Abstract:
A deveining system efficiently removes veins from shrimp while preserving the meat of the shrimp in both appearance and quantity. The deveining system comprises an endless deveining wall having outwardly-extending snagging tabs. Water flooding a deveining region creates a vacuum effect to pull exposed veins through openings formed by the snagging tabs, followed by separation of the body of the shrimp from the veins.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/280,860, filed Jan. 20, 2016 and entitled “Deveining System and Device”, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a device for removing veins from shrimp or other crustaceans. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In preparing shrimp, crawfish or other animals having a vein in the alimentary canal, it is often desirable to remove the vein, otherwise known as the digestive tract of the shrimp. Current options for deveining shrimp include manual removal, which is inefficient and time-consuming, and automated devices known in the art. 
         [0004]    With manual operations, a worker must perform a number of operations to partially or entirely remove the shell from the meat of the shrimp, and cut the meat of the shrimp in a manner desirable to the end user. Manual vein removal is relatively time consuming and thus can lead to higher costs. Moreover, such prolonged contact between workers and the shrimp can lead to contamination of the shrimp. Additionally, the resulting processed product can be less than uniform depending upon the individual worker performing the operation, and the diligence with which the worker processes the shrimp. 
         [0005]    Prior automated deveining devices may also lack efficiency, and can also damage the meat, leading to both an undesirable appearance in the shrimp and a reduced quantity of the meat. In automated deveining devices, cutting blades often tear into the meat, making many processed shrimp undesirable for presentation and—or wasting valuable meat product. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    A shrimp deveining system efficiently removes veins from shrimp or other animals while preserving the meat of the shrimp in both appearance and quantity. An endless deveining wall moves through a circuit to remove veins from shrimp in a deveining region of the deveining wall. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0007]    These features and aspects of the invention, as well as its advantages, are described in more detail in the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a schematic front view of a deveining system according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is an isometric front view of an embodiment of a tumbler having an endless deveining wall according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is an isometric front view of another embodiment of a tumbler for deveining shrimp; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is an isometric rear view of the tumbler of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the tumbler of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a detailed exterior view of a deveining wall including snagging tabs according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the deveining wall of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is detailed interior view of the deveining wall of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is an isometric front view of a deveining system employing the tumbler of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is an isometric rear view of the deveining system of  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 11  is an isometric view of the flume of the deveining system of  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 12  is a front view of a portion of the deveining system of  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 13  is an isometric view of a scraper suitable for use with the deveining system of  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 14  is a detailed exterior view of a portion of the deveining system of  FIG. 9 , showing a vein cleaner according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 15  shows an embodiment of a deveining drum driven by gears; 
           [0023]      FIG. 16  is a detailed view of the gear portion of the deveining drum of  FIG. 15 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 17  is a front view of a deveining drum including a serpentine belt drive according to another embodiment of the invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 18  shows a front portion of a deveining system including a conveyer belt forming an endless deveining wall according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 19  is an isometric view of the deveining system of  FIG. 18 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 20  is a front view of the deveining system of  FIG. 18 ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 21  is an isometric top view of a conveyor belt module including snagging tabs suitable for forming an endless deveining wall according to an embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 22  is a detailed view of the snagging tabs of the conveyor belt module of  FIG. 21 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0030]    An improved deveining system includes an endless deveining wall that moves through a circuit to cleanly remove a vein (the digestive tract) from a shrimp or other crustacean. The invention will be described relative to certain illustrative embodiments, though those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the described embodiments. 
         [0031]      FIG. 1  is a schematic front view of a deveining system  10  for removing the exposed veins of shrimp or other string-like components from an object. The deveining system  10  receives a batch of shrimp from a slitter or other device that slices the backside of a shrimp to expose a vein, removes any remaining veins to produce clean shrimp and passes the deveined shrimp on for further processing, if required or desired. The illustrative deveining system  10  comprises an endless deveining wall, such as a cylindrical drum, conveyor belt or other suitable device, which moves through a circuit and includes perforations for deveining a shrimp. The perforations may be formed by outwardly-extending snagging tabs. The deveining process may be facilitated by a vacuum created by water or another liquid passing through the perforations in the endless deveining wall. A helical path may guide the shrimp from the inlet to the outlet of the deveining wall. 
         [0032]    The illustrative tumbler  100  comprises a rotatable cylindrical drum having a deveining wall formed of sheet metal or another suitable material, forming a deveining area in the interior of the drum. The shrimp tumbler  100  includes perforations in the deveining wall  102  forming outward-facing snagging tabs (an embodiment of which is shown in  FIGS. 6-8 ) for snagging the veins of shrimp. A flume  210  floods the bottom of the tumbler  100  with water  211  or another suitable liquid. The perforations create a vacuum effect in the tumbler as the water drains through the perforations in area  214  to pull veins from the shrimp  220  through the perforations to the outer surface of the deveining wall, catching the shrimp against the inner surface of the deveining wall. As the drum rotates in direction  110 , the snagging tabs drag the caught shrimp in the direction of rotation. Gravity pulls the body of the shrimp falls back, pulling the vein in to the bottom intersection of the snagging tabs, which separates the vein from the body. An agitator  240  provides spray to facilitate the deveining process and a scraper  250  on the inside of the tumbler pushes shrimp down into the flooded water  211  to facilitate deveining. 
         [0033]    In addition, a vein cleaner  260  on the outside of the drum  100  removes the snagged veins and other debris before the perforations are exposed to the flooded water  211  again. 
         [0034]      FIG. 2  shows an embodiment of a tumbler  100  suitable for use in the deveining system  10  of an embodiment of the invention. The tumbler  100  includes a cylindrical deveining wall  102  formed of sheet metal or another suitable material and wrapped to define a hollow cylinder. The deveining wall  102  includes snagging tabs or another suitable perforation for cutting a vein from a shrimp. A front ring  104  forms a lip to contain water in the bottom of the tumbler. Shrimp pass into the interior of the tumbler via the opening in the front ring  104 . A rear ring  106  forms a lip for containing water and shrimp in the bottom of the tumbler. Deveined shrimp pass through the opening in the rear ring. The illustrative deveining wall  102  includes slits  105  along a helical path for receiving connecting tabs of curved sheets inside the drum to form a helix  109  for pushing the shrimp along the length of the tumbler as it turns. The helical path formed by the helix  109  provides each shrimp with multiple exposures to the snagging tabs in the deveining wall as it passes along the length of the tumbler, increasing the effectiveness of the deveining process. Any suitable means for forming an interior helix to define a shrimp path from the inlet to the outlet of the tumbler may be used, and the invention is not limited to the illustrative helix. 
         [0035]    As shown in  FIGS. 3-5 , a tumbler  100 ′ can comprise multiple sections joined in series to form an elongated drum with a front ring  104 ′, rear ring  106 ′, cylindrical deveining wall  102 ′, the interior of which forms a deveining area, and helically arranged slits  105 ′. The rear ring  106 ′ can have a thicker section  106   a  and a thinner section  106   b  to ensure containment of the deveined shrimp for an extra half-turn of the tumbler  100 ′ before exiting. 
         [0036]      FIGS. 6-8  are detailed views of a portion of a deveining wall  102  of a tumbler  100 , showing an embodiment of the outward-facing snagging tabs  130  for snagging the veins of shrimp passing through the tumbler. The tabs  130  are formed by punching or stamping the sheet metal forming the deveining wall  102 , or through another suitable means known in the art. The tabs  130  point in the direction of rotation  110  of the deveining wall  102 . Each tab  130  comprises straight side edges  131 ,  132  and a rounded tip edge  133 . The straight side edges  131 ,  132  extend out from the wall  102  at an angle α that is between about 6° and about 10° and preferably about 8° to form a tapering groove terminating in a sharp point  135  at the intersection between the base wall  102  and the tab  130 . It is this sharp point  135  that snags and removes a vein protruding through the groove. In the illustrative embodiment, the rounded end  137  formed by the rounded tip edge  133  is bent farther outwards to form a larger opening  138  at the tip of the snagging tab  130 , allowing larger veins to pass from inside the drum to the outside, while preventing the body of the shrimp from passing therethrough. The enlarged opening  138  also increases the vacuum effect caused by the cascade of water over the shrimp from the flume that passes through the openings  138 . In one embodiment, the bent tip  133  extends at an angle Ω of between about 20° and about 35° and preferably about 28° relative to the sheet metal  102 . During operation of the deveining system, the flume  210  and water agitator  240  flood the bottom of the tumbler  100  to create pool  211 , with the end rings  104 ,  106  containing the shrimp and water in the bottom of the drum. The water passes through the openings  138  formed by the tabs  130  into area  214 , creating a vacuum that pulls the veins through the openings  138  as well. As the drum  100  rotates in direction  110 , the snagging tabs  130  pull the caught shrimp, and the veins slide into the tapering groove between the side edges  131 ,  132  and the deveining wall  102 , eventually snapping the veins from the body of the shrimp. The deveined body of the shrimp remains within the drum, following the helical path defined by the helix  109  within the drum. The deveined shrimp pass from the drum via the rear ring  106  and onto a chute, conveyor or other device for recovering the deveined shrimp. 
         [0037]      FIG. 9  is an isometric front view of a deveining system  500  including a frame  400  for mounting a rotating tumbler  100 ′ according to an embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 10  is an isometric rear view of the deveining system  500 . The illustrative frame  400  comprises four legs  410  and a number of support beams  411 ,  412 ,  413  for rotatably mounting the tumbler  100 ′. A motor  420  is mounted atop a rear support beam  413  and imparts rotary motion to the tumbler  100 ′ through belts  421  that extend around the perimeter of the rear ring  106 ′. The rotation speed imparted by the motor can be varied according to the particular application. Guide rollers  430  hold the edges of the rear ring  106 ′ in place. At the front end, guide rollers  432 ,  433  connected to the legs  410  and top support beam  412  support the front ring  104 ′, which is also bounded by a belt  422  that extends around the upper guide roller  433 . 
         [0038]    A flume  210  provides water to facilitate deveining. The flume enters the interior of the tumbler via the rear ring  106 ′ and extends down the length of the tumbler  100 ′ until the front ring  104 ′ to cascade water along the length of the tumbler. The agitator  240  and scraper  250  comprise manifolds extending along the length of the tumbler  100 ′. A cleaner  260  is disposed outside the tumbler  100 ′ for removing detached veins and other debris before the tumbler rotates through the flood of water provided by the flume  210 . 
         [0039]    In one embodiment, the deveining system  500 ′ further includes a tank (not shown) below the tumbler  100 ′ for receiving water that passes through perforations in the deveining wall, such as those formed by the snagging tab  130 , as described above. The water can be recycled through a water recovery system. 
         [0040]      FIG. 11  shows an embodiment of a flume  210  for a deveining system of an embodiment of the invention. The illustrative flume  210  floods the bottom of a tumbler with water at a rate of between about  500  and about  600  gallons per minute, though the invention is not so limited. The flume  210  comprises an inlet tank  219  that is disposed outside of the drum  100 ′, a gutter  212  that extends the length of the interior of the drum  100 ′ and a connecting chute  213  between the tank  219  and gutter  212 . The gutter  212  has an outer side wall  216  and an inner side wall  214  that is lower than the outer side wall, or has openings to allow water to flow therethrough. The illustrative inner side wall  214  has a lower upper edge forming a lip  215  for dumping water into the drum interior. The gutter  212  has an enclosed end formed by an end wall  217 , forcing all water over the lip  215 . The inlet tank  219  can receive water via inlet  218  that has been recovered from the deveiner and processed. The gutter  212  is off-center within the drum, though the position and orientation are variable. 
         [0041]    As shown in  FIG. 12 , the water agitator  240  comprises a pipe with spray openings extending the length of the drum and located below the lip  215  of the flume  210 . The water agitator  240  sprays the flooded zone  211  created by the flume  210  to agitate the shrimp and facilitate separation of the veins and bodies. The pipe of the water agitator  240  is mounted to a beam  405  of the frame  400  using any suitable connector  242 . 
         [0042]    The scraper  250 , an embodiment of which is shown in  FIG. 13 , also comprises a pipe with spray openings  251  and extends the length of the drum at about 135° from the top, though the position is not limited to the one shown. The scraper  250  also includes a planar edge portion  252  extending from the pipe for pushing the shrimp pulled by the rotating drum down, to facilitate removal of the trapped vein from the body of the shrimp. 
         [0043]    Referring to  FIG. 14 , the illustrative vein cleaner  260  comprises a grooved shaft  261  extending along the outside of the drum at about 225° from the top, though the invention is not so limited. A carriage  262  having spray nozzles for cleaning the outside of the drum is mounted to the grooved shaft  261 . A motor  263  (shown in  FIG. 10 ) selectively rotates the grooved shaft  261  to cause the carriage  262 , which rides in the grooves of the grooved shaft, to move back and forth along the length of the grooved shaft. A high pressure hose  264  supplies cleaning liquid, such as water, to the spray nozzles. A cable tray  265  houses the hose  264  to allow the hose  264  to move back and forth with the carriage  262 . The vein cleaner  260  directs the high pressure spray to the outside surface of the drum to remove snagged veins and other debris. 
         [0044]    While an illustrative embodiment employs belts to transfer motion to a deveining drum from a motor, the invention is not so limited, and any suitable means for rotating the drum or another endless deveining wall may be used. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 15 and 16 , a tumbler  100 ″ comprising a rotating drum formed by a deveining wall may include a rotatable gear  425  that engages peripheral teeth  426  on a portion of the drum, shown as the rear ring  106 ′″ to impart motion to the drum. 
         [0045]    In another embodiment, shown in  FIG. 17 , a serpentine belt drive is used to rotate a deveining drum  100 . The serpentine belt drive  170  comprises a belt  171  trained around a peripheral edge of a drum ring and rollers  172 ,  173  for guiding the belt  171 . Additional rollers  174 ,  175  hold the belt  171  in place along the periphery of the drum ring. Any suitable means for driving an endless deveining wall to devein shrimp may be used. 
         [0046]    In addition, the invention is not limited to a cylindrical drum as a tumbler. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 18-20 , a deveining wall of a deveining system  800  can comprise a conveyor belt  810  trained around rollers  840  and a shoe  852  to form a deveining region within the belt circuit. A helix  890  within the conveyor belt  810  forms a helical path through the deveining region. Pipes  820 ,  822  dump or spray water in the deveining region to flood shrimp passing along the helical path. The conveyor belt  810  may include snagging tabs extending outwards from the outer surface of the conveyor belt  810  to snag and remove veins from shrimp passing along the helical path or other suitable means for snagging a vein from the body of a shrimp. 
         [0047]    For example, the conveyor belt  810  may comprise a plurality of hingedly connected modules  820  having snagging tabs  830 , shown in  FIGS. 21 and 22 , to form a deveining wall. The snagging tabs  830  are similar to the snagging tabs  130  described above, and form openings  838  through which water dumped in the bottom of the deveining region within the conveyor belt  810  passes, creating a vacuum effect that pulls the shrimp veins through the openings  838 . As the conveyor belt  810  pulls the caught shrimp along the direction of belt travel  802 , the shrimp hit a scraper  850 , causing separation of the vein from the body of the shrimp. A cleaner on the outside of the belt may remove the snagged veins from the tabs and clean the conveyor belt  810 . 
         [0048]    Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to a few exemplary versions, other versions are possible. So, as these few examples suggest, the scope of the claims is not meant to be limited to the versions described in detail.