to form a ring-shaped closed first chain member and a second chain member, respectively. The chain member is connected to a first transmission unit 23 and a second transmission unit 24, which define the forward section D and return section E of the chain member that extend between the chain member and from the shell removal section A to the loading / unloading section B. It can be equipped with.

[0036] For example, Figure 5 shows the shell removal device 12 and the loading / unloading device 13, which are illustrated with dashed lines in Figure 2.

[0037] In Figure 5, the loading / unloading device 13 has some parts removed to aid in its clarity.

[0038] In Figure 5, the conveyors 16 and 17 are particularly visible, where the first conveyor 16 is seen in forward section D, where it obscures the second conveyor 17 located below it.

[0039] Conversely, in the return section E, the second conveyor 17 is visible, obscuring the first conveyor 16 located beneath it.

[0040] In the example in Figure 5, it can be seen how the conveyors 16 and 17 are integrated into a single product having multiple modules 22, the multiple modules 22 forming columns and rows in the transverse and longitudinal directions with respect to the direction of travel C, respectively.

[0041] The first chain member and the second chain member may constitute a single product, that is, consist of a single chain member.

[0042] The ultraviolet lamps of the sanitizing devices 18, 19a, 19b, 20, and 30 can extend transversely to the direction of travel C in order to irradiate a plurality of aligned modules 22 that move along the direction of travel C during the operation of the system.

[0043] The sheets of the conveyors 16 and 17 can be defined by a first spoon element 25 and a second spoon element 26, respectively, as shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5.

[0044] Each module 22 may comprise a first spoon element 25 and a second spoon element 26, which can be positioned relative to each other such that the first spoon element 25 is positioned above the second spoon element 26 along the forward section D during use of the device 10.

[0045] The first spoon element 25 can be configured in such a way that it holds the egg yolk and dispenses the egg white.

[0046] For example, it may have at least one opening or pore 25a that is positioned and configured to allow the passage of the egg white surrounding it, but not the entire egg yolk.

[0047] The second spoon element 26 can be configured to receive the egg whites that have been poured down from the first spoon element 25 of the same module 22.

[0048] The loading / unloading device 13 is A contents removal member capable of operating in such a way as to interfere with the second conveyor 17 at the first loading / unloading position F of loading / unloading section B, During use, the first hopper member 14a of at least one hopper member 14a, 14b, and 14c is positioned below the second conveyor 17 at the first loading / unloading position F in order to receive the contents of the sheet into the second conveyor 17. It can be equipped with.

[0049] The contents removal member can be configured, after activation, to cause the contents of the sheet on the first conveyor 16 to fall out when the sheet on the first conveyor 16 passes the first loading / unloading position F during the operation of the device 10.

[0050] For example, the contents removal member can be configured to rotate the second spoon 26 in such a way that it inverts the second spoon 26 and drops its contents into the first hopper member.

[0051] The contents removal member and the conveyors 16 and 17 may be of a conventional type and therefore will not be described or explained further.

[0052] The apparatus 10 may include a first filtering device 27 positioned above the first hopper member 14a during use to filter and retain eggshell fragments and allow the product from which the shells have been removed to pass through.

[0053] The second sanitizing device 19 can face the first filtering device 27 and / or the first hopper member 14a to reduce any bacterial load present therein.

[0054] The loading / unloading device 13 may include a second hopper member 14b and / or a third hopper member 14c, which are housed in the loading / unloading section B and can be positioned relative to the conveyors 16 and 17 so as to be below them during use of the device.

[0055] The second sanitizing device 19b can face the second hopper member 14b in order to sanitize the second hopper member 14b.

[0056] The loading / unloading device 13 can be configured to cause the shelled product to fall from the sheets of both conveyors 16 and 17 into the second hopper member 14b, thereby simultaneously recovering both the egg yolk and the egg white together.

[0057] Furthermore, the loading / unloading device 13 can be configured to selectively cause shelled products to fall into the third hopper member 14c from specific sheets of the conveyors 16 and 17, thereby recovering discarded egg yolks and / or egg whites.

[0058] In this case, the selection of the particular sheet may be performed by an operator or, possibly, by a selection device equipped with a viewing system facing the sheet, the selection device being integrated with or connected to the loading / unloading device 13 to operate the loading / unloading device 13 to unload the contents from the particular sheet when the contents are identified as being to be discarded.

[0059] The loading / unloading device 13 is A tank 28 located in the loading / unloading area B is positioned so as to be below the first conveyor 16 while in use, in order to receive the product from which the shell has been removed from the first conveyor 16. For example, a cooling jacket with refrigerant recirculation associated with the tank 28, and a refrigeration device (not shown) thermally connected to the tank 28 to cool the tank 28 to a temperature of 15°C or lower, preferably 0°C to 4°C, and It can be equipped with.

[0060] The apparatus 10 can be configured to unload the shelled product from the first conveyor 16 to the second loading / unloading position G in the loading / unloading section B.

[0061] The apparatus 10 may include a second filtering device 29 positioned such as to receive the shelled products from the first conveyor 16 that have been unloaded at the second loading / unloading position G, filter and hold the eggshell fragments, and allow the shelled products to pass through.

[0062] The apparatus 10 may include a fourth sanitizing device 30 among the sanitizing devices 18, 19a, 19b, 20, and 30 that faces the second filtering device 29 in order to reduce any bacterial load present in the second filtering device 29.

[0063] The first filtering device 27 and / or the second filtering device 29 may each be equipped with a mesh or perforated conveyor belt that can be operated to draw the filtered eggshell fragments in the discharge directions H and J during the operation of the device 10.

[0064] The discharge direction H of the first filtering device 27 can be transverse, preferably perpendicular, to the direction of travel C.

[0065] The discharge direction H of the second filtering device 29 can be parallel to the direction of travel C when the second loading / unloading position G is located at one end of the transport device 15 distal to the shelling device 12.

[0066] The device 10 may be equipped with a ventilation means that is in ventilatory communication with the inside of the casing 11 in order to forcibly introduce a gas flow into the casing 11.

[0067] These ventilation means may include or consist of one or more fans 31.

[0068] The gas is optionally filtered air or a gas mixture containing ozone.

[0069] The filtered air may preferably consist of an airflow filtered by a HEPA filter that can be fixed to the fan 31 so as to intersect the airflow forced by the fan 31.

[0070] The device 10 may include a suction unit 32 that is ventilated to the inside of the casing 11 and configured to suck up gas contained in the casing 11.

[0071] In particular, the device 10 is preferably configured to operate the ventilation means and / or the suction unit 32 in such a manner that, when the gas introduced into the casing 11 by the ventilation means contains ozone, the inside of the casing 11 becomes a low-pressure environment relative to the external environment.

[0072] The apparatus 10 may also include a loading device 33 configured to load eggs onto the shelling device 12 through the entrance compartment K of the casing 11.

[0073] An inlet compartment K may be provided at the first end of the casing 11, where a discharge opening L may be provided at the second end of the casing 11 distal to the first end with respect to the direction of travel C, through which a second filtering device 29 can discharge waste material from the casing 11.

[0074] The ultraviolet lamps of the first sanitizing device 19a and the second sanitizing device 19b are preferably placed above both sides of the first hopper member 14a and the second hopper member 14b, respectively, such that the lamps are spaced apart along the direction of travel C and that free space is left between them for the shelled products to fall into the first hopper member 14a and the second hopper member 14b.

[0075] Therefore, it is understood how the apparatus according to the present invention achieves its intended purpose and objectives by improving the shelf life of products derived from shelled eggs, whether they are a mixture of egg white and egg yolk, egg white only, or egg yolk only, and by obtaining a sensory quality of such products that is significantly comparable to that of fresh products.

[0076] Furthermore, the apparatus for removing eggshells according to the present invention makes it possible to ensure a considerably lower bacterial load in the final product than can be obtained by prior art systems and methods, using the same raw materials. Moreover, the apparatus according to the present invention makes it possible to obtain a shorter production time for the final product of the same quality compared to prior art facilities and methods.

[0077] The present invention, as conceived in this manner, is subject to numerous modifications and variations, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the attached claims.

[0078] Furthermore, all details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

[0079] Where reference numerals or numbers follow the operational and technical features mentioned, such reference numerals or numbers are used solely for the purpose of improving the comprehensibility of the specification and the claims themselves, and therefore they do not constitute any limitation on the interpretation of each element identified purely by such reference numerals or numbers.

Claims

1. An apparatus (10) for removing egg shells, comprising: a casing (11) defining a husking compartment (A) and an unloading compartment (B); a shelling device (12) accommodated in the shelling compartment (A) and configured to open the shells of eggs; an unloading device (13) accommodated in said unloading section (B) and comprising at least one hopper member (14a, 14b and 14c) suitable for receiving and unloading shelled products consisting of egg white, egg yolk or a mixture of egg white and egg yolk; a conveying device (15) comprising conveyors (16, 17) configured to convey the egg white and egg yolk separately from the shelling device (12) to the unloading device (13); sanitizing devices (18, 19a, 19b, 20, 30) housed in the casing (11) and adapted to emit ultraviolet radiation, wherein the sanitizing devices comprise a first sanitizing device (18, 19a) positioned to irradiate a working surface of the at least one hopper member (14a, 14b, 14c) to reduce the bacterial load on the working surface, the working surface being a surface that comes into contact with egg yolk and / or egg white during operation of the apparatus (10); The device (10) comprises:

2. 2. The apparatus (10) of claim 1, wherein the sanitizing devices (18, 19b, 20, 30) comprise a third sanitizing device (20) positioned to irradiate an operating portion of the shelling device (12), wherein the operating portion comprises a portion capable of contacting eggs during operation of the apparatus (10).

3. The shelling device (12) comprises at least one opening member (34) configured to open the egg shell and allow the egg yolk and egg white to fall out; The conveyors (16, 17) at least one first conveyor (16) having a plurality of sheets each adapted to contain egg yolk; at least one second conveyor (17) having a plurality of sheets each suitable for containing egg whites; It is equipped with each of the opening members (34) is positioned above one of the at least one first conveyor (16) for unloading egg yolks per sheet of the first conveyor (16); each of the at least one first conveyor (16) is positioned above one of the at least one second conveyor (17) for unloading egg whites onto the sheet of the second conveyor (17); the operating surfaces of the conveyors (16, 17) are provided with the sheet, and the first sanitizing device (18) is positioned in such a way that, during the operation of the apparatus (10), the sheet is irradiated before it is occupied by the egg yolk and the egg white, respectively; 3. An apparatus (10) according to claim 1 or 2.

4. 4. The apparatus (10) of claim 3, wherein the first sanitizing device (18) is arranged alongside the shell-removing device (12) and upstream of the shell-removing device (12) relative to the sheet travel direction (C) for sanitizing the shell-removing device (12) immediately before being filled.

5. The loading and unloading device (13) a content removal member operable to interfere with the second conveyor (17) at a first unloading position (F) of the unloading section (B), wherein the content removal member is configured, after activation thereof, to cause a drop of the contents of the sheet of the first conveyor (16) as the sheet passes through the first unloading position (F) during the operation of the device (10). a first hopper member (14a) of the at least one hopper member (14a, 14b, and 14c) positioned such that, in use, it is below the second conveyor (17) at the first unloading position (F) to receive the contents of the sheet of the second conveyor (17); The apparatus of claim 3 , comprising:

6. 6. The apparatus (10) of claim 5, further comprising a first filtering device (27) positioned in use above the first hopper member (14a) for filtering and retaining egg shell fragments and allowing the shelled product to pass through.

7. 7. The apparatus (10) of claim 6, wherein a first sanitizing device (19a) of the sanitizing devices (18, 19a, 19b, 20, 30) faces the first filtering device (27) and the first hopper member (14a) to reduce the bacterial load present therein.

8. The loading and unloading device (13) a tank (28) located in the unloading section (B) in such a manner that it is below the first conveyor (16) in use for receiving the shelled product from the first conveyor (16); a refrigeration device thermally connected to the tank (28) for cooling the tank (28) to a temperature below 15°C; The device (10) of claim 3, comprising:

9. 9. The apparatus (10) of claim 8, wherein the apparatus (10) is configured to unload the deshelled products from the first conveyor (16) to a second unloading position (G) of the unloading section (B), and wherein the apparatus (10) comprises a second filtering device (29) arranged in a manner to receive the deshelled products from the first conveyor (16) unloaded to the second unloading position (G), filter and retain egg shell fragments, and allow the deshelled products to pass through.

10. 10. The apparatus (10) of claim 9, further comprising a fourth sanitizing device (30) of the sanitizing devices (18, 19a, 19b, 20, 30) facing the second filtering device (29) to reduce the bacterial load present in the second filtering device (29).

11. 11. Apparatus (10) according to claim 6 or 7 and / or according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the first filtering device (27) and / or the second filtering device (29) each comprise a mesh or a perforated conveyor belt operable to attract filtered egg shell fragments in a discharge direction (H, J) during said operation of the apparatus (10).

12. 12. The device (10) of any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising ventilation means in ventilating communication with the interior of the casing (11) for forcing gas into the casing (11).

13. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising a suction unit (32) in ventilating communication with the interior of the casing (11) and configured to suction gas contained in the casing (11).

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