AN EGG-BREAKING DEVICE AND A METHOD FOR INCREASING THE PERFORMANCE OF AN EGG-BREAKING PROCESS

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for increasing the efficiency of an egg-breaking process and to an egg-breaking apparatus for breaking eggs having shells and contents including yolk and white, comprising a plurality of egg-breaking devices, each adapted to hold, break, and open a single egg at a time, and an egg-white collection unit for collecting the egg-white remaining in the shells and / or egg-breaking devices after the contents have been discharged under the influence of gravity; the egg-white collection unit comprises at least one collection member with at least one opening adapted to allow the passage of a fluid and at least one cover member adapted to cover the opening(s) in the collection member(s);The collection member(s) and / or the cover member(s) move between a first mutual position where the cover member(s) covers the opening(s) and a second mutual position where the opening(s) is uncovered.

Description

AN EGG-BREAKING DEVICE AND A METHOD FOR INCREASING THE PERFORMANCE OF AN EGG-BREAKING PROCESS DESCRIPTIVE MEMORANDUM The present invention relates to an egg-breaking apparatus for breaking eggs having a shell and contents including yolk and white, comprising: a plurality of egg-breaking devices, each adapted to hold, break, and open a single egg at a time, wherein said egg-breaking devices are adapted to move along a direction of displacement during the breaking and opening of the eggs, and wherein said egg-breaking devices are arranged in a plurality of columns,each of which extends substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel and in a plurality of rows extending in the direction of travel of the egg-breaking devices; at least one breaking actuator adapted to activate each egg-breaking device to break and open an egg held thereby; at least one egg contents receiving device for receiving the contents of eggs broken and opened by the egg-breaking devices, said contents being discharged from the shell under the influence of gravity; and an egg white collection unit for collecting the egg white remaining in the shells and / or in the egg-breaking devices after the egg contents have been discharged under the influence of gravity, said egg white collection unit comprising at least one collection member with at least one opening adapted to allow the passage of a fluid,said opening(s) being provided on an outer surface of the collecting member(s). Said egg-breaking apparatus is frequently provided with a plurality of egg content receiving devices, each adapted to receive the contents of one egg at a time, said egg content receiving devices possibly being capable of separating the egg yolk from the white. However, the apparatus may also be designed for the production of a whole egg product and have only one or a few common egg receiving devices, such as a tray or container, positioned at the bottom of the apparatus. The invention relates to such apparatus independent of the number of egg content receiving devices. The invention also relates to a method for increasing the performance of an egg-breaking process. This method and apparatus are known to have been developed in 5,628,246 US dollars and have proven to be very effective at collecting a high percentage of egg contents. However, the resulting egg white cannot be approved for human consumption under the relatively strict standards currently in force, for example, in the USA. Because the process is also energy-intensive, it is rarely cost-effective. Therefore, a first objective of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for collecting the egg white remaining in the eggshell and / or egg-breaking devices, and a second objective of the invention is to provide a method that allows the egg white remaining in the eggshell and / or egg-breaking device after the contents have been discharged under the influence of gravity to be collected in a manner that is more efficient and which preferably also allows the egg white product to be approved for human consumption in a wider range of jurisdictions. According to a first aspect of the invention, the first objective is achieved with an egg-breaking apparatus, wherein the egg white collection unit further comprises at least one cover member adapted to cover the opening(s) in the collection member(s) and wherein the collection member(s) and / or the cover member(s) move between a first mutual position in which the cover member(s) covers the opening(s) and a second mutual position in which the opening(s) is / are uncovered. The term "fluid" is used generically to include both liquids and gases, including ambient air and other mixtures. Currently, it is considered advantageous to use ambient air and establish an inward flow through the opening(s) in the collection member(s) by applying subpressure inside the collection member(s). Other examples include the use of purified gas or sterilized water, which is advantageously expelled from the opening(s) in the collection member(s) in such a way that it acts as an air knife or water jet cutter. In this context, the term "covered" does not necessarily mean that the opening(s) are completely closed. It may be sufficient that the covered member(s) are positioned relative to the collecting member(s) such that the fluid flow through at least one opening in at least one collecting member is partially interrupted compared to the second mutual position. Similarly, the term "uncovered" should not be understood to mean that no part of the covered member(s) can overlap the opening(s), only that a larger portion of the opening(s) is available to serve as a fluid passage than in the first mutual position, and that this available opening area is sufficient to achieve the required fluid flow volume.In fact, allowing the cover member(s) to cover part of the opening(s) even when in the second mutual position can be used to regulate fluid flow in response to different production requirements. frAQAnn / zznz / E / YiAi Additional or supplementary regulation of fluid flow through the opening(s) can be achieved by providing a fluid regulator adapted to control the amount of fluid supplied to / drawn from the collection member. This fluid regulator, for example, could be a valve that regulates the amount of air blown into or drawn out of the collection member, or a frequency converter in a pump. For the sake of simplicity, the following shall refer to the collection member and the cover member, even though an apparatus with multiple collection members and / or more than one cover member associated with each collection member is also within the scope of the invention. It should therefore be understood that, unless otherwise stated, a reference to the collection member or the cover member does not preclude the presence of more than one such member, and similar considerations apply to the opening, where a reference to the opening does not preclude the presence of a group or series of openings. The movement between the first mutual position and the second mutual position can be achieved by moving the collecting member relative to the cover member, or vice versa, or by moving both relative to each other, either synchronously, overlapping in time, or sequentially. To achieve such movement, the collecting member(s) can be adapted to rotate, pivot, or displace relative to the cover member(s), and / or the cover member(s) can be adapted to rotate, pivot, or displace relative to the collecting member(s). Although the mutual movement of the collecting member and the cover member relative to each other will be referred to as a forward and backward movement in the description of some modalities below, it should be understood that the relative movement can be a unidirectional rotational movement.For example, the cover member can rotate around the collection member in only one direction, so that it is brought to the second position each time a full rotation is completed. In another example, a half rotation results in the collection member and the cover member being in the second relative position by providing openings on two opposite sides of the cover member. The rotation can be continuous and timed with the operating speed of the rest of the apparatus or intermittent. If the cover member and the collecting member move relatively close to each other during mutual movement, and if the cover member is appropriately positioned, it can be used to remove debris from the surface of the collecting member during movement. Specifically, it is envisaged that an inner surface of the cover member facing the collecting member is substantially level with the outer surface of the collecting member and covers the opening substantially completely when in the first position, so that the cover member can scrape the egg white and other debris, such as chalaza and shell fragments, from the outer surface of the collecting member.For this purpose, the cover member may be made with an edge of a rigid material that passes very close to the outer surface of the collection member during movement from the second position to the first position. In another embodiment, the cover member is provided with an edge of a softer material, which is in direct contact with the surface of the collection member and thereby cleans away debris from the egg white, etc. However, it is also possible for the cover member(s) to be positioned on the inside of the collection member, so that the outer surface of the cover member is adjacent to an inner surface of the collection member. This can provide good protection for the cover member and any associated moving parts. In a specific embodiment of the invention, the collection member is a pipe with a substantially circular cross-section, mounted so that it can rotate about its longitudinal axis, and the cover member is a stationary plate curved to follow the shape of the inner surface of the collection member. When the collection member is rotated, the openings move over the cover member. If the collection member and cover member are properly adjusted relative to each other, any debris and other residue present on the surface of the cover member can be scraped off as described above. Removing the egg white during mutual movement will not only increase process yield but will also help prevent unintentional blockage of the opening(s) caused by egg white residue, chalaza, and shell fragments. The mutual movement of the cover member and the collection member between the two positions can also be used to mechanically cut the chalaza or a strand of the albumen still attached to the eggshell halves or to the egg-breaking device. In order to withstand the scraping and / or cutting effect of the deck member described above, it may be advantageous to use two deck members that move towards each other so that they function like a pair of scissors cutting the chalaza or the egg white thread. The scraped or cut egg white may fall into a collection tray below, which will be particularly the case when the cover member is on the outside or is sucked into the openings in the collection member once the egg white collection unit is back in the second mutual position, where the openings are uncovered. During testing, it was discovered that the size and position of the openings and their total surface area are important both with regard to the energy consumption of the appliance and to the quality of the egg white produced. Specifically, it has been found advantageous to use a series of openings that extend substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the egg-breaking devices, with each opening in the series preferably positioned below a row of egg-breaking devices. This allows the amount of fluid used to collect the egg white to be kept to a minimum, as it is only applied locally where it is most needed. If a liquid is used, this means that the amount of liquid that potentially ends up in the egg white product is kept to a minimum. If ambient air is used, energy consumption will be comparatively lower, and foaming can be reduced. The number of openings in series will normally correspond to one, two, or three times the number of egg-breaking devices in each column. If two openings are used per row, they can be placed below each half of the broken eggshell or one after the other in the direction of travel of the egg-breaking devices. It is also possible to use two separate albumen collection units placed one after the other in the direction of travel of the egg-breaking devices, which will provide an additional opportunity for albumen recovery and allow the process to continue even if one collection unit malfunctions. An embodiment with a separate collection member for each row of egg-breaking devices is also within the scope of the invention and will allow for easy replacement in case an opening becomes unintentionally blocked. The same applies to an embodiment with a separate cover member for each row of egg-breaking devices and to combinations of these embodiments. When using sub-pressure in the collection member(s), however, it is considered advantageous to use a collection member that extends below several rows of egg-breaking devices, preferably below at least half of the rows. With such an embodiment, the interior of the collection member can advantageously be represented as a channel adapted to conduct the egg white drawn through the openings to an egg white receiving device. In one embodiment, the collection member(s) are connected to a vacuum source so that ambient air and possibly egg white can enter through the openings. The egg white that is released from the eggshell halves and / or egg-breaking devices under the influence of the vacuum can drain along the outside of the collection member and be collected in a separate egg white receiving device, be allowed to drip directly into a receiving device, or be drawn through the opening and pass through the collection member into a receiving device. In this embodiment, the provision of separate openings below the respective rows of egg-breaking devices means that the amount of air drawn into the collection member is kept to a minimum, which has proven to have several advantages. First, it is possible to use a considerably smaller vacuum pump than in the previously known apparatus of patent frAQAnn / zznz / E / YiAi of US$5,628,246, leading to a reduced overall size of the apparatus. Second, the energy consumed by the vacuum pump is reduced, and the same potentially applies to the noise generated by the pump. Third, and perhaps most importantly, less air is mixed into the egg white collected in the collection member, resulting in a product with less foam.Less foam means the product is more transparent and the presence of blood or other impurities is easier to detect, it reduces the denaturation of the egg white associated with foam formation, and it reduces the need for further separation or sedimentation of the foam. In another configuration, a fluid, such as ambient air or sterilized water, is sprayed from openings that serve as nozzles for a fluid cutter. These nozzle openings can be adapted to provide a stationary jet, a moving jet, or an intermittent jet of fluid, and the jet can be linear, cone-shaped, fan-shaped, or any other shape depending on the requirement. If only a single opening is used, the fluid cutter may need to extend across the width of the collection member parallel to the columns of the egg-breaking devices, possibly even across the entire width of the apparatus. The egg white that is released from the eggshell halves and / or egg-breaking devices under the influence of the fluid from the fluid cutter can be drained along the outside side of the collection member and collected in a separate egg white receiving device or allowed to drip directly into a receiving device. The pipes or tubes for supplying fluid to the fluid cutter nozzle openings can be provided within or in connection with the collection member. Using gas instead of a liquid in the fluid cutter has the advantage that the risk of intermixing the fluid with the egg white is comparatively low, but care must be taken to avoid increased foaming. The size and shape of the opening(s) will depend on whether they are to serve as fluid cutter nozzles or vacuum nozzles, as also explained above. In the case of vacuum operation, it is considered advantageous for the total surface area of ​​the opening(s) at the level with the outer surface of the collection member to be 20 mm² to 100 mm² per egg-breaking device in each column, preferably 30 mm² to 60 mm² per egg-breaking device in each column, and even more preferably approximately 40 mm² per egg-breaking device in each column when the apparatus is to be used for processing hen eggs. This size allows for a balance to be achieved where both foaming and the risk of unintentional blockage of the openings are kept to a minimum. frAQAnn / zznz / E / YiAi As explained above, separate openings can be provided in each row of egg-breaking devices, and the provision of such openings includes the provision of groups of openings, so that each egg-breaking device passes over several openings. For example, two openings can be placed one after the other so that the albumen not collected in the first opening can be collected in the second opening, where the type of fluid, volume of fluid flow, and / or direction of fluid flow is different from that of the first opening. It is also possible to place the openings under each of the eggshell halves resulting from the cracking of the egg, and if these two methods are combined, the openings can be placed in a two-by-two configuration, where all four openings contribute to collecting the albumen from the same egg. According to a second aspect of the invention, the second objective is achieved by a method in which at least one cover member is made to cover the opening(s) in the collection member(s) at least partially at intervals by moving the collection member(s) and / or the cover member(s) back and forth between a first mutual position in which the cover member(s) covers the opening(s) and a second mutual position in which the opening(s) is / are uncovered. This mutual movement of the collection member and the cover member can be performed each time an egg-breaking device passes an opening. In this way, the fluid passage closes when an egg has passed and reopens when a new egg is above the opening, so that fluid only passes through the opening when there is a possibility of egg white accumulation. Uncovering the opening only when at least one open egg is above the collection member can reduce the amount of energy needed to power the egg white collection unit and thus make the overall process more efficient. Another advantage of uncovering the opening only when the broken eggs are located above the collection member can be a reduction in the dynamic loads affecting the collected albumen, which in turn can result in reduced foam formation. Reducing foam formation facilitates both albumen inspection and subsequent handling, as described above. Another advantage of regularly covering and uncovering the opening is the scraping effect, which can remove egg white residue, chalaza, shell fragments, and other remains of the collecting member as described above. However, since modern egg-breaking devices operate at very high speeds, it is currently preferred that the cover member(s) not move back and forth between the first and second positions each time an egg-breaking device or a column of egg-breaking devices passes the collection member(s), but that the duration of the intervals between returning the cover member(s) to the first position be determined by the need to keep the collection member(s) sufficiently clean. The specific length of the interval may depend on multiple factors, such as the age of the eggs, the quality of the eggs, and / or standards established by local health and food authorities, but an interval on the scale of 30 seconds to 2 minutes is contemplated herein.Preferably, it should be possible for an operator of the apparatus to adjust the length of the intervals in order to accommodate changes in the production rate or properties of the eggs being processed. Alternatively, the movement can be performed each time a certain number of eggs have passed, utilizing the potential of the cover member to clean any residual clear and other debris from the collection member. It is also possible to close the openings when there is a stoppage in production. When there are several independent cover members and / or collection members, it is generally preferable to activate them all simultaneously when a column of egg-breaking devices passes over them, but it is also possible to control them individually. In such cases, the opening can only be uncovered when the preceding egg-breaking device is holding an egg and / or if the egg quality has been previously approved, as described in detail below. As described above with reference to the first aspect of the invention, the mutual movement of the cover member and the collection member can be achieved by means of the collection member(s) and / or the cover member(s) rotating, pivoting, or displacing one another, and in one embodiment the cover member(s) is level with an outer surface of the collection member when in the first mutual position and covers the opening(s) substantially completely so that the passage of fluid through the opening(s) is substantially blocked. Other details concerning the properties of the cover member and the collection member described above with reference to the apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention also apply to the method according to the second aspect of the invention. Likewise, the use of an apparatus described with reference to the method according to the second aspect of the invention and the apparatus features related thereto also apply to the apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention. Specifically, it is envisaged that a vacuum source is used to provide a sub-pressure in the collection member so that ambient air and possibly clear air are drawn through the opening, at least when the collection member(s) and the cover member(s) are in their second mutual position, said sub-pressure being able to be regulated by a fluid regulator that provides an alternate sub-pressure. When using a vacuum source and processing chicken eggs, experiments have shown that high yield and high quality of egg white product can be achieved if the sub-pressure in the collection member results in an air velocity of 610 m / s at a distance of 10 mm above each opening. The egg white product resulting from the method according to the invention will contain less foam and is therefore well-suited for inspection, either automatically or by a human inspector, to allow for the removal of unfit egg white and / or egg yolk. Such improved inspection can, by itself, result in a product that may be approved for human consumption in a wide range of jurisdictions. The egg white collected by the egg white collection unit can be considered as a separate product from the egg breaking process or, depending on local requirements, can be mixed with an egg white product recovered under the influence of gravity and collected in the egg contents receiving device(s). In one mode, an individual egg contents receiving device is linked to each egg-breaking device, but it is also possible to use a common egg receiving device that receives egg contents from several egg-breaking devices, possibly even all the egg-breaking devices in the appliance. Experiments have shown that collecting the egg white left in the shells can potentially increase egg white yield by up to 0.5%. In what follows, the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawing, where: Figure 1 is a schematic sketch of an apparatus according to the invention, viewed from the side. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the parts of the apparatus in Figure 1, Figure 3 shows a first modality of an egg white collection unit and an egg breaking device placed on it, Figure 4 is an enlargement of the section marked IV in Figure 2 and, except that it shows a different modality, corresponds to Figure 3. Figure 5 shows the same view of Figure 4 from another angle. Figure 6 is a matrix that illustrates different possible movement patterns of the collection member and the cover member relative to each other. Figure 7 shows selected parts of an apparatus according to the invention and a human operator in a perspective view, and frAQAnn / zznz / E / YiAi Figure 8 shows the parts of the apparatus in Figure 7 from a different angle. An egg-breaking apparatus 1 with an egg-feeding conveyor 5 is shown in Figure 1. Inside, it includes a plurality of egg-breaking devices mounted on a first conveyor indicated by the dashed line 31 in Figure 1 and a plurality of egg-content receiving devices mounted on a second conveyor indicated by the dashed line 41 in Figure 1. Figure 2 shows how the egg-breaking devices 3 and the egg-content receiving devices 4 are mounted on the first and second conveyors 31, 41, which, in this embodiment, are both chain conveyors. The first conveyor 31 is adapted to move along a displacement direction A, and the second conveyor 41 is adapted to move along a displacement direction B. Only a section 311 of the chain carrying the egg-breaking devices 3 is shown, but it will be understood that the chain is an endless chain extending between the two drive wheels 312, 313 and along the guide rails 314, 315. Similarly, the second conveyor is represented only by a section 411 of the chain carrying the egg-content receiving devices 4, although the chain actually extends between the two drive wheels 412, 413 and along the guide rails 414, 415. It should also be understood that even though only a few egg-receiving devices 4 are shown in Figure 2, the egg-receiving devices are evenly distributed along the second conveyor 41 and the egg-breaking devices 3 are evenly distributed on the first conveyor 31.The egg receiving devices 4 shown herein are arranged in columns of three extending perpendicular to the plane of travel of the conveyors, and only one egg breaking device 3 is shown in each column, although a machine of the type shown will normally include a greater number of devices in each column, such as 18 or 24. The number of egg breaking devices 3 in each column will normally be equal to the number of egg receiving devices 4 in each column. Each egg-breaking device 3 is adapted to hold, break, and open a single egg at a time, and each egg-content receiving device 4 is adapted to receive the contents of the eggs broken and opened by the egg-breaking devices, one at a time. However, it is also possible to leave the egg-receiving devices 4 separate and instead provide one or a few common egg-receiving devices (not shown) that receive the egg contents from the eggs broken by all the egg-breaking devices 3 or from a group of egg-breaking devices. Such a common egg-receiving device could be, for example, a container (not shown) placed at the bottom of the egg-breaking apparatus frAQAnn / zznz / E / YiAi 1. In a manner well known to those skilled in the art, for example from WO2007 / 095943, the eggs are delivered to the egg-breaking devices 3 by the conveyor 5, and when the egg-breaking devices pass a breaking actuator at position marked D in Figure 2, it is activated to break the shell of the egg held by it and open it. The contents of the eggs, including the yolk and the white, are discharged from the shell under the influence of gravity into an egg-receiving device 4 located below the egg-breaking device. Egg-breaking devices of the type described above are well known to experts in the technique, and their construction and function with respect to breaking eggs and collecting the contents in egg-receiving devices will therefore not be described in further detail. The apparatus according to the present invention further includes an egg white collection unit 6 as shown in Figure 3 adapted to collect the egg whites remaining in the eggshells 21 of the eggs 2 and / or in the egg-breaking devices 3 after the egg contents have been discharged into the egg-receiving devices 4 under the influence of gravity. The egg collection unit 6 includes a circular cylindrical collection member 61 with two openings 62 on its outer surface. The hollow interior 60 of the collection member is connected to a vacuum source (not shown), such as a vacuum pump, which creates a sub-pressure within the hollow interior. This draws ambient air through the openings 62 and further through the hollow interior of the collection member, as indicated by arrow L) in Figure 3, thereby creating a downward airflow above each opening 62. When the egg-breaking device 3 passes over the egg white collection unit 6 in direction A, the two strands 22 of the egg white and / or chalaza that are visible hanging from the eggshells 21 and / or attached to the egg-breaking device 3 will pass over the two openings 62 in the collection unit and be affected by the downward airflow. This will result in a pull on the strands 22 of the egg white and / or chalaza (hereafter referred to simply as egg white for ease of reference), which will help to detach them from the eggshells 21 and / or the egg-breaking device 3. In this embodiment, the openings 62 are provided with sleeves 621, which will reduce the risk of the strands 22 being drawn into the hollow interior 60 of the collection member 6. Consequently, most of the strands will fall into an egg white receiving device located below the circular cylindrical collection member 61, as described later. Above, the invention has been described with reference to the use of a vacuum, but it is understood that providing pressurized fluid and using this fluid to loosen or cut the strands 22 of the egg white and / or chalaza is also within the scope of the invention. This can be done by providing overpressure in a pipe-shaped collection member 61, which may be, for example, a cylindrical member as described above, and by making the opening(s) 62 sufficiently small to function as, for example, flat fan nozzles. The flat fan nozzles provide a flat jet of fluid, which, when appropriately oriented, can cut the egg white and / or chalaza strand. The sleeves 621 provided in the openings 62 in Figure 3 can serve as nozzle inserts. The pressurized fluid can be either a gas, such as ambient air, or a liquid, such as sterilized water. In this study, it is considered advantageous to use ambient air in order to prevent the egg whites from mixing with other substances. In this embodiment, the collection member 61 is provided with two openings 62 below the path followed by each egg-breaking device 3. Each opening is positioned directly below each of the knife parts 42, which are used to open the egg and hold the eggshell halves 21 during emptying. The strands 22 of the albumen and / or chalaza often hang from one of each eggshell half 21 or one from each knife part 42, and the openings are thus perfectly positioned to loosen each of these strands. However, it is also possible to use only a single opening, which is centered below the egg-breaking device. This may require a slightly higher fluid pressure, but since the number of openings can then be minimized and since higher pressure can help prevent the openings from becoming blocked, it may be a preferable solution.It is also possible to provide several openings placed one after the other in the displacement direction A of the egg-breaking devices 3 in order to increase the exchange of the collection albumen and / or chalaza, which adheres strongly to the eggshell 21 or to the egg-breaking device 3. It should be noted that although the invention herein is described with reference to situations where two separate strands of egg white hang from the eggshells 21 and / or the egg-breaking device 3, the invention will also work where only a single strand is present and where two strands join together below the egg-breaking device. A second embodiment of an egg white collection unit 6 is shown in Figure 4, which is an enlargement of the section marked IV in Figure 2, where the same part numbers as shown in Figure 3 have been used for members that have substantially the same function. In this embodiment, a series of openings 62 is provided on the upper side of the cylindrical collection member 61, pointing slightly more upwards than in Figure 3, and the openings are sleeveless. The series of openings means that this collection unit is adapted to collect egg whites from a column of egg-breaking devices. 3. Each row of egg-breaking devices extends in the direction of movement A, which relates to a pair of openings. It should be understood that the description given with reference to Figure 3 above also applies to this modality and vice versa, meaning that the modality in Figure 2 must also be provided with a series of openings. The fact that the openings 62 in this modality do not have sleeves increases the probability that the egg white will be drawn into the cylindrical collection member 61 and, therefore, the hollow interior 60 is connected to an egg white receiving device, as will be described later. In the configuration shown in Figures 4 and 5, each opening 62 is substantially circular and has a diameter of approximately 5 mm, resulting in an effective opening area of ​​approximately 40 mm². This total opening area per egg has been found applicable to all configurations where sub-pressure is provided in the collection member and where the number of openings per egg does not exceed three. It has also been found that the 5 mm opening diameter for the circular openings provides a good balance between minimizing the amount of ambient air drawn through the openings and minimizing the risk of the openings becoming blocked. Opening diameters of less than 2 mm are generally not considered suitable, as the risk of blockage is then relatively high. It is also possible to provide an elongated opening that extends beneath more than one egg-breaking device, but this modality is not currently preferred as it will have a comparatively large opening area and therefore result in a high volume of fluid passing through the opening. When using ambient air and creating a sub-pressure in the collection member(s), it is currently preferred to keep the total surface area of ​​the opening(s) at the level with the outer surface of the collection member below 50 mm2 per egg-breaking device in each column, and an air velocity at a distance of 10 mm above the / each opening at 6-10 m / s. If the apparatus includes a large number of rows and egg-breaking devices 3, it may be advantageous to provide two separate egg white collection units 6, one on each side of the apparatus, so that each collection unit does not have to collect the egg whites from only half of the egg-breaking devices. This will not only make it easier for a human inspector to inspect the egg white product, but will also make it easier to achieve substantially uniform pressure across all openings of the collection member. With reference now also to figure 5, the clear collection unit 6 also includes a cover member 64 capable of covering the openings 62. The cover member frAQAnn / zznz / E / YiAi is movable as shown by the double arrow C from the first position covering the openings 62 to a second position where the opening is uncovered as shown in figures 4 and 5. When the egg-breaking device 3 has passed the cylindrical collection member 61, the cover member 64 can be moved to its first position, preventing ambient air from entering the collection member 61 while it awaits the arrival of the next egg-breaking device 3. Of course, a small amount of ambient air is inevitably drawn into the collection member along with the egg white, but the movement of the cover member and the size of the opening 62 can be adjusted to keep the amount of air to a minimum. Alternatively, the cover member 64 can be kept in the second position while the machine is operating and only moved to the first position during shutdowns.However, in the present it is preferred that the cover member be brought to the first position at regular intervals so that the cover member can clean any residual clear and other debris on the outside of the collection member as will be further described below. The optimal size of opening 62 depends on several factors, such as the type of eggs processed and their age, which affects the viscosity of the egg white, but it can be determined experimentally. Making the opening slightly oversized and allowing the cover member to partially cover it even in the second position will enable adjustment of the effective opening size, even during operation of the device. The combined influence of the vacuum section and gravity may be sufficient to cause the strand 22 of the clear and / or chalaza to break, but if this does not happen, the strand can be mechanically cut when the deck member 64 moves into the first position. The inner surface of the cover member 64, which faces the collection member 61 in Figures 4 and 5, is level with the outer surface of the collection member. This means that the cover member not only covers the opening substantially completely when in the first closed position, but also that the leading edge 66 of the cover member moves closely along the outer surface of the collection member 61, or the sleeves if present, during movement between the first and second positions. This scrapes off any egg white, chalaza, shell fragments, or other debris from the collection member. This significantly reduces the risk of the opening becoming blocked by such material and thus contributes to a more reliable egg white collection unit. In the embodiment shown in Figures 4 and 5, the cover member 64 is comb-shaped with a tooth 69 extending towards / over each of the openings 62 in the clear collection member 6, but it should also be understood that other embodiments, including plate-shaped cover members, are also possible. Generally speaking, mutual movement between the cover member 64 and the collection member 61 can be achieved by rotating, turning, or displacing the cover member, by rotating, turning, or displacing the collection member, or by moving both the cover member and the collection member. Figure 6 illustrates some examples of how this can be represented with a plate-shaped cover member. Features that have the same function have been given reference numbers in all modalities of figure 6 as in figures 1 to 5. In Figure 6, columns A, B, C, and D show modes where the cover member 64 is rotated, turned, displaced, and held stationary, respectively, and rows E, F, G, and H show modes where the collection member 61 is rotated, turned, displaced, and held stationary, respectively. All embodiments are shown in a cross-sectional view, and all collection members 61 have only one opening 62, but the opening(s) can be represented differently, as will be explained in detail below. It should be noted that the sketches in Figure 6 are intended only as illustrations of the principle of mutual movement between the cover member 64 and the collection member 61, and that the dimensions of the members shown are not necessarily suitable for use in an actual apparatus according to the invention. Furthermore, it is understood that the different forms of the cover member 64 and the collection member 61 shown in the various embodiments in Figure 6 can be combined in other ways, provided that the cover member is capable of covering the opening(s) 62 in the collection member. In column A, the cover members 64 are all cylindrical and surround the collection members 61, such that the cover members can rotate about axis a, either in one direction or in a forward and backward motion. The collection members 61 are also all cylindrical, but are mounted in different ways. In row E, the collection member 61 is adapted to rotate about axis a, either in one direction or in a forward and backward motion; in row F, it is adapted to rotate about axis a; in row G, it is adapted to be offset along axis a as shown by arrow d; and in row H, it is stationary.Due to the fact that the cover members herein are cylindrical, they do not provide the scraping effect described with reference to the front edge 66 of the cover member in Figures 1 to 5, but if the inner surface of the cover member is in close contact with the outer surface of the collection member, the outer surface of the collection member will be well protected. In columns B, C, and D, the cover members 64 each have the shape of a section of the cylinder or a plate shape as in Figures 1 to 5 and can thus provide the scraping effect described above if the distance between the cover member 64 and the collection member 61 is chosen appropriately. In these embodiments, the collection members 61 and the cover members 64 are shown in the second open position, whereas the embodiments in column A are shown in the first closed position. In column B, the cover members 64 are all adapted to rotate about axis a. In row E, the collection member 61 is cylindrical and adapted to rotate about axis b; in row F, it has a rectangular cross-section and is adapted to rotate about axis b; in row G, it is adapted to move, as shown by arrow d; and in row H, it is stationary with a concave upper surface. Making the outer surfaces, which are likely to come into contact with the egg white, convex, as in row E, will allow the egg white to run off under the influence of gravity and drip into a collection tray (not shown in Figures 1 to 6) below the collection unit. A concave surface, such as that in row G, on the other hand, will cause the egg white to run into the opening in the collection member 61, which can be advantageous when operating under vacuum. In column C, the cover members 64 are all adapted to move as shown by means of arrow e. In row E, the collection member 61 is cylindrical and adapted to rotate about axis b; in row F, it has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape with a convex upper surface and is adapted to rotate about axis b; in row G, it is cylindrical and adapted to move as shown by arrow d; and in row H, it is stationary and has a rectangular cross-section. In column D, the cover members 64 are stationary and the collection members 61 are all cylindrical. In row E, the collection member 61 is adapted to rotate about axis b; in row F, it is adapted to rotate about axis b; and in row G, it is adapted to move as shown by arrow d. The actual movement of the cover member 64 and / or the collection member 61 can be achieved by connecting one or both ends to an actuator (not shown). If, for example, a rotary movement of the collection member 61 is desired, a pin at the end of the collection member can be connected to an electric motor that rotates the pin and thus the collection member. Such mechanical connections to motors or similar actuators are well known to those skilled in the art and will therefore not be described in further detail. Returning now to Figures 7 and 8, selected parts of an apparatus according to the invention are shown from two different angles. The same reference numbers are used herein as in Figures 1 to 6, and features having the same reference numbers have the same function unless otherwise stated. Egg receiving devices 3 carrying eggs 2 and egg receiving devices 4 are shown in rows one above the other as in figure 2, and a collection tray 8 is provided below them to collect strands 22 of egg white and / or chalaza, which are released from the eggshell halves or from the egg-breaking devices, but do not land on the egg receiving devices. An egg white collection unit 6 herein includes a collection member 61, a fluid connection pipe 63 adapted for connection to a vacuum source, a settling tank 67, and a tank outlet 68. The tank outlet 68 is positioned above the collection tray 8 so that the albumen can flow into the collection tray, where it is inspected by a human inspector 9 before being discharged into an egg white receiving device, such as a storage tank (not shown), through a tray outlet 81. Human inspection is required in some jurisdictions for egg white product approval for human consumption, but it is also possible to connect the tank outlet 68 directly to a storage tank. In the configuration shown in Figures 7 and 8, the fluid connection pipe 63 is provided at the top of the tank 67 to prevent the egg white from being drawn through this pipe when the egg white exits the settling tank 67 under the influence of gravity through outlet 68. This means that if foam has formed in the collected egg white product, it will tend to remain in the settling tank until the foam bubbles burst, and the product exiting through the outlet of tank 68 will consist mainly of liquid egg white, which can be inspected more easily. Previously, the invention has been described with reference to several different embodiments, and it should be understood that the features described with reference to these embodiments can be combined in different ways or replaced without necessarily departing from the scope of the embodiments.

Claims

1. An egg-breaking apparatus for breaking eggs having a shell and contents including yolk and white, comprising a plurality of egg-breaking devices, each adapted to hold, break, and open a single egg at a time, wherein said egg-breaking devices are adapted to move along a direction of travel during the breaking and opening of the eggs, and wherein said egg-breaking devices are arranged in a plurality of columns, each of which extends substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel and in a plurality of rows extending in the direction of travel of the egg-breaking devices, at least one breaking actuator adapted to activate each egg-breaking device to break and open an egg held therein,at least one egg contents receiving device for receiving the contents of eggs broken and opened by egg-breaking devices, said contents being discharged from the shell under the influence of gravity, at least one egg white collection unit for collecting the egg white remaining in the shells and / or egg-breaking devices after the egg contents have been discharged under the influence of gravity, said egg white collection unit comprising at least one collection member with at least one opening adapted to allow the passage of a fluid, said opening(s) being provided on an outer surface of the collection member(s),characterized in that the collection unit further comprises at least one cover member adapted to cover the opening(s) in the collection member(s), and wherein the collection member(s) and / or the cover member(s) move between a first mutual position in which the cover member(s) covers the opening(s) and a second mutual position in which the opening(s) is / are uncovered.

2. The egg-breaking apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that the collection member(s) is / are adapted to rotate, turn or move relative to the cover member(s), and / or wherein the cover member(s) is / are adapted to rotate, turn or move relative to the collection member(s).

3. The egg-breaking apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further characterized in that, when in the first mutual position, an inner surface of each cover member facing the collection member is substantially level with the outer surface of the collection member and substantially covers the opening(s). frRQRnn / zznz / B / YiAi 4. The egg-breaking apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, further characterized in that it comprises a series of openings extending substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the egg-breaking devices, and wherein each opening in the series is preferably positioned below a row of egg-breaking devices.

5. The egg-breaking apparatus according to claim 4, further characterized in that the number of openings in the series corresponds to one or two times the number of egg-breaking devices in each column.

6. The egg-breaking apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, further characterized in that a single collection member extends below several rows of the egg-breaking devices, preferably below at least half of the rows of the egg-breaking devices.

7. The egg-breaking apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the collection member(s) is / are connected to a vacuum source so that ambient air and possibly the egg white can enter through the openings. 8 - The egg-breaking apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the total surface area of ​​the opening(s) at the level with the outer surface of the collection member is 20 mm2 to 100 mm2 per egg-breaking device in each column, preferably 30 mm2 to 60 mm2 per egg-breaking device in each column, and even more preferably approximately 40 mm2 per egg-breaking device in each column. 9 - The egg-breaking apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the egg-breaking apparatus further comprises a fluid regulator adapted to regulate the amount of fluid supplied to / extracted from the collection member.

10. The egg-breaking apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, further characterized in that it comprises a plurality of egg content receiving devices each adapted to receive the contents of one egg at a time, or a common egg receiving device located in a lower part of the apparatus.

11. A method for increasing the performance of an egg-breaking process, wherein: eggs having a shell and contents including yolk and white are fed to a plurality of egg-breaking devices, each adapted to hold, break, and open a single egg at a time, wherein said egg-breaking devices move along a displacement direction during the breaking and opening of the eggs, and wherein said egg-breaking devices are arranged in a plurality of columns, each of which extends substantially perpendicular to the displacement direction and in a plurality of rows extending in the displacement direction of the egg-breaking devices, at least one breaking actuator activates the egg-breaking devices to break and open the eggs.The contents of eggs broken and opened by egg-breaking devices are received by at least one egg contents receiving device, said contents being discharged from the shells under the influence of gravity; the egg white remaining in the shells and / or egg-breaking devices after the contents have been discharged under the influence of gravity is collected by an egg white collection unit by passing a fluid through at least one opening provided in an outer surface of at least one collection member in order to separate the egg white strands from the shells.characterized in that at least one cover member is made to cover the opening(s) in the collecting member(s) at least partially at intervals by moving the collecting member(s) and / or the cover member(s) back and forth between a first mutual position where the cover member(s) covers the opening(s) and a second mutual position where the opening(s) is / are uncovered. 12.- The method according to claim 11, further characterized in that the collection member(s) and / or the cover member(s) move(s) from the first mutual position to the second mutual position and back to the first mutual position each time a column of the egg-breaking devices passes the collection member or at an interval of 30 seconds to 2 minutes. 13.- The method according to claim 11 or 12, further characterized in that the collection member(s) and / or the cover member(s) are rotated, turned or displaced relative to each other. 14 - The method according to one or more of claims 11 to 13, further characterized in that the cover member(s) is used to remove the residue of the egg white, chalaza or shell fragments from the outer surface of the collection member during movement between the first and second mutual positions.

15. The method according to one or more of claims 11 to 14, further characterized in that a vacuum source is used to provide a sub-pressure in the collection member so that ambient air and possibly the clear material are drawn through the opening, at least when the collection member(s) and the cover member(s) are in their second mutual position.

16. The method according to claim 15, further characterized in that at least when the collection member(s) and the cover member(s) are in their second mutual position, the underpressure in the collection member results in an air velocity of 6-10 m / s at a distance of 10 mm above each opening.

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