Abstract:
A method for cleaning a plurality of injector needles is disclosed. The method comprises exposing the plurality of injector needles to a cleaning solution, removing the plurality of injector needles from the cleaning solution, and exposing simultaneously the hollow interior shaft of each injector needle to a gaseous stream. The gaseous stream removes any moisture and fine particles that remain in the plurality of injector needles after the injector needles are cleaned. In one embodiment the injector needle&#39;s hollow interior shaft is of a lesser diameter at the tip than at the head of the injector needle. The gaseous stream is directed into the injector needle through the tip and exits the needle through the head, thereby simultaneously backflushing the injector needles.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0001]     The use of injection methods in the food industry is well known. Injector needle technology allows a multitude of liquids and fine particles including flavorings and/or preservatives to be injected into meats, poultry and fish, as well as other foodstuffs. The injection is accomplished by injector machines such as those marketed by Metalquimia of Girona, Spain. As with all equipment utilized to handle or manipulate food items, the injector needles must be cleaned meticulously to meet government and industry standards. Several apparatus for cleaning a plurality of injector needles are known in the art. One method includes the use of a stream of compressed air to dry the interior of the injector needle. An example of this method utilizes a Metalquimia Needle Blow Tube. Unfortunately, this process involves manually connecting each individual injector needle to the Needle Blow Tube. This method is quite time consuming, as it typically takes at least six seconds to dry each injector needle.  
         [0002]     It is therefore desirable to provide a method that allows a plurality of injector needles to be dried simultaneously.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0003]     In one aspect of the present invention a method for cleaning a plurality of injector needles, each injector needle having at least one hollow interior shaft, is provided. The method comprises exposing the plurality of injector needles to a cleaning solution, removing the plurality of injector needles from the cleaning solution, and exposing simultaneously the at least one hollow interior shaft of each injector needle to a gaseous stream. The gaseous stream removes any moisture and fine particles that remain in the plurality of injector needles after the injector needles are cleaned.  
         [0004]     In another aspect of the present invention a method is disclosed for backflushing injector needles wherein each injector needle includes a head at one end of the injector needle and a tip at the opposite end of the injector needle. Each injector needle includes at least one interior shaft that is of a lesser diameter at the tip than at the head. The gaseous stream simultaneously enters the plurality of injector needles through the tips and exits the plurality of injector needles through the heads, thereby simultaneously backflushing the interior of the injector needles.  
         [0005]     These are merely illustrative aspects of the present invention and should not be deemed an all-inclusive listing of the innumerable aspects associated with the present invention. These and other aspects will become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the following disclosure. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0006]      FIG. 1  is a top view of a needle board designed to hold 260 injector needles.  
         [0007]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the needle board of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0008]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of an injector needle cleaning apparatus.  
         [0009]      FIG. 4  is a top view of an embodiment of the cleaning apparatus of  FIG. 3  designed to hold four needle boards of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of an injector needle backflushing apparatus.  
         [0011]      FIG. 6  is a top of the embodiment of an injector needle backflushing apparatus of  FIG. 5 , shown with the needle board of  FIG. 1  removed.  
         [0012]      FIG. 7  is a top view of an injector needle alignment board designed for 260 injector needles.  
         [0013]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the alignment board of  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]     The injection or injector needles utilized for injecting liquids into meats and other foodstuffs vary according to the application, but include single and multiple orifice injector needles, and are generally made of stainless steel. A typical injector needle, shown for illustrative purposes only, is seen in  FIG. 2 . The injector needle, generally designated  10  includes a head  12  at one end, a tip  16  at the opposite end, and a shaft  14 . The injector needle further includes at least one interior hollow shaft  18 . In this illustrative embodiment, the diameter of the interior shaft  18  is less at the tip  16  than at the head  12 .  
         [0015]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show a needle board generally designated  20 . The needle board  20  can be of any shape and size as desired by the user, and configured to fit into the particular cleaning and backflushing apparatus, as discussed below. The illustrated needle board  20  includes 260 holes  22  designed to hold the injector needles  10 . The needle board  20  may be made of any suitable material, including synthetic material such as nylon. A suitable material is Delron White Board. The diameter of the holes  22  is such that the tip  16  and shaft  14  of the injector needles  10  are slipped through the hole  22 , while the head  12  prevents the injector needles  10  from falling through the needle board  20 . The needle board  20  is therefore specific for injector needles  10  of a particular diameter; separate needle boards  20  are required for each diameter injector needle  10  to be cleaned. The illustrative board  20  further includes optional handles  24 ,  26  to facilitate the placement of the needle board.  
         [0016]      FIGS. 3 and 4  are an illustrative example of a needle cleaning apparatus, generally designated  28 . This type of cleaning apparatus  28  is well known in the art, and suitable models are commercially available from sources such as Metalquimia of Girona, Spain. The cleaning apparatus  28  can be designed to accept one or more needle boards  20  of the dimensions desired for the particular application. An apparatus  28  for cleaning four needle boards  20  of  260  injector needles is illustrated.  
         [0017]     In the illustrative example the cleaning apparatus consists of a bottom  30 , side sections  32 ,  34 ,  36  and  38  and a cover or lid  40 . The cover  40  is connected to side  32  by hinge or hinges  42 , and held in place by a latch  44  when the cover  40  is in the closed position. This allows the cover  40  to be lifted to allow insertion and removal of the needle board or boards  20 . When the board or boards  20  are inserted they rest on flanges  46 ,  48  so that the injector needles  10  do not come in contact with the bottom  30  of the apparatus. The length of the particular injector needles  10  is therefore a design consideration. Leveling means  50  are typically included to insure the injector needles  10  remain substantially vertical to prevent damage from contact with the sides  32 ,  34 ,  36  and  38  of the apparatus.  
         [0018]     The cleaning apparatus  28  includes at least one fluid port, and typically at least one inlet  52  and at least one outlet  54  to allow cleaning solutions and rinse water to be introduced and evacuated. This type of apparatus  28  may further include any number of additional components such as agitation means, heating means, and or temperature controls, not shown. The apparatus  28  may be run manually or be automated, as is well known in the art.  
         [0019]      FIGS. 5 and 6  are of an illustrative embodiment of a needle backflushing apparatus  56  suitable for use with the present method. As with the cleaning apparatus  28  discussed above, the needle backflushing apparatus  56  may be designed to hold one or more needle boards  20  of the dimensions desired for the particular application. This illustrative example holds a single board  20  of  260  injector needles.  
         [0020]     The needle backflushing apparatus  56  includes a bottom  58 , sides  60 ,  62 ,  64  and  66 , and a cover or lid  68 . The cover  68  is connected to the side  60  by hinge or hinges  70  and is secured by latch  72  when cover  68  is in the closed position. As with the cleaning apparatus  28 , flanges  74 ,  76  hold the needle board or boards  20  when they are placed into the backflushing apparatus  56 , and a leveling means  78  is preferably included. At least one inlet  80  is in fluid communication with a means for producing a gaseous stream, typically a compressor  82 , valve  84 , pressure monitor  86  and a release valve  88 . As this apparatus is merely illustrative, any number of additional features may be added, as is well known in the art.  
         [0021]     The needle backflushing apparatus  56  further includes a needle alignment board, generally designated  90 , better seen in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . As with the needle board  20 , the needle alignment board  90  may be made of any suitable material, including synthetic material such as nylon. The needle alignment board  90  includes holes  92  that correspond to the holes  22  in the needle board  20 . The holes  92  include a beveled edge  94  to guide the injector needles  10  into holes  92 . A sealing layer  96  of gasket-like material is attached by any suitable means to the side of the needle alignment board  90  opposite the beveled edge  94 . In this illustrative example sealing layer  96  is {fraction (1/16)} inch thick neoprene, but any suitable USDA approved material may be used. The injector needles  10  pass through holes  98  in layer  96 , and once fully inserted the sealing layer  96  secures around the injector needles  10 . The needle alignment board  90  includes apertures  100  through which bolts  102  engage corresponding apertures  104  in support flanges  106 ,  108 , although needle alignment board  90  may be secured in place by any suitable method.  
         [0022]     In an alternative embodiment not illustrated, the needle alignment board  90  holes  92  may include O-rings to seal about the injector needles  10  in place of the sealing layer  96 .  
         [0023]     In operation, the injector needles  10  are placed into the holes  22  of needle board  20 . This is typically done before needle board  20  is placed into cleaning apparatus  28 , but this is not critical to the present method. The needle boards  20  are then inserted into the cleaning apparatus  28  and the cover  40  is secured. The injector needles  10  are then cleaned by any conventional method, typically a protocol as designed by the injector needle  10  manufacturer, as is well known in the art.  
         [0024]     In an illustrative example the injector needles  10  are exposed to a cleaning solution that is introduced into the cleaning apparatus  28  through inlet  52 , with or without agitation, and then drained from the cleaning apparatus  28  through outlet  54 . Suitable agitation means include but are not limited to the use of steam or a recycle pump. A rinse cycle typically follows. The needle boards  20  holding the cleaned injector needles  10  are then removed from the cleaning apparatus  28  and placed into the needle backflushing apparatus  56 .  
         [0025]     As the needle boards  20  are inserted into the backflushing apparatus  56 , the beveled edge  94  guides the injector needles  10  into holes  92 , and the sealing layer  96  creates a seal about the injector needles  10 . The cover  68  is closed and secured, or other means are provided to prevent the injector needles  10  from being ejected from backflushing apparatus  56  when the air source is engaged. The compressor  82  is turned on and a stream of air is forced in through inlet  80 . Because of the seal created around the injector needles  10  by the sealing layer  96 , substantially the only path for the gaseous stream is in through the injector needle tips  16 , and out through the injector needle heads  12 . This backflushes the injector needles  10 , since the interior diameter of shaft  18  is less at the tip  16  than at the head  12 . The injector needles  10  are thereby dried, and any fine particles present are forced out through the head  12  of the injector needles  10 .  
         [0026]     In an illustrative example utilizing the backflush apparatus  56  described herein, a two inch air valve  84  is opened for 5 to 7 seconds. The air stream is filtered, by a 1 micron filter, for example, to prevent the introduction of foreign material into the backflush apparatus  56  and the injector needles  10 . An inlet air pressure of  120  psig typically creates a satisfactory backflush.  
         [0027]     While embodiments of a needle board, a cleaning apparatus and a backflushing apparatus have been disclosed for purposes of illustration, the method of the present invention is in no way intended to be limited by these disclosures. The needle board may be of any size, shape or design, or the injector needles may be positioned in a different way without departing from the method of the present invention.  
         [0028]     The cleaning apparatus may be of any size, shape or design, so long as the injector needles are cleaned to the desired specifications. The backflushing apparatus may be of any size, shape or design, so long as a substantial portion of an air stream is directed to flow simultaneously through the interior shafts of a plurality of injector needles.  
         [0029]     In addition, the backflushing method of the present invention may be applied to cleaning other types of needles in addition to injector needles.  
         [0030]     Having described the invention in detail, those skilled in the art will appreciate that modifications may be made of the invention without departing from its spirit and scope.  
         [0031]     Therefore, it is not intended that the scope of the invention be limited to the specific embodiments described.  
         [0032]     Rather, it is intended that the appended claims and their equivalents determine the scope of the invention.