WO2008135616A1

WO2008135616A1 - Appliance for drying and ripening food products

Info

Publication number: WO2008135616A1
Application number: PCT/ES2008/000305
Authority: WO
Inventors: Narcís LAGARES COROMINAS
Original assignee: Metalquimia, Sa
Priority date: 2007-05-04
Filing date: 2008-05-05
Publication date: 2008-11-13

Abstract

An appliance for drying and ripening food products comprises a closed tank (1) connected to conditioning means for creating pre-determined ambient conditions inside the tank (1); an admission flap device (3) for allowing the ordered introduction of food product portions into the tank (1) without altering the pre-determined ambient conditions inside the tank (1); an outlet flap device (8) for allowing the output of said food product portions from inside the tank (1) without altering the ambient conditions inside the tank (1); and an internal transporting device (7) installed inside the tank (1) so as to transport the food product portions in an ordered manner from the admission flap device (3) to the outlet flap device (8) along a path.

Description

APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND MATURATION OF PRODUCTS

FOODS

Field of the technique The present invention concerns an apparatus for drying and maturing portions of food product comprising a closed tank configured to admit portions of food product through an entry door device, subjecting them to predetermined environmental conditions in their inside, and deliver them through an exit door device in a virtually continuous regime.

Background of the invention

International patent application WO 2005/092109 describes a method comprising cutting a food product into slices of a predetermined thickness, partially drying said slices at a pressure lower than

The atmospheric pressure, optionally providing heat simultaneously, apply a modified atmosphere to the products and ripen the slices in this modified atmosphere and at a controlled temperature.

An objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of implementing the method described in said international patent application.

WO 2005/092109, as well as other similar methods, in a practically continuous regime.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention contributes to achieving the above and other objectives by providing an apparatus for drying and ripening of food products, comprising a closed tank connected to conditioning means to create predetermined environmental conditions inside, devices of entry and exit door configured to allow the orderly entry and exit of portions of food product without altering said predetermined environmental conditions inside the tank, and an internal conveyor device installed inside the tank to transport said portions in an orderly manner of food product from the gateway device to the exit gate device along a route.

Said entry door device includes an entry chamber arranged to receive portions of food product from an input conveyor neatly, an exterior entrance door disposed between said entrance chamber and the exterior of the tank, and an interior entrance door. arranged between the inlet chamber and the inside of the tank. The mentioned exterior and interior entrance doors are actuated to open and close alternately so that at least one of them is closed at all times. In an analogous manner, the exit door device includes an exit chamber arranged to receive the food product portions from an end end of the internal conveying device, an interior exit door disposed between said exit chamber and the interior of the tank , and an exterior exit door arranged between the exit chamber and the exterior of the tank. Said interior and exterior exit doors are actuated to open and close alternately so that at least one of them is closed at all times.

With this construction, orderly formations of portions of foodstuff, for example, slices or slices of a determined thickness of a meat product, can be introduced and extracted from the tank at a practically continuous rate without the environmental conditions inside the tank being See altered. Said internal conveyor device is preferably composed of several overlapping conveyor sections that provide a travel inside the tank much longer than the length of the tank, and the forward speed of the internal conveyor device is established in accordance with the driving rate of the entry and exit door devices so that the portions of the food product remain inside the tank long enough for drying and maturation while being turned over, which results in homogenization of the treatment. Preferably, the ordered formations of portions of food product consist of rows of portions arranged transversely to the direction of advance of the internal conveyor. The aforementioned predetermined environmental conditions inside the tank may include one or more parameters selected from a pressure different from the atmospheric pressure; a temperature different from the outside ambient temperature; and a modified atmosphere. In general, the pressure inside the tank will be lower than the atmospheric pressure and the temperature higher than the outside ambient temperature.

In an exemplary embodiment, the food product portions are in the form of slices or slices of a frozen meat product, and the apparatus of the present invention comprises a heating unit for heating and optionally defrosting the slices or slices before same sen sent to the mentioned input conveyor to be introduced to the tank. Said heating unit comprises a heating conveyor device arranged to transport the ordered formations of portions of food product through a flow of hot gas, preferably hot air, provided by a hot gas supply device. This heating conveyor device has an end end arranged to deliver the ordered formations of heated food product portions to the initial end of an inlet conveyor that leads them to the inlet chamber. In another example of embodiment, the entrance door device comprises an input transfer conveyor for transferring slices or slices of food product from the input conveyor to said internal conveyor device through the entry chamber in coordination with the operation of the exterior and interior entrance doors of the entrance chamber, and drive means for displacing at least one of said input conveyor, input transfer conveyor and internal conveyor device to provide a link between them and transfer the slices or slices from one to another. In an exemplary embodiment, the input transfer conveyor is mounted on a mobile support within said input chamber, and drive means are arranged to move said mobile support between a receiving position, an intermediate position, and a position of delivery. In said reception position, said transfer conveyor of The entrance partially protrudes from the entrance chamber towards the outside through the exterior entrance door, when it is open, to cooperate with said entrance conveyor in the reception of slices or slices of food product from the entrance conveyor. In the intermediate position, the input transfer conveyor is totally inside the entrance chamber allowing the exterior and interior entrance doors to be both closed. In the delivery position, the input transfer conveyor partially protrudes from the inlet chamber towards the inside of the tank through the inner entrance door, when it is open, to cooperate with an initial end of the internal conveyor device in The delivery of said slices or slices of food product to the internal conveyor device.

In a similar manner, the exit door device comprises an exit transfer conveyor for transferring slices or slices of food product from said internal conveyor device to an exit collecting device through said exit chamber in coordination with the operation of the interior and exterior exit doors of the exit chamber, and actuation means for displacing at least one of said internal transport device, output transfer conveyor and output collecting device to provide a link between them and transfer the slices or slices from one to another. According to an exemplary embodiment, said output transfer conveyor is mounted on a mobile support inside said output chamber and drive means are arranged to move said mobile support between a receiving position, an intermediate position and a position of delivery. In the receiving position, the output transfer conveyor partially protrudes from the exit chamber towards the inside of the tank through said interior exit door, when it is open, to cooperate with an end end of the internal transport device in the reception of slices or slices of food product from the internal conveyor device. In the intermediate position, the exit transfer conveyor is totally inside the exit chamber and allows the interior and exterior exit doors to be both closed. In the delivery position, the conveyor of Output transfer partially protrudes from the exit chamber outwards through said exterior exit door, when it is open, to cooperate with an output collecting device in the delivery of slices or slices of food product to said device outlet manifold. With this arrangement, the introduction and extraction of slices or slices of food product is carried out in an orderly and safe manner by the entry and exit door devices without the interior space of the tank communicating at any time directly with the outside environment, that is, without the environmental conditions inside the tank being altered.

The apparatus of the present invention also includes transfer and flip devices, each of which is arranged at the end of each of the superimposed sections of the internal transport device inside the tank, except at the end of the lower section. The transfer and flip devices are configured to transfer the slices or slices of food product from one section to the immediately lower section, turning the slices or slices of food product and substantially maintaining their orderly formation.

Brief description of the drawings

The foregoing and other features and advantages will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an apparatus for drying and ripening food products according to an embodiment of the present invention:

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional side view taken along the plane indicated M-Il in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a tank of an apparatus for drying and maturing food products according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, including an entry door device, a door device output, an internal conveyor and transfer and flip devices; Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detailed cross-sectional views of the entrance door device of Fig. 3 with an input transfer conveyor in a receiving position, an intermediate position and a delivery position, respectively: Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are detailed cross-sectional views of the exit door device of Fig. 3 with an input transfer conveyor in a receiving position, an intermediate position and a delivery position, respectively:

Fig. 10 is a detail view in side elevation of one of the transfer and turning devices in the internal conveyor of the tank of Fig. 3; Y

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the transfer and flip device of Fig. 10.

Detailed description of some embodiments

Referring firstly to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown an apparatus for drying and ripening of food products, such as slices or slices of a previously frozen meat or other product, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus essentially comprises a heating unit 20 for defrosting the food product portions, a tank 1 for drying and ripening the food product portions, and an inlet conveyor 14 for transporting the food product portions from said heating unit 20 to said tank 1. The heating unit 20 comprises a heating conveyor device 21 arranged to transport the food product portions arranged in orderly formations, such as, for example, separate rows of slices or slices transverse to the direction of travel, from an initial end 21a to an end end 21b of the heating conveyor 21 and through a flow of hot gas, preferably hot air. For this purpose, the heating conveyor device 21 has several substantially horizontal and overlapping sections running between a hot air emission mouth 23 and an air reception mouth heat 24 mutually facing each other that create a flow of hot air transverse to the direction of advance of the heating conveyor 21. This flow of hot air is provided by a hot gas supply device 22 comprising a heating chamber 25 equipped with an apparatus of air heating, a supply conduit 26 for conducting hot air from said heating chamber 25 to said hot air emission mouth 23, a collection conduit 27 for conducting hot air from said hot air receiving mouth 24 again up to said heating chamber 25, and air circulation means, such as a fan (not shown) for circulating hot air through said supply and collection ducts 26, 27 and through heating chamber 25 for the purpose of creating said hot air flow from the hot air emission mouth 23 to the hot air reception mouth e 24.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the heating conveyor device 21 has three substantially horizontal sections, superimposed, actuated to move in opposite directions, and arranged so that the end end of each section is superimposed on an area near the initial end of the immediately lower section with in order to provide a longer path than the length of the heating unit 20 and to turn over the ordered formations of product portions that fall by gravity from one section to another. Thus, said end end 21b of the heating conveyor 21 is the end end of the lowermost section, and said input conveyor 14 has an initial end 14a disposed below this end end 21b of the heating conveyor 21 to receive the ordered formations of portions of food product once defrosted in the heating unit 20. Said initial end 21a of the heating conveyor device 21 is arranged to receive the ordered formations of the portions of food product in the form of slices or slices of a meat product frozen of a certain thickness loaded from a loading device (not shown) that is not part of the apparatus of the present invention. The space between the air emission mouth hot 23 and the hot air receiving mouth 24, where the heating conveyor 21 is located, is open to the atmosphere.

The input conveyor 14 is configured to transport the ordered formations of portions of food product from said initial end 14a adjacent to the heating unit 20 to an end end 14b associated with an optional loading device 2, prepared to load the ordered formations of portions of food product to the tank 1. Since the tank 1 has an entrance door device 3 located at a height greater than the end end 21b of the heating conveyor 21, the input conveyor 14 has an inclined intermediate section for raising the ordered formations of portions of food product up to the required height.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the tank 1 is closed and connected to conditioning means (not shown) adapted to create predetermined environmental conditions inside, such as a pressure different from the atmospheric pressure, and / or a temperature different from the outside ambient temperature, and / or a modified atmosphere. The tank 1 has associated said door entry device 3 at one end and an exit door device 8 at the opposite end, and between said entry and exit door devices 3, 8 is an internal conveyor 7 composed of this embodiment by several sections 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76 horizontal, superimposed, actuated to move in opposite alternate directions. An initial end 7a of the upper section 71 of the internal conveyor device 7 is adjacent to the entrance door device 3 and an end end 7b of an auxiliary end section 76 of the internal conveyor device 7 is adjacent to the exit door device 8. The devices of entry and exit door 3, 8 are configured to allow portions of the food product to enter tank 1 and exit tank 1, respectively, without altering the aforementioned predetermined environmental conditions created inside the tank 1.

It should be noted that in the alternative embodiment shown in Figs. 3 to 9, the entrance door device 3 is configured so that the food product portions are loaded directly from the input conveyor 14 to the entrance door device 3 without the need for the loading device 2 shown in the exemplary embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2.

The various sections 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76 of the internal conveyor device 7 are preferably formed by horizontal conveyor belts, belts or belts and are arranged to orderly transport the food product portions from said entrance door device 3 to said exit door device 8 along a path. The mentioned initial end 7a of the internal conveyor device 7 is here the initial end of the upper section 71. The initial end of each of the following sections 72, 73, 74, 75 is arranged to receive the ordered formations of portions of food product from of the end end of the immediately superior section. Thus, the configuration of the internal conveyor device 7 in several overlapping sections 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76 provides a longer route than the length of the tank 1 and turns the product portions, with what is achieved greater homogenization of your treatment.

In relation to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the entrance door device 3 of the embodiment of Fig. 3 is described below. The entrance door device 3 comprises an entrance chamber 4, which can be communicated with the outside through of an exterior entrance door 5 and with the interior of the tank 1 through an interior entrance door 6. The exterior and interior entrance doors 5 of the entrance chamber 4 are operated so that one of them is not open If the other is not closed. When both exterior and internal entrance doors 5 of the inlet chamber 4 are closed, at least one valve system (not shown) can be operated to match the environmental conditions inside the entrance chamber 4 with the environmental conditions outside before the exterior entrance door 5 is opened or with the predetermined environmental conditions inside the tank 1 before the interior entrance door 6 is opened. An external input conveyor 14 has an end 14b adjacent to the external input door 5, and an initial end 7a of the upper section 71 of the internal transport device 7 is adjacent to the internal input door 6. The entrance door device 3 comprises an input transfer conveyor 37 for transferring slices or slices of food product from the input conveyor 14 to the internal conveyor device 7 through the input chamber 4 in coordination with the operation of the exterior and interior entrance doors 5, 6 of the entrance chamber 4. In the illustrated embodiment, said input transfer conveyor 37 is mounted on a mobile support 38 installed so that it can run along a guide element 48 within the inlet chamber 4, and drive means, such as a fluid dynamic cylinder and piston assembly 49, are arranged to move said mobile support 38 between a receiving position (Fig. 4), a position intermediate (Fig. 5), and a delivery position (Fig. 6).

In a similar manner, the exit door device 8, better shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, it comprises an exit chamber 9, which can be communicated with the outside through an interior exit door 10 and with the interior of the tank 1 through an exterior exit door 11. The doors of internal output 10 and exterior 11 of the output chamber 9 are actuated so that one of them is not open if the other is not closed. When both interior 10 and exterior 11 exit doors of the exit chamber 9 are closed, a valve system (not shown) can be operated to match the environmental conditions inside the exit chamber 9 with the predetermined environmental conditions in the interior of the tank 1 before the interior exit door 10 is opened or with the external environmental conditions before the exterior exit door 11 is opened. An end end 7b of the auxiliary final section 76 of the internal conveyor device 7 is adjacent to the inner exit door 10 and an external exit conveyor 45 has an end 45b adjacent to the outer exit door 11. The exit door device 8 it comprises an output transfer conveyor 41 for transferring slices or slices of food product from the internal conveyor device 7 to the output conveyor 45 through the exit chamber 9 in coordination with the operation of the interior and exterior exit doors 10, 11 of the exit chamber 9. In the illustrated embodiment, said transfer conveyor Exit 41 is mounted on a mobile support 42 installed so that it can run along a guide element 50 within the exit chamber 9, and drive means, such as a dynamic fluid cylinder and piston assembly 51, they are arranged to move said mobile support 42 between a receiving position (Fig. 7), an intermediate position (Fig. 8), and a delivery position (Fig. 9).

The entrance door 3 and exit 8 devices are installed in respective boxes 54, 55, which define the corresponding input 4 and exit cameras 9. The mentioned boxes 54, 55 are slidably mounted on guide elements 56, 57 and are provided with respective hooking devices 58, 59 that can be manually operated to fix the boxes 54, 55 in the operative position shown in Figs. 4 to 9. The hooking devices 58, 59 can be released to allow disassembly of entry door 3 and exit 8 devices. According to a preferred embodiment, the input conveyor 14 is formed by a plurality of bands separate parallel auger conveyors 14c, the input transfer conveyor 37 comprises a plurality of separate parallel conveyor belts 37c, each of the sections 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76 of the inner conveyor 7 is composed of a respective plurality of parallel, separate endless conveyor belts 71c, 72c, 73c, 74c, 75c, 76c, the output transfer conveyor 41 comprises a plurality of parallel, separate endless conveyor belts 41c, and the output conveyor 45 is formed by a plurality 45c parallel conveyor belts, separate.

Near the aforementioned end end 14b of the inlet conveyor 14 is arranged an alignment device 39 configured to transversely align the slices or slices of food product on the inlet conveyor 14 before said slices or slices of food product are introduced into the chamber of input 4. To this end, the alignment device 39 comprises a plurality of parallel, separate fingers 40, and drive means, such as a fluid dynamic cylinder and piston assembly 52, for moving said fingers 40 between an active position (Figs. 5 and 6), in which the fingers 40 are sandwiched between said conveyor belts 37c forming a barrier for slices or slices of foodstuff, and an inactive position (Fig. 4), in which the fingers 40 are below the conveyor belts 37c. Similarly, near said end end 7b of the auxiliary end section 76 of the internal conveyor device 7 is arranged an alignment device 43 configured to transversely align the slices or slices of food product on the internal conveyor device 7 before the slices or Slices of foodstuff are introduced into the outlet chamber 9. For this purpose, said alignment device 43 comprises a plurality of parallel, separate fingers 44 connected to drive means, such as a cylinder and fluid dynamic piston assembly 53, actuated to move said fingers 44 between an active position (Figs. 8 and 9), in which fingers 44 are sandwiched between said conveyor belts 76c forming a barrier for slices or slices of foodstuff, and an inactive position (Fig. 7), in which the fingers 44 are below the conveyor belts 76c.

In relation to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 a load cycle through the entrance door device 3 is described below. First, as shown in Fig. 4, the exterior entrance door 5 is open and the transfer conveyor of input 37 is transferred and placed in the mentioned reception position, in which the input transfer conveyor 37 partially protrudes from the input chamber 4 outwards through the open external entrance door 5, until the plurality of endless conveyor belts 37c of the input transfer conveyor 37 are partially interspersed with the plurality of endless conveyor belts 14c of the input conveyor 14. Prior to opening the outer entrance door 5 the environmental conditions inside the chamber input 4 have been matched with the external environmental conditions by means of the aforementioned valve system, and the slices or slices of food product have been retained on the input conveyor by the alignment device 39 in the active position. When the input transfer conveyor 37 is in the receiving position shown in Fig. 4, the alignment device 39 is placed in the inactive position to allow a batch of slices or slices of food properly aligned transversely to be transferred from the input conveyor 14 to the input transfer conveyor 37 substantially maintaining its orderly formation.

Then, as shown in Fig. 5, the input transfer conveyor 37, with the batch of slices or slices of food product thereon, is transferred to the intermediate position, in which it is totally within the entrance chamber 4, and the exterior entrance door 5 is closed. In this position, the environmental conditions inside the inlet chamber 4 are matched with the environmental conditions inside the tank 1 by means of the valve system. Meanwhile, the alignment device 39 is returned to the active position to retain a new batch of slices of food product on the input conveyor 14. Next, as shown in Fig. 6, the inner entrance door 6 is open and the input transfer conveyor 37, with the batch of slices or slices of food product thereon, is transferred to the delivery position, in which it partially protrudes from the inlet chamber 4 into the tank 1 through The interior entrance door 6 to cooperate with the initial end 7a of the internal transport device 7 in the delivery of the batch of slices or slices of food product to the internal transport device 7 substantially maintaining its orderly formation. In the delivery position, the plurality of endless conveyor belts 37c of the input transfer conveyor 37 are partially interspersed with the plurality of endless conveyor belts 71c of the first section 71 of the internal conveyor device 7 when the input transfer conveyor 37.

Finally, the input transfer conveyor 37 is returned to the intermediate position shown in Fig. 5, although without slices or slices of food product thereon, the interior entrance door 6 is closed and the environmental conditions inside The input chamber 4 is matched again with the external environmental conditions by means of the mentioned valve system to leave the entrance door device 3 in a position to perform a new charging cycle.

In relation to Figs. 7, 8 and 9 a discharge cycle through the exit door device 8 is described below. First, as shown in Fig. 7, the interior exit door 10 is open and the transfer conveyor Exit 41 is moved to the receiving position, in which it partially protrudes from the exit chamber 9 towards the inside of the tank 1 through the interior exit door 10 to cooperate with the end end 7b of the auxiliary final section 76 of the internal conveyor device 7 in the reception of a batch of slices or slices of foodstuff from the internal conveyor device 7 substantially maintaining its orderly formation. In this receiving position, the plurality of endless conveyor belts 41c of the outgoing transfer conveyor 41 are partially interspersed with the plurality of endless conveyor belts 76c of the auxiliary final section 76 of the internal conveyor device 7. Obviously, prior to opening the The interior exit door 10, the environmental conditions inside the exit chamber 9 have been matched with the environmental conditions inside the tank 1 by means of the valve system, and the alignment device 43 has been arranged in the position active to retain and cross-align a batch of slices or slices of food product on the auxiliary final section 76 of the internal conveyor device (7).

Then, as shown in Fig. 8, the output transfer conveyor 41, with the batch of slices or slices of food product thereon, is transferred to the intermediate position, in which it is totally within the exit chamber 9, and the interior exit door 10 is closed. In this position, the environmental conditions inside the outlet chamber 9 are matched with the environmental conditions outside through the valve system. Likewise, the alignment device 43 is returned to the active position to retain a new batch of slices of food product on the auxiliary final section 76 of the internal conveyor device 7. Then, as shown in Fig. 9, the exit door outside 11 is open and the transfer transfer conveyor 41, with the batch of slices or slices of food product thereon, is moved to the delivery position, in which the outgoing transfer conveyor 41 partially protrudes from the outlet chamber 9 outwards through the outer outlet door 11 to cooperate with an outlet collecting device in the delivery of said slices or slices of food product to said outlet collecting device. In the illustrated embodiment, said output collecting device comprises the output conveyor 45 described above, and, in the delivery position, the plurality of endless conveyor belts 41c of the output transfer conveyor 41 are partially intercalated with The plurality of endless conveyor belts 45c of the output conveyor 45 to deliver the slices or slices of food product to the output conveyor 45 substantially maintaining its orderly formation.

Finally, the output transfer conveyor 41 is returned to the intermediate position shown in Fig. 8, although without slices or slices of food product thereon, the outer exit door 11 is closed and the environmental conditions inside The exit chamber 9 is again matched with the environmental conditions inside the tank 1 by means of said valve system to leave the exit gate device 8 in a position to carry out a new discharge cycle.

In an alternative embodiment, not shown, the input transfer conveyor 37 remains stationary and it is the input conveyor 14 and the upper section 71 of the internal conveyor device 7 that are displaced to link with the input transfer conveyor 37 through the corresponding exterior and interior entrance doors 5. In another alternative embodiment, not shown, the output transfer conveyor 41 remains stationary and is the auxiliary final section 76 of the internal conveyor device 7 and the output conveyor 45 which are displaced to link with the outgoing transfer conveyor 41 through the corresponding inner and outer exit doors 11. Obviously, other combinations of mobile and stationary conveyors are possible within the scope of the present invention. Turning momentarily to Fig. 3, inside the tank 1, the internal conveyor device 7 transfers the slices or slices of food product from the entrance door device 3 to the exit door device 8 while the product slices or slices The foodstuffs are dried and matured by virtue of the environmental conditions created inside the tank 1. At the end of each of the sections 71, 72, 73, 74 superimposed of the internal conveyor device 7 (in this embodiment), except for At the end of the lower section 75, a transfer and flip device 46 is installed, which is configured to transfer in a controlled manner the slices or slices of food product from each section 71, 72, 73, 74 above the corresponding section 72, 73, 74, 75 immediately below, ensuring a turn of the slices or slices of foodstuff and substantially maintaining its orderly formation (with alignment t ransversal slices or slices) during the transfer. At the end of the lower section 75 a ramp 60 is arranged through which the slices or slices of food product are transferred to the auxiliary final section 76 of the internal conveyor device 7.

In relation to Figs. 8 and 9, one of the aforementioned transfer and turning devices 46 is described below, for example, the one that is arranged to transfer slices or slices of food product from section 71 to section 72 of the internal conveyor device 7. The remaining transfer devices transfer and flip 46 are analogous, so their description will be omitted. As mentioned above, each of said sections 71, 72 of the internal conveyor device 7 comprises a plurality of parallel, separate endless conveyor belts 71c, 72c, which are mounted on respective pairs of end pulleys 61, 62. transfer and turning device 46 comprises a plurality of groups of endless fastener strips 46a, 46b, 46c mounted on respective pairs of conductive pulleys, which, in the illustrated embodiment, are formed by annular grooves in conductive bars 47a , 47b, 47c, 47d arranged parallel to a common axis of rotation for said end pulleys 61 at an end end of the corresponding upper section 71 of the internal conveyor device 7. Said conductive bars 47a, 47b, 47c, 47d are distributed around a part of the end end of the upper section 71 of the internal conveyor device 7, so that sections of said endless fastener bands 46a, 46b, 46c cooperate with the conveyor belts auger 71c for holding the slices or slices of foodstuff for at least part of a path around said axis of rotation of the extreme pulleys 61. The endless fastener bands 46a, 46b, 46c of each group are interspersed with the endless fastener bands 46a , 46b, 46c of another adjacent group, and each of said conductive bars 47a, 47b, 47c, 47d, except for extreme conductive bars 47a, 47d, is common for two of the adjacent endless fastener band groups 46a, 46b, 46c . The conductive bars 47a, 47b, 47c, 47d are driven in synchronization with the internal conveyor device 7 through a toothed belt 63 coupled to toothed pulleys 64 fixed at the ends of the conductive bars 47a, 47b, 47c, 47d (Fig. . eleven). Thus, the slices or slices of food product that advance on the endless conveyor belts 71c of the upper section 71, which move in the direction indicated by the arrow D1 in Fig. 10, when reaching the end thereof, are caught between the endless conveyor belts 71c of the upper section 71 and the endless fastener bands 46a, 46b, 46c and are driven around the extreme pulleys 61 at the end of the upper section 71 until they are deposited (without altering their formation, transversely aligned) on the bands endless conveyors 72c of the lower section 72, which move in the direction indicated by the arrow D2 in Fig. 10, and at the same time are turned, so that the face of the slices or slices of food product in contact with the endless conveyor belts 71c of the upper section 71 is the opposite of the face in contact with the endless conveyor belts 72c of the lower section 72.

A person skilled in the art will be able to make modifications and variations from the example of embodiment shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. Apparatus for drying and maturing food products, comprising: a closed tank (1) connected to conditioning means to create predetermined environmental conditions inside said tank (1); an entrance door device (3) configured to allow the orderly entry of portions of food product into the tank (1) without altering said predetermined environmental conditions inside the tank (1); an exit door device (8) configured to allow the exit of said food product portions from the inside of the tank (1) without altering the predetermined environmental conditions inside the tank (1); and an internal conveyor device (7) installed inside the tank

(1) and arranged to orderly transport the food product portions from said entrance door device (3) to said exit door device (8) along a path.

2. Apparatus, according to claim 1, characterized in that the entrance door device (3) comprises an entrance chamber (4) arranged to receive portions of food product from an input conveyor (14), a door of external entrance (5) disposed between said entrance chamber (4) and the exterior of the tank (1), and an interior entrance door (6) disposed between the entrance chamber (4) and the interior of the tank (1) , said exterior and interior entrance doors (5, 6) being operated to open and close alternately so that at least one of them is closed at all times, and a valve system actuated to equalize the environmental conditions inside the interior. entrance chamber (4) with the external environmental conditions before the exterior entrance door (5) is opened or with the predetermined environmental conditions inside the tank (1) before the interior entrance door (6) be open.

3. Apparatus, according to claim 2, characterized in that the entrance door device (3) comprises a conveyor of input transfer (37) to transfer slices or slices of food product from said input conveyor (14) to said internal conveyor device (7) through said input chamber (4) in coordination with the operation of the entrance doors exterior and interior (5, 6) of the input chamber (4), and drive means for displacing at least one of said input conveyor (14), input transfer conveyor (37) and internal conveyor device ( 7) to provide a link between them and transfer the slices or slices from one to another.

4. Apparatus, according to claim 3, characterized in that said input transfer conveyor (37) is mounted on a mobile support (38) within said input chamber (4) and drive means are arranged to move said mobile support (38) between a receiving position, in which said input transfer conveyor (37) partially protrudes from the input chamber (4) outwardly through said exterior entrance door (5) when the it is open to cooperate with said input conveyor (14) in receiving slices or slices of food product from the input conveyor (14), an intermediate position in which the input transfer conveyor (37) is fully inside of the entrance chamber (4) with the exterior and interior entrance doors (5, 6) closed, and a delivery position in which said input transfer conveyor (37) protrudes pa essentially from the inlet chamber (4) into the tank (1) through said inner entrance door (6) when it is open to cooperate with an initial end (7a) of the internal conveyor device (7) in The delivery of said slices or slices of food product to the internal conveyor device (7).

5. Apparatus, according to claim 4, characterized in that an alignment device (39) is arranged near an end end (14b) of said input conveyor (14) to transversely align the slices or slices of food product on the input conveyor (14).

6. Apparatus, according to claim 5, characterized in that the input conveyor (14) comprises a plurality of parallel, separate endless conveyor belts (37c), and said alignment device (39) comprises a plurality of parallel, separate fingers (40), and actuation means for moving said fingers (40) between an active position, in which the fingers (40) are sandwiched between said conveyor belts (37c) forming a barrier for slices or slices of foodstuff, and an inactive position.

7. Apparatus, according to claim 6, characterized in that the input transfer conveyor (37) comprises a plurality of parallel, separate endless conveyor belts (37c), which are arranged partially interspersed with a plurality of endless conveyor belts (14c) of the input conveyor (14) when the input transfer conveyor (37) is in said receiving position to receive the slices or slices of food product from said input conveyor (14) substantially maintaining its orderly formation.

8. Apparatus, according to claim 7, characterized in that said plurality of endless conveyor belts (37c) of the input transfer conveyor (37) are partially interspersed with a plurality of parallel, separate endless conveyor belts (71c), of a first section (71) of the internal conveyor device (7) when the input transfer conveyor (37) is in said delivery position to deliver the slices or slices of food product to said internal conveyor (7) substantially maintaining its formation neat.

9. Apparatus, according to claim 1, characterized in that the exit door device (8) comprises an exit chamber (9) arranged to receive the food product portions from an end end (7b) of the conveyor device internal (7), an internal exit door (10) disposed between said exit chamber (9) and the interior of the tank (1), and an external exit door (11) disposed between the exit chamber (9) and the exterior of the tank (1), said interior and exterior exit doors (10, 11) being operated to open and close alternately so that at least one of them is closed at all times, and a valve system actuated to equalize the environmental conditions inside the exit chamber (9) with the predetermined environmental conditions inside the tank (1) before the interior exit door (10) is opened or with the external environmental conditions before the exterior exit door (11) is opened.

10. Apparatus, according to claim 9, characterized in that the exit door device (8) comprises an exit transfer conveyor (41) for transferring slices or slices of food product from said internal conveying device (7) to an outlet collecting device through said exit chamber (9) in coordination with the operation of the interior and exterior exit doors (10, 11) of the exit chamber (9), and actuation means for displacing the minus one of the aforementioned internal conveyor device (7), output transfer conveyor (41) and output collection device to provide a link between them and transfer the slices or slices from one to another.

11. Apparatus, according to claim 10, characterized in that said output transfer conveyor (41) is mounted on a mobile support (42) within said output chamber (9) and drive means are arranged to move said mobile support (42) between a receiving position, in which said output transfer conveyor (41) partially protrudes from the exit chamber (9) into the tank (1) through said interior exit door (10) when it is open to cooperate with an end end (7b) of the internal conveyor device (7) in receiving slices or slices of food product from the internal conveyor device (7), an intermediate position in which the Outbound transfer conveyor (41) is totally inside the exit chamber (9) with the inner and outer exit doors (10, 11) closed, and a delivery position in which said transported or outgoing transfer (41) partially protrudes from the outlet chamber (9) outwardly through said outer exit door (11) when it is open to cooperate with an outlet collecting device in the delivery of said slices or slices of food product to said outlet collecting device.

12. Apparatus, according to claim 11, characterized in that an alignment device (43) is disposed near said end end (7b) of the internal conveyor device (7) to transversely align the slices or slices of food product on the internal conveyor device (7).

13. Apparatus, according to claim 12, characterized in that an auxiliary final section (76) of the internal conveyor device (7) comprises a plurality of parallel, separate endless conveyor belts (76c), and said alignment device (43) comprises a plurality of parallel, separate fingers (44), and actuation means for moving said fingers (44) between an active position, in which the fingers (44) are sandwiched between said conveyor belts (76c) forming a barrier for the slices or slices of foodstuff, and an inactive position.

14. Apparatus, according to claim 13, characterized in that the output transfer conveyor (41) comprises a plurality of parallel, separate endless conveyor belts (41c), which are arranged partially interspersed with said plurality of endless conveyor belts. (76c) of said auxiliary final section (76) of the internal conveyor device (7) when the outgoing transfer conveyor (41) is in said receiving position to receive slices or slices of food product from said internal conveyor device (7 ) substantially maintaining its orderly formation.

15. Apparatus, according to claim 14, characterized in that said output collecting device comprises an output conveyor (45) with a plurality of parallel, separate endless conveyor belts (45c), and said plurality of endless conveyor belts (41c ) of the outgoing transfer conveyor (41) are partially interspersed with said plurality of endless conveyor belts (45c) of said outgoing conveyor (45) when the outgoing transfer conveyor (41) is in said delivery position for delivery the slices or slices of food product to said exit conveyor (45) substantially maintaining its orderly formation.

16. Apparatus, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said internal conveyor device (7) comprises several sections (71, 72, 73, 74, 75) of horizontal, superimposed belt, belt or conveyor belts, actuated for move in opposite alternate directions, and with the initial end of each section arranged to receive the ordered formations of portions of foodstuff from the end end of the immediately upper section to provide a longer path than the length of the tank (1) and to provide a turn of the product portions, homogenizing their treatment.

17. Apparatus, according to claim 16, characterized in that a transfer and flip device (46) is arranged at the end of each of the sections (71, 72, 73, 74) superimposed of the internal conveyor device (7) , except at the end of the lower section (75), to transfer the slices or slices of food product to the section (72, 73, 74, 75) immediately below by turning the slices or slices of food product and substantially maintaining its orderly formation.

18. Apparatus, according to claim 17, characterized in that each of said sections (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76) of the internal conveyor device (7) comprises a plurality of endless conveyor belts (71c, 72c , 73c, 74c, 75c, 76c) parallel, separated, mounted on respective pairs of end pulleys and each of said transfer and turning devices (46) comprises a plurality of groups of endless fastener bands (46a, 46b, 46c) mounted on respective pairs of conductive pulleys mounted on conductive bars (47a, 47b, 47c, 47d) arranged parallel to a common axis of rotation for said extreme pulleys at one end of the corresponding section (71, 72, 73, 74) of the internal conveyor device (7) and distributed around at least part of said end end of the section (71, 72, 73, 74) of the internal conveyor device (7) so that sections of said endless fastener bands (46a, 46b, 46c) coope run with the endless conveyor belts (71c, 72c, 73c, 74c) to hold the slices or slices of food product for at least part of a path around said axis of rotation of the extreme pulleys.

19. Apparatus, according to claim 18, characterized in that the endless fastener bands (46a, 46b, 46c) of each group are interspersed with the endless fastener bands (46a, 46b, 46c) of another adjacent group, and each of said conductive bars (47a, 47b, 47c, 47d), except for some Extreme conductive bars (47a, 47d), is common for two of the adjacent endless fastener band groups (46a, 46b, 46c).

20. Apparatus, according to claim 2, characterized in that said input conveyor (14) is configured to transport orderly formations of food product portions from a heating unit (20) to the loading device (2).

21. Apparatus, according to claim 20, characterized in that said heating unit (20) comprises a heating conveying device (21) arranged to transport said ordered formations of food product portions from an initial end (21a) to a end end (21b) and through a flow of hot gas provided by a hot gas supply device (22), said inlet conveyor (14) having an initial end (14a) arranged to receive the ordered formations of product portions food from said end end (21b) of said heating conveyor device (21).

22. Apparatus, according to claim 21, characterized in that said hot gas is hot air and the heating conveying device (21) has at least a substantially horizontal section that runs between a hot air emission mouth (23) and a hot air reception mouth (24) facing each other.

23. Apparatus, according to claim 22, characterized in that said hot gas supply device (22) comprises a heating chamber (25) equipped with an air heating apparatus, a supply conduit (26) for conducting hot air from said heating chamber (25) to said hot air emission mouth (23), a collection duct (27) for conducting hot air from said hot air receiving mouth (24) to said heating chamber ( 25), and air circulation means for circulating the hot air through said supply and collection ducts (26, 27) and heating chamber (25) and creating a flow of hot air from the hot air emission mouth (23) to the hot air reception mouth (24).

24.- Apparatus, according to claim 23, characterized in that said initial end (21a) of the heating conveyor device (21) It is arranged to receive ordered formations of portions of food product in the form of slices or slices of a determined thickness of a frozen meat product.

25. Apparatus, according to claim 1, characterized in that> said conditioning means are configured to create predetermined environmental conditions inside said tank that include at least one parameter selected from a pressure different from the atmospheric pressure; a temperature different from the outside ambient temperature; and a modified atmosphere.