Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Processes – Separating a starting material into plural different...
Patent
1995-05-15
1996-08-13
Yeung, George
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Processes
Separating a starting material into plural different...
99472, 99584, A23L 100, A23N 700
Patent
active
055454224
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to peeling apparatus and methods and more particularly but not exclusively to the peeling and processing of fruit such as kiwifruit and tamarillos and vegetables with skins, tomatoes in particular.
There are many instances where a fruit or vegetable needs to have its skin removed so that it can be used immediately in that form or can then be further processed. The ability to provide a readily peeled fruit or vegetable can contribute to new markets for that product particularly where there is any lessening of demand for the whole fruit or vegetable or where there may be an over abundance of them. Also, in the case of kiwifruit where strict quality regulations apply, at least in New Zealand, a large number of reject fruit may be of perfectly good quality apart from being of a substandard size or having some unacceptable blemish for example.
Also in the particular case of kiwifruit there is an increasing demand for the supply of the peeled fruit which can then be sliced and used in catering.
Various proposals have been put forward in the past whereby fruit and vegetables can be peeled. Such prior proposals have included freezing and scorching techniques to facilitate the removal of the skin.
All such previous proposals have however been inefficient and/or ineffective or suffered from some drawback such as requiring highly complex machinery.
It is thus an object of the present invention in its various embodiments to provide a method and/or apparatus for peeling a fruit or vegetable which overcomes or at least obviates disadvantages in prior methods or apparatus for this purpose or which at least will provide the public with a useful choice.
Further objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of peeling a fruit or vegetable comprising the steps of:
(i) heating the fruit or vegetable to at least partially separate the skin from the flesh;
(ii) ripping the skin about at least one peripheral portion thereof so that at least a partial lifting of the skin at or about the rip occurs;
(iii) providing a vacuum to act on said skin at or about said rip to lift said skin from said flesh.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for peeling fruit or vegetable comprising:
(i) a heating means to heat a fruit or vegetable sufficient to at least partially separate the skin from the flesh;
(ii) a ripping means to rip said skin at least about one peripheral portion of the skin so that the skin is at least partially lifted from the fruit or vegetable;
(iii) a vacuum means to act on said fruit or vegetable at or about said rip so as to lift said skin from said fruit or vegetable.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention there is provided a fruit or vegetable peeled by a method and/or apparatus as defined in the immediately preceding paragraphs.
Further aspects of this invention which should be considered in all its novel aspects will become apparent from the following description given by way of example of possible embodiments thereof and in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1: shows very diagrammatically a side elevational view of a peeling apparatus according to one possible embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2: shows very diagrammatically a plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 3a and 3b: show end and side cross sectional views of a loading station of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 4: shows very diagrammatically a plan view of a heating station of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 5: shows very diagrammatically a side view of a ripping station of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIGS. 6 and 7: show side and end views of a vacuum skin removing station of FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 8: shows very diagrammatically a topping and tailing station of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIGS. 9 and 10: show si
REFERENCES:
patent: 2523635 (1950-09-01), Ramstad et al.
patent: 3528470 (1970-09-01), De Back
patent: 3759166 (1973-09-01), Trandin et al.
patent: 3982037 (1976-09-01), Weaver et al.
patent: 4026203 (1977-05-01), Levati
patent: 4092910 (1978-06-01), Genchev et al.
patent: 4284651 (1981-08-01), Bruemmer
patent: 4315039 (1982-02-01), Levati
patent: 4450762 (1984-05-01), Lustig
patent: 4765233 (1988-08-01), Genchev et al.
Collinson Graeme L.
Davies Peter O.
Dromgool Nicholas C.
Fish Alan P.
International Fruit Peelers Limited
Yeung George
LandOfFree
Peeling apparatus and method does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Peeling apparatus and method, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Peeling apparatus and method will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1046612