Patent Description:
In the field of treatment of food products, both the need to obtain a long shelf life and to obtain products with organoleptic properties close to those of the fresh product are strongly felt.

In the field of treatment of eggs, long shelf life is achieved by adjusting the pasteurization parameters.

In other words, the product to be pasteurized, be it a mixture of yolk and albumen or pure albumen, is made to touch a hot surface from which it receives the pasteurization heat.

The pasteurization temperature must be maintained, depending on the product to be pasteurized, in a range substantially between <NUM> and <NUM> to avoid degrading the product at higher temperatures or to avoid obtaining insufficient pasteurization by using lower temperatures.

The aim of pasteurization is to reduce the bacterial load present in the product to be pasteurized, therefore, together with the temperature, a key parameter of the pasteurization process is the duration of the isothermal period, that is, the duration of the product being kept at the pasteurization temperature.

Within the above-mentioned temperature limits, a longer isothermal period determines a greater reduction of the bacterial load, therefore, depending on the intended use of the final product, higher pasteurization temperatures are chosen combined with shorter isothermal periods or, vice versa, longer isothermal periods combined with lower temperatures.

According to the bacterial load contained in the product to be pasteurized, the pasteurization temperature and the relative isothermal period will be determined. Higher temperatures with shorter isothermal periods benefit productivity, however lower pasteurization temperatures and longer isothermal periods favour the organoleptic qualities of the resulting product.

In general, the organoleptic qualities of the resulting product are better the less rigid the thermal pasteurization treatment is, that is, the lower the temperature and the shorter the isothermal period.

<CIT> addresses a system for providing automated inspection, removal and tracking of eggs advancing along an egg conveying apparatus and prior to an egg breaking stage.

<CIT> provides an improved machine for harvesting vaccines or similar biologicals from parts of embryonated eggs which have been inoculates with various biologicals, such as a virus and the like.

The problem underlying the invention is therefore that of improving the shelf life of a product deriving from shelling of eggs, be it a mixture of egg albumen and yolk or only albumen or only yolk, obtaining organoleptic qualities of the product which are significantly comparable with those of the fresh product.

The task of an egg shelling apparatus according to the invention is therefore to solve this problem.

Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for shelling eggs which can guarantee a bacterial load of the final product, with the same raw material, which is considerably lower than that obtainable by means of traditional plants and processes.

Within this task, an aim of the invention is to provide an apparatus for shelling eggs which, for the same quality of the final product, allows shorter production times to be obtained with respect to prior art plants and processes.

Another aim of the invention is to provide an apparatus for shelling eggs which is simple to implement and easy to use.

This aim, as well as these and other aims which will emerge more fully below, are attained by an apparatus according to the appended independent claim.

Detailed features of an apparatus for shelling eggs according to the invention are indicated in the dependent claims.

Further features and advantages of the invention will emerge more fully from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of an apparatus for shelling eggs, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:.

With particular reference to the accompanying drawings, the reference number <NUM> denotes in its entirety an apparatus for shelling eggs which comprises:.

The sanitizing devices <NUM>, 19a, 19b, <NUM>, <NUM> can comprise one or more ultraviolet lamps which can be tubular.

For example, these ultraviolet radiations can have a power of between <NUM> and <NUM>µW/cm<NUM> for a time between <NUM> and <NUM> seconds, to counteract bacterial proliferation and, moreover, each shelling device is sanitized, following each shelling, for example by spraying with a spray of ozonated water or with an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide, for example at <NUM>%.

Thanks to the irradiation carried out by the sanitizing devices <NUM>, 19a, 19b, <NUM>, <NUM>, in an apparatus <NUM> according to the invention it is possible to significantly reduce the bacterial load contained in the shelling product so that an egg treatment plant comprising an apparatus <NUM> allows, with the same other functional parameters, a product to be obtained with a lower final bacterial load and, therefore, with a longer shelf life.

Moreover, in an egg treatment plant comprising an apparatus <NUM> according to the invention, it is possible to adopt lower pasteurization temperatures and/or lower times at the pasteurization temperature, because the bacterial load to be reduced is lower.

Thus, the use of an apparatus according to the invention in a plant for treating eggs allows, with the same other functional parameters, to obtain a product with better organoleptic qualities than prior art plants.

The sanitizing devices <NUM>, 19a, 19b, <NUM>, <NUM> can comprise a third sanitizing device <NUM> positioned to irradiate working parts of the shelling device <NUM> where these working parts include parts able to come into contact with an egg or with the shell and/or with the shelled egg during operation of the apparatus <NUM>, this eliminating or reducing any contamination of the shell and therefore of the shelling product, reducing its bacterial load.

The shelling device <NUM> comprises at least one opening member <NUM>, of a traditional type and configured to open an egg shell and cause the yolk and albumen to fall. The conveyors <NUM>, <NUM> comprise:.

Each opening member <NUM> is placed above the first conveyor <NUM> to discharge a yolk for each seat of the latter.

The first conveyor <NUM> is placed above the second conveyor <NUM> to discharge albumen into the seats of the second conveyor <NUM>.

The said operating surfaces of the conveyors <NUM>, <NUM> comprise said seats which, therefore, are irradiated by ultraviolet radiation during the operation of the apparatus <NUM>, to reduce any bacterial load present on them.

The first sanitizing device <NUM> are positioned in such a way as to irradiate said seats before they are engaged respectively by a yolk and by an albumen, during the operation of the apparatus <NUM>.

In this way the possibility of contamination, or its extent, of the shelling product received by the shelling device <NUM> is limited to the full.

The first sanitizing device <NUM> can be placed side by side with the shelling device <NUM> and, in particular, it can be placed upstream of the latter with respect to a direction of advancement C of the seats of the conveyors <NUM> and <NUM>, to sanitize the latter just before being filled.

The conveyors <NUM>, <NUM> may comprise:.

For example, <FIG> illustrates a shelling device <NUM> and an unloading device <NUM>, which in <FIG> are schematized by a dashed line.

The unloading device <NUM> of <FIG> has some parts removed to facilitate their intelligibility.

In <FIG>, in particular, the conveyors <NUM> and <NUM> are seen, where the first conveyor <NUM> is seen in the forward section D where it hides the second conveyor <NUM> which is under it.

On the contrary, in the return section E the second conveyor <NUM> is visible and hides the first conveyor <NUM> which is under it.

In the example of <FIG> it can be seen how the conveyors <NUM> and <NUM> are integrated in a single product which has a plurality of modules <NUM>, which form lines and rows respectively transversal and longitudinal with respect to the direction of advancement C.

The first chain member and the second chain member can constitute a single product, that is, consist of a single chain member.

The ultraviolet lamps of the sanitizing devices <NUM>, 19a, 19b, <NUM>, <NUM> can extend transversely to the direction of advancement C to irradiate a plurality of modules <NUM> side by side which, during operation of the system, move along the direction of advancement C.

The seats of the conveyors <NUM>, <NUM> can be defined respectively by a first spoon element <NUM> and a second spoon element <NUM>, for example like those illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>.

Each module <NUM> can comprise a first spoon element <NUM> and a second spoon element <NUM> which can be reciprocally positioned in such a way that, along the forward section D, the first spoon element <NUM> is positioned above the second spoon element <NUM>, when the apparatus <NUM> is in use.

The first spoon element <NUM> can be configured in such a way as to retain a yolk and discharge the albumen of an egg.

For example, it can have at least one opening or holes 25a positioned and configured not to allow the passage of a whole yolk but to allow the passage of the albumen that surrounds it.

The second spoon element <NUM> can be configured so as to receive an albumen unloaded from the first spoon element <NUM> of the same module <NUM>.

The unloading device <NUM> can comprise:.

The emptying member can be configured to cause, following its actuation, a fall of the contents of the seats of the first conveyor <NUM> when these pass through the first unloading position F during the operation of the apparatus <NUM>.

For example, the emptying member can be configured to rotate the second spoon <NUM> in such a way as to cause it to overturn to make its contents fall into the first hopper member.

The emptying member and the conveyors <NUM> and <NUM> can be of a traditional type and, therefore, not further described or illustrated.

The apparatus <NUM> may comprise a first filtering device <NUM> positioned in such a way that in use it is located above the first hopper member 14a to filter and retain eggshell fragments and allow the passage of the shelling product.

The second sanitizing device <NUM> can face the first filtering device <NUM> and/or the first hopper member 14a to reduce any bacterial load present on them.

The unloading device <NUM> can comprise a second hopper member 14b and/or a third hopper member 14c which can be housed in the unloading compartment B and positioned, with respect to the conveyors <NUM> and <NUM>, so that when the apparatus is in use they are under conveyors <NUM> and <NUM>.

The second sanitizing device 19b can face the second hopper member 14b to sanitize it.

The unloading device <NUM> can be configured to cause the falling of shelling product from the seats of both the conveyors <NUM> and <NUM> into the second hopper member 14b, to simultaneously collect both the yolk and the albumen together.

Moreover, the unloading device <NUM> can be configured to cause the falling of shelling product selectively from specific seats of the conveyors <NUM> and <NUM> into the third hopper member 14c, to collect waste yolks and/or albumen.

In this case, the selection of said specific seats can be carried out by an operator or by a selection device, possibly equipped with a viewing system facing said seats, which is integrated or connected with the unloading device <NUM> to operate it so as to unload their contents from said specific seats when such content is identified as to be discarded.

The apparatus <NUM> can be configured to unload the shelling product from the first conveyor <NUM> into a second unloading position G of the unloading compartment B. The apparatus <NUM> can comprise a second filtering device <NUM> positioned in such a way as to receive shelling product from the first conveyor <NUM> unloaded in the second unloading position G, to filter and retain eggshell fragments and allow the passage of the shelling product.

The apparatus <NUM> can comprise a fourth sanitizing device <NUM> of said sanitizing devices <NUM>, 19a, 19b, <NUM>, <NUM> which faces the second filtering device <NUM> to reduce any bacterial load present on it.

The first filtering device <NUM> and/or the second filtering device <NUM>, respectively, can comprise a mesh or perforated conveyor belt which can be operated to drag, in an ejection direction H, J, fragments of eggshell filtered during the operation of the apparatus <NUM>.

The ejection direction H of the first filtering device <NUM> can be transversal and preferably perpendicular to the direction of advancement C.

The ejection direction H of the second filtering device <NUM> can be parallel to the direction of advancement C where the second unloading position G is located at one end of the transport device <NUM> distal to the shelling device <NUM>.

The apparatus <NUM> may comprise ventilation means which are in aeraulic communication with the interior of the casing <NUM> to force a flow of gas into the latter.

These ventilation means may comprise or consist of one or more fans <NUM>. said gas is optionally filtered air or a gaseous mixture containing ozone.

Said filtered air can preferably consist of a flow of air filtered by means of a HEPA filter which can be fixed to the fans <NUM> to be crossed by the flow of air forced by the latter.

The apparatus <NUM> can comprise a suction unit <NUM> which is in aeraulic connection with the interior of the casing <NUM> and is configured to suck a gas contained in the latter.

In particular, the apparatus <NUM> is preferably configured to operate the ventilation means and/or the suction unit <NUM> in such a way that the inside of the casing <NUM> is in depression with respect to the relative environment outside if the gas introduced by the ventilation means in the casing <NUM> includes ozone.

The apparatus <NUM> may also comprise a loading device <NUM> configured to load eggs into the shelling device <NUM> through an inlet compartment K of the casing <NUM>.

The inlet compartment K can be provided at a first end of the casing <NUM> where at a second end of the same, distal from the first end with respect to the direction of advancement C, an ejection opening L can be provided through which the second filtering device <NUM> can eject waste material from the casing <NUM>.

The ultraviolet lamps of the first sanitizing device 19a and of the second sanitizing device 19b are preferably placed above the sides of the first hopper member 14a and of the second hopper member 14b respectively, for example in such a way that these lamps are spaced along the direction of advancement C so as to leave a free space between them for the falling of shelling product into the first and second hopper members 14a, 14b.

It is therefore understood how an apparatus according to the invention achieves the intended aims and objectives by improving the shelf life of a product deriving from the shelling of eggs, be it a mixture of albumen and yolk or only albumen or only yolk, obtaining organoleptic qualities of the product which are significantly comparable with those of the fresh product.

Furthermore, an apparatus for shelling eggs according to the invention allows a bacterial load of the final product to be guaranteed, with the same raw material, which is considerably lower than that obtainable by means of prior art systems and processes. Furthermore, an apparatus according to the invention allows, with the same quality of the final product, shorter production times to be obtained with respect to prior art plants and processes.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the attached claims.

Claim 1:
Apparatus (<NUM>) for shelling eggs which includes:
- a casing (<NUM>) defining a shelling compartment (A) and an unloading compartment (B);
- a shelling device (<NUM>) housed in said shelling compartment (A) and configured to open egg shells;
- an unloading device (<NUM>) housed in said unloading compartment (B) and comprising at least one hopper member (14a, 14b, 14c) suitable for receiving and unloading a shelling product consisting of albumen, yolk or a mixture of albumen and yolk;
- a transport device (<NUM>) comprising conveyors (<NUM>, <NUM>) configured to separately transport albumen and yolk from said shelling device (<NUM>) to said unloading device (<NUM>);
wherein said shelling device (<NUM>) comprises at least one opening member (<NUM>) configured to open an egg shell and cause the yolk and albumen to fall;
characterized in that the apparatus includes:
- sanitizing devices (<NUM>, 19a, 19b, <NUM>, <NUM>) housed in said casing (<NUM>) adapted to emit ultraviolet radiation and which comprise a first sanitizing device (<NUM>, 19a) positioned to irradiate operating surfaces of said at least one hopper organ (14a , 14b, 14c), to reduce a bacterial load on said operating surfaces, wherein said operating surfaces are surfaces that come into contact with yolk and/or albumen during the operation of said apparatus (<NUM>);
said conveyors (<NUM>, <NUM>) comprise:
- at least a first conveyor (<NUM>) having a plurality of seats each adapted to house a yolk;
- at least a second conveyor (<NUM>) having a plurality of seats each suitable for housing albumen;
wherein each of said opening member (<NUM>) is arranged above one of said at least one first conveyor (<NUM>) to unload a yolk for each seat of said first conveyor (<NUM>);
wherein each of said at least one first conveyor (<NUM>) is arranged on top of one of said at least one second conveyor (<NUM>) to unload albumen into the seats of said second conveyor (<NUM>);
the operating surfaces of said conveyors (<NUM>, <NUM>) comprise said seats; said first sanitizing device (<NUM>, 19a) also being positioned in such a way as to irradiate said seats before they are engaged respectively by a yolk and an albumen, during the operation of said apparatus (<NUM>).