DK181519B1 - Meat injection device - Google Patents

Abstract

An injection device (5) for injecting a liquid into meat comprising a housing (61), a conveyor (53) for moving foodstuff between an entrance (77) and an exit (78) arranged at opposite sides of the housing (61), and a needle bridge (4) arranged above and across an endless belt conveying surface (54) of the conveyor (53) with vertically movable hollow injection needles (12) to inject the foodstuff on the conveyor (53). A drive system (70) is provided to move said conveying surface (54) in at least two opposite conveying directions between said entrance (77) and said exit (78). The conveying surface (54) is moved in a stepped manner with one step length S per stroke of the needle bridge (4).

Description

DK 181519 B1 1

MEAT INJECTION DEVICE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates to a device for injecting liquids into meat products, and more particularly to a modular meat injection device and a drive system for such a meat injection device.

BACKGROUND

The process of tenderizing or basting meat has been performed for many years to improve the taste and/or tenderness of meat products prior to consumption. In classic examples, meats were basted by applying fluids to the surface, or a hand tool such as a mallet or hammer was used having series of teeth to strike a meat product to create openings. These openings were often also used to introduce an edible fluid, such as a brine, to permeate the meat. The brine typically served to further soften the meat and also to introduce flavorings.

Automated meat injection devices are nowadays well known in the meat industry. These devices usually have a fluid manifold with fluid reservoirs and a group of injection needles associated with the reservoirs. The purpose of these machines is to inject brine into meat pieces at a pre-determined percentage rate at a larger scale, with the main purpose of improving conservation, adding flavor, and adding volume. It is further known to use needle bridges or injection heads in devices intended for injecting brine to meat pieces on a support surface of a meat conveyor. These needle bridges generally comprise a main body and a plurality of parallel hollow needles that can be retracted with respect to the main

DK 181519 B1 2 body against elastic means acting on an upper end of each needle opposite the tip thereof. In such injection devices, the bridge 1s actuated by driving means to vertically reciprocate between an upper position, in which the tip of the needles is at a distance from the support surface of the conveyor sufficient for enabling the meat pieces to pass under the needle bridges, and a lower position, in which the lower needle portions of the needles are stuck into the meat pieces located under the needle bridges. Brine supplying means are usually provided for supplying brine to an inlet opening of each needle when they are in the lower position.

WO2010061406A1 describes a prior art device for injecting a liquid into meat comprising a housing, a conveyor with a conveying surface arranged for moving foodstuff between an entrance arranged at one side of the housing and an exit arranged at an opposite side of said housing, a needle bridge with a plurality of hollow injection needles arranged above the conveying surface, and a unidirectional drive system configured to move the conveying surface between the entrance and the exit in one direction.

Among the main shortcomings of existing meat injection devices are their large footprint both when in use and when not in use; lack of adaptability to different use cases and production layouts; difficulty of cleaning individual components after use; loss of brine material; and difficulty in filtering brine material causing a blockage of needles.

SUMMARY

It is therefore a principal object of the present disclosure to provide a meat product injection device that addresses and

DK 181519 B1 3 overcomes at least some of the above and other shortcomings of existing meat injection machines.

The foregoing and other objects are achieved by the features of the independent claim. Further implementation forms are apparent from the dependent claims, the description and the figures.

According to a first aspect, there is provided an injection device for injecting a liquid into meat comprising a housing, a conveyor comprising a conveying surface arranged for moving foodstuff between an entrance arranged at one side of the housing and an exit arranged at an opposite side of the housing; a needle bridge arranged above the conveying surface, the needle bridge comprising a plurality of hollow injection needles arranged movably in a direction orthogonal to the conveying surface; and a drive system configured to move the conveying surface in at least two opposite conveying directions between the entrance and the exit.

A meat injection device according to the first aspect allows for an improved adaptability to different use cases and production layouts compared to prior art devices.

In an embodiment the drive system is configured to move the conveying surface in a direction from the entrance to the exit and also in a direction from the exit to the entrance.

In a possible implementation form of the first aspect the conveying surface is part of an endless belt arranged to be moved by at least one reversibly rotatable conveyor pulley operatively connected to the drive system.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect the conveying surface is arranged to revolve around at least one conveyor pin, the at least one conveyor pin being arranged

DK 181519 B1 4 removably in the conveyor to provide tension along the opposite conveying directions and to remove the tension when the at least one conveyor pin is removed from the conveyor.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect at least one conveyor pin is arranged to be accessible and removable from at least one side of the conveyor, allowing the conveying surface to be removed from the conveyor.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect the conveyor comprises at least one foldable end section arranged to be folded away into the housing once the conveyor pin is removed and tension on conveying surface is removed.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect the drive system is configured to move the conveying surface in a stepped manner in at least one of the conveying directions, each step advancing the conveying surface with one step length S per stroke of the needle bridge.

In an embodiment the needle bridge comprises successive rows of needles along the conveying directions with a second distance d2 defined between the successive rows; and wherein the second distance d2 between successive rows of needle cavities in the conveying direction is equal to the step length d2 = 3S.

In an embodiment the step length is S = 33 mm.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect the drive system comprises a Geneva drive comprising a drive gear driven by a reversible operation, continuously rotating drive means, the drive gear comprising a drive pin arranged to periodically engage and disengage a slot arranged in a

Geneva gear, while turning the Geneva gear at an angle defined by the radius and the number of slots of the Geneva gear,

DK 181519 B1 thus converting the continuous rotation of the drive means into a stepped rotation of the Geneva gear.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect the conveying surface is arranged to be moved by at least one 5 rotating conveyor pulley, and wherein the Geneva gear is operatively connected to the conveyor pulley through at least one timing belt.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect an angular gear is further arranged between the Geneva gear and the conveyor pulley.

In an embodiment the angular gear is arranged with a 1:1 ratio.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect the device further comprises a control interface allowing manual control of the conveying direction of the conveyor.

These and other aspects will be apparent from the embodiment (s) described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following detailed portion of the present disclosure, the aspects, embodiments and implementations will be explained in more detail with reference to the example embodiments shown in the drawings, in which:

Fig. la is a left side view of a meat injection device according to the disclosure.

Fig. 1b is a front view of a meat injection device according to the disclosure.

Fig. 1c is a top view of a meat injection device according to the disclosure.

DK 181519 B1 6

Figs. 2a and 2b are elevated views showing the right side of a meat injection device according to the disclosure with both cover elements on and one of the cover elements removed.

Figs. 3a and 3b are elevated views showing the left side of a meat injection device according to the disclosure with both cover elements on and one of the cover elements removed.

Figs. 4a and 4b are cross-sectional views of a meat injection device according to the disclosure.

Fig. 5 is a cut-away isolated view of the conveyor of a meat injection device according to the disclosure.

Fig. 6a is a front view of a modular needle bridge for a meat injection device according to the disclosure.

Fig. 6b and 6c are bottom views of a modular needle bridge for a meat injection device according to the disclosure.

Figs. 7a, 7b, 7c are a cut-away views of a drive system for a meat injection device according to the disclosure.

Figs. 8a, 8b, 8c are elevated views of different cover element arrangements for a meat injection device according to the disclosure.

Fig. 8d is an isometric view of a cover element for a meat injection device according to the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figs. la through 1c show different views of a meat injection device 5 according to the disclosure.

The device 5 is configured to inject a liquid, in particular brine, into foodstuff such as meat products, with the main purpose of improving conservation, adding flavor, and adding

DK 181519 B1 7 volume. The fabrication of the brine (including the recipe) and operation of the machine is the responsibility of the user.

For the quality of the end product, which correlates with the injection level in the foodstuff, it is paramount to be able to control the injection precisely i.e., that the device 5 ensures a uniform distribution and the correct amount of brine in the end product. This is ensured through a combination of brine filtration, injection pressure, injection speed, needle design, and needle bridge design. A third parameter affecting the injection level is brine temperature. This is, however, not controlled through the device 5.

The main components of the meat injection device 5, as illustrated in the figures, are the substantially box-shaped or rectangular cuboid-shaped device housing 61 enclosing the main operational components of the device 5, conveyor 53 with a conveying surface 54 for placing the foodstuff on to be conveyed into the device 5 to be injected with brine, the traveling direction of the conveying surface 54 defining an entrance 77 and exit 78 end for the conveyor 53, which may be reversed via a control interface 59 as will be explained below. The housing may have chamfered edges and corners for reducing any risk of accidents and for providing a distinct appearance.

In the housing 61, there is further integrated a removable brine tank 55 arranged to fit neatly to the box-shape and be accessible for removal from a side of the device 5, a pump 56 for pumping brine from the brine tank 55 to be injected into the foodstuff, and a fine filter 57 arranged downstream from the pump 56 for filtering out particles larger than 0,5 mm in

DK 181519 B1 8 diameter to prevent blockage of injection needles 12. For additional filtering upstream from the pump 56 the brine tank may comprise an integrated coarse filter for filtering out particles larger than 2 mm in diameter. The thus fine-filtered brine is forwarded towards a needle bridge 4 arranged below a removable cover 58, the needle bridge 4 comprising needle heads 1 with injection needles 12 through which the foodstuff is injected, as will be explained below. Both the fine filter 57 and the pump 56 is arranged to slightly protrude from the box-shaped housing 61, thereby allowing easier access for cleaning.

The brine tank 55 has three different use cases. In operation the tank 55 is used for brine mixing and as the buffer tank feeding the brine to the system. The coarse filter cage in the top of the tank 55 filters off particles larger than 2 mm. During cleaning the tank 55 is used as a cleaning station to contain all parts that are dismantled from the device 5 for cleaning, such as the removable conveyor belt frame 83, conveyor belt 54, needle bridge 4 parts, injection needles 12 and needle heads 1. When the device 5 is not in operation (parked), the tank 55 is used to store the suction hose.

The device housing 61 further comprises the reversible drive system 70 for the conveyor, and liquid collection means 64 for collecting overflow brine and returning it to the brine tank 55, thereby closing the circle of liquid flow.

The device 5 is operated through a control interface 59 arranged in a wing-shaped control panel 69 at the left side of the device 5 as shown in Fig. la and 1b. The control interface 59 may comprise display means that may be a

DK 181519 B1 9 touchscreen module, as well as a rotatable knob for adjusting various settings.

The wing-shaped control panel 69 may be arranged to be removable, e.g. by removing bolts, allowing efficient hardware and software updates without the need for changing or transporting the rest of the device 5. The control panel 69 may also be connected to the side of the device 5 through adjustable connection means, such as hinges, allowing for changing the viewing angle of the control interface 59 on the control panel 69. The shape of the control panel 69 can also be different from the wing-shaped exemplary embodiment shown in Fig. la, such as rectangular, or any other shape readily conceivable for a skilled person.

To control the injection level the operator can adjust pump pressure and speed (number of strokes of the bridge per minute) on the control panel 69 through the control interface 59, Another feature of the control panel 69 is the option to save pre-defined settings of pump pressure and bridge speed (recipes).

Structures and features that are the same or similar to corresponding structures and features previously described or shown hereinbelow are denoted by the same reference numeral as previously used, not only for simplicity but also to indicate that said features solve the technical problem in an analogous way.

As shown in Fig. 2a and 2b, as well as 3a and 3b, the removable cover 58 may comprise at least two distinctly operable cover elements, e.g. a first cover element 58A and a second cover element 58B. These may be removable from the housing 61 separately, as shown in Fig. 2b and 3b, allowing access to

DK 181519 B1 10 the conveyor 53 and the needle bridge 4 for cleaning, adjusting, or removal. The cover elements 58A and 58B may also be hinged allowing rotational opening upwards or to the side of one or both elements, as shown in Figs. 8a, 8b, 8c and will be explained later.

At least one or all of the cover elements 58A and 58B may be transparent for allowing the operator to see through the cover 58 even in a closed state, and monitor the injection process, in particular to be able to see the needle bridge 4 and the conveying surface 54.

As shown in the cross-sectional view of the device 5 in Fig. 4a, the conveying surface 54 may be arranged as an endless belt traveling around conveyor pulleys 75 and conveyor pins 76, with at least one conveyor pulley 75 being arranged to be driven by the reversible drive system 70 located in the housing 61.

The conveyor pins 76 are arranged to be removable to any of their sides in an axial direction, thereby removing tension from the endless belt conveying surface 54, which can subsequently be removed as well for cleaning or replacement.

Once the tension is loosened on the endless belt 54, foldable end sections 79 arranged on one or both sides of the conveyor 53 can either be removed or folded upwards or downwards so that these protruding end sections of the conveyor 53 can be packed into the housing 61, thereby reducing the footprint of the device when not in use. This allows for an approximately 1200 x 800 mm total footprint taken up by the box-shaped device 5 when stored away. The mobility of the device 5 is further enhanced by removable wheels 68, each revolving around

DK 181519 B1 11 a horizontal wheel axis and also arranged to rotate around the vertical rotational axis for better maneuverability.

As further shown in Fig. 3a and the cross-section of Fig. 4a, in the housing 61 there is further arranged liquid collecting means 64 for collecting overflow brine through the conveying surface 54, which is guided by sloping guide surfaces 65 arranged below the conveyor 53 towards a trough 66 protruding down towards the brine tank 55. Openings 67 arranged in the trough 66 lead the overflow brine to the brine tank 55, through the coarse filter as described above. The guide surfaces 65 and the trough 66 also help to visually divide the clean “food processing” area from its surroundings.

Fig. 4b shows a cross-section at a pane perpendicular that of

Fig. 4a, illustrating the drive system 70 integrated into the housing 61, which will be explained in detail with respect to

Figs. 7a, 7b, and 7c. This cross-section further shows the needle bridge 4 arranged on a support plate 60 above the conveying surface 54, as will be explained in detail with respect to Figs. 6a, 6b and 6c.

Fig. 5 illustrates the reversible conveyor 533 defining a conveying surface 54, in this case an endless belt, tensioned and revolving around conveyor pins 76 and at least one conveyor pulley 75, the conveying direction itself defined by the rotational movement of the conveyor pulley 75 driven by the reversible drive system, as will be explained below. When a meat piece is placed on the conveying surface 54 from an entrance 77 (also defined by the conveying direction), it is advanced at each stroke of the conveyor pulley 75 by a step.

Needle heads 1 comprised within needle cavities 31 of a needle bridge 4, as shown in Fig. 6c below, are arranged movably in

DK 181519 B1 12 a direction orthogonal to the conveying surface 54. When in use, the conveyor 53 is configured to advance in a stepped manner in a conveying direction, each step advancing one step length S, which in a particular embodiment equals a second distance d2 between two parallel rows of needle cavities 31 in a needle bridge 4 as shown in Fig. 6b. When this second distance d2 between successive rows of needle head cavities 31 in the conveying direction is equal to the step length d2 = S, the resulting pattern obtained on the injected meat is a regular and dense pattern of evenly distributed injection sites.

As further shown in Fig. 5, the conveyor may comprise a removable conveyor frame 83 arranged between the entrance 77 and the exit 78 sides, which can also be removed from the device 5 once the tension on the conveyor belt 54 is loosened and the belt 54 is removed.

Fig. 6a through 6c show a particular embodiment of a needle bridge 4 that further improves the compactness and adaptability of the meat injection device 5. This needle bridge 4 comprises modular needle bridge blocks 3 arranged stacked on top of each other. The needle bridge blocks 3 are aligned by alignment means, such as protrusions and depressions arranged in corresponding surfaces of the blocks 3. The modular blocks 3 may further comprise fastening means 37, which in Fig. 6a comprises two guide channels 38, which are arranged to receive elongated fastening means, such as a threaded rod to hold stacked blocks 3 in place during operation.

As shown in Fig. 6b, the modular needle bridge blocks 3 further comprise needle head cavities 31, arranged in two

DK 181519 B1 13 rows, and extending through the lower blocks 3, to create a continuous elongated cavity within which needle heads 1 and corresponding needles 12 may travel, for example when any of the needles 12 hit a bone in the meat product on the conveyor 53. The continuity of the elongated cavity is enabled by alignment means and the fastening means 37. Needle cavities 31 are separated by a distance which is chosen to allow a maximum of needle heads 1 to fit in each block 3, while ensuring sturdiness and structural integrity of cavities 31.

Thus, needle cavities are arranged with respect to each other and the respective edges of the modular needle bridge blocks 3 such that needle head cavities 31 are spaced evenly at the same distance.

Fig. 6b shows that the modular needle bridge blocks 3 may comprise two types of blocks 3, one or more first needle blocks 39 to define a lower portion of the needle bridge 4 to be placed just above the conveyor 53, with the needle head cavities 31 as described above; and a second needle block 40 arranged on top of the first needle blocks 39, comprising liquid supply means, such as a liquid inlet 43 that is configured to be connected to the downstream side of the pump 56 after the fine filter 57, for receiving filtered brine from the brine tank 55. The second needle block 40 further comprises liquid valves 44 arranged between the liquid inlet 43 and either each needle head cavity 31, or a group of such as a row of needle head cavities 31, for the independent supply of liquid to each needle head 1 or group of needle heads 1 arranged in a row.

In an embodiment the valves 44 are designed so that a small flow is allowed across the valves 44 in a closed position.

This small flow of brine across the valves ensures the needles

DK 181519 B1 14 12 are always filled with brine. In particular, the valves 44 in this embodiment are normally-open, spring-operated spool valves. Valve strap plates connected to the pawl columns 52 shown in Fig. 6a close the valves 44 when there’s no product under the stripper plates 51. In each valve 44, channels for brine inlet and brine outlet are located directly opposite each other separated by a valve piston. The placement of the channels allows the operators to control a small flow across the valve 44 in a closed position, by carefully specified diametrical tolerances and surface roughness on the valve housing and valve piston, thus ensuring that the needles 12 are always filled with brine. Without this flow, the needles 12 would drain when the valves 44 are closed causing a delay in injection and thereby the uneven distribution of brine in the product to be injected.

As shown in Fig. 6b, in a particular embodiment the first needle bridge blocks 39 comprise two rows of needle head cavities 31 arranged to form two rows of aligned cavities 31, wherein the needle head cavities’ angle of rotation of the periphery of the cross-section in one row is substantially the same in relation to a longitudinal axis of needle bridge block 3. The cavities’ angle of rotation differs substantially by 180° between rows. This arrangement enables obtaining the regular and evenly distributed injection pattern in the meat being processed.

As Fig. 6a and Fig. 6c show the arrangement of a stack of needle bridge blocks 39 and 40 mounted on a support plate 60 which comprises cavities are arranged in a corresponding number, location, and shape to extend the needle cavities 31 of the needle bridge 4 as described above within which needle heads 1 and corresponding needles 12 are guided.

DK 181519 B1 15

Stripping plates 51 are arranged at an extremity of pawl columns 52 to strip the meat off the needles 12 during the injection operation. The stripping plates 51 also comprise through-holes that are arranged to receive needles 12 and, thus, match the distribution of the needles 12 as described above.

In particular, when the product is advanced to position under the needle bridge 4 the stripper plates 51 will first “hit” the product and retract (spring-loaded) up in the needle bridge 4. This retraction will open the brine valves 44 and allow brine flow to the needles 12. With the stripper plate 51 retracted the needles 12 will be pressed into the product and thus the brine will be deposited in the product.

The needles 12 can move freely vertically in the needle cavities 31. The hydraulic pressure from the brine on the needle heads 1 exerts force on the needle heads 1 so that the needles 12 can penetrate the product. If a needle 12 hits a bone in the product the hydraulic force is exceeded, and the needle 12 rejects up into the needle cavity 31 to prevent damage to the needle 12.

On the upstroke, the stripper plates 51 will strip off the product from the needles 12. When stripper plates 51 are seated in the bottom position the brine valves 44 will be in a closed position. If needle(s) 12 have been rejected on bones on the downstroke the brine pressure on the needle head 1 will cause the needle to return to its seating position in the bridge 4. The needle bridge 4 is then ready for the next downstroke.

In one embodiment the maximum product height that the device 5 can handle is 230 mm and the needle bridge/s 4 stroke height

DK 181519 B1 16 is 280 mm. In this case, the conveyor 53 advances one step S in the period from upstroke 230 mm above the conveying surface 54 -> needle bridge 4 top dead center 280 mm above the conveying surface 54 -> downstroke 230 mm above the conveying surface 54, This ensures that the conveying surface 54 will only advance when the needles 12 are out of the product.

After a step S advancement of the conveying surface 54, the product will be in position for the next downstroke with the needles 12 positioned where the product has not yet been injected.

When the product has advanced fully through the device 5 it has been injected with a uniform needle pattern and with the operator-controlled pressure and speed. The product can then leave the device on the conveving surface 54 at the exit side 78.

The needle bridge 4 may comprise a modular stack array comprising a plurality of modular stacks arranged along a first, second and third axes x, vy, z, axes y, and z being substantially perpendicular to the first axis x. In these embodiments the modular stacks comprise stacked needle bridge blocks 3, such as first needle blocks 39 with the needle head cavities 31 as described above, with a second needle block 40 arranged on top, and the modular stack array being dimensioned to fulfill the width, length, and height requirement of the needle bridge 4 for use in the brine injecting machine 5.

It is also possible for needle bridge 4 to comprise a plurality of modular stack arrays as described above, arranged along a first, second and/or third axes x, y, z, axes y and/or z being substantially perpendicular to the first axis, the plurality modular stack arrays being dimensioned to fulfill

DK 181519 B1 17 the width, length, and/or height requirement of needle bridge 4 for use in the brine injecting machine 5.

The plurality of modular needle bridge blocks 3, such as the first blocks 39 and second blocks 40 may be dimensioned substantially equally.

In addition, the needle bridge 4 may also be split into two sections along the width of the conveyor surface 54 with separate stripper plates 51, valves 44, and needle cavities 31. The split means that only the section of bridge 4 with a product under the stripper plate 51 will open for flow through the needles 12. This prevents the unnecessary flow of brine that would aerate the brine which is undesired.

In essence, with this system of modular blocks 3 the needle bridge 4 can be fully dismantled from the device 4 for proper cleaning, while also keeping the number of device parts at the bare minimum for reduced complexity during dismantling and assembly.

Figs. 7a, 7b, and 7c illustrate the reversible drive system 70 for the conveyor 53 of the device 5 as described above, which represents a core part of the operation of the device as will be described below.

Before operating the device 5, brine is prepared in the brine tank 55. If the pump 56 is a centrifugal pump it also needs to be primed before operation. Gravity will ensure brine flows to the pump 56 and no further priming is required.

Once primed the device 5 can be started up. The control system will first start the pump 56. If it doesn’t receive feedback from a pressure sensor that the system is pressurized it will shut down the pump 56 and throw an error to be displayed on the control interface 59, This is to prevent overheating of

DK 181519 B1 18 the gaskets in the pump 56. If the system is pressurized it means that the brine is filtered through the fine filter 57 and pressurized against the valves 44 shown in detail in Fig. ba and 6b.

The device 5 will then proceed to start the motor 82 of the drive system 70 for operating the needle bridge 4 and the conveyor 53.

The operator then places the product on the conveyor surface 54, i.e. the conveyor belt on the entrance side 77, and the drive system 70 moves the conveyor surface 54 one step S per stroke of the needle bridge 4, as described above.

The stepped advancement of the conveyor surface 54 is achieved using a Geneva drive as shown in the figures, wherein the motor 82 drives a drive gear 80 with a drive pin 81, that engages a Geneva gear 71, thus converting the continuous rotation of the drive gear 80 into stepped rotation of the

Geneva gear 71. An angular gear 72 changes the orientation of the Geneva gear 71, thus enabling practical use of space within the box-shaped housing 61 below the conveyor 53. Timing belts 73 and timing belt pulleys 74 are used to connect the

Geneva gear 71, angular gear 72, and the conveyor pulley 75 which drives the conveyor surface 54. The angular gear 72 may be arranged with a 1:1 ratio, but any other configuration and ratio readily conceivable by a skilled person are possible.

Using the Geneva gear 71 and the system of pulleys and belts also enables easy reversibility of the rotation of the gears and pulleys, thus enabling to adapt the device to the circumstances of its use in different production layouts. The direction of the conveyor surface 54 can be set easily on the control interface 59 before starting up the device 5.

DK 181519 B1 19

Figs. 8a, 8b, and 8c illustrate the different possibilities for accessing the needle bridge 4 and conveyor 53 of the device 5 through the removable cover 58. As mentioned before, this removable cover 58 may comprise at least two distinctly openable cover elements, e.g. a first cover element 58A and a second cover element 58B. These may be openable separately, as shown in Fig. 8a and 8b, or at the same time, as shown in

Fig. 8c.

In an embodiment, the cover elements 58A and 58B are connected through hinge elements 63 to a central cover frame 62 allowing rotational opening of one or both elements 58A and 58B. In other words, this hinged solution allows for either opening up one of the cover elements 58A or 58B up to 180 degrees around its hinges 63 with respect to the cover frame 62, as shown in Fig. 8b, or for the opening up of both cover elements 58A and 58B up to 90 degrees around its hinges 63 with respect to the cover frame 62.

As shown in Fig. 8d, either or both cover elements 58A and 58B may be arranged to be transparent, e.g. by using thermo molded, transparent polycarbonate shells. This enables the operator to see the processing inside the device 5 from all viewing angles. This enables quick reaction if something needs attention, in contrast to prior art devices that have a limited view inside the machine.

The various aspects and implementations have been described in conjunction with various embodiments herein. However, other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed subject-matter, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the

DK 181519 B1 20 claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. A single needle bridge block or other unit may fulfill the functions of several claims recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measured cannot be used to advantage.

The reference signs used in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope. Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings are intended to be read together with the specification, and are to be considered a portion of the entire written description of this disclosure. As used in the description, the terms “horizontal”, “vertical”, “left”, “right”, “up” and “down”, as well as adjectival and adverbial derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally”, "rightwardly”, “upwardly”, etc.), simply refer to the orientation of the illustrated structure as the particular drawing figure faces the reader.

Claims (10)

DK 181519 B1 21 PATENT CLAIM 1. Injection device for injecting a liquid into meat and which comprises a housing (61), a conveyor (53) comprising a transport surface (54) which is arranged for the movement of food between an entrance (77) which is located at one side of the housing (61), and an outlet (78) located at an opposite side of the housing (61); a needle bridge (4) disposed above the conveying surface (54), said needle bridge (4) comprising a plurality of hollow injection needles (12) removably disposed in a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface (54); characterized in that the injection device comprises a drive system (70) configured to move the transport surface (54) in at least two opposite transport directions between the entrance (77) and the exit (78). 2. Injection device (5) according to claim 1, where the transport surface (54) is part of an endless belt which is arranged to be moved by at least one reversibly rotatable conveyor pulley (75) operatively connected to the drive system (70). 3. Injection device (5) according to claim 2, wherein the transport surface (54) is designed to rotate around at least one conveyor pin (76), which at least one conveyor pin DK 181519 B1 22 (76) is removably placed in the conveyor (53) to provide tension along the opposite transport directions and to remove tension when the at least one conveyor pin (76) is removed from the conveyor (53). 4, Injection device (5) according to claim 3, where at least one conveyor pin (76) is placed so that it is accessible and can be removed from at least one side of the conveyor (53), whereby it is possible to remove the conveyor surface (54) from the conveyor ( 53). 5. Injection device (5) according to any one of claims 3 or 4, wherein the carrier (53) comprises at least one foldable end section (79) adapted to be folded away into the housing (61) when the carrier pin (76 ) is removed and the tension on the transport surface (54) is removed. 6. Injection device (5) according to any preceding claim, where the drive system (70) is configured to move the transport surface (54) step by step in at least one of the transport directions, where each step moves the transport surface (54) forward by a step length S per pin cross (4) stroke. 7. Injection device (5) according to claim 6, wherein the drive system (70) comprises a Genéve drive comprising a drive wheel (80) which is driven by a reversible action, a continuously rotating drive means (82), which drive wheel (80) comprises a drive pin DK 181519 B1 23 (81), which is arranged to periodically engage and disengage from a slot arranged in a Geneva wheel (71), while the Geneva wheel (71) is rotated at an angle defined by the Geneva wheel's ( 71) radius and number of slots, whereby the continuous rotation of the drive member (82) is converted into a stepwise rotation of the Geneva wheel (71). 8. Injection device (5) according to claim 7, where the transport surface (54) is arranged to be moved by means of at least one rotating conveyor belt pulley (75), and where the Geneva wheel (71) is operatively connected to the conveyor belt pulley (75) via at least one timing belt (73). 9, Injection device (5) according to claim 8, wherein an angle wheel (72) is further arranged between the Geneva wheel (71) and the conveyor pulley (75). 10. Injection device (5) according to any preceding claim, wherein the device (5) further comprises a control interface (59) that enables manual control of the transport direction of the conveyor (53).