Vacuum pumps and equipment for the processing and / or packaging of food
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024539344
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-01-26
- Filing Date
- 2023-01-24
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-14
AI Technical Summary
Vacuum pumps used in food processing and packaging facilities face contamination and microbial growth issues due to the evaporation of food liquids into the vacuum chamber, leading to potential health risks from pathogenic microorganisms.
Incorporation of bactericidal elements, such as ultraviolet light sources and heating elements, within the vacuum pump's buffer zone to sterilize the gas passage and prevent microbial contamination, along with the use of bactericidal lubricating oil to maintain hygiene.
Prevents the spread of microorganisms from the vacuum pump to the vacuum chamber by effectively sterilizing the gas passage and ensuring the safety of the food processing environment.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to vacuum technology. More specifically, the present invention relates to vacuum pumps and equipment for processing and / or packaging food. [Background technology]
[0002] The vacuum packaging of food is known. This is done in an installation that includes a vacuum chamber that is connected by one or more connection lines to one or more vacuum pumps. The function of the vacuum pump(s) is to create and maintain a vacuum in the vacuum chamber. In such a vacuum chamber, in addition to packaging the food products, cooking of the food products can take place.
[0003] The very low pressure in the vacuum chamber promotes the evaporation of liquids contained in the food and / or their transformation into volatile aerosols. Thus, substances from the foodstuffs, especially in gaseous state or as aerosols, may be sucked into the vacuum pump(s) through the connecting pipe(s). As a result, the connecting line(s) between the vacuum chamber and the vacuum pump(s) may gradually become contaminated by food materials from the food in the vacuum chamber. There is a risk of pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria growing in the connecting line(s) between the vacuum chamber and the vacuum pump(s), which is to be avoided at all costs for health reasons.
[0004] To prevent pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, from growing in the connecting line(s) between the vacuum chamber and the vacuum pump(s), it is known to periodically disconnect and clean these connecting lines, requiring maintenance intervention and sometimes temporary shutdown of the equipment. Summary of the Invention
[0005] It is an object of the present invention to at least increase hygiene safety in and / or around installations in which a vacuum is created by one or more vacuum pumps.
[0006] According to the invention, this is achieved by a vacuum pump comprising an inlet, an outlet, an internal volume intended to be sucked up by the vacuum pump so that gas passes from the inlet to the outlet, and at least one element for sterilizing at least a part of the internal volume.
[0007] The sterilizing element may be a single sterilizing element or may be one of several sterilizing elements contained in the vacuum pump. The sterilizing element(s) may be positioned to sterilize a potential source of microbial growth and spread or a buffer zone between an upstream region, which may be upstream of the pump inlet, and a downstream region, which may be the surrounding atmosphere.
[0008] When the vacuum pump according to the present invention is connected to a vacuum chamber via a connecting line, the risk of the vacuum chamber being contaminated with microorganisms from the vacuum pump is reduced, especially if a scheduled cleaning of the connecting line is not carried out after the originally scheduled date, is carried out incorrectly or is omitted.
[0009] Advantageously, the internal volume includes a buffer zone, sterilizable by the sterilizing element(s), which includes a passage for all gases conveyed by the vacuum pump.
[0010] The buffer zone may prevent upstream contamination by microorganisms present downstream of the buffer zone, and viruses from, for example, food products in the vacuum chamber are destroyed in the buffer zone and cannot be released into the surrounding atmosphere by the vacuum pump exhaust.
[0011] When a buffer zone is provided, the entire buffer zone is sterilized. However, the sterilization of the entire buffer zone may be limited to one or more microorganisms and / or one or more viruses. In this sense, the sterilization of the entire buffer zone may be only partial. The buffer zone may also be totally sterilized by removing all microorganisms and / or viruses therein.
[0012] Advantageously, the buffer zone extends to the inlet of the vacuum pump.
[0013] In this case, the buffer zone can prevent microbial contamination of the vacuum pump inlet from spreading from the vacuum pump inlet downstream of the vacuum pump, for example to a vacuum chamber where food processing and / or vacuum packaging takes place.
[0014] Advantageously, the vacuum pump comprises at least one pumping chamber in which the gas is conveyed by the vacuum pump, and at least a part of the passage of the buffer zone is arranged upstream of the pumping chamber.
[0015] Advantageously, the vacuum pump comprises a filtering grid for the pumped gas, said grid being arranged upstream of the pumping chamber and at least part of the passage of the buffer zone being arranged upstream of the grid.
[0016] Advantageously, the upstream face of one of the two opposing main faces of the grid is sterilizable by one or more sterilizing elements.
[0017] Advantageously, the germicidal element is an ultraviolet light source.
[0018] The one or more ultraviolet light sources generate ultraviolet light only or ultraviolet light and one or more other lights. Advantageously, the one or more ultraviolet light sources generate ultraviolet light at a wavelength in the range of 250 nm to 280 nm. In this case, the ultraviolet light has a very high efficiency in inhibiting viruses such as rotavirus, as well as some pathogenic bacteria, including E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Even more advantageously, the ultraviolet light source(s) generate ultraviolet light at a wavelength in the range of 260 nm to 270 nm. In this case, the ultraviolet light has an even higher effectiveness in inhibiting viruses such as rotavirus, as well as some pathogenic bacteria, including E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus.
[0019] Advantageously, the ultraviolet light source is one of several ultraviolet light sources included in the vacuum pump and can collectively irradiate the entire inner wall that divides and surrounds the passage of the buffer zone, thus effectively disinfecting the entire wall and allowing the buffer zone to effectively act as a barrier against microbial contamination between the area upstream of the buffer zone and the area downstream of the buffer zone.
[0020] Advantageously, the vacuum pump comprises an insertion duct forming the inlet of the vacuum pump, which insertion duct is provided with a disinfecting element, in this way any standard pump can be converted into a pump according to the invention.
[0021] Advantageously, the sterilization element is a heating element, which can perform a heating by radiation, for example of the buffer zone, or it can be an annular electrical resistor surrounding and dividing the passage of the buffer zone.
[0022] Advantageously, the vacuum pump is a lubricated pump comprising a pump chamber in which gas is conveyed by the vacuum pump and in particular a lubricating oil present in the pump chamber, the lubricating oil being or comprising a sterilizing element.
[0023] Advantageously, the disinfecting element is or comprises an antiseptic chemical.
[0024] The present invention is also directed to an installation for processing and / or packaging food products, comprising a vacuum chamber and at least one vacuum pump as defined above, the inlet of which is connected to the vacuum chamber.
[0025] Further advantages and features will become more clearly apparent from the following description of some particular embodiments of the invention given by way of non-limiting example and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]
[0026] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a cutaway perspective view of a vacuum pump according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an installation suitable for the present invention, more specifically an installation for processing and / or packaging food products. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view of an upstream sub-assembly of a vacuum pump according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of an upstream sub-assembly of a vacuum pump according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a sectional perspective view of a vacuum pump according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] In Figure 1, a vacuum pump 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is more specifically a lubricated vane pump. It comprises an upstream subassembly 2 and a pump chamber 3 in which a rotor 4 provided with a plurality of vanes 5 is rotatably mounted. A motor 6 is provided for driving the rotor 4 in rotation.
[0028] The pump chamber 3 communicates with an enclosure 7, the lower part of which forms a lubricating oil tank (not shown). The upper part of the enclosure 7 is fitted with an oil filter 8 designed to extract the oil contained in the pumped gases before they are exhausted, for example into the atmosphere, via the exhaust port 9 of the vacuum pump 1.
[0029] As the rotor 4 rotates about its axis, the vanes 5 draw gas present in the pumping chamber 3 and expel it towards the enclosure 7. This creates suction through the upstream subassembly 2.
[0030] Here, as in the appended claims, terms such as "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the direction in which the gas pumped by the vacuum pump 1 flows.
[0031] The upstream subassembly 2 comprises an assembly of several successive sections 10a, 10b forming a duct 10, the upstream end of which is the inlet 11 of the vacuum pump 1. The downstream end of the duct 10 communicates with the pumping chamber 3. A grid 12 for filtering the suction gas entering through the inlet 11 is mounted in the duct 10. A check valve 13 is mounted in the duct 10 downstream of the grid 12.
[0032] The upstream subassembly 2 is disposed upstream of the pumping chamber 3. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the upstream subassembly 2 is disposed immediately upstream of the pumping chamber 3.
[0033] The chamber 10a is provided with a number of germicidal elements, each of which is an ultraviolet light source 15. For example, each ultraviolet light source 15 may be an LED. The ultraviolet light sources 15 are positioned and oriented to illuminate both the entire interior wall 16 of the chamber 10a and the upstream surface 17 of the grid 12. The ultraviolet light beam emitted by the ultraviolet light source 15 is represented by the arrow F in FIG. 1.
[0034] The area bounded by the chamber 10a is a buffer zone 18, which is disinfected in its entirety by the ultraviolet light emitted by the ultraviolet light source 15, destroying any microorganisms or viruses present. The buffer zone 18 forms a passage through which all the gas pumped by the vacuum pump 1 flows. The buffer zone is therefore an intermediate zone between the upstream and downstream regions along the path of the gas conveyed by the vacuum pump 1. The buffer zone 18 is located upstream of the pumping chamber 3 and the grid 12, and extends towards the intake port 11.
[0035] In Fig. 2 the facility according to the invention is an installation for processing and / or packaging of food products. It comprises a vacuum chamber 50, a vacuum pump 1 and a connecting duct 51 connecting the opening of the vacuum chamber 50 to the inlet 11 of the vacuum pump 1. In the vacuum chamber 50 the food products are vacuum packed. Food products can also be processed in the vacuum chamber 50 and, if necessary, vacuum packed afterwards.
[0036] Any contamination upstream of the buffer zone 18, for example by bacteria, cannot reach through this buffer zone 18 to the air inlet 11 or to the connecting lines, such as the connecting line 51 connecting the vacuum chamber 50 to the vacuum pump 1 in the case of a processing and / or packaging installation as shown in Figure 2. In this case, the buffer zone 18 thus prevents contamination of the vacuum chamber 50 from the vacuum pump 1 by pathogenic microorganisms.
[0037] Furthermore, if viruses, for example from foodstuffs in the vacuum chamber 50, are carried to the vacuum pump 1 by the sucked gases, these viruses will be destroyed in the buffer zone 18 and will not be released into the surrounding atmosphere via the exhaust port 9.
[0038] After being stopped by the grid 12, the food material from the vacuum chamber 50 is subjected to ultraviolet radiation from at least a portion of the ultraviolet light source 15 while on the grid 12. This food material on the grid 12 is therefore sterilized and does not become a breeding ground for microorganisms, which may contaminate other areas such as the connecting duct 51 and the vacuum chamber 50.
[0039] An upstream subassembly 102 of a vacuum pump according to a second embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 3. In the following, only the differences between the vacuum pump according to the second embodiment of the invention and the vacuum pump 1 will be described. Furthermore, in case a reference part of the vacuum pump according to the second embodiment of the invention is identical or equivalent to a reference part of the vacuum pump 1, the reference number is created by adding 100 to the reference number designating this reference part of the vacuum pump 1. In this way, reference numbers are created in particular for the grid 112 and the check valve 113.
[0040] In addition to the sections 110a and 110b, the conduit 110 of the upstream subassembly 102 includes an insertion duct 120 with an ultraviolet light source 115. The insertion duct 120 includes an inlet 111 of a vacuum pump according to a second embodiment of the invention. In the illustrated example, the section 110a is not provided with an ultraviolet light source. In this case, the insertion duct 120 can be attached to a vacuum pump that does not originally include an ultraviolet light source 115, so that the vacuum pump includes the ultraviolet light source 115 and the buffer zone 118.
[0041] The buffer zone 118 comprises a passage bounded by an insertion duct 120 and extends to the inlet 111. An inner wall 121 of the insertion duct 120 is irradiated entirely by the UV light source 115. Thus, the entire buffer zone 118, including this inner wall 121, is disinfected by UV irradiation. Any microbial contamination upstream of the buffer zone 118 cannot pass through this buffer zone 118 to the inlet 111 or to a vacuum chamber if such a chamber is connected to this inlet 111.
[0042] An upstream subassembly 202 of a vacuum pump according to a third embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 4. In the following, only the differences between the vacuum pump according to the third embodiment of the present invention and the vacuum pump 1 will be described. Furthermore, where a reference part of the vacuum pump according to the third embodiment of the present invention is identical or equivalent to a reference part of the vacuum pump 1, said reference number is created by adding 200 to the reference number designating this reference part of the vacuum pump 1.
[0043] Like the section 10a, the conduit section 210a is provided with germicidal elements. Instead of an ultraviolet light source 15, each of these germicidal elements is a heating element 215. The heating element 215 is capable of radiatively heating the inner wall 216 of the section 210a and the upstream face 217 of the grid 212 to a temperature at which at least certain microorganisms are destroyed. For example, this temperature may be higher than about 50° C., preferably higher than about 70° C., more preferably higher than about 120° C. Thus, the entire buffer zone 218, including the inner wall 216 and the upstream face 217, up to the air inlet 211 is germicidal. The radiation emitted by the heating element 215 is represented by the arrow R in FIG. 4.
[0044] A vacuum pump 301 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 5. In the following, only the differences between the vacuum pump 301 and the vacuum pump 1 will be described. Furthermore, when a reference part of the vacuum pump 301 is identical or equivalent to a reference part of the vacuum pump 1, the reference number is created by adding 300 to the reference number designating the reference part of the vacuum pump 1. For example, the reference number of the exhaust port 309 of the vacuum pump 301 is created in this way.
[0045] As in the first embodiment of the invention, the lower part of the enclosure 307 forms a tank 330, which is a lubricating oil tank and serves the function of collecting and storing lubricating oil 331 for the vanes (not shown) of the vacuum pump 301 in a manner known per se in lubricating vane pumps. Also as in the first embodiment, the upper part of the enclosure 307 contains an oil filter 308 provided to extract the lubricating oil 331 contained in the gas after it has been forced into the pump chamber (not shown) via the vanes (not shown). The lubricating oil 331 extracted by the oil filter 308 flows by gravity into the tank 330.
[0046] The lubricating oil 331 contains a germicidal element, which is an antiseptic chemical capable of killing one or more microorganisms and / or one or more viruses. For example, this antiseptic chemical may be p-chloro-m-cresol (PCMC) or any other chemical that may be suitable as a biocide, such as o-phenylphenol (OPP), iodopropynyl butyl-carbamate (IPBC), benzisothiazolinone (BIT) or bronopol. As a variant, the lubricating oil 331 itself may be a germicidal element by its composition. The lubricating oil 331 sterilizes the buffer zone 318, which includes the pump chamber and the area containing the filter cartridge 332 of the oil filter 308. Any viruses that may be drawn in by the vacuum pump 301 are destroyed in the buffer zone 318 and therefore are not released into the surrounding atmosphere via the exhaust port 309.
[0047] Vacuum pump 301 may include ultraviolet light sources similar to the first embodiment of the invention, in which case these ultraviolet light sources may be positioned and oriented similar to ultraviolet light sources 15 of the first embodiment or similar to ultraviolet light sources 115 of the second embodiment of the invention. Vacuum pump 301 may include a heating element, which may be positioned and oriented similar to heating element 215 of the third embodiment of the invention. The vacuum pump may not include an ultraviolet light source or a heating element.
[0048] In a not shown vacuum pump according to a fifth embodiment of the invention, the ultraviolet light sources may be arranged in an enclosure having the same function as the enclosure 307 of the fourth embodiment of the invention. In this case, these ultraviolet light sources may be arranged in the lower part of the enclosure so as to be able to irradiate the lubricating oil and the oil tank, or in the upper part of the enclosure, for example replacing one of several oil filter cartridges.
[0049] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. In particular, the vacuum pump in these embodiments is a lubricated vane pump, but the present invention is not limited to a lubricated vane pump. In fact, any type of vacuum pump, whether lubricated or not, can be applied to the present invention. In particular, the vacuum pump according to the present invention can be selected from vane pumps, screw pumps, gear pumps, ejectors and lobe pumps.
Claims
1. A vacuum pump comprising an intake port (11; 111; 211), an exhaust port (9; 309), and an internal volume through which gas flows that is transported from the intake port (11; 111; 211) to the exhaust port (9; 309) by suction of a vacuum pump, characterised in that it comprises at least one sterilising element (15; 115; 215; 331) in at least a part (18; 118; 218; 318) of the internal volume; Vacuum pump.
2. 2. A vacuum pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the sterilizing element (15; 115; 215; 331) is one of a plurality of sterilizing elements (15; 115; 215; 331) comprised in the vacuum pump.
3. 2. A vacuum pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the internal volume comprises a buffer zone (18; 118; 218; 318) that can be sterilized by the sterilization element(s) (15; 115; 215; 331), the buffer zone (18; 118; 218; 318) comprising passages for all gases that are transported by suction with the vacuum pump.
4. 4. Vacuum pump according to claim 3, characterized in that the buffer zone (18; 118; 218) extends to the inlet (11; 111; 211) of the vacuum pump.
5. 4. A vacuum pump according to claim 3, comprising at least one pumping chamber (3) in which the gas is conveyed by the vacuum pump, and wherein at least a part of the passage of the buffer zone (18; 118; 218) is arranged upstream of the pumping chamber (3).
6. 4. A vacuum pump according to claim 3, comprising a grid (12; 112) for filtering the pumped gas, the grid (12; 112) being arranged upstream of the pumping chamber (3), and at least a part of the passage of the buffer zone (18; 118; 218) being arranged upstream of the grid (12; 112).
7. 7. A vacuum pump according to claim 6, characterized in that the upstream face (17; 217) of one of the two opposing main faces of the grid (12; 112) is sterilized by the sterilizing element(s) (15; 215).
8. 2. A vacuum pump according to claim 1, comprising an insertion duct (120) forming the inlet (111) of the vacuum pump, said insertion duct (120) being provided with at least one sterilizing element (115).
9. 2. A vacuum pump according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the disinfecting elements is an ultraviolet light source (15; 115).
10. 10. A vacuum pump according to claim 9, characterized in that the ultraviolet light source is one of several ultraviolet light sources (15; 115) contained in the vacuum pump and capable of irradiating together the entire inner wall (16; 17; 121) that bounds and surrounds the passage of the buffer zone (18; 118).
11. 2. A vacuum pump according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of said sterilizing elements is a heating element (215).
12. 2. The vacuum pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the vacuum pump is a lubricated pump comprising a pump chamber in which the gas is conveyed by the vacuum pump and in particular a lubricating oil (331) present in the pump chamber, the lubricating oil (331) being at least one of the sterilizing elements or comprising at least one of the sterilizing elements.
13. 13. A vacuum pump according to claim 12, characterized in that the disinfecting element is or includes an antiseptic chemical.
14. 14. An installation for processing and / or packaging food products, comprising a vacuum chamber (50), characterized in that it comprises at least one vacuum pump (1; 301) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, the inlet (11; 111; 211) of the vacuum pump (1; 301) being connected to the vacuum chamber (50).