Liquid purification or separation – Structural installation – Closed circulating system
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-28
2001-05-22
Savage, Matthew O. (Department: 1723)
Liquid purification or separation
Structural installation
Closed circulating system
C210S196000, C210S416500, C210S418000, C210SDIG008, C099S408000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06235193
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to filtration. More particularly, the invention relates to a filtration system or quality control of cooking fats and cooking oils.
In the culinary industry filtration is generally employed to purify used cooking fats and cooking oils. In the absence of such purification, impurities build up in the fats and oils to a level which is unacceptable by industry standards.
As fats and oils are used in cooking, they tend to break down, degrade, and hydrolyze to free fatty acids, glycerol, and other polar products. The free fatty acids are among the more harmful products of this degradation. The recommended maximum acceptable level for free fatty acids is three to four percent.
The prior art discloses filtration systems for removing such impurities from cooking fats and cooking oils; see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,597,601, 4,747,944, 3,667,613, 5,247,876, 3,107,601, 2,698,092, and 3,630,361. What is lacking, however, is a filtration system which is adjustable in accordance with the quality of the cooking fat or cooking oil which is being filtered. The present invention provides such a system.
More specifically, the prior art fails to provide filtration apparatus in which a predetermined portion of the cooking fat or cooking oil is recycled or routed to the filtration system before being discharged therefrom. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,944 to George discloses a filtration system in which filtrate is recirculated by being discharged into a vessel which contains unfiltered cooking fat or cooking oil. The mixture of partially-filtered fat or oil is then returned to the filter. An obvious drawback of this system is the absence of any mechanism for controlling the proportion of the fat or oil which is recycled to the filter. A second apparent limitation is the requirement of a vessel for mixing the liquid discharged from the filter with untiltered liquid.
British Patent 751,892 discloses a filtration system for mineral oil. The system includes a part-flow filter cartridge which controls the proportion of mineral oil which is recycled to a filter. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this control mechanism lacks flexibility with regard to varying the proportion of fluid which is routed or recycled to the filter. This limitation is particularly serious with regard to the desirability of continuous variation of the proportion of fluid which is recycled, or which is routed to the filter before being discharged from the filtration system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In general, the present invention in a first aspect provides an adjustable continuous recycle filtration system. The filtration system comprises a filter; means for conveying a fluid to the filter; means for recycling a portion of the fluid to the filter; and means for controlling the proportion of the fluid which is recycled to the filter by controlling the size of an orifice in a passageway through which the fluid flows.
A first embodiment of the adjustable recycle filtration system comprises a filter; means for pressurizing a fluid to be conveyed to the filter; a first passageway for receiving the pressurized fluid from the pressurization means; a second passageway for receiving fluid discharged from the filter; means for lowering the pressure in the second passageway below the pressure in the first passageway; a third passageway connected to the pressure-lowering means; a fourth passageway connected to the third passageway and to the filter; a fifth passageway connected to the third and fourth passageways; a sixth passageway for discharging fluid from the fifth passageway; and an orifice restriction disposed between the fifth and sixth passageways, for controlling the rate of flow of the fluid through the fourth, fifth, and sixth passageways. The first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth passageways, the pressure-lowering means, and the orifice restriction are constructed and arranged so that fluid discharged from the third passageway is split into a first stream flowing through the fourth passageway and a second stream flowing through the fifth passageway, and the proportion of fluid which is recycled to the filter before being discharged through the sixth passageway is controlled and determined by the size of an orifice in the orifice restriction between the fifth and sixth passageways.
A second embodiment of the adjustable recycle filtration system comprises a filter; a first passageway which provides an inlet passageway for a fluid to be conveyed to the filter; a second passageway which provides a passageway for fluid discharged from the filter; means for lowering the pressure in the second passageway below the pressure in the first passageway; a third passageway connected to the pressure-lowering means; a fourth passageway connected to the third passageway and to the filter; a fifth passageway interconnecting the third and fourth passageways; and an orifice restriction disposed in the third passageway, for controlling the rate of flow through the fourth and fifth passageways; the first, second, third, fourth , and fifth passageways, the pressure-lowering means , and the orifice restriction being constructed and arranged so that fluid discharged from the third passageway is split into a first stream flowing through the fourth passageway and a second stream flowing through the fifth passageway, and the proportion of the fluid which is recycled to the filter before being discharged through the fifth passageway is controlled and determined by the size of an orifice in the orifice restriction disposed in the third passageway.
A third embodiment of the adjustable recycle filtration system comprises a filter; means for pressurizing a fluid to be conveyed to the filter; a first passageway for receiving the pressurized fluid from the pressurization means; a second passageway for receiving fluid discharged from the filter; a third passageway connected to the pressure-lowering means; a fourth passageway connected to the third passageway and to the filter; and a fifth passageway connected to the third and fourth passageways, for discharging fluid from the filtration system. The first, second, third, fourth, and fifth passageways, and the pressure-lowering means are constructed and arranged so that fluid discharged from the third passageway is split into a first stream flowing through the fourth passageway and a second stream flowing through the fifth passageway, and the proportion of the fluid which is recycled to the filter before being discharged from the fifth passageway is controlled and determined by the widths of the orifices in the fourth and fifth passageways.
In a second aspect the present invention provides an adjustable continuous bypass filtration system. A first embodiment thereof comprises a filter; means for pressurizing a fluid to be conveyed to the filter; a first passageway for receiving the pressurized fluid from the pressurization means; a second passageway for receiving fluid discharged from the filter; means for lowering the pressure in the second passageway below the pressure in the first passageway; a third passageway connecting the first passageway and the filter to one another; a fourth passageway connected to the first and third passageways; a fifth passageways for discharging fluid from the fourth passageway; and an orifice restriction disposed in the third passageway, for controlling the rate of flow of the fluid through the third, fourth, and fifth passageways. The pressure-lowering means are disposed between and interconnect the second, the fourth, and fifth passageways. The second passageway connects the pressure-lowering means and the filter to one another. The first, second, third, fourth, and fifth passageways, the pressure-lowering means, and the orifice restriction are constructed and arranged so that fluid discharged from the first passageway is split into a first stream flowing through the third passageway and a second stream flowing through the fourth passageway, and the proportion of the fluid which is routed to the f
Roberts, Jr. Reginald F.
Savage Matthew O.
LandOfFree
Adjustable continuous filtration system for cooking fats and... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Adjustable continuous filtration system for cooking fats and..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Adjustable continuous filtration system for cooking fats and... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2514260