IPC분류정보
| 국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
| 국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
| 출원번호 |
US-0277141
(2008-11-24)
|
| 등록번호 |
US-8641263
(2014-02-04)
|
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Cabrales, Lynda
- MacBride, Maurine Anne
- Thuerk, Jeremy Alan
- Morin, Paul Gerard
|
| 출원인 / 주소 |
- Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC
|
| 대리인 / 주소 |
Fitch, Even, Tabin & Flannery LLP
|
| 인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
163 |
초록
▼
A continuous method and system for processing whole muscle meat employs a mixer housing having a pair of parallel rotating shafts located therein. The parallel rotating shafts have a plurality of mixing elements thereon, such as frustoconical elements, blocking elements, or ellipsoid elements. The m
A continuous method and system for processing whole muscle meat employs a mixer housing having a pair of parallel rotating shafts located therein. The parallel rotating shafts have a plurality of mixing elements thereon, such as frustoconical elements, blocking elements, or ellipsoid elements. The mixer housing has an input end to receive the meat ingredients, such as meat pieces, salt solution, water, preservatives, and other additives such as spices. The mixer housing has an output, which is separated a distance from the input, such that the output discharges the whole muscle meat product. As the ingredients including the meat move from the input to the output along the shafts, the mixing elements work the meat with the other ingredients thereby increasing ingredient incorporation including diffusion of the salt solution into the whole muscle meat pieces.
대표청구항
▼
1. A continuous processing mixer for continuous production of a whole meat product, the mixer including: a housing having a pair of rotatable shafts therein;an input configured to receive ingredients of a whole meat product, the ingredients including at least whole meat pieces and a salt solution;an
1. A continuous processing mixer for continuous production of a whole meat product, the mixer including: a housing having a pair of rotatable shafts therein;an input configured to receive ingredients of a whole meat product, the ingredients including at least whole meat pieces and a salt solution;an output configured to discharge a whole meat product; anda plurality of processing elements located within the housing and mounted on the pair of rotatable shafts, the plurality of processing elements positioned between the input and the output and arranged to provide a series of processing zones, the plurality of processing elements including a massaging element disposed on one of the rotatable shafts, the massaging element having a body disposed on the one rotatable shaft and a three-dimensional ellipsoid-shaped portion of the body extending generally perpendicular to the one rotatable shaft. 2. The mixer of claim 1 wherein the series of processing zones includes an initial zone having a pair of substantially fluted spiral elements for directing the constituents into subsequent processing zones. 3. The mixer of claim 1 wherein the series of processing zones includes a working zone having a mixing element with a generally frustoconical body, the frustoconical body having a gradually increasing diameter. 4. The mixer of claim 3 wherein the working zone further comprises a mixing element having a generally frustoconical body with a gradually decreasing diameter. 5. The mixer of claim 4 wherein the series of processing zones includes a massaging zone upstream from the working zone. 6. The mixer of claim 5 wherein the mixing elements in the massaging zone include a three-dimensional ellipsoid-shaped elements. 7. The mixer of claim 4 wherein the series of processing zones includes a high shear force zone upstream from the working zone. 8. The mixer of claim 1 wherein the plurality of mixing elements are configured to force the ingredients through the mixer housing from the input to the output. 9. A system for continuous production of whole-muscle meat product, the system including: a mixer housing having an inner surface;a rotatable shaft disposed in the mixer housing;an input located at one portion of the mixer housing, the input configured to receive meat ingredients, the meat ingredients including at least whole-muscle meat pieces and a salt solution;an output located at a second portion of the mixer housing and separated at least a distance from the input, the output configured to discharge whole-muscle meat product from the housing; anda plurality of mixing elements located within the mixer housing and positioned to provide a series of processing zones, the mixing elements including at least one partial obstruction element to impede flow of the meat ingredients from the input to the output and increase residence of the meat ingredients in the processing zones, the at least one partial obstruction element having an elongate body with a pair of opposed end portions, the opposed end portions including a distal end portion disposed adjacent the inner surface of the mixer housing and a proximal shaft-engaging end portion having an opening with the shaft extending therethrough, the elongate body of the at least one partial obstruction element extending radially outward from the proximal shaft-engaging end portion toward the distal end portion such that rotation of the shaft moves the distal end portion of the obstruction element along a path adjacent the inner surface of the mixer housing. 10. The system of claim 9 wherein the series of processing zones include a non-high shear force zone for increasing incorporation of the salt solution into the whole-muscle meat without sacrificing the integrity of the whole-muscle meat. 11. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one partial obstruction element has a maximum width at the one end portion adjacent the mixer housing. 12. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one partial obstruction element has a pair of parallel, straight sides extending between the opposed end portions of the partial obstruction element. 13. The system of claim 9 wherein the mixer housing has a curved inner surface that is concave and the distal end portion of the at least one partial obstruction element includes a convex surface facing the curved inner surface of the mixer housing. 14. A system for continuous production of whole-muscle meat product, the system including: a mixer housing;an input located at one portion of the mixer housing, the input configured to receive meat ingredients, the meat ingredients including at least whole muscle-meat pieces and a salt solution;an output located at a second portion of the mixer housing and separated at least a distance from the input, the output configured to discharge whole-muscle meat product from the housing; anda plurality of mixing elements located within the mixer housing and positioned between the input and the output, the mixing elements arranged to provide a series of processing zones, the plurality of mixing elements including a mixing element having a pair of rounded protuberances without edges, the pair of rounded protuberances being configured to contact and massage the whole muscle meat pieces without subjecting the whole muscle meat pieces to excessive shear forces that would tear the whole muscle meat pieces. 15. The system of claim 14 further comprising a pair of parallel rotatable shafts disposed in the mixer housing to which the plurality of mixing elements are mounted. 16. The system of claim 14 wherein the series of processing zones include a non-high shear force zone for massaging at least the salt solution into the whole muscle-meat pieces without high shear. 17. The system of claim 14 wherein the mixer housing includes an inner surface and a clearance between the inner surface of the mixer housing and the mixing elements is greater than 0.12 in. 18. A system for continuous production of whole muscle meat product, the system including: a mixer housing;a pair of rotatable shafts disposed in the mixer housing;an input located at one portion of the mixer housing;an output located at a second portion of the mixer housing; anda plurality of mixing elements located in the mixer housing and positioned to provide a series of processing zones for processing meat product ingredients including at least whole muscle meat pieces and a salt solution, the plurality of mixing elements including a first pair of mixing elements disposed on one of the rotatable shafts and a second pair of mixing elements disposed on the other of the rotatable shafts, the first and second pairs of mixing elements defining a pathway for the meat ingredients to pass through along a portion of the mixer housing,the first and second pairs of mixing elements each including a frustoconical mixing element and a cylindrical mixing element adjacent the frustoconical mixing element, the first and second pairs of mixing elements being offset along the rotatable shafts from each other with the frustoconical element of each pair of mixing elements being aligned with the cylindrical mixing element of the other pair of mixing elements such that the pathway is formed by an offset arrangement of the mixing elements along the portion of the mixer housing and the meat ingredients undergo a lesser amount of working action as the meat ingredients pass through the pathway than if the first and second pairs of mixing elements were aligned along the rotatable shafts. 19. A system for continuous production of whole-muscle meat product, the system including: a mixer housing having an inner surface;a rotatable shaft disposed in the mixer housing;an input located at one portion of the mixer housing, the input configured to receive meat ingredients, the meat ingredients including at least whole-muscle meat pieces and a salt solution;an output located at a second portion of the mixer housing and separated at least a distance from the input, the output configured to discharge whole-muscle meat product from the housing; anda plurality of mixing elements located within the mixer housing and positioned to provide a series of processing zones, the mixing elements including:at least one partial obstruction element to impede flow of the meat ingredients from the input to the output and increase residence of the meat ingredients in the processing zones, the at least one partial obstruction element having a pair of opposed end portions with one of the end portions disposed adjacent the inner surface of the mixer housing and the other end portion having an opening with the shaft extending therethrough such that rotation of the shaft moves the one end portion of the obstruction element along a path adjacent the inner surface of the mixer housing; andan upstream mixing element disposed directly upstream of the partial obstruction element, the at least one partial obstruction element configured to increase dwell time of the meat ingredients at the upstream mixing element, the upstream element including one of a sharp-edged ovate mixing element with two pointed ends, a helical sharp-edged ovate mixing element, a frustoconical mixing element, a circular-shaped element, or a three dimensional ellipsoid-shaped mixing element.
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