US 11,849,696 B2
Device and method for continuously conveying and plasticizing cheese curd
Balz Bähler, Elgg (CH)
Assigned to SULBANA AG, Elsau (CH)
Appl. No. 17/279,925
Filed by SULBANA AG, Elsau (CH)
PCT Filed Sep. 28, 2018, PCT No. PCT/CH2018/000039
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 25, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/061717, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 2, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0392843 A1, Dec. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. A01J 25/00 (2006.01); B01F 27/721 (2022.01); B01F 35/93 (2022.01); A23C 19/068 (2006.01); B01F 101/11 (2022.01); B01F 35/90 (2022.01)
CPC A01J 25/008 (2013.01) [A01J 25/002 (2013.01); A23C 19/0684 (2013.01); B01F 27/721 (2022.01); B01F 35/93 (2022.01); B01F 2035/99 (2022.01); B01F 2101/11 (2022.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for continuously conveying and plasticizing cheese curd, comprising:
a housing having an elongate chamber with an inlet opening and an outlet opening,
at least first and second conveying shafts arranged in the elongate chamber to be rotatable in opposite directions and respectively having axes of rotation that extend in parallel in a longitudinal direction of the elongate chamber, the first and second conveying shafts each having a shank with a circular-cylindrical shank section and a helical structure arranged on a circumference of the shank, each of the helical structures having one or more helical turns for axially conveying the cheese curd from the inlet opening to the outlet opening, and the helical structures are interleaved in one another,
a drive means for driving the first and second conveying shafts in opposite directions, and
a heating device configured to heat at least part of at least one of the shanks and at least part of an inner circumferential surface of the elongate chamber, wherein:
the first and second conveying shafts further include at least one entraining means configured to at least partially transport the cheese curd in a circumferential direction around the first and second conveying shafts as the cheese curd is conveyed along an axial direction of the shanks during operation;
the entraining means comprises a projection on at least one of the first and second conveying shafts, said projection being an element attached to the conveying shaft; and
the element attached to the at least one of the first and second conveying shafts is a flat element having at least one main surface oriented in such a manner that circumferential lines of the axis of rotation of the at least one of the first and second conveying shafts are substantially perpendicular to the at least one main surface.