US 12,133,534 B2
System to mould products from a food mass
Hendrikus Petrus Gerardus Van Gerwen, Someren (NL); and Joost Van Erp, Nuenen (NL)
Assigned to GEA FOOD SOLUTIONS BAKEL B.V., Bakel (NL)
Appl. No. 17/616,291
Filed by GEA FOOD SOLUTIONS BAKEL B.V., Bakel (NL)
PCT Filed Jun. 18, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/066979
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 3, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/254503, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 24, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 19181227 (EP), filed on Jun. 19, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0248694 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. A22C 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC A22C 7/0069 (2013.01) 12 Claims
 
1. A system -comprising:
A) a production device for moulding products from a food mass, the production device comprising:
i) a mould drum with of product cavities in a multitude of rows, each of the product cavities having a porous bottom and/or sidewall, the product cavities in one row of the multitude of rows being connected with a passage, the passage extending parallel to a center-axis of the mould drum from one front end, wherein, during production, the mould drum rotates relative to a frame from a filling position, in which the product cavities are filled with the food mass to a discharge position, in which formed products are removed from the product cavities and wherein, for cleaning purposes, the mould drum is removable from the frame,
ii) a mass feed means for feeding the food mass to the product cavities in the filling position,
iii) a gas pressure source comprising a gas, which is connected to the passage in the discharge position, the gas being used to force the formed products out of the product cavities,
B) a mould drum cleaning apparatus adapted to connect a cleaning fluid source to the passage to force, for cleaning of the mould drum, a cleaning fluid through the passage and/or through the product cavities, the mould drum cleaning apparatus comprising:
i) a control system that controls the cleaning of the mould drum,
ii) means to clean the an outer circumference of the mould drum,
iii) means to move the mould drum and/or means to move the means to clean the outer circumference of the mould drum during the cleaning of the mould drum,
iv) a collection trough to collect the cleaning fluid, and
v) a cover, so that the cleaning of the mould drum takes place in a closed chamber,
C) conveyor means to transport the mould drum between the production device and the mould drum cleaning apparatus, wherein the control device automatically controls the cleaning of the mould drum such that the cleaning of the outer circumference of the mould drum takes place at least partially while and/or after the product cavities are rinsed with the cleaning fluid.