US 12,358,032 B2
Meat injection needles cleaning apparatus
Laurent Bernier, Quebec (CA); Jerome Rodrigue-Labrecque, Buckland (CA); and Mario Langlois, Sainte-Claire (CA)
Filed by Groupe CFR, Sainte-Claire (CA)
Filed on Nov. 1, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/978,340.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/302,875, filed on Jan. 25, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0234108 A1, Jul. 27, 2023
Int. Cl. B08B 9/032 (2006.01); A61L 2/025 (2006.01); A61L 2/04 (2006.01); A61L 2/10 (2006.01); A61L 2/24 (2006.01)
CPC B08B 9/0323 (2013.01) [A61L 2/025 (2013.01); A61L 2/04 (2013.01); A61L 2/10 (2013.01); A61L 2/24 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A meat injection needles cleaning apparatus for cleaning needles from residues, the needles having an exterior surface, a top and a tip, the apparatus comprising:
a housing defining a closeable room comprising a bath for containing a soaking liquid, an elevated area above the bath;
a movable lid:
a lid driving assembly, wherein the lid driving assembly is moving at least partially vertically the movable lid within the housing between a cover position wherein the movable lid at least partially isolates the bath and the elevated area from one another, preventing liquid dripping from the elevated area to enter the bath and to mix with the soaking liquid of the bath, and an open position wherein the lid allows the liquid dripping from the elevated area to enter the bath and mix with the soaking liquid;
a support for mounting the needles thereto in an oblique position relative to surface of the soaking liquid, the top upraised relative to the tip;
a support driving assembly driving, at least partially, vertically the support in the housing while keeping the needles in the oblique position, the support driving assembly driving the support between a) a soaking position wherein the needles are lowered in the bath, and b) at least one elevated position wherein the needles are raised in the elevated area at least partially above the bath, and wherein the needles are outside the soaking liquid when soaking liquid remains in the bath; and;
a cleaning assembly cleaning the needles in the elevated area, wherein the cleaning assembly comprises at least one of a) a spraying nozzle assembly spraying the exterior surface of the needles with one of a cleaning liquid or water, and b) at least one injection assembly injecting the needles with one of the cleaning liquid or water.