Abstract:
A cryogen injection nozzle for a blender, comprising a housing having an internal chamber extending therethrough; a first tube extending along the internal chamber and having a first opening for delivering a cryogen to the blender; and a fluid flow apparatus mounted to the housing for introducing and removing a fluid flow at the internal chamber, the apparatus including a first pipe extending into the internal chamber for delivering the fluid flow to contact the first tube, and a second pipe extending a shorter distance into the internal chamber than the first pipe for removing the fluid flow from the internal chamber. Related methods are also provided.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present embodiments relate to apparatus and methods which injection cryogenic substances into blenders or mixers for cooling food products therein. 
         [0002]    It is known to use nozzles to inject cryogenic substances, such as for example liquid nitrogen, into a blender for food products in order to chill same for subsequent processing. Such a process is referred to as bottom injection (BI), and the nozzles which inject the cryogenic substance are frequently referred to as bottom injection nozzles (BINs). Such known BINs are usually mounted at an exterior wall of the blender, and in fluid communication with an interior of the blender such that the cryogenic substance can be injected through the BIN and directly into the food being processed in the blender. Unfortunately, for most applications the product in the blender is a wet product which can be inadvertently drawn into an orifice of the BIN, thereby causing freezing of the orifice and clogging of same. When such clogging occurs, injection of the cryogen must be suspended until the nozzle orifice is cleared in order for further chilling in the blender to resume. 
         [0003]    Known BINs are manufactured either from thick stainless steel or include a teflon sleeve. With either construction, both can suffer from the inadvertent freezing described above. That is, with the stainless steel nozzle, a large amount of heat from the blender wall can be transferred to the BIN which will remain extremely cold even after the injection cycle of the cryogen is complete. This can result in clogging of the nozzle orifice after the injection cycle. On the other hand, use of the teflon sleeve as part of the nozzle as mentioned above, does reduce an amount of the heat transfer from the blender wall, but nozzles having the teflon sleeve construction are prone to product migration from the blender to between the teflon sleeve and the housing of the nozzle which, upon exposure to the cryogenic temperatures, causes the housing of the nozzle to crack from thermal expansion and contraction. 
         [0004]    Accordingly, what is needed is a BIN that can be used with a blender, but which will not have its orifice clogged, not have the housing crack, and not become inoperable under the effect of thermal expansion and contraction. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    There is provided herein a cryogen injection nozzle for use with a blender, comprising a steel housing having an internal chamber therein for receiving a fluid; a first tube extending through the internal chamber for delivering a cryogen from the housing into the blender; a fluid inlet tube arranged to extend through the internal chamber to a first distance for delivering the fluid to said internal chamber and contacting the first tube; and a fluid outlet tube extending into the internal chamber to a second distance less than the first distance of the fluid inlet tube, the fluid outlet tube for removing the fluid from the internal chamber. 
         [0006]    There is also provided herein a cryogen injection nozzle for a blender, comprising a housing having an internal chamber extending therethrough a first tube extending along the internal chamber and having a first opening for delivering a cryogen to the blender; and a fluid flow apparatus mounted to the housing for introducing and removing a fluid flow at the internal chamber, the apparatus including a first pipe extending into the internal chamber for delivering the fluid flow to contact the first tube, and a second pipe extending a shorter distance into the internal chamber than the first pipe for removing the fluid flow from the internal chamber. 
         [0007]    There is further provided herein a method of introducing a cryogen into a blender, comprising positioning a cryogen delivery nozzle for delivering the cryogen to the blender; delivering the cryogen through a passageway in the nozzle to an interior of the blender; introducing a fluid having a higher temperature than the cryogen into the nozzle and external to the passageway for indirect warming of the cryogen in the passageway; and removing the fluid from the nozzle. 
         [0008]    There is still further provided herein a method of defrosting a bottom injection nozzle providing a cryogen to a blender, comprising introducing a fluid into the nozzle at a first location proximate the blender; circulating the fluid for indirect contact with the cryogen for warming the nozzle and the cryogen; and removing the fluid from the nozzle at a second location further from the blender than the first location. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the following description of exemplary embodiments considered in connection with the accompanying drawing Figures, of which: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  shows a self-defrosting bottom injection nozzle apparatus according to the present embodiments for use with a blender; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  shows an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  shows a more detailed side plan view of the bottom injection nozzle apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  shows a more detailed side plan view partially in cross section of the bottom injection nozzle apparatus in  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  shows a view of the bottom injection nozzle taken along the line  5 - 5  in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    Before explaining the inventive embodiments in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, if any, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. 
         [0016]    In the following description, terms such as a horizontal, upright, vertical, above, below, beneath and the like, are to be used solely for the purpose of clarity illustrating the invention and should not be taken as words of limitation. The drawings are for the purpose of illustrating the invention and are not intended to be to scale. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a bottom injection nozzle apparatus  10  of the present embodiments is shown for being removably mountable to a blender  12  or mixer. The apparatus can also be referred to herein as an “insert,” due to the construction and coaction with the blender  12 . The blender  12  receives food products, most frequently wet food products, for mixing and being subjected to further processing thereafter. The blender  12  includes a sidewall  14  which is constructed with a port  16  or hole therein for providing fluid communication with substances at an interior of the blender  12 . The food products (not shown) very frequently need to be chilled quickly, effectively and cost-efficiently. Chilling is done with a cryogen such as for example liquid nitrogen (LIN). 
         [0018]    The blender sidewall  14  may be constructed with a cylindrical sleeve  18  or shell extending from the sidewall and having an internal passageway  20  in communication with the port  16 . The sleeve  18  can form part of the apparatus  10 . By way of example only, the sleeve  18  has a cylindrical shape with a circular cross section, although it is understood that other shapes and cross sections may be used for the sleeve. The sleeve  18  may be welded to the sidewall  14  so that the internal passageway  20  is in registration with the port  16  or alternatively, the sleeve may be formed integral with the sidewall  14 . A diameter of the cylindrical sleeve  18  can be for example approximately 2 inches (5.1 cm). An end of the sleeve  18  is formed with a flange  21  or bracket extending around the sleeve. The flange  21  includes a detent  23  or space formed therein for a purpose to be described hereinafter. 
         [0019]    Referring also to  FIGS. 3-5  there is shown more detail of the apparatus  10  for use with the blender  12 . The apparatus  10  functions as a nozzle insert to be releasably received in the passageway  20  of the cylindrical sleeve  18 . The apparatus  10  includes a stainless steel housing  22  or tube having an internal chamber  24  therein extending along a length of the housing. The housing  22  has a proximate end  26  and a distal end  28  at an opposed end of the housing. The distal end  28  is inserted first into the internal passageway  20  of the sleeve  18 . The distal end  28  is provided with an end portion  30  being approximately 0.5 inches (1.25 cm) thick and which is constructed from the same material (stainless steel) as the housing  22 . A region  33  can be ground or cut-away so that an angled end surface  31  substantially conforms to a shape of the blender sidewall  14  so that the distal end sits flush with and conforms to the sidewall  14 . The view in  FIG. 3  shows the housing  22 . 
         [0020]    The proximate end  26  of the housing  22  includes an elevated flange  32  for being removably mounted to the flange  21  or bracket of the cylindrical sleeve  18  The flange  32  includes a guide pin  34  protruding therefrom facing toward the distal end  28 . The guide pin  34  is sized and shaped to be releasably received in the detent  23  to position or seat the housing  22  in the passageway  20  of the sleeve  18 . 
         [0021]    The apparatus  10  includes a stainless steel tube  36  extending through the internal chamber  24  and being in fluid communication at one end with the port  16  of the blender  12 , and at an opposite end being constructed for releasable engagement to a remote source of cryogen such as nitrogen, as shown in  FIG. 3 . The tube  36  may be constructed with a thin wall in order to minimize thermal mass of the tube and allow for quick defrosting of same depending upon the flow rate velocity of water in the internal chamber  24  as described hereinafter. As shown in  FIG. 3 , an end of tube  36  extending from the proximate end  26  of the housing  22  is threaded for releasable engagement to the source of cryogen (not shown) provided from a remote location. 
         [0022]    A water delivery tube  38  is also disposed in the internal chamber  24  and spaced apart from the stainless steel tube  36 . The water delivery tube  38  extends along substantially the entire length of the internal chamber  24  and has an outlet  40  opening close to the distal end  28  of the housing  22 . An opposite end of the water delivery tube  38  is mechanically connected to a water connection assembly shown generally at  42 . 
         [0023]    A water outlet tube  44  is also disposed in the internal chamber  24 . The outlet tube  44  however has an opening  46  positioned substantially closer to the proximate end  26  of the housing  22 , for a purpose to be described hereinafter. As shown in  FIG. 3 , water flow  50  in the internal chamber  24  is introduced through the water tube  38  into the internal chamber for contacting the stainless steel tube  36  (which delivers the cryogen) and thereafter, being removed from the internal chamber through the opening  46  of the water outlet tube  44  to a remote location. The water outlet tube  44  external to the proximate end  26  is mechanically mounted for releasable engagement to a water connection shown generally at  48 . 
         [0024]    The internal chamber  24  functions as an annular space within the housing  22  and through which a low to high velocity flow of water introduced into the space can be achieved. The proximate end  26  of the housing  22  can be sealed with an end cap  52 . The end cap  52  is provided with holes  54 ,  56  or apertures through which a respective one of the tubes  38 ,  44  is accessible. 
         [0025]    An alternative embodiment of the apparatus  10  is constructed with the end cap  52  having the water delivery tube  38  and the water outlet tube  44  mounted thereto as a composite unit for being removably mounted to the housing  22 , such as by bayonet fitting, screw thread fitting, or other mechanical mounting assemblies. 
         [0026]    In operation and when it is necessary to introduce a cryogenic substance such as liquid nitrogen (LIN) for example into the blender  12 , the BIN apparatus  10  is inserted into the internal passageway  20  of the cylindrical sleeve  18  such that the elevated flange  32  of the apparatus and the flange bracket  21  of the sleeve are in contact for being releasably engaged to each other. Such construction provides for the angled end surface  31  to bring the distal end  28  into position such that the stainless steel tube  36  passageway therein is in fluid communication with the port  16  of the blender  12 . The cryogenic substance is introduced through the passageway of the stainless steel tube  36  and into the blender and, after a select period of time, a water flow can be introduced into the internal chamber  24  to prevent any condensation from freezing which would clog the orifice  37  of the stainless steel tube and prevent it from delivering the cryogen to the blender. The water flow  50  is delivered to the water delivery tube  38  as shown and upon exit from the water delivery tube outlet  40  floods the internal chamber  24  and contacts substantially the entire exterior surface area of the cryogen tube  36  to defrost and thaw any condensate so that the orifice  37  and the port  16  of the blender  12  do not become clogged with frozen condensate or frozen food product. Thereafter, the water flow  50  is channeled to the opening  46  of the water outlet tube  44  which opens at the internal chamber  24  such that the water flow can be exhausted from the internal chamber through the water connection  48  to a remote location which could include, for example, recycling of the water flow  50 . 
         [0027]    Regarding dimensions, by way of example only, an interior Length L 1  of the internal chamber  24  as shown in  FIG. 3  can be 7 inches (17.8 cm). 
         [0028]    The bottom injection nozzle apparatus  10  of the present embodiments can be replaced without welding same to a blender  12 , thereby resulting in a minimal amount of labor in order to quickly replace or substitute one bottom injection nozzle for another, depending upon the blending operation and product being blended. The high velocity water flow  50  through the nozzle  10  reduces flow rate requirements of the water and therefore maximizes each transfer at the nozzle. There is no clogging or plugging of the nozzle orifice with the product being blended or frozen condensate. There are no plastic or teflon parts to crack or break when exposed to the cryogenic substances. A straight bore for the nitrogen injection tube or an expanding bore nozzle allows for the embodiments to be clean-in-place (CIP), ie a user of the apparatus  10  can clean the nozzle by injecting hot, high pressure water, steam or cleaning agents through the nozzle without having to remove the nozzle. 
         [0029]    Certain embodiments herein also include a nozzle comprising an open ended sleeve mountable to the blender, the sleeve including an internal volume sized and shaped to releasably receive the housing, and a port in fluid communication with an interior of the blender and the first opening. 
         [0030]    Certain embodiments include a nozzle, wherein the fluid flow comprises a flow of water. 
         [0031]    Certain embodiments include a nozzle, wherein the cryogen comprises liquid nitrogen (LIN), and the fluid comprises water (H 2 O). 
         [0032]    Certain embodiments include a method, wherein the cryogen comprises LIN and the fluid comprises H 2 O. 
         [0033]    It will be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely exemplary, and that a person skilled in the art may make variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as described herein and in the appended claims. It should be understood that the embodiments described above are not only in the alternative, but can be combined.