US 12,433,318 B2
Product dispensing system, holder and manufacturing method
Dirk Jan Bulsink, Wageningen (NL); Joren Sweeck, Wageningen (NL); Johan Frederik Dannenberg, Wageningen (NL); and Franciscus Johannes Knapen, Wageningen (NL)
Assigned to FRIESLANDCAMPINA NEDERLAND B.V., Amersfoort (NL)
Appl. No. 17/432,437
Filed by FrieslandCampina Nederland B.V., Amersfoort (NL)
PCT Filed Feb. 18, 2020, PCT No. PCT/NL2020/050091
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 19, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/171698, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 27, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 19158118 (EP), filed on Feb. 19, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0142223 A1, May 12, 2022
Int. Cl. A23P 30/40 (2016.01); A47J 31/44 (2006.01)
CPC A23P 30/40 (2016.08) [A47J 31/4485 (2013.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A product dispensing system comprising:
a holder, which contains a product to be dispensed; and
a microfiltration device fluidly connected to the holder for processing and discharging product received from the holder, wherein the microfiltration device comprises:
a housing having an upstream end, a downstream end, a side wall, a product entrance for receiving product; a gas inlet connection for receiving gas; and an exit connection in the side wall for discharging a processed product,
wherein a tubular microfiltration element having a wall with gas transmissive pores is removably positioned inside the housing to define and separate a gas supply space from a product feed-through channel, wherein the gas supply space is fluidly connected to the gas inlet connection and the product feed-through channel is fluidly connected to the product entrance, wherein gas passes from the gas supply space into the product feed-through channel and the processed product provided with gas is discharged from the housing through the exit connection,
wherein the tubular microfiltration element is removably secured in the housing at the upstream end at or near the gas inlet connection and at the downstream end below the exit, wherein the upstream end of the tubular microfiltration element is integrally provided with a first positioning structure which is held by a first holding structure of the housing, wherein the downstream end of the tubular microfiltration element is integrally provided with a second positioning structure, which sealingly contacts and is held by a second holding structure of the housing to prevent the passage of the processed product,
wherein the second positioning structure of the tubular microfiltration element is located opposite the exit connection of the housing, wherein an outer surface of the second positioning structure facing said exit connection is configured for directing an incoming product flow towards the exit connection, along a discharge flow direction that-viewed in cross-section-includes an angle with a lateral direction of the interior processing space of the housing, and
wherein the second positioning structure of the tubular microfiltration element has a tapered, conical or frustoconical positioning surface.