AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR PRODUCING A COOLED SEMI-LIQUID FOOD PRODUCT AND CLEANING DEVICE USED THEREBY

Abstract: Automatic device for producing a cooled semi-liquid food product, comprising a pump (1), a suction conduit (5) connected to the pump (1) and provided with a connection piece (6) which is connected during operation to a reservoir (8), a pressure conduit (2) connecting to the pump (1) and an end of which forms the draught end (3) and a cooling element (4), of which the cooled part (14) is located in the pressure conduit (2), characterized in that it comprises a cleaning device (27) comprising in its turn a cleaning conduit (30) which is provided with a connection piece (31), fitting on a closeable opening of the pressure conduit (2) and with a connection piece (32) fitting removably to the connection piece (6) of the suction conduit (5), a closeable drain conduit (34) connecting to this cleaning conduit (30), a closeable supply conduit (37) for liquid under pressure for cleaning or rinsing, connecting to this cleaning conduit (30), means (35) for blocking the drain conduit (34) and means (42, 43, 44, 45) for blocking the liquid supply conduit (37).

Description: Automatic device for producing a cooled semi-liσuid food product and cleaning device used thereby. The invention relates to a automatic device for producing a cooled semi-liquid food product, more specifically soft- ice, milk-shake or yoghurt-shake, starting from a composition, which automatic device comprises a pump, a suction conduit connecting at its one end to the pump and provided at its other end with a connection piece which is connected to a reservoir with the composition when the automatic device is in operation, a pressure conduit connected with its one end to the pump and the other end of which forms a draught end for the food product and a cooling element, the cooling part of which forms the evaporator of a cooling circuit and the cooled part of which is located in said pressure conduit. Such automatic devices are used for producing soft-ice or milk-shakes. A liquid composition is pumped from a reservoir, usually a supple bag, by means of the pump which also provides in an injection of air and thus the whipping of the mixture. The thus whipped mixture is consequently cooled in the cooling element. A rotating screw-shaped scraper is mounted around the cooling part of this element, scraping the whipped mixture over the cooling part and pushing it towards the draught end. Soft-ice is cooled in such a way that ice formation occurs around the cooling part. Such automatic devices are also used for distributing yoghurt. With these automatic devices, the whipping with air is not necessary, and the pump does not inject air but is only used for pumping the yoghurt compo.sition from the reservoir to the cooling element. It is generally known that the bacteriological cleanness of the food products produced by the above-mentioned automatic devices sometimes leaves much to be desired. This is caused by a lack of regular and effective cleaning of the parts coming in contact with the food product or the composition. In order to clean the known automatic devices, the suction conduit has to be disconnected from the reservoir and has to be put consecutively in reservoirs with different liquids such as a cleaning liquid, a so-called sanitary liquid and a rinsing liquid. The pump is put in operation every time and when the liquid reaches the draught end, also the scraper in the cooling element is put in operation. The above-mentioned cleaning is very time consuming and is therefore often omitted. Indeed, the pump has a limited delivery and the reservoir containing the liquid has to be replaced regularly. It has been tried to solve the problem of the bacteriological cleanness by subjecting the composition or the food product to a pasteurization in the automatic device. It has been found that this produced a change of taste in most cases. Moreover, a quantity loss of the end product was noticed with soft-ice and milk-shake automatic devices. The invention aims at avoiding these disadvantages and at providing a automatic device for producing a cooled semi- liquid food product, which can be cleaned in a simple, rapid and effective way. To this end, the automatic device comprises a built-in cleaning device which contains a cleaning conduit which is provided at its one end with a connection piece fitting on a closeable opening of the pressure conduit on or in the vicinity of the draught end, and at its other end with connection piece fitting removably on the connection piec of the suction conduit, a closeable drain connecting t this cleaning conduit, a closeable supply conduit fo cleaning or rinsing liquid under pressure, connected t this cleaning conduit, means to close the drain* and mean to close the liquid supply conduit. Depending on whether or not the means for closing th drain and the means for closing the supply conduit are i operation, liquid can be added to, drained from o circulated in a closed circuit through the parts of th automatic device to be cleaned, which are in contact wit the food product of the composition. The cleaning device preferably comprises in its cleanin conduit an additional pump, having a higher delivery tha the pump between the suction conduit and the pressur conduit, and a shunt of the latter pump. In this embodiment, liquid can be drained of circulated a a high delivery. The liquid which cannot be pumped by th pump between the suction conduit and the pressure conduit, can flow through the shunt. The shunt is effectively closeable. This can be realize by connecting the shunt to the pressure conduit or to th suction conduit by means of a three-way tap. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the means fo closing the drain comprise a three-way tap which i mounted not only in the drain but also in the cleanin conduit. In an other particular embodiment of the invention, the supply conduit is connected to the cleaning conduit by means of a three-way tap. The above-mentioned additional pump is preferably mounted between the first connection piece of the cleaning conduit and the drain. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the supply conduit is provided with means for connecting it to the water distribution network and the means for closing the supply conduit contain at least one valve. The cleaning device preferably comprises thereby a reservoir for special liquid, mounted in a conduit part which is parallel to a part of the supply conduit, whereas the means for closing the supply conduit comprise two valves, one in the part of the supply conduit and one in the parallel conduit part. The supply conduit can even comprise two connections, one for hot water and one for cold water, and two reservoirs for special liquid mounted in conduit parts respectively parallel to the conduit parts giving on the two connections, whereas the means for closing the supply conduit comprise four valves, one on the conduit part giving on the connection for cold water, one on the parallel conduit part therefor, one on the conduit part giving on the connection for hot water and one on the parallel conduit part therefor. The invention also relates to the cleaning device from the automatic device according to one of the preceding embodiments. This cleaning device can be commercialized as such to be mounted on existing automatic devices without such a device. In order to better show the characteristics of the invention, a preferred embodiment of a automatic device for producing a cooled semi-liquid food product and of a cleaning device according to the invention used thereby, is described as an example without any limitative character whatsoever, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: figure 1 is a schematic representation of a soft-ice automatic device according to the invention, during its normal operation; figure 2 is a schematic representation of the automatic device of the preceding figure, but during the adding of cleaning, disinfecting or rinsing liquid; figure 3 is a schematic representation of the automatic device of the preceding figures, but during the circulation of cleaning, disinfecting or rinsing liquid; figure 4 is a schematic representation of the automatic device of the preceding figures, but during the draining of the cleaning, disinfecting or rinsing liquid; figure 5 is a schematic representation of the cooling circuit of the automatic device of the precedin figures. The soft-ice automatic device represented in figures 1 to 4 comprises in the usual way a blending pump 1, a pressure conduit 2 connecting the pressure side of the blendin pump 1 to the draught end 3, a cooling element 4 mounte in the pressure conduit 2 and a suction conduit connecting the suction side of the blending pump 1 to a connection piece 6 which is connected, during the normal operation, to a corresponding connection piece 7 of a bag 8 with a liquid composition. In the suction conduit 5 a recoil valve 9 is mounted and a pressure meter 10 is connected to the pressure conduit through a conduit 11. The blending pump 1 is a cylinder pump which not only pumps up liquid composition from the bag 6 but also injects air in this composition through a suction opening 12, and whips this composition with air. The cooling element 4 comprises an inner cooling part 13 and around it a circular cooled chamber 14, confined at the outside by the casing 15 and forming part of the pressure conduit 2. In this chamber 14 a scraper 16, this is a frame with helical scraping knives, is mounted rotatably around the part 13 to scrape off the crystals of the composition formed on this part. The chamber 14 connects at the one hand to the draught end 3 of the pressure conduit, protruding outside the casing 15 and at the other hand to a closeable disairing opening 18 which gives on a drain 17. A manually operated drain tap 19 is mounted on the draught end, thus forming together with the draught end a closeable opening of the pressure conduit 2. The cooling part 13 forms the evaporator of the cooling circuit represented in more detail in figure 5. This cooling circuit comprises a conduit 20 forming a closed circuit, in which subsequently in the flow direction the compressor 21, the water- and air-cooled condenser 22, the primary part of the heat exchanger 23, the filter 24, the expansion valve 25, said evaporator 13, the secondary part of the heat exchanger 23 and the moisture excreter 26 ar mounte . A main characteristic for the invention is the fact tha the automatic device comprises a cleaning device 27 and shunt conduit 28, bridging over the condenser 22, the hea exchanger 23, the filter 24 and the expansion valve 25 o the cooling circuit together, and in which a electromagnetic valve is mounted. The cleaning device 27 comprises a cleaning conduit 3 ending, at the one hand in a connection piece 31 and, a the other hand, in a connection piece 32. In this cleaning conduit 30 a centrifugal pump 33 i mounted, the delivery of which is higher than that of th blending pump 1. A drain conduit 34 is connected to the cleaning conduit 3 by means of a pneumatic three-way valve 35 which neve closes the cleaning conduit, but in one position block the drain conduit 34 and in the other position connect this drain conduit to the cleaning conduit 30. Between the three-way valve 35 and the connection piec 32, a second three-way valve 36 is mounted in the cleanin conduit. A supply conduit 37 is also connected to the cleanin conduit 30, which supply conduit connects, on the on hand, to the three-way valve 36 and, at the other hand, through branchings 38, .39, 40 and 41 to fou electromagnetic valves 42, 43, 44 and 45. The three-way valve 36 is mounted in such a way that i never blocks the connection of the supply conduit 37 t the cleaning conduit 30, but in one position blocks the cleaning conduit 30 and in the other position connects the parts of this cleaning conduit 30 at both sides of the three-way valve 36. In the branching 39, a recoil valve 46 and a first reservoir 47 are mounted, whereas in the branching 41 another recoil valve 48 and a second reservoir 49 are mounted. The valves 42 and 43 are connected through a connection 50 to a hot water boiler which is connected to the water supply network, whereas the valves 44 and 45 are connected through a connection 51 to the water supply network. A recoil valve 52 is mounted in the supply conduit 36. The blending pump 1 is bridged by a shunt conduit 53. Between the blending pump 1 and the cooling element 4, this shunt conduit 53 connects to the pressure conduit 2 by means of a pneumatic three-way valve 54. This three- way valve 54 can never block the pressure conduit 2, but on one position blocks the shunt conduit 53 and in the other position connects the shunt conduit 53 to the pressure conduit 2. The first conduit part 30 is provided with a closeable connection 55, to which the conduit 11 can be connected, which conduit 11 can be disconnected from the pressure meter 10. The operation of the automatic device is as follows: During normal operation it is in the condition represented in figure 1. The connection pieces 6 and 7 are connected to each other and the suction conduit 5 is connected to the bag 8. The shunt conduit 53 is blocked by the three way valve 54. The conduit 11 connects to the pressur meter 10. The disairing opening 18 is closed and th connection piece 31 is disconnected thereof. The valve 2 in the cooling circuit is closed. When soft-ice is made, the blending pump 1 is in operatio and the draught valve 18 is open. Liquid composition i pumped from the bag 8, whipped in the blending pump 1 an transformed to ice in the cooling element 4, which ice is drawn through the draught end 3 which can be closed by the drain tap 19. To clean the automatic device, the connection piece 6 is disconnected, and connected to the connection piece 32. The disairing opening 18 is opened, as well as the drai tap 19, and the connection piece 31 is connected to th draught end 3. The conduit 11 is also connection to th connection 55. The reservoirs 44 and 49 are fille respectively with so-called sanitary liquid and cleanin product. By means of an electronic control mechanism, which is no represented in the figures for the sake of simplicity, th pneumatic three-way valves 32, 35 and 54 and the valve 29, 42, 43, 44 and 45 are controlled. Thus, the following operations can be executed: One can rinse, meaning that through the supply conduit 3 liquid is supplied to the cleaning conduit 30 and draine off through the drain conduit 34. The different three-wa valves and their valves are in the position represented i figure 2. The three-way valve 54 connects the shun conduit 53 to the pressure conduit 2 and the three-wa valve 35 connects the drain conduit 34 with the cleanin conduit 30. The centrifugal pump 34 is in operation. This liquid flows over the three-way valve 36, the connection pieces 6 and 7, the suction conduit 5, the blending pump 1, the pressure conduit 2 with the draught end 3 which is kept open by the drain tap 19, the conduit 30, the pump 33 and the three-way valve 35 to the drain conduit 34. Some of the liquid also flows through the open disairing opening 18 from the pressure conduit 2 straight in the drain 17. One of the valves 42, 43, 44 and 45 is open. Depending on the choice of valve the rinsing is executed with hot water (valve 42 open) , with hot water mixed with sanitary liquid (valve 43 open) , with pure cold water (valve 44 open) or with cold water mixed with cleaning liquid (valve 45 open) . In figure 2, the rinsing with cold water mixed with cleaning liquid is indicated by means of arrows. The liquid brought in the cleaning conduit 30 as with the rinsing, can also be pumped around in a • closed circuit through this conduit 30, the pressure conduit 2 and the suction conduit 5, as is represented in figure 3. The three-way valve 54 occupies the same position as when rinsing, but the three-way valve 45 blocks the drain conduit 34 whereas the three-way valve 36 connects the parts with the cleaning conduit 30 at both sides of the three-way valve 36 to each other. All the valves 42, 43, 44 and 45 are closed. The obtained situation is represented in figure 4. By replacing the three-way valve 35, relative to the preceding situation, in the position where it connects the drain conduit 34 to the cleaning conduit 30, the closed circuit formed by the cleaning conduit 30, the pressure conduit 2 and the suction conduit 5 can be emptied o drained. The succession of the three above-mentioned operations ca be chosen freely. It is possible first to rinse with war water, then to drain, subsequently to rinse with col water, drain again, rinse with cold water mixed wit cleaning liquid, circulate this mixture, etc. It is important that with the first step th electromagnetic valve 29 is opened. This causes th heated gas of the compressor 21 not to be cooled in th condenser 22, but to be led straight to the evaporator this is the part 13 of the cooling element 4. This par 13 thus no longer works as a cooling part but as a heatin part, and the cooling element 4 will very quickly b heated above the freezing point. This avoids that liqui for rinsing or cleaning or the sanitary liquid freeze i the chamber 14. The above-described cleaning device 27 can easily b fitted on an existing automatic device according to suc a device. It can also be fitted directly in new automati devices. The cleaning device 27 is relatively simple o construction an allows an easy and especially ver complete and effective cleaning. Liquid can be circulate without limitation. So far as it is necessary, certai parts such as the cooling element and the blending pump can be taken apart for further cleaning but such • dismounting is limited to a minimum by the effectivenes of the cleaning. Because the cleaning is so easy and apart from the connecting of the connection piece 31 t the disairing mouth piece 18 and the connecting of th connection piece 32 to the connection piece 6 and th connecting of the conduit 11 to the connection piece 55 can be execute fully automatically by a programmabl control unit, this cleaning will take place a the desired points in time, so that the bacteriological cleanness of the automatic device is assured. The present invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described above and represented in the accompanying drawings, but such a automatic device and cleaning device used thereby can be realized according to many variants without leaving the scope of the invention. More specifically the closeable opening of the pressure conduit to which the cleaning conduit is connected with a connection piece need not be a disairing opening. This closeable opening can be the drain tap itself. The automatic device need not be a soft-ice automatic device. It can also be a milk-shake automatic device or a yoghurt automatic device or produce soft-ice as well as milk-shake.

Claims: Claims , 1.- Automatic device for producing a cooled semi-liquid food product, more specifically soft-ice, milk-shake or yoghurt, starting from a composition, which automatic device comprises a pump (1) , a suction conduit (5) connected at one end to the pump (1) and provided at the other end with a connection piece (6) which is connected during operation to a reservoir (8) with the composition, a pressure conduit (2) connecting at one end to the pump (1) and the other end of which forms the draught end (3) for the food product and a cooling element (4) , of which the cooling part (13) forms the evaporator of a cooling circuit and the cooled part is located in said pressure conduit (2) , characterized in that it comprises a built-in cleaning device (27) comprising in its turn a cleaning conduit (30) which is provided at one end with a connection piece (31) , fitting on a closeable opening of the pressure conduit (2) at or in the vicinity of the draught end (3) , and at the other end with a connection piece (32) fitting removably to the connection piece (6) of the suction conduit (5) , a closeable drain conduit (34) connecting to this cleaning conduit (30) , a closeable supply conduit (37) for liquid under pressure for cleaning or rinsing, connecting to this cleaning, conduit (30) , means (35) for blocking the drain conduit (34) and means (42, 43, 44, 45) for blocking the liquid supply conduit (37) . 2.- Automatic device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the cleaning device (27) is provided in its cleaning conduit (30) with an additional pump (33) having a higher delivery than the delivery of the pump (1) between the suction conduit (5) and the pressure conduit (2) , and with a shunt (53) of the latter pump (1) . 3.- Automatic device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the shunt (53) is closeable. 4.- Automatic device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the shunt (53) is connected to the pressure conduit (2) or to the suction conduit (5) by means of a three-way valve (54) . 5.- Automatic device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means (35) for blocking the drain conduit (34) comprise a three-way valve which is mounted not only in the drain conduit (34) but also in the cleaning conduit. 6.- Automatic device according to any one of the preceding embodiments, characterized in that the supply conduit (37) connects to the cleaning conduit (30) by means of a three-way valve (36) . 7.- Automatic device according to any one of the claims 2 to 4, characterized in that said additional pump (33) is mounted between the first connection piece (31) of the cleaning conduit (30) and the drain conduit (34) . 8.- Automatic device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the supply conduit (37) is provided with means (50, 51) to connect it to the water distribution network, and in that the means (42, 43, 44, 45) for blocking the supply conduit (37) comprise at least one valve. 9.- Automatic device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the cleaning device (27) comprises a reservoir (47 and/or 48) for special liquid, which is mounted in a conduit part (39 and/or 41) which is parallel to a part (38 and/or 40) of the supply conduit (37) , whereas the means (42, 43, 44, 45) for blocking the supply conduit (37) comprise two valves (42 and 43 or 44 and 45) , one in the part of the supply conduit (37) and one in the parallel conduit part (39 or 41) . 10.- Automatic device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the supply conduit (37) comprises two connections (50 and 51) , one for hot water and one for cold water, and two reservoirs (47 and 48) for special liquids which are mounted in the conduit parts (39 and 41) which are respectively parallel to conduit parts (38 and 40) which give on the two connections (50 and 51) , whereas the means for blocking the supply conduit comprise four valves (42, 43, 44 and 45), one on the conduit part (38) giving on the connection (50) for hot water, one on the parallel conduit part (39) thereof, one on the conduit part (40) giving on the connection (51) for cold water, and one on the parallel conduit part (41) thereof. 11.- Automatic device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connection piece (31) fitting on the closeable opening of the pressure conduit (2) is a removable connection piece which is disconnected from the pressure conduit (2) during normal operation of the automatic device. 12.- Automatic device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closeable opening of the pressure conduit (2) ' on which the connection piece (31) on one end of the cleaning conduit (30) fits is the draught end (3) itself, which is closeable by means of a drain tap (19) . 13.- Cleaning device from a automatic device according to any one of the preceding claims. 14.- Cleaning device for a automatic device for producing a cooled semi-liquid food product, more specifically soft- ice, milk-shake or yoghurt, starting from a composition, characterized in that it comprises a cleaning conduit (30) which is provided at its one end with a connection piece (31) and at its other end with a connection piece (32) , a closeable drain conduit (34) connecting to this cleaning conduit (30) , a closeable supply conduit (37) for liquid under pressure for cleaning or rinsing, which connects to this cleaning conduit (30) , means (35) for blocking the supply conduit (34) and means (42, 43, 44, 45) for blocking the liquid supply conduit (37) .

Inventors: OOMS GUIDO, OOMS, GUIDO
Applicants: OOMS GUIDO, OOMS, GUIDO
Application year: 1993
Main classification: A23G9
IPC codes: A23C7, A23G9