US 12,465,066 B2
System and method for filtering beverages
Matthew R. Otterstatter, Eagan, MN (US); and Prashant V. Shrikhande, Eden Prairie, MN (US)
Assigned to Donaldson Company, Inc., Bloomington, MN (US)
Filed by Donaldson Company, Inc., Bloomington, MN (US)
Filed on Apr. 13, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/719,891.
Application 17/719,891 is a division of application No. 16/952,997, filed on Nov. 19, 2020, granted, now 11,324,238.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/938,718, filed on Nov. 21, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0240550 A1, Aug. 4, 2022
Int. Cl. A23B 70/30 (2025.01); A23B 2/05 (2025.01); A23B 2/94 (2025.01); A23L 2/02 (2006.01); A23L 2/08 (2006.01); A23L 2/72 (2006.01); A23L 2/74 (2006.01); A61L 2/00 (2006.01); A61L 2/02 (2006.01); B01D 61/02 (2006.01); B01D 61/14 (2006.01); B01D 61/18 (2006.01); B01D 61/58 (2006.01); C12H 1/16 (2006.01); C12H 1/18 (2006.01); A23L 2/10 (2006.01); A61L 2/04 (2006.01); B01D 61/20 (2006.01); C12H 1/07 (2006.01)
CPC A23L 2/74 (2013.01) [A23B 2/05 (2025.01); A23B 2/94 (2025.01); A23B 70/30 (2025.01); A23L 2/02 (2013.01); A23L 2/087 (2013.01); A23L 2/72 (2013.01); A61L 2/0017 (2013.01); A61L 2/0023 (2013.01); A61L 2/022 (2013.01); B01D 61/025 (2013.01); B01D 61/145 (2013.01); B01D 61/147 (2013.01); B01D 61/149 (2022.08); B01D 61/18 (2013.01); B01D 61/58 (2013.01); C12H 1/16 (2013.01); C12H 1/18 (2013.01); A23L 2/082 (2013.01); A23L 2/10 (2013.01); A61L 2/04 (2013.01); B01D 61/20 (2013.01); B01D 2311/06 (2013.01); B01D 2311/2692 (2013.01); B01D 2315/10 (2013.01); B01D 2317/022 (2013.01); B01D 2317/025 (2013.01); C12H 1/063 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for processing a raw juice feed to a final juice selected from the final juice comprising solids and a substantially solids-free final juice, said system comprising:
(a) a first solids separation device comprising a first permeate side and a first retentate side, and configured to receive and separate the raw juice feed into a first solid fraction comprising pulp and a first liquid fraction, wherein wash water is introduced to wash sugars and other small molecules from the first solid fraction and to form a wash water fraction;
(b) a second solids separation device comprising a second permeate side and a second retentate side, and configured to receive the wash water fraction and to separate the wash water fraction into a permeate comprising the water, sugars, and vitamins and a retentate comprising solids and suspended solids;
(c) a hot pasteurization device configured to receive flow from the second retentate side, wherein the hot pasteurization device is configured to subject at least a portion of the retentate, the first solid fraction, or both, to a temperature held for a period of time to kill microorganisms to produce a pasteurized solids fraction substantially free of pathogens;
(d) a reverse osmosis (RO) device comprising an RO permeate side and an RO retentate side and configured to receive the permeate from the second permeate side of the second solids separation device to yield an RO permeate fraction comprising water and an RO retentate fraction, wherein the RO permeate fraction is used as the wash water;
(e) a microfilter configured to receive the RO retentate fraction from the RO retentate side and to retain microbes present in the RO retentate fraction to produce a liquid that is substantially free of pathogens, wherein the liquid is the substantially solids-free final juice; and
(f) optionally, a mixer configured to receive and combine the pasteurized solids fraction from the hot pasteurization device and the liquid of (e) from the microfilter to produce the final juice comprising solids.