Patent ID: 8586899
Filing Date: 2013-11-19
Classification: A23L,B65G,H05B

Abstract:
1. A conditioning system for cooking prepackaged products comprising: a product conditioning unit including an inlet assembly for the introduction of prepackaged products into the product conditioning unit, a pressurizeable tunnel subdivided into consecutively aligned stages including at least one pressurizeable heating stage for heating prepackaged products, and an outlet assembly for the expulsion of prepackaged products from the product conditioning unit; a heating means for providing heating in at least said pressurizeable heating stage, said heating means including a microwave source for creating a microwave field for heating prepackaged products; a pressurizing means for controlling the pressure of said pressurizeable heating stage so as to maintain an increased pressure within said pressurizeable chamber so as to prevent packages within from bursting; a conveyor means for transporting prepackaged products from upline to downline through said pressurizeable heating stage; said inlet assembly providing an inlet for introduction of packages into said pressurizeable tunnel while maintaining a pressure seal for said tunnel while packages are introduced into said tunnel, said inlet assembly comprising a least a first screwstack in the form of a pressure vessel, said first screwstack including a first openable and closeable door for introduction of packages into said first screwstack, a second openable and closeable door for the transfer of packages from said first screwstack into said pressurizeable tunnel, and a pair of parallel rotating screws for engaging and conveying packages from said first door to said second door; said outlet assembly providing an outlet for expulsion of packages from said pressurizeable tunnel while maintaining a pressurized seal for said tunnel while packages are expelled from said tunnel, said outlet assembly comprising at least a first screwstack in the form of a pressure vessel, said first screwstack including a first openable and closeable door for transfer of packages from said pressurizeable tunnel into said first screwstack, a second openable and closeable door for the exit of packages from said second screwstack, and a pair of parallel rotating screws for engaging and conveying packages from said first door to said second door; a controller for controlling the operation of said inlet assembly including controlling the inlet assembly's first screwstack's first door to remain closed when said inlet assembly's first screwstack's second door is open and controlling the inlet assembly's first screwstack's second door to remain closed when said inlet assembly's first screwstack's first door is open, and said controller further controlling the inlet assembly's first screwstack's pair of screws to rotate to transport packages from exterior to said inlet assembly's first screwstack to interior to said inlet assembly's first screwstack when said inlet assembly's first screwstack's first door is open and to transport packages from interior to said inlet assembly's first screwstack to said pressureizable tunnel when said inlet assembly's first screwstack's second door is open; and said controller also controlling the operation of said outlet assembly including controlling the outlet assembly's first screwstack's first door to remain closed when said outlet assembly's first screwstack's second door is open and controlling the outlet assembly's first screwstack's second door to remain closed when said outlet assembly's first screwstack's first door is open, and said controller further controlling the outlet assembly's first screwstack's pair of screws to rotate to transport packages from interior of said pressurizeable tunnel to said outlet assembly's first screwstack's interior when said outlet assembly's first screwstack's first door is open and to transport packages from interior to said outlet assembly's first screwstack to exterior to said outlet assembly when said outlet assembly's first screwstack's second door is open.