Food processing unit and method of operating same

Abstract

The food processing unit (10) presented herein is configured to produce a food product having a liquid ingredient. The food processing unit (10) comprises a process tank (14) having a top portion (14A), a bottom portion (14B), a side wall (14C) extending between the top portion (14A) and the bottom portion (14B), a liquid inlet opening (92), and a food product outlet opening (86). The food processing unit (10) further comprises a mixer (100) arranged within the tank (14) in a region of the bottom portion (14B). The mixer (100) comprises a mixer ring (102) having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart openings (106). A liquid inlet pipe (84) extends from the liquid inlet opening (92) to a region in the tank (14) adjacent to the mixer (100).

Description

[0001] Foodiq Oy - 1 - 30A-163 701

[0002] Food processing unit and method of operating same

[0003] Technical Field

[0004] The present disclosure generally relates to the technical field of food processing. In more detail, a food processing unit with a mixer and a method of operating the food processing unit are presented. As understood herein, the term "food product" also encompasses any intermediate food product that is to be processed further to arrive at a food product that is final from, for example, a commercial viewpoint.

[0005] Background

[0006] Many processed food products, including mayonnaise, cream cheese, margarine, sauces, puddings and so on, contain considerable amounts of both water and lipids (e.g., oils). Because water and lipids are not soluble in each other, the corresponding phases coexist as an emulsion, such as drops of one liquid dispersed in the other liquid.

[0007] Emulsification refers to processes in which two or more separate phases are mixed to form an emulsion or in which a drop size of one phase is reduced in an existing emulsion. Industrial emulsification processes involve the application of high-power techniques. The corresponding high-power devices are collectively known as mixers because of their ability to mix food product ingredients and increase homogeneity of the food product. Due to their mechanical impact on the food product ingredients, such mixers can also be used to mechanically denaturize proteins or as so-called micro-breakers that reduce the size of food product ingredients. In the food industry, mixers are thus used for a plurality of process steps, including homogenization, protein denaturization, emulsification and micro-breaking.

[0008] A food processing unit with a mixer of a rotor-stator type is known from US 7,178,977 B. The food processing unit includes a process tank and a mixer arranged at a bottom of the tank. The mixer has a stationary mixer ring and a rotor supported by a rotatable rotor shaft. The rotor shaft is concentrically arranged within the mixer Foodiq Oy - 2 - 30A-163 701 ring and supports a plurality of rotor vanes. In operation, the rotor draws in a liquid along the rotor shaft and expels the liquid at high velocity through circumferentially spaced apart openings in the mixer ring. Upon being expelled through the openings, homogeneity of the drawn-in liquid is increased.

[0009] Emulsification and other food processing steps carried out using industrial-type mixers are complex. Their fundamental understanding is still limited, in particular in case of emulsions with a high-volume fraction of the disperse phase as seen in many food-related applications. Emulsification, for example, has to be carefully controlled to achieve the desired product quality since many sensory properties such as color and mouth-feel depend on the size distribution of the emulsion drops and similar parameters (see A. Hakansson, Emulsion Formation by Homogenization: Current Understanding and Future Perspectives, in Annu. Rev. Food Sci. Technol. 2019, 10:239- 58).

[0010] It has been found that already minor changes of the mixer design or of its arrangement in the process tank can have significant effects on the quality of the food product. On the other hand, there are many constraints in the design of more complex food processing units, that impose restrictions on the placement of the mixer in the processing tank as well as the locations where liquids and other ingredients of the food product can be introduced into the tank.

[0011] Summary

[0012] Accordingly, there is a need for a food processing unit that addresses one or more of the above or other problems. For example, there is a need for a food processing unit that allows an efficient mixing operation (e.g., for emulsification, protein denaturation, homogenization or micro-breaking) while being flexible to accommodate one or more design constraints. Such design constraints may in particular result from the food processing unit being configured to execute different food processing steps in a process tank within one and the same food processing cycle.

[0013] According to a first aspect, there is provided a food processing unit configured to produce a food product having a liquid ingredient. The food processing unit comprises a process tank having a top portion, a bottom portion and a side wall extending between the top portion and the bottom portion. The process tank has a liquid inlet opening and a food product outlet opening. The food processing unit further Foodiq Oy - 3 - 30A-163 701 comprises a mixer arranged within the tank in a region of the bottom portion, the mixer comprising a mixer ring and a rotor concentrically arranged within the mixer ring, wherein the mixer ring has a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart openings.

[0014] The mixer may be a high-speed mixer. As an example, the mixer may be operated at speeds above 1000 RPM, in particular above 2000 RPM. A typical operation range of the mixer can be between 1.500 and 3.500 or 4000 RPM (e.g., between 2.000 and 3.000 RPM).

[0015] The mixer can be operated in different food processing steps and for different purposes. Exemplary food processing steps include emulsification, micro-breaking, homogenization and protein denaturization, possibly executed simultaneously or serially in a single food processing cycle within the process tank.

[0016] In one exemplary implementation, the food processing unit comprises a liquid inlet pipe extending from the liquid inlet opening to a region in the tank adjacent to the mixer. The liquid inlet pipe may be arranged to direct liquid towards (e.g., an inside of) the mixer ring. The liquid inlet pipe may be configured to direct the liquid onto the rotor. The liquid inlet pipe may be considered to ("virtually") move the liquid inlet opening of the tank to a position inside the tank defined by a liquid outlet opening of the liquid inlet pipe. For this reason, the actual liquid inlet position in the tank can be more freely selected to accommodate other design constraints.

[0017] The liquid inlet opening of the tank may be located in the bottom portion of the tank, for example close to a longitudinal axis thereof. In some variants, the liquid inlet pipe may extend from the liquid inlet opening in a first direction into the tank (e.g., essentially vertically) and may then bend (e.g., at an angle between 60° and 120°, such as 90°) in a second direction towards the mixer.

[0018] The food processing unit may comprise a rotatable first shaft extending through the tank bottom portion. The rotor may comprise a set of rotor vanes supported by the first shaft and at least partially located within the mixer ring. The rotor vanes may be comprised by the rotor. In one variant, the rotor vanes extend from the first shaft to a region adjacent to a radially inner surface of the mixer ring. Each vane may have a curved cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the first shaft. Foodiq Oy - 4 - 30A-163 701

[0019] One or more cutting blades may be supported by the first shaft in a shaft region outside the mixer ring (e.g., on a side of the mixer ring opposite to a side thereof facing a lower end of the process tank). The one or more cutting blades may comprise one or more (e.g., three or four) cutting arms curved in a plane perpendicular to the first shaft. In some variants, a curvature of at least one of the one or more cutting arms is opposite to a curvature of the rotor vanes. If multiple cutting blades are provided, the cutting arms of the particular cutting blade adjacent to the rotor vanes may differ in curvature from the rotor vanes.

[0020] The first shaft may be arranged so as to at least one of (i) be inclined relative to a longitudinal axis of the tank; (ii) be inclined relative to an extension of at least a portion of the liquid inlet pipe; and (iii) intersect the bottom portion of the tank at a distance from the longitudinal axis of the tank. Such arrangements may allow to optimize different design constraints.

[0021] The food processing unit may comprise a pipe section in communication with the food product outlet opening and attached to the bottom portion of the tank. This pipe section may have a longitudinal axis that is arranged so as to at least one of (i) be inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of tank; (ii) intersect the bottom portion of the tank at a distance from the longitudinal axis of the tank; (iii) be inclined relative to the first shaft; and (iv) lie in a plane that further includes the longitudinal axes of the tank and the first shaft. Such arrangements may allow to optimize different design constraints.

[0022] The bottom portion of the tank may have a tapering shape. For example, a diameter of the bottom portion may decrease (e.g., continuously and / or at one or different inclination angle(s) or curvature(s)) towards a lower-most end of the tank. The tapering bottom portion of the tank may comprise an upper region and a lower region, wherein the upper region is located closer to the top portion of the tank than the lower region. In one variant, the upper region is steeper than the lower region. At least one of the following items may be located in the lower region of the tapering tank bottom region: the liquid inlet opening; the outlet opening for the food product; an opening through which extends a rotatable member; an opening through which extends a temperature sensor or wiring thereof.

[0023] The food processing unit may comprise a rotatable scraper having at least one first scraper blade configured to scrape the food product from an inner surface of the tank. The at least one first scraper blade may be arranged to scrape an inner surface Foodiq Oy - 5 - 30A-163 701 of (e.g., the upper region of) the bottom portion of the tank. The rotatable scraper may comprise at least one second scraper blade arranged to scrape an inner surface of the tank side wall. The scraper may comprise a rotatable second shaft extending through the tank top portion.

[0024] The food processing unit may comprise an agitator with one or more agitator paddles. The one or more agitator paddles may be attached to the second shaft or to a third shaft. The third shaft may be arranged concentric to the second shaft. The one or more scraper blades may be attached to a radially outer end of the one or more agitator paddles. The agitator paddles may be configured for stirring the food product ingredients in the process tank.

[0025] The process tank may comprise a vacuuming opening configured to enable a communication between an inside of the tank and a vacuum source (e.g., arranged outside of the tank). The vacuuming opening may be located in the top portion of the tank.

[0026] The food processing unit may comprise a liquid reservoir fluidically coupled to the tank. The liquid reservoir may be filled with oil (e.g., vegetable oil). The food processing unit may further comprise the vacuum source. The food processing unit may be configured so that the vacuum source in operation draws liquid from the liquid reservoir through the liquid inlet pipe into the tank. A valve may be arranged in a liquid feeding line between the liquid reservoir and the liquid outlet opening of the liquid inlet pipe. The valve may selectively be opened and closed to adjust the amount of liquid transferred into the tank.

[0027] The liquid inlet pipe may have a first cross-section adjacent the liquid inlet opening of the tank. The liquid outlet opening of the liquid inlet pipe may have a second cross-section that is smaller than the first cross-section. For example, the liquid inlet pipe may have a tapering section in a region between the first cross-section and the second cross-section.

[0028] The liquid inlet pipe may in one variant extend through the liquid inlet opening. For example, a first portion of the liquid inlet pipe may be located outside of the tank and a second portion of the liquid inlet pipe may be located inside the tank, with the liquid inlet pipe sealingly "piercing" the tank at the liquid inlet opening. Alternatively, the second portion of the liquid inlet pipe may be welded or otherwise sealingly attached to the tank so as to be in fluid communication with the liquid inlet opening. In Foodiq Oy - 6 - 30A-163 701 such a configuration, the liquid inlet opening may further be in fluid communication with a hose, pipe or other line extending from the liquid inlet opening towards the outside of the tank.

[0029] The food processing unit may comprise at least one jacket covering (e.g., enclosing) at least a portion of the process tank and defining at least one compartment. The at least one compartment may be configured for receiving, in particular for being arranged within a fluid flow path for, a tempering medium (e.g., cold or hot water, water steam, etc.).

[0030] The at least one jacket may define an upper compartment and a lower compartment, wherein the upper compartment is located closer to the top portion of the tank than the lower compartment and is fluidically sealed from the lower compartment. In one variant, each of the upper compartment and the lower compartment has at least one port for the tempering medium.

[0031] In some examples, the at least one compartment may comprise at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port for the tempering medium. The at least one compartment may receive the tempering medium through the at least one inlet port and may release the tempering medium through the at least one outlet port, such that the tempering medium may flow through the at least one compartment (and, e.g., may be circulated).

[0032] At least a portion of the bottom portion of the tank, such as the lower region thereof, may be excluded from being covered by any jacket. In this manner, a better access to (the lower region of) the bottom portion may be provided, for example for pipes or connectors. Moreover, it may anyhow be undesirable to heat the entire bottom portion to avoid burning the food product, in particular in the lower-most area of the bottom portion.

[0033] According to a second aspect there is provided a method of operating a food processing unit, such as the food processing unit of the first aspect, to produce a food product having a liquid ingredient. The food processing unit comprising a process tank and a mixer arranged within the tank in a region of a bottom portion thereof, with the mixer comprising a mixer ring and a rotor concentrically arranged within the mixer ring, with the mixer ring having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart openings. The method comprises providing liquid to a region adjacent to the mixer by a liquid inlet pipe extending into the tank. The liquid may be provided by the Foodiq Oy - 7 - 30A-163 701 liquid inlet pipe for emulsification purposes in regard of one or more further liquid food product ingredients in the process tank.

[0034] The food products produced by the method and the food processing unit presented herein may be (e.g., fresh) dairy products, hybrid dairy products or non-dairy products. Dairy products include cream cheese, pudding, and so on, which are made from animal-based ingredients (e.g., cow milk, sheep milk, goat milk, camel milk). Nondairy products include products made from plant-based ingredients and in some variants are meant to simulate and replace animal-based dairy products (e.g., cream cheese, pudding, and so on made of soy milk, oat milk or similar replacement products). But non-dairy products also include mayonnaise, margarine, sauces, and so on. Hybrid dairy products include one or more dairy ingredients and one or more non-dairy ingredients.

[0035] According to a further aspect, there is provided a food processing unit configured to produce a food product. The food processing unit comprises a process tank having a first longitudinal axis, a top portion, a bottom portion and a side wall extending between the top portion and the bottom portion. The food processing unit further comprise a mixer arranged within the tank in a region of the bottom portion, the mixer comprising a mixer ring and a rotor concentrically arranged within the mixer ring, wherein the mixer ring has a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart openings. The rotor is supported by a rotatable shaft that is inclined relative to the tank longitudinal axis. The food processing unit further comprises a food product outlet opening and a pipe section in communication with the food product outlet opening and having a second longitudinal axis. The second longitudinal axis is inclined relative to both the first longitudinal axis and the shaft supporting the rotor.

[0036] According to a still further aspect, there is provided a food processing unit configured to produce a food product. The food processing unit comprises a process tank having a top portion, a bottom portion and a side wall extending between the top portion and the bottom portion. The food processing unit comprises at least one jacket covering at least a portion of the tank, wherein the at least one jacket defines an upper compartment and a lower compartment, wherein the upper compartment is located closer to the top portion of the tank than the lower compartment and is fluidically sealed from the lower compartment, and wherein each of the upper compartment and the lower compartment has at least one port for receiving a tempering medium. Foodiq Oy - 8 - 30A-163 701

[0037] According to a still further aspect, there is provided a food processing unit configured to produce a food product. The food processing unit comprises a process tank having a top portion, a bottom portion and a side wall extending between the top portion and the bottom portion. The tank bottom portion has a tapering shape with a tapering upper region and a tapering lower region, wherein the upper region is located closer to the tank top portion than the lower region and tapers linearly. The food processing unit further comprises a rotatable scraper having at least one scraper blade configured to scrape the food product from an inner surface of the tapering upper region of the tank bottom portion. In some variants, the food processing unit comprises at least one jacket at least partially covering the tank and defining at least one compartment adjacent to the tapering upper region of the tank bottom portion (but, e.g., not covering the tapering lower region thereof). The at least one compartment may have at least one port for receiving a tempering medium.

[0038] The food processing unit according to the above further aspects may generally be configured as explained above and below.

[0039] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0040] Further details, objects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description which follows, and the accompanying drawings, in which

[0041] Fig. 1 is a side view of a food processing unit according to the present disclosure;

[0042] Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the food processing unit of Fig. 1;

[0043] Fig. 3 is a top view of the food processing unit of Fig. 1;

[0044] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the top portion of the food processing unit along line A-A of Fig. 3;

[0045] Fig. 5 is a front view of the food processing unit of Fig. 1 without the outer mantle; Foodiq Oy - 9 - 30A-163 701

[0046] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the food processing unit along line B-B of Fig. 3 and without the outer mantle;

[0047] Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the food processing unit of Fig. 5;

[0048] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the bottom portion of the food processing unit along line C-C of Fig. 7;

[0049] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the bottom portion of the food processing unit along line D-D of Fig. 7;

[0050] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the bottom portion of the food processing unit along line E-E of Fig. 7;

[0051] Fig. 11 is an exploded view of the mixer / cutter of the food processing unit; and

[0052] Fig. 12 is a process and circuit diagram of a food processing system comprising the food processing unit according to the present disclosure.

[0053] Detailed Description

[0054] In the following description, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same or similar components.

[0055] Fig. 1 is a side view of a food processing unit 10 according to the present disclosure, while Figs. 2 and 3 are bottom and top views, respectively, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an upper part of the food processing unit 10 along line A-A of Fig. 3. The food processing unit 10 may be used for batch-wise food processing in individual food processing cycles. Each food processing cycle may include one or more food processing steps.

[0056] As becomes apparent from Figs. 1 to 4, the food processing unit 10 comprises an outer mantle 12 that thermally insulates an inner process tank 14 of the food processing unit 10 via an air gap 16 (see Fig. 4) from its environment. The mantle 12 has a plurality of openings, such as opening 18, that allow pipes, lines and cables to pass through the mantle 12. In a typical implementation, the process tank 14 and, optionally, the mantle 12 are made from stainless steel. Foodiq Oy - 10 - 30A-163 701

[0057] The food processing unit 10 has a longitudinal axis LI and four feet 20 that extend parallel to this longitudinal axis LI and through the mantle 12. As is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the feet 20 are attached to the tank 14. Fig. 5 is a front view of the food processing unit 10 of Fig. 1 without the mantle 12 and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view along the line B-B of Fig. 3, and also without the mantle 12.

[0058] Fig. 6 illustrates that the process tank 14 has a top portion 14A, a bottom portion 14B and a side wall 14C extending between the top portion 14A and the bottom portion 14B. The side wall 14C has a cylindrical shape. The top portion 14A and the bottom portion 14B each conically tapers in a direction away from the cylindrical side wall 14C. The bottom portion 14B tapers at two dedicated inclination angles relative to a longitudinal axis L2 of the tank 14. In more detail, the tapering bottom portion 14B of the tank 14 comprises a lower region and an upper region located closer to the top portion 14A, and the upper region is steeper than the lower region. In other implementations, one or both of the top portion 14A and the bottom portion 14B may at least partially taper in a concavely curved manner. As an example, the lower region of the bottom portion 14B of the tank 14 could also have a curved cross-section.

[0059] The process tank 14 has a netto volume between 600 I and 1.400 I, preferably between 800 I and 1.200 I (e.g., ca. 1.000 I or less). The tank 14 has a height between 1.400 mm and 2.000 mm, preferably between 1.600 mm and 1.800 mm (e.g., ca. 1.700 mm). The diameter of the tank 14 in the region of the cylindrical side wall 14C is between 1.200 mm and 1.600 mm, preferably between 1.350 mm and 1.450 mm (e.g., ca. 1.400 mm).

[0060] With reference to Figs. 1 and 6, the feet 20 hold the process tank 14 in an upright, or standing, position above ground. In this upright position, a longitudinal axis L2 of the tank 14 at least substantially coincides with the longitudinal axis LI of the food processing unit 10. The feet 20 have a sufficient length to hold a first electric motor 22 attached to the bottom portion 14B of the tank 14 above ground. The first electric motor 22 has a motor axis Ml that extends obliquely to, and intersects, the longitudinal axis LI of the food processing unit 10. A second electric motor 26 is attached via a gear unit 28 to the top portion 14A of the tank 14. The second electric motor 26 has a motor axis M2 that extends parallel to, and at a distance from, the longitudinal axis LI of the food processing unit 10. Foodiq Oy - 11 - 30A-163 701

[0061] In the following, the pipes and lines extending to and from the food processing unit 10 as well as the various openings of the process tank 14 will be discussed with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. Further details will be given in the context of the further drawings.

[0062] As is shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the food processing unit 10 at its upper part comprises an inspection window 24 and a manhole 30 for loading food product ingredients into the process tank 14. Exemplary ingredients loaded through the manhole 30 include ingredients of bigger size (e.g., one or more of berries, fruits, vegetables, and other chunks) as well as ingredients in powder form (e.g., one or more of milk powder, sugar, salt, and so on). The manhole 30 can also be used for organoleptic (e.g., ocular) and physical surface tests or inspections. In operation, the manhole 30 is closed by a hatch 32. A damping arm 34 with a hydraulic cylinder is coupled between the hatch 32 and the process tank 14 to allow a smooth opening and closing of the hatch 32.

[0063] Now referring to Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the food processing unit 10 comprises multiple pipe sections, such as pipe section 36, extending to or into the process tank 14. These pipe sections have flanges, such as flange 38, or other coupling members for coupling hoses, pipes or similar conduits to the pipe sections. The pipe sections end at, or extend through, openings in the tank 14, such as inlet openings 40 and 44 (see Fig. 4), or openings in other compartments. As understood herein, a pipe section generally has a straight extension (which may define a longitudinal axis), whereas a pipe may, but need not have a more complex (e.g., bent) configuration. As such, a pipe section can be regarded to be an exemplary realization of a pipe. A pipe section as described herein may have a length between 0,05 m and 1,0 m, for example between 0,10 m and 0,40 m (e.g., between 0,15 m and 0,30m). A pipe section as described herein may have an inner diameter between 0,02 m and 0,20 m, for example between 0,05 m and 0,10 m (e.g., between 0,06 m and 0,08 m).

[0064] In more detail, the pipe sections in the upper part of the food processing unit 10 comprise a straight pipe section 36 that ends at the inlet opening 40 in the top portion 14A of the process tank 14. The pipe section 36 is provided as liquid passageway (e.g., for introducing one or more liquid food ingredients such as purees into the tank 14). Another straight pipe section 42 that ends at the inlet opening 44 of the tank 14 is provided as a further liquid passageway (e.g., for introducing water as a food ingredient into the tank 14). A still further straight pipe section 46 that ends at a vacuuming opening 48 of the tank 14 (see Fig. 6) is configured to be coupled to a Foodiq Oy - 12 - 30A-163 701 vacuum source (e.g., a vacuum pump) of the food processing unit 10. The vacuum source is arranged outside of the tank 14. The pipe section 46 and vacuuming opening 48 enable a communication between the vacuum source and an inside of the tank 14.

[0065] Two further straight pipe sections 49, 50 in the upper part of the food processing unit 10 extend through inlet openings in the top portion 14A of the process tank 14 and end at spray balls 52, 54. The spray balls 52, 54 may be rotatable.

[0066] As becomes apparent from Fig. 4, the spray balls 52, 54 are located within the tank 14. In more detail, in the depicted variant the spray balls 52, 54 are located at an upper region of the side wall 14C and on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis L2 of the tank 14. The pipe sections 49, 50 are configured to lead water to the spray balls 52, 54 for cleaning the tank 14 after each processing cycle. The spray balls 52, 54 are thus used for implementing a Cleaning-In-Place (CIP) operational mode of the food processing unit 10.

[0067] With reference to Figs. 4 to 6, the process tank 14 is partially covered by at least one tempering jacket 56 that defines one or multiple compartments 58 between an outer surface of the tank 14 and an inner surface of the jacket 56. Each compartment 58 is configured to receive, and in particular define a section of a flow path of, a tempering medium and, thus, defines a dedicated tempering zone. The tempering medium can be hot or cold water, water steam or any other fluid medium. As such, the compartments 58 can function as both a heating element or as a cooling element, possibly alternatingly in a single processing cycle.

[0068] In the exemplary implementation illustrated in the drawings, the food processing unit 10 comprises two jackets 56A, 56B that are spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal axis L2 of the process tank 14 and define two separate compartments 58A, 58B fluidically sealed from each other. The upper jacket 56A encloses a major part of the cylindrical side wall of the tank 14 and defines an upper compartment 58A. The lower jacket 56B encloses the upper, steeper region of the conically tapering bottom portion 14B and defines a lower compartment 58B. The upper compartment 58A and the lower compartment 58B define an upper and a lower tempering zone, respectively. In other implementations, the upper jacket 56A and the lower jacket 56B could be realized as a single, continuous jacket that defines the two compartments 58A, 58B. Moreover, more than two jackets 56A, 56B and more than two compartments 58A, 58B could be provided also. Foodiq Oy - 13 - 30A-163 701

[0069] The food processing unit 10 comprises a first pair of straight pipe sections 60, 62 acting as ports for defining a flow path for the tempering medium through the first compartment 58A, and a second pair of straight pipe sections 64, 66 acting a ports for defining a flow path for the tempering medium through the second compartment 58B. The tempering medium may in some variants be introduced into the compartments 58A, 58B via the respectively lower pipe section 62, 66 and be drained from the compartments 58A, 58B via the respectively upper pipe section 60, 64.

[0070] Compared to heating plates or heating pipes located within the tank 14, which are difficult to clean, the external tempering jackets 56A, 56B ensure short cleaning cycles, an efficient cleaning of the tank 14 and, thus, a high product quality. While in the present implementation the compartments 58A, 58B function as heating or cooling elements when receiving the fluid tempering medium at the desired temperature, in other implementations electrical heating and cooling elements can be implemented (e.g., based on heating coils and / or Peltier elements).

[0071] Having a tempering mechanism with two or more dedicated tempering zones that are spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal axis L2 of the process tank 14 has various advantages. For example, it allows to selectively activate (i.e., heat or cool) the lower tempering zone, such as the lower compartment 58B, when only a small batch size is processed by the food processing unit 10 (e.g., for testing new recipes). Such an approach increases energy efficiency of the food processing unit 10. In other examples, the different tempering zones may be controlled to have different temperatures. It has been found that when the batch size in the tank 14 becomes large, a high pressure is exerted on the food product portion located in the bottom portion 14B of the tank 14, in particular in the lower region of the tank bottom portion 14B. As a result, the food product in direct contact with the bottom portion 14B can get burnt when the upper and lower temperature zones are heated to the same (high) temperature. Risk of a burnt food product is typically aggravated in less-than-vertical regions of the tank 14 (such as the inclined bottom portion 14B where the gravitational force on the tank contents is less strong) and by the fact that in many existing devices, agitators or scrapers arranged in the tank 14 do not reach sufficiently down towards the tank bottom. To avoid burning the food product in such scenarios, only the upper tempering zone, such as the upper compartment 58A, may be heated to the maximum desired temperature (using, e.g., water steam), whereas the lower tempering zone, such as the lower compartment 58B, may be heated to a lower temperature, not heated at all or even cooled. Evidently, splitting Foodiq Oy - 14 - 30A-163 701 the tempering mechanism in dedicated tempering zones that are spaced apart along the longitudinal axis L2 of the tank 14 permits a plethora of temperature control strategies, which leads to an increased usability and versatility of the food processing unit 10.

[0072] Figs. 2 and 7 illustrate the pipes and connections extending to and from the bottom portion 14B of the process tank 14. Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the food processing unit 10 similar to Fig. 2 but without the outer mantle 12. As becomes apparent from Figs. 2 and 7, the pipe sections 64, 66 that fluidically connect to the lower compartment 58B of the tempering mechanism are provided in the steeper upper region of the tank bottom portion 14B. Also provided in this upper region is a CIP water inlet 68 for supplying water via a CIP water supply opening 70 (see Fig. 8) into the tank 14.

[0073] The less-steep lower region of the tank bottom portion 14B comprises a flange 72. The flange 72 may be welded or otherwise attached to the bottom portion 14B. A housing of the electric motor 22 is attached via a flange part 74 to the flange 72 of the tank. The flange part 74 has the shape of a bobbin and defines a first flange connected to the complementary flange 72 of the tank 14 and an opposite second flange connected to the housing of the electric motor 22.

[0074] Additionally, an opening 76 is provided in that lower region for accommodating a temperature sensor. As explained above, the risk of inadvertently burning a food product in the tank 14 is highest at the tank bottom portion 14B, so sensing the temperature for controlling the tempering mechanism in this portion of the tank 14 is beneficial.

[0075] Moreover, various conduits extend from the lower region of the bottom portion 14B. These conduits will now be explained with reference to Figs. 8, 9 and 10. Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views of the bottom portion of the food processing unit 10 along the lines C-C, D-D and E-E of Fig. 7. As becomes apparent from these drawings, the conduits are in fluid communication with the inside of the tank 14.

[0076] A first conduit configured as a straight pipe section 80 extends from a food product outlet opening 86 in the lower region of the bottom portion 14B of the tank 14. The food product outlet opening 86 is located at, or in the vicinity of, the lower-most point of the tank 14 in a direction of a gravitational force (see, e.g., Fig. 10). This location of the food product outlet opening 86 ensures that substantially the entire Foodiq Oy - 15 - 30A-163 701 batch of a food product produced in the tank 14 can be removed from (e.g., pumped out of) the tank 14 after each processing cycle.

[0077] As becomes apparent from Fig. 10, the pipe section 80 in communication with the food product outlet opening 86 defines a longitudinal axis L3 that is inclined relative to the longitudinal axes LI, L2 of the food processing unit 10 and the process tank 10, respectively (e.g., at an angle between 10° and 40°, such as 25°). As mentioned previously, also the motor axis Ml of the electric motor 22 is inclined relative to these longitudinal axes LI, L2 (e.g., at an angle between 5° and 25°, such as 15°), but - as seen from the longitudinal axes LI, L2 - in the opposite direction. The motor axis Ml and the longitudinal axes LI, L2 and L3 all lie within a single plane.

[0078] The inclined arrangement of the motor axis Ml and the longitudinal axis L3 of the pipe section 80 relative to each other and relative to the longitudinal axes LI, L2 allows an advantageous placement of both the electric motor 22 (and of an associated opening in the bottom portion 14B, that is configured for receiving a shaft 88 driven by the electric motor 22) and the food product outlet opening 86 close to each other in the vicinity of the lower-most point of the tank 14. Therefore, the shaft 88 intersects the bottom portion 14B of the tank 14 at a distance from the longitudinal axis L2 of the tank 14, and this distance is chosen to be comparatively small (e.g., below 0,4 m or below 0,2 m). Such a central arrangement of the shaft 88 is advantageous for different reasons in regard of the function of the components carried by the shaft 88, in particular as the shaft 88 has a longitudinal axis that coincides with the motor axis Ml, as will be explained in greater detail below.

[0079] A second conduit configured as a straight pipe section 82 extends from a water outlet opening 90 in the lower region of the bottom portion 14B of the tank 14. The outlet opening 90 is located at, or in the vicinity of, the lower-most point of the tank 14 in a direction of a gravitational force (see, e.g., Fig. 8) and primarily used in the CIP procedure.

[0080] A third conduit configured as a bent pipe 84 extends ("pierces") through a liquid inlet opening 92 in the lower region of the tank bottom portion 14B. Liquid can be fed via the pipe 84 (also referred to as liquid inlet pipe 84) into the tank 14 in various ways. In the present implementation, the liquid is drawn into the tank 14 though the pipe 84 via a vacuum applied in the tank 14 (via the pipe section 46 and the vacuuming opening 48). In other implementations, the liquid could be pumped into the tank 14 via a pump located upstream of the liquid inlet opening 92. The liquid inlet opening Foodiq Oy - 16 - 30A-163 701

[0081] 92 may have a diameter between 0,04 m to 0,15 m (e.g., between 0,06 and 0,10 m).

[0082] The section of the pipe 84 extending outside the tank 14 may have a length between 0,10 m and 0,30 m (e.g., between 0,12 m and 0,22 m). Of technical relevance is the portion of the pipe 84 that extends from the liquid inlet opening 92 into a central region of the tank bottom portion 14B to direct the liquid towards a mixer 100. The mixer 100 is of the rotor-stator type. As becomes apparent from the exploded view of Fig. 11, the mixer 100 includes a stationary mixer ring 102 and a rotor 104 concentrically arranged to the mixer ring 102. The mixer ring 102 comprises circumferentially spaced apart openings 106 in the form of slits. Of course, the openings 106 could have other shapes as well.

[0083] The mixer 100 is configured for high-speed mixing, which means here that it can be operated at speeds above 2.000 RPM. A typical operational speed of the mixer 100 for processing steps requiring high speed mixing (such as emulsification, protein-denaturation, micro-breaking or homogenization) can be 3.000 RPM, plus / minus 500 RPM.

[0084] In the exemplary implementation shown in Fig. 11, the mixer ring 102 and the bobbin-shaped flange part 74 are configured as an integral component. The flange part 74, and thus the mixer ring 102, is attached to both the tank bottom portion 14B (i.e., to the complementary flange 72) and the housing of the electric motor 22. The flange part 74 has a cylindrical body 108 with air convection openings. A flange member 78A located coaxially to and within in the cylindrical body 108 supports a bushing-shaped bearing 78B for the shaft 88.

[0085] The rotor 104 of the mixer 100 is carried by the shaft 88 that is driven by the electric motor 22 and concentrically arranged to the mixer ring 102. The rotor 104 has a plurality of rotor vanes (also called rotor blades) 110 supported by and extending radially away from the shaft 88 to a region adjacent an inner surface of the mixer ring 102. The vanes 110 are entirely located within the mixer ring 102, meaning that an upper rim of the vanes 110 lies below an upper rim of the mixer ring 102. As becomes apparent from Fig. 11, each of the vanes 110 has a curved cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the shaft 88.

[0086] During operation, the rotor 104 draws in a liquid accommodated in the tank 14 (e.g., an existing emulsion or initially separated liquid phases) substantially along the shaft Foodiq Oy - 17 - 30A-163 701

[0087] 88 and into the mixer ring 102. The rotor 104 then expels the liquid at high velocity through the circumferentially spaced apart openings 106 in the mixer ring 102. Upon being expelled through the openings 106, homogeneity of the drawn-in liquid is increased, as generally known in the art (see A. Hakansson, Emulsion Formation by Homogenization: Current Understanding and Future Perspectives, in Annu. Rev. Food Sci. Technol. 2019, 10:239-58). The mixer 100 can generally be used for different food processing steps, possibly in the same food processing cycle. In addition to homogenization, the mixer 100 can, for example, be used for emulsification, protein- denaturization, micro-breaking, and so on.

[0088] Returning to Figs. 8 and 9 and the pipe 84, the portion of the pipe 84 reaching into the tank 14 has a feeding section 112 extending from the liquid inlet opening 92 in a first direction substantially parallel to, but spaced apart from, the longitudinal axis L2 of the process tank 14. The pipe 84 then bends at an angle of approximately 90° towards that longitudinal axis L2 and defines an outlet section 114 extending in a second direction substantially horizontally to a region in the tank 14 that is adjacent to the mixer ring 102. As such, the food processing unit 10 can be operated such that liquid is provided to a region adjacent to the mixer ring 102 by the pipe 84 that extends into the tank 14.

[0089] Still referring to Figs. 8 and 9, the pipe 84 has a first cross section (e.g., between 0,04 m and 0,15 m, in particular between 0,06 m and 0,10 m) at the feeding section 112 adjacent the liquid inlet opening 92 and a second cross-section at a liquid outlet opening 114A of the outlet section 114 that is smaller than first cross-section (e.g., between 0,02 m and 0,08 m, such as approximately 0,04 m). In more detail, the outlet section 114 tapers in a tapering section 114B from a larger cross-section to a smaller cross-section at its liquid outlet opening 114A. This tapering is advantageous as it increases the precision at which the liquid can be directed onto rotor 104 of the mixer 100, and it accelerates the liquid before the liquid impinges on the rotor 104. In sum, the tapering of the outlet section 114 leads to better processing results by the mixer 100.

[0090] It should be noted that the placement and the configuration of the liquid inlet pipe 84 as illustrated in the drawings is only exemplary. In other implementations, the liquid inlet pipe 84 may have a straight extension or may have two or more bends. In such or still further implementations, the liquid inlet opening 92 could also be arranged at another location of the process tank 14. Moreover, the pipe 84 could have a shorter or longer extension than the extension shown in the drawings. For Foodiq Oy - 18 - 30A-163 701 example, the pipe 84 could have a pipe inlet opening in fluid communication (e.g., sealingly welded to) the liquid inlet opening 92 on the inside of the process tank 14, and a straight pipe portion extending away from the tank 14 could be sealingly welded to the liquid inlet opening 92 on the outside of the tank 14.

[0091] Since the motor axis Ml is tilted relative to the longitudinal axis L2 of the tank 14, also the mixer ring 102 carried by the shaft 88 is tilted (at the same angle as the motor axis Ml). In more detail, the mixer ring 102 is tilted towards the outlet section 114 of the liquid inlet pipe. For this reason, liquid entering the tank 14 via the outlet section 114 of the pipe 84 is directed towards an inside of the mixer ring 102 and, in more detail, onto the rotor vanes 110. As a result, the rotor vanes 110 will in a fluidi- cally efficient manner draw in both one or more liquid components already accommodated in the tank 14 (e.g., a water-based solution) and one or more further liquid components (e.g., vegetable oil or other lipid-based liquids) fed into the tank 14 via the pipe 84. In this manner, a particularly efficient processing result (e.g., emulsification) can be achieved by the mixer 100.

[0092] As becomes apparent from Figs. 8 and 9, the liquid inlet opening 92 is located in the lower, less-steep tapering region of the tank bottom portion 14B. The liquid inlet opening 92 is spaced apart, but close to the longitudinal axis L2 of the tank 14 (e.g., at a distance of less than 0,4 m and in particular less than 0,2 m). Such an arrangement of the liquid inlet opening 92 permits to design the upper, steeper tapering region of the tank bottom portion 14B without any opening through which a liquid or other ingredient would need to be introduced before or during a processing cycle (note that the CIP water supply opening 70 as shown in Fig. 6 is only used for CIP purposes after a processing cycle has been completed). This design is beneficial for various reasons. For example, the design permits to arrange a scraper blade 120A in contact with or adjacent to the upper region of the tank bottom portion 14B (see Figs. 6 and 10) for scraping material from this region during a processing cycle, and without colliding with the liquid inlet pipe 84. Thus, arranging the liquid inlet pipe 84 closer to the longitudinal tank axis L2 increases the tank inner surface that can be scraped. Moreover, due to the scraping, a particular portion of the food product will not remain in contact with the upper region of the tank bottom portion 14B for an extended period of time and thus potentially get burnt (note that the lower tempering compartment 58B encloses, inter alia, the upper region of the tank bottom portion 14B). The upper region of the tank bottom portion 14B can particularly efficiently be scraped as it tapers linearly and, thus defines a cone portion with "flat" sidewalls (i.e., curved only in a circumferential direction of the tank). Foodiq Oy - 19 - 30A-163 701

[0093] While, therefore, an arrangement of the liquid inlet opening 92 close to the longitudinal axis L2 of the tank 14 and in a comparatively low section of the tank bottom portion 14B is advantageous for various reasons, there would be a disadvantage if the pipe 84 simply ended at the liquid inlet opening 92 (e.g., in a similar manner as pipe section 80, see Fig. 10). With such a hypothetic design, the liquid entering the tank 14 via the liquid inlet opening 92 could not efficiently be drawn by the rotor 104 of the mixer 100 into the mixer ring 102. Rather, for such a design an arrangement of the liquid inlet opening 92 higher up along the tank longitudinal axis L2 would lead to a straighter - and thus fluidica lly more efficient - flow path of the liquid drawn by the rotor 104 and, thus, a more efficient operation of the mixer 100 from a perspective of food product quality. To avoid the disadvantage of arranging the liquid inlet opening 92 close to the longitudinal axis L2 of the tank 14 and in a comparatively low section of the tank bottom portion 14B, the pipe 84 is provided that reaches into the tank 14 up to a region adjacent to the mixer ring 102. In this way, an efficient liquid flow path into the mixer ring 102 can be combined with, for example, the advantage of being able to scrape the inner tank surface down to almost the lowest region of the tank 14. In particular, the liquid inlet opening 92 into the process tank 14 can virtually be moved to the position of the liquid outlet opening 114A in the interior of the process tank 14.

[0094] With reference to Figs. 6 and 10, the scraper blade 120A for the tank bottom portion 14B and a further scraper blade 120B for the tank side wall 14C are attached to a rotatable shaft 122 that is driven, via the gear unit 28, by the electric motor 26. The shaft 122 extends through the tank top portion 14A and coaxially to the longitudinal axes LI, L2 of the food processing unit 10 and the tank 14.

[0095] The shaft 122 supports multiple agitator paddles 124. The shaft 122 with the scraper blades 120A, 120B and the agitator paddles 124 forms a rotatable scraper / agitator 126. The scraper blades 120A, 120B are attached to radially outer regions of different ones of the agitator paddles 124. As such, the scraper blades 120A, 120B move in unison with the agitator paddles 124. In other variants, the scraper blades 120A, 120B could be provided separately from the agitator paddles 124 (e.g., they could be attached via rods directly to the shaft 122). The agitator paddles 124 serve to agitate the food product ingredients to permit a homogeneous tempering thereof. Moreover, the agitator paddles 124 also serve to mix the food product ingredients. In the present implementation, the agitator paddles 124 have a complex shape and are configured to move the tank contents in all possible directions and, optionally, swirl them. Foodiq Oy - 20 - 30A-163 701

[0096] A further mixing, and cutting, of the food product ingredients results from a cutter 130 provided at the free end of the shaft 88 that is driven by the electric motor 22. The primary task of the cutter 130, however, is to reduce the chunk size of food product ingredients (such as berries, fruits, vegetables, and so on). To this end, the cutter 130 comprises two cutting blades 132, 134. With reference to Fig. 11, the cutting blades 132, 134 are spaced apart from each other and from the rotor 104 along the length of the shaft 88 by two bushings 136, 138. As becomes apparent from Figs. 8 and 9, the cutter 130 (including the cutting blades 132, 134) is supported by the shaft 88 in a shaft region outside the mixer ring 102. An end cap 140 threaded into a central bore of the shaft 88 secures the rotor 104 and the cutter 130 to the shaft 88 such that rotation of the shaft 88 causes the rotor 104 and the cutter 130 to rotate in unison.

[0097] In the exemplary implementation depicted in Fig. 11, each of the two cutting blades 132, 134 has four cutting arms 142, wherein two adjacent arms 142 have an angular distance of 90°. In other implementations, more or less cutting blades 132, 134 and more or less cutting arms 142 per cutting blade 132, 134 can be provided. Like the rotor vanes 110, also the cutting arms 142 of the cutting blades 132, 134 are curved in a plane perpendicular to the shaft 88. As becomes apparent from Fig. 11, a curvature of the cutting arms 142 of the inner cutting blade 132 (that is closer to the rotor 104) is opposite to a curvature of the rotor vanes 110, whereas the cutting arms 142 of the outer cutting blade 134 have the same direction of curvature as the rotor vanes 110. It has been found that the chosen curvatures optimize the processing result of the mixer 100, be it homogenization, protein denaturation, emulsification or any other processing step.

[0098] With reference to Fig. 9, the shaft 88 supporting the rotor 104 is directly coupled to an output shaft of the motor 22. The resulting absence of a gear unit between the output shaft of the electric motor 22 and the shaft 88 permits to rotate the shaft 88 and, thus, to operate the mixer 100 (and the cutter 130) at high speeds without losses, which likewise improves the processing results. As such, the rotor vanes 110 and the openings 106 can act as high-speed micro-breaker for facilitating emulsification.

[0099] With reference to Fig. 10, the motor axis Ml of the electric motor 22 and, thus, the shaft 88 extend at an inclination relative to the longitudinal axis L2 of the tank 14. As a consequence, the motor axis Ml is also inclined relative to the shaft 122 driven by Foodiq Oy - 21 - 30A-163 701 the electric motor 26. Due to its inclination, the motor axis Ml reaches to a lower height along the longitudinal tank axis L2 than a non-inclined motor axis that extends coaxial to the longitudinal tank axis L2. As a result, the shaft 122, with the agitator paddles 124 and scrapers 120A, 120B attached thereto, can reach deeper into the tank 14. Consequently, also the agitation and scraping operations can extend deeper into the tank 14, resulting in a better mixing, a more homogeneous tempering and a reduced risk of burning the food product.

[0100] Fig. 12 is a process and circuit diagram of a food processing system 1000 with the food processing unit 10 discussed above or a similar food processing unit. It is to be noted that a differentiation between system 1000 and unit 10 is used herein only for ease of explanation. As understood herein, there is no conceptual difference between the system 1000 and the unit 10, meaning that any system component discussed hereinafter can also be regarded to constitute a component of the unit 10, even if different components are not co-located at one and the same place.

[0101] With reference to Fig. 12, the food processing system 1000 comprises a tank 200 acting as a reservoir for a liquid (such as vegetable oil) supplied to the process tank 14 via the liquid inlet pipe 84. As becomes apparent from Fig. 12, a liquid feeding line 150 extends from the liquid tank 200 to the liquid inlet pipe 84 (not shown in Fig. 12).

[0102] An electrically controllable valve 152 (e.g., realized as a 2 / 2-way valve) is arranged in the feeding line 150. The valve 152 is controlled to adjust the amount of liquid flowing from the liquid tank 200 into the process tank 14. In an exemplary variant, the valve 152 is controlled using a weight control algorithm. For example, if the weight of the food product ingredients in the process tank 14 may be measured initially (e.g., before the valve 152 is opened) and further weight measurements are continuously taken after the valve 152 has been opened, the valve 152 may be closed again once the weight control algorithm determines that a target weight of the liquid ingredient from the liquid tank 200 has been fed into the process tank 14. For implementing such a weight-based control strategy, the food processing unit 10 may comprise a sensor mechanism (not shown) for measuring the total weight of the process tank 14 or the weight of the food product ingredients in the process tank 14. In other variants, flow measurements may be used for controlling the valve 152.

[0103] In the exemplary implementation depicted in Fig. 12, a vacuum-based feeding mechanism is used to draw the liquid from the liquid tank 200 via the liquid inlet pipe 84 Foodiq Oy - 22 - 30A-163 701 into the process tank 14. To this end, the food processing system 1000 comprise a vacuum source 300 (e.g., a vacuum pump) fluidically coupled via an electrically controllable valve 154 (e.g., realized as a 2 / 2-way valve) to the pipe section 46 and, thus, to the vacuuming opening 48 of the process tank 14. In some variants, a further valve (non shown) is coupled in a line branching off between the vacuuming opening 48 and the valve 154 so as to selectively couple the tank 14 to ambient pressure (with the valve 154 being closed).

[0104] The food processing unit 10 is configured so that the vacuum source 300 in operation draws liquid from the liquid tank 200 through the liquid inlet pipe 84 into the tank 14. For various reasons, the vacuum source 300 may intermittently or continuously be operated while a processing cycle takes place in the process tank 14. As an example, an undesired foaming of the food product ingredients (e.g., upon introduction into the tank 14, during mixing or during agitation) may thus be suppressed or avoided. Moreover, cooling processes in the process tank 14 can be speeded up.

[0105] The vacuum source 300 is coupled via an electrically controllable valve 156 (e.g., realized as a 2 / 2-way valve) to a source of water. Water can thus be supplied via the valve 156 to the vacuum source 300 for cooling the latter.

[0106] Hot and cold water as further food product ingredients are supplied by lines 170, 172, respectively. The hot water line 170 and the cold water line 172 lead via a respective electrically controllable valves 174, 176 (e.g., each realized as a 2 / 2-way valve) to the pipe section 42 and, thus, to the water inlet opening 44 provided at the top portion of the process tank 14. In other implementations, dedicated inlet openings for hot water and cold water could be provided.

[0107] A feeding line 180 for food product ingredients extends from a further tank (not shown) or other liquid reservoir via the pipe section 36 to the inlet opening 40 in the upper portion 14A of the process tank 14. The line 180 is provided to feed further food product ingredients, typically of higher viscosity such as purees, into the process tank 14. Two electrically controllable valves 182, 184 (e.g., realized as a 2 / 3- way valves) are provided in the line 180 for CIP and other purposes, as will be explained in greater detail below.

[0108] Reference numeral 30 in Fig. 12 denotes the manhole 30. The manhole 30 cannot only be used for inspection or cleaning purposes, but also for loading batches of solid (including powdery) food product ingredients into the process tank 14. Foodiq Oy - 23 - 30A-163 701

[0109] With continued reference to Fig. 12, two electrically controllable valves 220, 222 are arranged in a cooling water line 224, and two further electrically controllable valves 226, 228 are arranged in a hot water (or steam) line 230 in fluid communication with a heater 232 (e.g., a steam heater). The valves 220, 222, 226, 228 (e.g., each realized as a 2 / 2-way valve) are connected to the pipe sections 62 and 66 that form the inlet ports to the tempering (i.e., cooling or heating) compartments 58A, 58B. In regard to the cooling water line 224, the valve 220 leads to the port defined by pipe section 62, while the valve 222 leads to the port defined by pipe section 66. The cooling water is respectively drained via the ports defined by pipe section 60 and 64, respectively. In regard to the hot water / steam line 230, the valve 226 leads to the port defined by pipe section 62, while the valve 228 leads to the port defined by pipe section 66. The heated cooling water or condensed steam respectively cooled hot water is drained via the ports defined by pipe sections 60 and 64, respectively. Fig. 12 illustrates an exemplary drainage line 234 in communication with the pipe sections 60, 64. This drainage line 234 leads the heated cooling water or condensed steam respectively cooled hot water either via a valve 236 back to the heater 232 (for re-circulation through the compartments 58A, 58B) or via a drainage valve 238 to a waste water reservoir. By suitably controlling the valves 220, 222, 226, 228, 236, 238 and the heater 232, the food product ingredients in the process tank 14 can selectively be cooled and heated as needed during a particular processing cycle.

[0110] As is shown in Fig. 12, the food processing system 1000 comprises a still further tank 400 (also called buffer tank herein) for storing the food product discharged from the process tank 14 after each process cycle. The food product is discharged into the buffer tank 400 via the product outlet opening 86 of the tank 14 and via a product outlet line 240 that includes the pipe section 80. In the present implementation, a pump 500 is used for pumping the food product out of the process tank 14.

[0111] A first valve 244 (e.g., realized as an electrically controllable 2 / 2-way valve) is arranged in the product outlet line 240 between the food product outlet opening 86 and the pump 500. A second valve 246 (e.g., also realized as an electrically controllable 2 / 2-way valve) is arranged in a line that bypasses the pump 500. The first valve 244 is opened and the second valve 246 is closed when after a completed processing cycle the resulting food product needs to be pumped from the process tank 14 into the buffer tank 400. The second valve 246 is opened when, after extraction of the food product from the process tank 14, the tank 14 is cleaned in a CIP procedure. The design of the food processing unit 10 permits to validate the hygiene and Foodiq Oy - 24 - 30A-163 701 cleaning results after each CIP procedure (e.g. via the manhole 30 and the inspection window 24). The absence of plate heaters or heated pipes in the process tank 14 significantly facilitates the CIP procedure.

[0112] For the CIP procedure, water is fed into the process tank via a first CIP line 250 that leads via a check valve 252, a further valve 242 (e.g., realized as an electrically controllable 2 / 2-way valve) and the pipe portions 49, 50 to the spray balls 52, 54. If needed, the tank 14 could additionally be cleaned by manually operating a high-pressure cleaner through the manhole 30.

[0113] For CIP purposes, in a second CIP line 258 four further electrically controllable 2 / 2- way valves 260, 262, 264, 266 and an electrically controllable 2 / 3-way valve 268 are provided. The water accumulating in the bottom portion 14B of the process tank 14 during the CIP procedure can either be circulated for further cleaning or extracted and discarded. For circulation, the valves 244, 246 and 260 are opened and the valves 262 and 264 are closed, so that a CIP pump 600 arranged in the CIP line 258 can pump the accumulated water extracted through the product outlet opening 86 back into the process tank 14 via the CIP water inlet 68 (into which the valve 260 is integrated) and the CIP water supply opening 70, see also Fig. 6. For discharging waste water, the valve 260 is closed, the valve 264 remains closed, the valve 262 is opened and the valve 268 is set to a position in which the waste water is discharged by the CIP pump 600 via a selected one of two possible pathways.

[0114] After a processing cycle has been completed, it may be desirable to not extract the portion of the food product that has accumulated at the lower-most portion of the process tank 14 (where it might not have efficiently been agitated and mixed) into the buffer tank 400 but to simply discard it. In such a situation, the valves 244, 246, 264 and 266 are opened and the valves 260 and 262 are closed. At the same time, the valves 182 and 184 are controlled such that the food product pumped by the pump 600 out of the process tank 14 can be discarded via a discarding line 270. After an initial portion of the food product has been discarded, the required valves are controlled such that the remainder of the food product is extracted into the buffer tank 400. It is to be noted that the valves 182 and 184 could also be controlled such that that waste water is discharged via valve 184.

[0115] It will be appreciated that whenever a valve has been denoted as a 2 / 2-way valve or a 2 / 3-way valve, it could also be realized in a different manner. Moreover, it will be Foodiq Oy - 25 - 30A-163 701 appreciated that one or more of the valves shown in Fig. 12, such as valve 268, are redundant if a different design is chosen.

[0116] As has become apparent form the above description of exemplary embodiments, the food processing unit 10 described herein is capable of performing a plethora of food processing steps in a single process tank 14. These food processing steps include ho- mogenization / emulsification / protein-denaturization, mixing, cutting, heating and cooling, with associated operations such as agitating and scraping. The design of the food processing unit 10 is optimized so that these food processing steps and operations can be performed in a particularly efficient manner without compromising the quality of the food product.

[0117] For example, the provision of the liquid inlet pipe 84 "virtually" moves a liquid inlet opening 92 of the tank 14 to a position inside the tank 14 defined by the liquid outlet opening 114A of the liquid inlet pipe 84. For this reason, the position of the liquid inlet opening 92 can be more freely selected to accommodate other design constraints. In more detail, the liquid inlet opening 92 can in one implementation be arranged at a low position along the longitudinal tank axis L2 so that the scraper blade 120A can reach far down. In this or another implementation, a possibly resulting disadvantageous liquid flow path from the liquid inlet opening 92 into the mixer 100 can be avoided by providing the suitably directed liquid inlet pipe 84, while simultaneously ensuring a highly directed liquid flow from the liquid outlet opening 114A of the tank 14 towards the mixer 100. As another example, a motor axis Ml of the electric motor 22 operating the mixer 100 can be tilted relative to the longitudinal tank axis L2 and, optionally, the longitudinal axis L3 of the pipe section 80 in communication with the food product outlet opening 86. Such an implementation permits an efficient arrangement of the shaft 122 extending into the process tank 14 from its top portion 14A. Moreover, it allows to arrange both the food product outlet opening 86 and the electric motor 22 close to the longitudinal tank axis L2 and / or close at the lower-most point of the process tank 14. The provision of multiple tempering compartments 58A, 58B or, more generally, multiple tempering zones along the longitudinal axis of the process tank 14 permits to implement effective and possibly dynamic tempering strategies. Of course, these and other constructional features can be realized individually but also in a synergistic combination.

[0118] The food processing unit 10 can be used to produce a large variety of fresh dairy and non-dairy products with long shelf-lives. The long shelf-lives result, inter alia, from the fact that the tank 14 has an optimal design in regard to the components Foodiq Oy - 26 - 30A-163 701 arranged therein and its size. If, for example, the size (e.g., the height) of the tank 14 was increased, the pressure on the food product in the bottom portion 14B would increase, with detrimental effects on food product quality (e.g., due to a higher risk of burning the food product, lower homogenization efficiency, and so on). Moreover, the increased shelf-lives also result from the fact that the tank 14 can be operated under vacuum (so that contamination by ambient air is reduced), and that it can efficiently be cleaned.

[0119] While the present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, the scope of the invention is not limited thereto but only defined by the claims that follow.

[0120] Foodiq Oy - 27 - 30A-163 701

[0121] List of Reference Numerals Foodiq Oy - 28- 30A-163701 Foodiq Oy - 29- 30A-163701

Claims

Foodiq Oy - 30 - 30A-163 701Claims1. A food processing unit (10) configured to produce a food product having a liquid ingredient, the food processing unit (10) comprising: a process tank (14) having a top portion (14A), a bottom portion (14B), a side wall (14C) extending between the top portion (14A) and the bottom portion (14B), a liquid inlet opening (92), and a food product outlet opening (86); a mixer (100) arranged within the tank (14) in a region of the bottom portion (14B), the mixer (100) comprising a mixer ring (102) and a rotor (104) concentrically arranged within the mixer ring (102), the mixer ring (102) having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart openings (106); and a liquid inlet pipe (84) extending from the liquid inlet opening (92) to a region in the tank (14) adjacent to the mixer (100).

2. The food processing unit (10) of claim 1, wherein the liquid inlet pipe (84) is arranged to direct liquid towards an inside of the mixer ring (102).

3. The food processing unit (10) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the liquid inlet pipe (84) extends from the liquid inlet opening (92) in a first direction into the tank (14) and bends in a second direction towards the mixer (100).

4. The food processing unit (10) of any of the preceding claims, comprising a rotatable first shaft (88) extending through the bottom portion (14B) of the tank (14); and wherein the rotor (104) comprises a set of rotor vanes (110) supported by the first shaft (88) and at least partially located within the mixer ring (102).

5. The food processing unit (10) of claim 4, wherein the rotor vanes (110) extend from the first shaft (88) to a region adjacent a radially inner surface of the mixer ring (102) and each have a curved cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the first shaft (88).Foodiq Oy - 31 - 30A-163 7016. The food processing unit (10) of claim 4 or 5, comprising one or more cutting blades (132, 134) supported by the first shaft (88) in a shaft region outside the mixer ring (102).

7. The food processing unit (10) of claim 6 in combination with claim 3, wherein the one or more cutting blades (132, 134) comprise one or more cutting arms (142) curved in a plane perpendicular to the first shaft (88), wherein a curvature of at least one the one or more cutting arms (142) is opposite to a curvature of the rotor vanes (110).

8. The food processing unit (10) of any of claims 4 to 7, wherein the first shaft (88) is arranged so as to at least one of i. be inclined relative to a longitudinal axis (L2) of the tank (14); ii. be inclined relative to an extension of at least a portion of the liquid inlet pipe (84); and iii. intersect the bottom portion (14B) of the tank (14) at a distance from the longitudinal axis (L2) of the tank (14).

9. The food processing unit (10) of claim 8, comprising a pipe section (80) in communication with the food product outlet opening (86) and attached to the bottom portion (14B) of the tank (14), and wherein the pipe section (80) has a longitudinal axis (L3) that is arranged so as to at least one of i. be inclined relative to the longitudinal axis (L2) of tank (14); ii. intersect the bottom portion (14B) of the tank (14) at a distance from the longitudinal axis (L2) of the tank (14); iii. be inclined relative to the first shaft (88); and iv. lie in a plane that further includes the longitudinal axes (L2, Ml) of the tank (14) and the first shaft (88).

10. The food processing unit (10) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the bottom portion (14B) of the tank (14) has a tapering shape.

11. The food processing unit (10) of claim 10, wherein the tapering bottom portion (14B) of the tank (14) comprises an upper region and a lower region, wherein the upper region is located closer to the top portion (14A) of the tank (14) than the lower region and is steeper than the lower region.Foodiq Oy - 32 - 30A-163 70112. The food processing unit (10) of claim 11, wherein at least one of the following items is located in the lower region of the tapering bottom region: the liquid inlet opening (92); the food product outlet opening (86); an opening through which extends a rotatable member (88); an opening (76) through which extends a temperature sensor or wiring thereof.

13. The food processing unit (10) of any of the preceding claims, comprising a rotatable scraper (126) having at least one first scraper blade (120A, 120B) configured to scrape the food product from an inner surface of the tank (14).

14. The food processing unit (10) of claim 13 in combination with any of claims 10 to 12, wherein the at least one first scraper blade (120A) is arranged to scrape an inner surface of the upper region of the bottom portion (14B) of the tank (14).

15. The food processing unit (10) of claim 13 or 14 wherein the scraper (126) comprises at least one second scraper blade (120B) arranged to scrape an inner surface of the side wall (14C) of the tank (14).

16. The food processing unit (10) of any of claims 13 to 15, wherein the scraper (126) comprises a rotatable second shaft (122) extending through the top portion (14A) of the tank (14).

17. The food processing unit (10) of any of the preceding claims, comprising an agitator (126) with one or more agitator paddles (124).

18. The food processing unit (10) of claim 17 in combination with claim 16, wherein the one or more agitator paddles (124) are attached to the second shaft (122).

19. The food processing unit (10) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the tank (14) comprises a vacuuming opening (48) configured to enable a communication between an inside of the tank (14) and a vacuum source (300).Foodiq Oy - 33 - 30A-163 70120. The food processing unit (10) of claim 19, wherein the vacuuming opening (48) is located in the top portion (14A) of the tank (14).

21. The food processing unit (10) of any of the preceding claims, comprising a liquid reservoir (200) fluidically coupled to the tank (14).

22. The food processing unit (10) of claim 21, wherein the liquid reservoir (200) is filled with oil.

23. The food processing unit (10) of claim 19 or 20 in combination with claim 21 or 22, comprising the vacuum source (300), and wherein the food processing unit (10) is configured so that the vacuum source (300) in operation draws liquid from the liquid reservoir (200) through the liquid inlet pipe (84) into the tank (14).

24. The food processing unit (10) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the liquid inlet pipe (84) has i. a first cross-section adjacent the liquid inlet opening (92) of the tank (14); and ii. a liquid outlet opening (114A) having a second cross-section that is smaller than the first cross-section.

25. The food processing unit (10) of claim 24, wherein the liquid inlet pipe (84) has a tapering section (114B) in a region between the first cross-section and the second cross-section.

26. The food processing unit (10) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the liquid inlet pipe (84) extends through the liquid inlet opening (92).

27. The food processing unit (10) of any of the preceding claims, comprising at least one jacket (56A, 56B) covering at least a portion of the tank (14) and defining at least one compartment (58A, 58B) for receiving, in particular defining a section of a flow path for, a tempering medium.

28. The food processing unit (10) of claim 27, wherein the at least one jacket (56A, 56B) defines an upper compartment (58A) and a lower compartment (58B), wherein the upper compartment (58A) isFoodiq Oy - 34 - 30A-163 701 located closer to the top portion (14A) of the tank (14) than the lower compartment (58B) and is fluidically sealed from the lower compartment (58B), and wherein each of the upper compartment (58A) and the lower compartment (58B) has at least one port (60, 62, 64, 66) for the tempering medium.

29. The food processing unit (10) of any of claims 27 or 28, wherein at least a portion of the bottom portion (14B) of the tank (14) is excluded from being covered by any jacket.

30. A food processing unit (10) configured to produce a food product, the food processing unit comprising: a process tank (14) having a first longitudinal axis (L2), a top portion (14A), a bottom portion (14B) and a side wall (14C) extending between the top portion (14A) and the bottom portion (14B); a mixer (100) arranged within the tank (14) in a region of the bottom portion (14B), the mixer (100) comprising a mixer ring (102) and a rotor (104) concentrically arranged within the mixer ring (102), wherein the mixer ring (102) has a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart openings (106), wherein the rotor (104) is supported by a rotatable shaft (88) that is inclined relative to the tank longitudinal axis (L2); a food product outlet opening (86) and a pipe section (80) in communication with the food product outlet opening (86) and having a second longitudinal axis (L3), wherein the second longitudinal axis (L3) is inclined relative to both the first longitudinal axis (L2) and the shaft (88) supporting the rotor.

31. A food processing unit (10) configured to produce a food product, the food processing unit comprising: a process tank (14) having a top portion (14A), a bottom portion (14B) and a side wall (14C) extending between the top portion (14A) and the bottom portion (14B); at least one jacket (56A, 56B) covering at least a portion of the tank (14), wherein the at least one jacket (56A, 56B) defines an upper compartment (58A) and a lower compartment (58B), wherein the upper compartment (58A) is located closer to the top portion (14A) of the tank (14) than the lower compartment (58B) and is fluidically sealed from the lower compartment (58B), and wherein each of the upper compartment (58A) and the lower compartment (58B) has at least one port (60, 62, 64, 66) for receiving a tempering medium.Foodiq Oy - 35 - 30A-163 70132. A food processing unit (10) configured to produce a food product, the food processing unit comprising: a process tank (14) having a top portion (14A), a bottom portion (14B) and a side wall (14C) extending between the top portion (14A) and the bottom portion (14B), wherein the tank bottom portion (14B) has a tapering shape with a tapering upper region and a tapering lower region, wherein the upper region is located closer to the tank top portion (14A) than the lower region and tapers linearly; a rotatable scraper (126) having at least one scraper blade (120A, 120B) configured to scrape the food product from an inner surface of the tapering upper region of the tank bottom portion (14B).

33. The food processing unit (10) of claim 32, comprising at least one jacket (56A, 56B) at least partially covering the tank (14) and defining at least one compartment (58A, 58B) adjacent to the tapering upper region of the tank bottom portion (14B), the at least one compartment having at least one port (60, 62, 64, 66) for receiving a tempering medium.

34. A method of operating a food processing unit (10) to produce a food product having a liquid ingredient, the food processing unit (10) comprising a process tank (14) and a mixer (100) arranged within the tank (14) in a region of a bottom portion (14B) thereof, the mixer (100) comprising a mixer ring (102) and a rotor (104) concentrically arranged within the mixer ring (102), the mixer ring (102) having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart openings (106), the method comprising: providing liquid to a region adjacent to the mixer (100) by a liquid inlet pipe (84) extending into the tank (14).

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