Tunnel for conditioning of products, especially for sterilization of food in prepackaged containers
US8575525B2 · kind B2 · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 23, 2005 |
| Grant date | Nov 5, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 27, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH05B6/782
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Tunnel is provided for conditioning of food products, especially for sterilization of food in containers or vessels of the heat-sealed type, in which the conditioning unit has: 1) an active temperature and pressure control system provided in at least one magnetron supported heating stage, which provides for balancing of the pressure within the heat-sealed vessels or containers; 2) a conveyor which conveys the heat-sealed vessels or containers through the stages along the conditioning unit which contains mechanisms that move the conveyor outside of the conditioning tunnel, and 3) doors operating like check valves that separate the conditioning stages, but still provide for continuous linear feed of products through conditioning tunnel. Movement of the magnetron electromagnetic field and/or conveyor is controlled by software which utilizes the temperature and/or density measurements in a closed loop process to ensure uniform heating of the products.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.