Foods and beverages: apparatus – Means to treat food – Automatic control or time means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-16
2002-08-06
Simone, Timothy F. (Department: 1761)
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Means to treat food
Automatic control or time means
C099S485000, C099S516000, C099S536000, C099S630000, C099S634000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06427584
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of processing citrus fruit, and more particularly, this invention relates to the field of processing citrus fruit and facilitating oil recovery versus juice yield.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Oil recovery versus juice yield is becoming an increasingly important aspect of citrus fruit processing. Many factors go into the processing of citrus fruit, including the use of much water, the removal of trash, black mold, pesticides and other matter from the surface of the fruit, and other factors. One proposed method uses a vegetable peeler with an elongate auger and abrasive rollers to remove all the oil from the citrus fruit by removing a substantial amount of the surface. However, this process does not maintain peel integrity and is not advantageous for many types of citrus fruit processing, such as oranges.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention now allows for the processing of citrus fruit, such as oranges or grapefruit, and also provides a pre-wash, while recovering oil before juice extraction in an amount sufficient to remove a majority of the oil within the citrus fruit while leaving sufficient peel thickness for maintaining peel integrity.
In accordance with the present invention, the method and system allows for the processing of citrus fruit, such as oranges and grapefruit, with enhanced oil recovery versus juice yield. A peeling chamber has two opposing ends and sides. A fruit inlet and fruit outlet are formed at respective ends. A plurality of abrasive rollers are rotatably mounted in an arcuate configuration within the peeling chamber at an area forming a lower portion of the peeling chamber. Citrus fruit is fed into the fruit inlet and through the peeling chamber and out from the fruit outlet. The citrus fruit engages against the rotating abrasive rollers. The residence time of the fruit within the chamber allows for the peeling off of the outer surface of the fruit in an amount sufficient to remove a majority of the oil within the citrus fruit, but leaving sufficient peel thickness for maintaining peel integrity.
It was found through much experimentation that the method and system is operable best when the abrasive rollers are stainless steel and have a knurl cut with peaks of about 0.050 inches. Water is sprayed within the peeling chamber against the citrus fruit and substantially along the interior of the peeling chamber as the citrus fruit is fed through the peeling chamber. The water is sprayed from water spray nozzles positioned along both sides of the peeling chamber interior for ensuring that oil is washed down with the sprayed water as an emulsion. The citrus fruit is fed through the peeling chamber by rotating a feed auger that extends longitudinally through the peeling chamber from the inlet to the outlet. The feed auger is typically rotated in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the feed auger to force the fruit downward against the abrasive rollers.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, the oil concentration is measured within the oil emulsion as it exits the peeling chamber and one of the at least residence time of the fruit within the peeling chamber, the rotation speed of the abrasive rollers, or the amount of water sprayed onto the citrus fruit is adjusted.
The fruit is advanced from the peeling chamber into a juice extractor for extracting juice and oil from the citrus fruit. The oil concentration of the fruit juice received from the extractor is monitored and at least one of the residence time of the fruit within the peeling chamber, the rotation speed of the abrasive rollers, the amount of water sprayed onto the citrus fruit within the peeling chamber, or the amount of water used by the juice extractor is adjusted in response to a measured oil concentration that is not within a predetermined range. It is also possible to adjust the amount of fruit that is fed into the peeling chamber based on the measured oil concentration, such as by adjusting the feed of the fruit into the peeling chamber.
After the fruit passes through the peeling chamber, the surface of the citrus fruit is scanned for determining the peel integrity and also determining the quantity of fruit that has been processed out of the peeling chamber. Based upon this scanned surface, at least one of the residence time of fruit within the peeling chamber, the rotation speed of the abrasive rollers, the amount of water sprayed onto the citrus fruit, or the amount of water used by the extractor in response to a measured peel deviation can be adjusted. In yet another aspect of the present invention, it is possible to adjust the quantity of fruit fed into the peeling chamber.
REFERENCES:
patent: 281512 (1883-07-01), Hudson
patent: 2208239 (1940-07-01), Andersen
patent: 2772471 (1956-12-01), Leng
patent: 3158187 (1964-11-01), Smith et al.
patent: 3480057 (1969-11-01), Wilhelm
patent: 3602280 (1971-08-01), Hill et al.
patent: 3745914 (1973-07-01), Wallace
patent: 3811000 (1974-05-01), Lazzarini
patent: 3854395 (1974-12-01), Hirahara
patent: 3946658 (1976-03-01), Smith
patent: 4023477 (1977-05-01), Hirahara
patent: 4062985 (1977-12-01), Amstad
patent: 4070959 (1978-01-01), Bushman et al.
patent: 4132162 (1979-01-01), Magnuson
patent: 4225628 (1980-09-01), Lynn
patent: 4519305 (1985-05-01), Vanosdall
patent: 4729299 (1988-03-01), Hatch
patent: 5105734 (1992-04-01), Foxcroft et al.
patent: 5843508 (1998-12-01), Fuhrman
patent: 5858429 (1999-01-01), Wallace
patent: 5989615 (1999-11-01), Bernard
patent: 5992311 (1999-11-01), Suter et al.
patent: 2161331 (1973-06-01), None
Product Sheet, Vanmark Peeler/Washer, Series 2800, Vanmark Corporation, undated.
Advertising, Peeling Without Waste Water. A Speciality of Dornow Food Technology, 1989.
Product Sheet, Lyco Electrically Driven Peeler/Washers, Lyco Manufacturing, Inc., undated.
Garcia Salvador
Schuermans Alex
Suter Michael L.
Thomas Don
Allen Dyer Doppelt Milbrath & Gilchrist, P.A.
FMC Technologies Inc.
Simone Timothy F.
LandOfFree
System and method for processing citrus fruit with enhanced... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with System and method for processing citrus fruit with enhanced..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and System and method for processing citrus fruit with enhanced... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2900505