GB2525842A

GB2525842A - Oil recovery apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2525842A
Application number: GB1404342.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Carrole Anne Mckenna
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-03-13
Filing date: 2014-03-13
Publication date: 2015-11-11
Also published as: GB201404342D0

Abstract

Cooking oil filtration apparatus 1 configured for positioning above frying apparatus, the apparatus comprising a container 2, the container having side walls and a base. The side walls of the container define an opening and the base of the container is provided with a filtration assembly 4. The filtration assembly comprises a fine mesh filter located between a pair of perforated plates. The filtration assembly may be removable from the container. The container may have a handle at one end and, at the other end, a means of attaching to a fry basket. In use, the apparatus is suspended above a frying apparatus and filtered debris from the frying apparatus is placed in the container. Excess oil then passes through the filtration assembly and falls back into the fryer. A method of using the cooking oil filtration apparatus is also disclosed.

Description

Oil Recovery Apparatus

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to appat-atus for recovering cooking oil from frying apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus which filters the oil and returns the filtered oil to the frying apparatus.

Background of the Invention

lo extend the life of cooking oil used for deep tat frying it is essential that any debris originating from the food (luring cooking is removed at regular intervals preventing it carbonising and degenerating the oil. typically a mesh skimmer tool is used to remove this debris, A skimmer tool is essentially a scoop made froni a mesh material, More debris is removed with a finer mesh, however oil isalsc removed from the fry vat along with thc debris. Clearing the fry vat of thod debris therefore becomes* labour intensive task as each time the skimmer is used it requires draining to remove excess oil from the skimmer and prevent it being discarded along with the debris. Even when die skimmer is drained correctly, excess oil is inevitably still discarded with the fiuod debi'is. This means that large quantities of useable cooking oil are lost each day and unnecessary waste disposal costs are being incurred.

It \vould be desirable to provide an apparatus which helps recover oil and reduces die time taken to complete the task of removing fiiod debris from fryer apparatus.

Summary of the Invention

One aspect of the invention prcvides cooking oil filtration apparatus configured for positioning above frying apparatus, the apparatus comprising a container, the container having side walls and a base, wherein the side walls define an opening and the base of the container is provided with a filtration assembly and wherein the filtration assembly comprises a fine mesh filter located between a pair of perforated plates.

Preferably, the filtration assembly is removable from the container. This allows the filtration assembly to he removed for cleaning. The filtration assembly may also he easily replaced if damaged -Preferably, the perforated plates are fabricated from metal. More preferably, the perforated plates are fabricated from stainless steel.

Preferably the mesh size of the fine mesh filter is smaller than the size of the perforations on the plates. The perforated plates protect the mesh filter from damage, but allow oil and debris to pass from the container through the perforations in the uppermost plate. Food debris remains within the container as it cannot pass through the mesh filter. Excess oil passes throngh the mesh filter and through thc pcrforations in the lowermost platc and back into the frying apparatus.

Preferably the frying apparatus is a frying vat. More preferably, the frying apparatus is a commercial frying vat.

A further aspect of die invention provides a method of removing debris from frying apparatus comprising the steps of: (a) installing cooking oil filtration apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 5 above the frying apparatus; (h) using a skimmer tool to collect debris from the frying apparatus; (c) emptying the contents of the skimmer tool into the cooking oil filtration apparatus; and (ci) allowing excess oil to pass throngh the filtration assembly of the cooking oil filtration apparatus and back into the flying apparatus.

The cooking c,il filtration apparatus of the invention reduces the time taken to complete the task of removing food debris from fryer apparatus and increases the amount of oil recovered during this process.

I

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention; Figure la illustrates a perspective view of the cooking oil filtration apparatus of a preferred embodiment the invention; Figure lb illustrates the apparatus of Figure Ia with the filtration assembly partly removed; bigure lc illustrates an underneath plan view of the apparatus of Figure la, showing the filtration assembly; Figure Id is an end view of the apparatus of Figure Ia; to Figure 1 e is a side view of the apparatus of Figure Ia; Figure 2a is a perspective view of the apparatus of Figure la with the filtration assembly removed; Figure 2b is an underneath plan view of the apparatus of Figure Ia with the filtt-ation assembly removed; Figure 2c is an end view of the apparatus of Figure 2a; Figure 321 is a perspective view of the filtration assembly; Figure 3b is a plan view of the filtration assembly; Figure 3c is an enlarged view of the portion of Figure 8a labelled A; Figure 3d is a side view of the filtration assembly; Figure 3e is an enlarged side view of the portion of Figure 81) labelled B; Figure 421 is a perspective view of the apparatus of Figure I located within a fry basket; Figure 4b is a side view of the apparatus of Figure 4a; Fignre 4c is a plan view from above of the apparatus of Figure 4a; Figure 4d is an end on view of the apparatus of Figure 4a; Figure 5a is a perspecilve view of an alternative nbodiment of the apparatus; Figure Sb is a pet-spective view of the apparatus shown in Fignre 521 with the filter assembly partially slid out; Figure Sc is a side vie\v of the apparatus illustrated in Fignres Sa and Sb.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Figures la to le illustrate a cooking oil filtration apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The apparatus is sho\wl generally at 1 and coniprises a container or receptacle 2 which has an opening 3 at the top and a filtration assembly 4 located in the base of the container 2, Preferably, as shown in the drawings, the tiltration assembly is removable from the container 2.

the filter assembly 4 comprises a generally flat plate 5 which is slidable into the base of the container 3 as shown in Figure lb. The filter assembly 4 prefetably has a sloped end edge 6 which can be gripped to aid removal of the filter assembly 4 from the cc,ntainer 2.

Preferably the container 2 comprises cut out sections 7 to ease handling. Alternatively, a separate handle cc,uld he provided -The apparatus is desied to by hung above a deep fat fryer in a fry basket which is suspended from a basket rack as shovn in fignres 4a to 4d. Alternatively, the apparatus could by hung directly above a deep fat fryer without a fry basket, as showi in Figures Sa to Sc.

Figure 2a to 2c show the apparatus with the filter assembly 4 removed. As shown in the figures the container 2 is provided with runners 8. into which the filter assembly 14 is inserted. The runners 8 hold the filter assembly in place at the base of the container 2.

Figures 3a to 3e show the filter assembly 4 in more detail As shown in Figures 3d and 3e, the filter assen bly a fine mesh filter 9 which is sandwiched between two perforated plates 10, 10'.

The plates 10, 10' are each provided with coarse holes or perforations 11 which are larger in diameter than the holes on the fine mesh filter 9 located therehetween. Preferably, thc top 10 and bottom 10' perforated plates are spot welded together with the fine mesh filter 9 located inhetween the two, the fine mesh filter 9 can lie seen through the perforations 11 in Figure 3c.

the plates 10, 10' protect the finc mesh filter from any damage from thc skimmer or from accidental damage during general handling and make the apparatus more robust, thus extending its life. The filter assembly 4 is preferably removable from the apparatus I to aid cleaning and so that it can lie easily replaced without having to replace the entire apparatus 1.

Figures 1a tc 4d show the apparatus Iccated within a fry basket 12, I'he fry basket 12 is dcsigucd to hook onto a basket rack @lor shown) located above a fryer using hook 13. The fry basket 12 is made of a wire mesh. When the fry vat is cleaned using the skimmer tool the worker can simply empty the contents of the skimmer tool (containing both food debrisand excess oil) into the container 2 without waiting for the excess oil to drain away first. The excess oil can then drain back into the fryer vat through filter assembly 4and the mesh fry basket 12, without Farther input frc,m the worker Any food debris is retaincd in thc container 2.

Skimming of the fryer vat with the skimmer tool must he done at regular intervals during the day to maintain the quality of the oil. By using the apparatus of the invention labour time spent on this task is vastly reduced since tin tune is wasted by workers waiting Far oil te drain from the ski inner tool. By the time the next sknnnnng operation is conducted, excess oil from the filtration apparatus has drained back into the frying apparatus.

The cut-out portions 7 on the container allow for easy removal of the apparatus 1 from die fry basket 12 fix emptying and cleaning. The skimmer tool can be stored inside the container 2 WhCfl it is not in use.

Figures 5a to 5c illustrate an alternative embodiment for hanging directly above the deep fat fryer.

The apparatus shown neral]y at 1' comprises a receptacle 2' and filter assembly 4'. The receptacle 2' has a hook 13' attached to one end thereof, and a handle 14 at the other. 11w receptacle 2' is sized so that a fry scoop 15 may he placed within the receptacle. The filter assembly 4' is of the same construction as the filter 4.

Claims

Claims 1. Cooking oil filtration apparatus confiired for positioning above frying apparatus, the apparatus comprising a container, the container having side walls and a base, wherein the side walls define an opening and the base of the container is provided with a filtration assembly and wherein the filtration assembly comprises a tine mesh filter located between a pair of pertbrated plates.
2. Cooking oil tiltration apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the tiltration assembly is removable fromn the container.
3. Cooking oil filtration apparatus according to Claim 1 or,vherein the perforated plates are tO fabricated from metal.
4. Cooking oil filtration apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein the perfirated plates are fabricated from stainless steel.
5. Cooking oil filtration apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the mesh size of the fine mesh tilter is smaller than the size of the perforations on the plates.
6. Cooking oil filtration apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the container is provided with a handle at one end aud an attachment means at the other for attaching the container to a try basket.
7. Cooking oil filtration apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein the attachment means is a hook.
8. A method of removing debris from frying apparatus comprising the steps of (a) installing cooking oil filtration apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 7 above the trying apparatus; (h) using a skimmer tool to collect debris from the frying apparatus; (c) emptying the contents of the skimmer tool into the cooking oil filtration apparatus; and ( allowing excess oil to pass through the filtration assembly of the apparatus and back into the ftying apparatus.
9. Cooking oil filtration apparatus substantially as shown in and described with reference to the drawings.S