Apparatus and method for providing treatment to a continuous supply of food product by impingement

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing treatment by impingement to a continuous supply of food product includes a treatment zone at an ambient pressure, a fluid delivery zone at an elevated pressure, and a circulation assembly. Impingement plates containing apertures separate the zones. When treatment fluid is drawn through the impingement apertures, jets of treatment fluid are produced and impinge upon food product traveling through the treatment zone. The apparatus can employ a conveyor mechanism to accommodate food product from a continuous supply, as opposed to batches.

1 . An apparatus for applying treatment fluid to a food product, comprising: 
 a housing;    a first chamber in the housing adapted to receive treatment fluid;    a second chamber in the housing having an entry and an exit for the food product, the second chamber adapted to receive the food product to which the treatment fluid is to be applied;    separation means disposed in the housing to separate the first and second chambers, the separation means having passage means constructed and arranged in the separation means to provide fluid communication between the first and second chambers and to control the concentration of the treatment fluid introduced into the second chamber; and    circulation means in communication with the first and second chambers for drawing the treatment fluid through the passage means onto the food product and circulating unused treatment fluid to the first chamber.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the passage means comprises: at least one aperture extending through the separation means for the first and second chambers to be in fluid communication with each other.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the passage means at the second chamber is constructed and arranged to dispense jets of the treatment fluid to impinge the food product.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one aperture comprises: a bend circumscribing the aperture and having a radius with a length equal to approximately fifteen percent of a length of the diameter of the at least one aperture.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a cross section of the passage means is constructed and arranged to increase the velocity of the treatment fluid passing through the passage means.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the separation means comprises a plate.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: conveying means disposed in the second chamber for conveying the food product therethrough for receiving the treatment fluid.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the conveying means comprises: a conveyor belt.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the separation means comprises: a plurality of plates substantially defining the second chamber into which the treatment fluid is drawn onto the food product.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the treatment fluid comprises: at least one preservative selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, lactic acid, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the treatment fluid comprises: at least one of a microbiocidal substance and an antimicrobial substance.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the treatment fluid comprises: a carrier gas.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the carrier gas is selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and ozone.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: retaining means disposed at the entry and the exit of the second chamber to substantially retain the treatment fluid introduced into the second chamber.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the retaining means comprises: a plurality of movable baffles.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: an exhaust mechanism in communication with at least one of the entry and the exit.  
   
   
       17 - 22 . (canceled)