AU2021203344A1

AU2021203344A1 - Delivering edible oil

Info

Publication number: AU2021203344A1
Application number: AU2021203344A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Andrew Griffiths; Barry Staff; Scott Whiteman
Original assignee: Riverina Oils & Bio Energy Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Riverina Oils & Bio Energy Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2020-06-12
Filing date: 2021-05-24
Publication date: 2022-01-06

Abstract

P1699AUAU ABSTRACT A transportable unit 1 comprising a hold 11 and an outlet 11a. The hold is holding, and shielding from air, edible oil. The outlet is to enable edible oil to exit the hold and leave remaining edible oil in the hold. The transportable unit is configured to 5 shield the remaining edible oil from air. The hold has a capacity in the range of 25L to 300L (inclusive). 2/2 7)11 5 1010I I I Ip I9 1 II IWm 17 15I -- - - -- - - 3 aI - - - - - - - - - - - -I iFIGURE 9 (I I 21I 13I I 5all 19I FIGURE 1~ __

Description

2/2 7)11 5

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DELIVERING EDIBLE OIL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to methods and apparatus for delivering edible oil such as cooking oil.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Cooking oil has long been supplied in 20 litre drums each equipped with an outlet in the form of a screw cap. With the cap removed, oil can be poured from the drum, e.g. into a deep fryer. If less than 20 litres of oil is required, the screw cap can be replaced.

During initial storage and transit, the drum may serve to shield the oil from air, but once the initial seal is broken the remaining quantity of oil is exposed to air. By way of example, if 9 litres of oil are dispensed from a 20 litre drum before the cap is replaced, the remaining 11 litres are now exposed to 9 litres of air. This leads to degradation of the oil. When exposed to air, edible oil oxidises adversely impacting upon its taste; it may taste rancid or "off". In the context of deep frying, oxidisation of the oil can adversely impact upon the taste of the fried product.

Moreover, conventional oil drums are dangerous. The weight of the drum can make handling difficult and dangerous and this is exacerbated by a drum made slippery by oil having splashed or leaked from the drum or an adjacent drum. These dangers are amplified by the potential for spilt oil to make the floor slippery and the fact that all of this is happening in proximity to an open-topped deep fryer.

The Al publication of Australian patent application no. 2014221318 discloses an oil carrying and dispensing apparatus suited to commercial kitchens. The apparatus comprises a cuboid polypropylene container having a capacity of about 200 litres, a wall thickness of about 10 mm, a height of about 800 mm and sitting on a wheel frame. A top wall of the container has a sealable opening. A pump unit can be placed

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on top of the container and has an intake tube to extend through the opening down to the bottom of the container.

US patent no. 6,041,802 discloses a bulk storage and distribution system for cooking oils. The system includes a bulk storage tank which is filled at an inlet structure located outside of the building. The inlet structure comprises a cooking oil pipe via which oil is transferred to the storage tank from a truck.

The present inventors have recognised that in some contexts (e.g. in the context of a large shopping mall) it is not convenient to route a pipe from outside the building to a storage tank in the vicinity of a commercial kitchen. The present inventors have also recognised that in some contexts (e.g. in remote locations) it is not economic to service a kitchen with a dedicated oil delivery truck with facility to deliver oil via a pipe.

With the foregoing in mind, the present invention aims to provide improvements in and for the delivery of edible oil, such as cooking oil, or at least to provide alternatives for those concerned with edible oil.

It is not admitted that any of the information in this patent specification is common general knowledge, or that the person skilled in the art could be reasonably expected to ascertain or understand it, regard it as relevant or combine it in any way before the priority date.

SUMMARY

One aspect of the invention provides a method comprising the use of transportable units

each of the transportable units comprising

a hold holding, and shielding from air, edible oil; and

an outlet to enable edible oil to exit the hold and leave remaining edible oil in the hold;

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one or more sensors by which the remaining edible oil is quantifiable;

a data outlet for conveying information by which the remaining edible oil is quantifiable;

wherein the transportable unit is configured to shield the remaining edible oil from air; and

the hold has a capacity in the range of 25L to 300L (inclusive);

the method comprising

receiving, at a location remote from a kitchen, the information from one of the transportable units at the kitchen; and

delivering to the kitchen, in response to the information, another one of the transportable units.

Another aspect of the invention provides a transportable unit comprising

a hold holding, and shielding from air, edible oil;

a pump to pump the edible oil; and

a hose for delivering edible oil to a deep-fryer;

one or more sensors by which the remaining edible oil is quantifiable;

a data outlet for conveying to a remote location information by which the remaining edible oil is quantifiable;

wheels for the transportable unit to roll on;

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the hold has a capacity in the range of 25L to 300L (inclusive);

the hold has a variable internal volume;

the hold comprises a collapsible bag and a support structure to support the collapsible bag.

Another aspect of the invention provides a transportable unit comprising

a hold holding, and shielding from air, edible oil; and

the hold has a capacity in the range of 25L to 300L (inclusive);

the hold has a variable internal volume;

the hold comprises a collapsible bag and a support structure to support the collapsible bag; and

the support structure is a lockable enclosure from which the outlet opens.

Also disclosed is a transportable unit comprising

a hold holding, and shielding from air, edible oil; and

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the hold has a capacity in the range of 25L to 300L (inclusive).

Preferably the hold has a variable internal volume, e.g. the hold may comprise a collapsible bag. Most preferably the hold comprises a support structure to support the collapsible bag. The support structure may be a lockable enclosure from which the outlet opens.

The transportable unit preferably comprises a pump to pump the edible oil. Preferably the capacity is at least 50L. Preferably the capacity is not more than 250L.

The transportable unit may comprise a hose for delivering edible oil to a deep-fryer. There may be a hand-operable flow controller proximal an outlet end of the hose.

The transportable unit may comprise wheels for the transportable unit to roll on.

The transportable unit may comprise one or more sensors, e.g. a flow meter, by which the remaining edible oil is quantifiable. The transportable unit may comprise a data outlet for conveying to a remote location information by which the remaining edible oil is quantifiable. The data outlet may be co-operable with a telecommunications network to convey to the remote location the information.

Also disclosed is a method comprising

receiving at the remote location, from a transportable unit at a kitchen, the information; and

delivering to the kitchen, in response to the information, another transportable unit.

Also disclosed is a method comprising delivering, to a kitchen, a transportable unit.

The delivering may comprise transport by road.

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Also disclosed is a method of replenishing the transportable unit when depleted of edible oil, comprising swapping out the collapsible bag.

Also disclosed is a method comprising dispensing edible oil, from the transportable unit into a deep fryer.

Also disclosed is a transportable unit comprising

a support structure for supporting a collapsible bag to define a hold

for holding, and shielding from air, edible oil;

from which edible oil can exit and leave remaining edible oil in the hold; and

having a capacity in the range of 25L to 300L (inclusive); and

a pump to pump the edible oil.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a flow chart illustrating an oil delivery system;

Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the trolley with its lid closed;

Figure 3 is a rear perspective view of the trolley with its lid open;

Figure 4 is a top view of the trolley (lid omitted);

Figure 5 is a side view of the trolley; and

Figure 6 is a front view of the trolley (door omitted).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The transportable unit 1 takes the form of a cuboid box mounted atop wheels 3 by which the unit 1 can be rolled about for convenient manual handling. In this case

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there are four wheels. At one end of the trolley there are a pair of fixed castors 3a and at the other end there is a pair of swiveling lockdown castors 3b. Preferably there are at least two lockdown castors. The lockdown castors contribute to operational safety. There are other options for restricting the movement of the unit 1 once it is in position.

An upright wall 5 divides an interior of the unit 1 into a storage tank 7 and a service compartment 9. In this example, the storage tank 7, wall 5 and service compartment 9 are predominantly formed of stainless steel. The service compartment 9 comprises a door by which its contents are accessible. Advantageously, this example of the unit 1 comprises a flat, benchtop-like, top surface. Preferably the trolley substantially consists of food grade materials. Most preferably the exterior of the trolley is predominantly stainless steel, e.g. brushed stainless steel.

In use the storage tank 7 holds and supports a collapsible bag (not shown) to define a hold 11. Preferably the collapsible bag is formed of food grade material, is substantially air tight and substantially air free. In this example, the bag is equipped with a dry break connector for oil to exit the bladder. The wall 5 is penetrated by an opening 5a through which the outlet 11a of the hold 11 (the connector of the bag in this case) opens into the service compartment 9. The storage tank 7 comprises a flat base surrounded by four walls and serves to support the bag to define what is essentially a bag-in-box construction. Other forms of support structure are possible, although preferably the support structure cups the bag to horizontally and vertically support the bag.

The service compartment 9 houses a pump 13. In this example the pump 13 takes the form of a vacuum pump for extracting oil from the hold 11 and driving the oil along a hose (not shown) to a trigger nozzle 15. The hose is preferably food, e.g. NSF, grade. A positive displacement vacuum pump is most preferred. Such pumps are economically available and are more effective at scavenging the last of the oil from the hold 11 than other pumps. Other pumping arrangements are possible. By way of example, a submersible pump within the hold is a possibility.

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Preferably the trigger nozzle 15 enables a rate at which the oil flows to be varied (as opposed to simply enabling and disabling flow). In a rudimentary implementation of the concept, the pump 13 might simply work against a throttle within the trigger nozzle 15. Alternatively, the pump 13 might be controlled by a signal from the trigger nozzle 15. The pump 13 might be trigger actuatable.

In this example, the service compartment 9 also houses an electrical inlet 17 connectable to a lead (e.g. an extension lead) to receive electrical power (e.g. from a mains supply). In the illustrated variant, the unit must be connected to mains supply to power the pump. Other variants may have an onboard battery system, e.g. a lithium battery system, to power the pump and electronics. By way of example, a 12 volt cordless system is contemplated.

Advantageously the hold 11, or more specifically the bag thereof in this case, is substantially air-tight and air-free whereby the oil is shielded from oxidation. Furthermore, as oil is pumped out of the unit 1, any remaining oil remains shielded from oxidation.

In this example of the transportable unit, the oil is shielded from air by the bag collapsing as the oil is dispensed. This flexible construction enables the volume of the hold 11 to reduce as the volume of held oil is reduced so there is no need to let air into the hold 11 as occurs when oil is poured from a rigid (or semi-rigid) drum.

There are other options by which the internal volume of the hold 11 may be reduced. By way of example the hold 11 might be defined by a piston-cylinder arrangement. Indeed, there are other options for shielding the oil from oxygen that do not require reducing the internal volume of the hold 11 as the supply of oil is depleted. By way of example, the hold 11 might take the form of a pressure vessel charged with inert gas (e.g. nitrogen and/or carbon dioxide) compressed sufficiently to enable the vessel to be depleted (e.g. substantially emptied) of oil without an internal vacuum being formed. This construction may be advantageous in contexts where there is no convenient electrical power source. The pressure of the inert gas may provide the motive force for dispensing the oil.

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In principle, the hold 11 may comprise an air-impermeable lighter-than-oil liquid to sit on top of the oil and shield it from air whilst the oil is drawn from the bottom, or vice versa a heavier-than-oil liquid (e.g. water) might be supplied to displace the oil out via a high-mounted outlet, albeit that these options are not preferred at least because of the risk of mixing when the vessel is agitated in transit etc.

Preferably a sensor by which the remaining volume of oil is quantifiable is provided to facilitate reordering. In this case, the sensor takes the form of a flow meter 19 mounted between the hold 11 and the pump 13. The flow meter 19 enables the remaining oil to be quantified by integrating the output of the flow meter 19 to determine the volume of oil that has been dispensed and then subtracting that amount from a known initial fill of the unit 1. The flow meter might be mounted at any convenient location, e.g. the flow meter might be associated with a trigger nozzle 15. Indeed, other forms of sensor are possible. By way of example, a load cell might be associated with the storage tank 7 (or other support structure) to provide an indication of the weight of the remaining oil.

The service compartment 9 also houses a data outlet 21 for conveying data from the flow meter 19 to a remote location, e.g. to a location more than 1km away. The data outlet 21 might take the form of a radio transmitter, but preferably is configured to cooperate with a telecommunications network, e.g. to co-operate with a mobile (cellular) telecommunications network. For this purpose, the data outlet 21 may comprise a SIM card (e.g. an embedded SIM card). FALCONTM brand telemetry devices are preferred. Preferred forms of the transportable unit transmit an indication of their locations so that they may be tracked by the oil-distributing proprietors. Preferably the telemetry device is a GPS telemetry device, e.g. the one telemetry device may transmit both location data and oil-quantifying data. The TELSTRA CAPTIS PULSE LITETM is another option. The integration of the signal from the flow meter may occur within the unit 1 or at the remote location and/or be spread between the different components of this distributed system.

Turning to Figure 1, the unit 1 filled with oil may be delivered to a commercial kitchen at unit-delivery step 23. This is a preferred method of delivering oil. A motorised vehicle akin to a pallet jack for transporting the unit 1 from a roadside delivery truck to

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the commercial kitchen is contemplated. At use step 25, the oil can then be used, e.g. by dispensing 1OL or so every few days via the trigger nozzle 15. By way of example, the oil might be dispensed to top up a deep fryer. This is a preferred method of dispensing edible oil.

In a preferred implementation, an onboard control system comprising the flow meter 19 and data outlet 21 tracks the depletion of oil and in response to the oil being depleted (e.g. fully depleted or depleted to a predetermined threshold) sends a refill signal via the data outlet 21. The refill signal is an example of information by which the volume of edible oil in the unit 1 is quantifiable, e.g. once that information is received at the remote location it is known that the oil has been depleted to the predetermined threshold.

Preferably this refill signal triggers a unit retrieval step 29 and a further iteration of the unit delivery step 23. Most preferably a delivery vehicle, e.g. delivery truck, delivers the new transportable unit and simultaneously takes away the depleted transportable unit.

The taken away depleted transportable unit can then be replenished. This may entail replacing the collapsible bag. Alternatively, the collapsible bag might be refilled. Preferably the collapsible bags are refilled for a predefined number of times, e.g. five times, before being swapped out.

The bag might be refilled in situ within the unit 1, but is preferably removed. To remove the bag for refilling, or to be swapped out for another bag, a lid 31 is openable to permit access to the storage tank 7. Preferably the lid 31 is lockable with a lock 31a so that access to the storage tank 7 is restricted to the supplier of the oil. As such, the outlet from the bag, sitting in opening 5a, is the only point of access by which the oil within the unit 1 is accessible. This makes it difficult for nefarious individuals to contaminate the oil, thereby leading to improved food security. The airtight construction of the hold 11 also seals out dust, dirt and debris and thereby greatly reduces the risk of inadvertent contamination.

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The term 'comprises' and its grammatical variants has a meaning that is determined by the context in which it appears. Accordingly, the term should not be interpreted exhaustively unless the context dictates so.

The invention is not limited to the examples disclosed herein. Rather, the invention is defined by the claims, e.g. pumpless variants of the unit 1 are contemplated.

The pump hose and trigger nozzle of the unit 1 together comprise a dispensing system. Supplying the oil and dispensing system as a unit avoids the need to make any plumbing connections to or from the pump in the kitchen environment. It also makes for a unit that is convenient and intuitive for end users and avoids the risk of messes that might occur if, for example, the pump unit of the Al publication of Australian patent application no. 2014221318 was swapped from one container to another. Nonetheless, a simple variant of the unit 1 may substantially consist of an oil-carrying bladder with an outlet fitting co-operable with a mating part to form a dry break connection. A dispensing system, comprising the mating part, may remain in the kitchen as simple transportable units are supplied, depleted and swapped out.

Preferred variants of the unit 1 have a capacity in the range of 25L to 300L (inclusive) or more preferably in the range of 50L to 250L (inclusive). In particular, about 100L and about 200L variants are contemplated. Variants of this scale are advantageously big enough for commercial kitchens to use without needing to replace units with excessive frequency on the one hand, and still being light enough to facilitate manual rolling along a level floor.

Claims

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1. A method comprising the use of transportable units

each of the transportable units comprising

a hold holding, and shielding from air, edible oil; and

an outlet to enable edible oil to exit the hold and leave remaining edible oil in the hold;

one or more sensors by which the remaining edible oil is quantifiable;

a data outlet for conveying information by which the remaining edible oil is quantifiable;

wherein the transportable unit is configured to shield the remaining edible oil from air; and

the hold has a capacity in the range of 25L to 300L (inclusive);

the method comprising

receiving, at a location remote from a kitchen, the information from one of the transportable units at the kitchen; and

delivering to the kitchen, in response to the information, another one of the transportable units.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each hold has a variable internal volume.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each hold comprises a collapsible bag.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein each hold comprises a support structure to support the collapsible bag.

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5. The method of claim 4 wherein each support structure is a lockable enclosure from which the outlet opens.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein each transportable unit comprises a pump to pump the edible oil.

7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein each capacity is at least 50L.

8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein each capacity is not more than 250L.

9. The method of any one of claim 1 to 8 wherein each respective transportable unit comprises a hose for delivering edible oil to a deep-fryer.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein each transportable unit comprises a hand operable flow controller proximal an outlet end of the hose the respective transportable unit.

11. The method of any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein each respective transportable unit comprises wheels for the respective transportable unit to roll on.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein each respective one or more sensors comprises a flow meter.

14. The transportable unit of any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein the data outlet is co operable with a telecommunications network to convey to the location the information.

15. A transportable unit comprising

a hold holding, and shielding from air, edible oil;

an outlet to enable edible oil to exit the hold and leave remaining edible oil in the hold;

a pump to pump the edible oil; and

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a hose for delivering edible oil to a deep-fryer;

one or more sensors by which the remaining edible oil is quantifiable;

a data outlet for conveying to a remote location information by which the remaining edible oil is quantifiable;

wheels for the transportable unit to roll on;

wherein the transportable unit is configured to shield the remaining edible oil from air; and

the hold has a capacity in the range of 25L to 300L (inclusive);

the hold has a variable internal volume;

the hold comprises a collapsible bag and a support structure to support the collapsible bag.

16. The transportable unit of claim 15 wherein the support structure is a lockable enclosure from which the outlet opens.

17. The transportable unit of claim 15 or 16 wherein the capacity is at least 50L.

18. The transportable unit of any one of claims 15 to 17 wherein the capacity is not more than 250L.

19. The transportable unit of any one of claims 15 to 18 comprising a hand operable flow controller proximal an outlet end of the hose.

20. The transportable unit of any one of claims 15 or 19 wherein the one or more sensors comprise a flow meter.

21. A transportable unit comprising

a hold holding, and shielding from air, edible oil; and

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an outlet to enable edible oil to exit the hold and leave remaining edible oil in the hold;

wherein the transportable unit is configured to shield the remaining edible oil from air; and

the hold has a capacity in the range of 25L to 300L (inclusive);

the hold has a variable internal volume;

the hold comprises a collapsible bag and a support structure to support the collapsible bag; and

the support structure is a lockable enclosure from which the outlet opens.

22. The transportable unit of claim 21 comprising a pump to pump the edible oil.

23. The transportable unit of claim 21 or 22 comprising wheels for the transportable unit to roll on.

24. The transportable unit of any one of claims 21 to 23 comprising one or more sensors by which the remaining edible oil is quantifiable.

25. A method comprising delivering, to a kitchen, a transportable unit in accordance with any one of claims 15 to 24.