Title of Invention

APPARATUS AND METHOD OF ASEPTIC PACKAGING PERISHABLES.

Abstract

A process that kills, or renders organically inactive, one-hundred percent of the bacteria and enzymes, as well as any other non-pathogenic microorganisms present in fresh squeezed citrus and non-citrus fruit juices and fruit juice blends, as well as fruit pulps, and dairy products. The process results in the aseptic packaging of one hundred percent natural juices and milk having a shelf life extending from two to three years without the need for refrigeration, and without the use of artificial preservatives of additives. The process also preserves the natural taste, colors, and odors typically found in fresh squeezed juices and juice blends, an citrus pulp. The invention additionally encompasses an industrial apparatus kills, or otherwise deactivates the enzymes, bacteria, and microorganisms that cause spoilage in perishables such as fruit juice, fruit juice blends, fruit pulp, wines, milk, chocolate milk, butter, yogurt, cultured milk products, beer, malt and oat beverages, soups, and soft drinks. The industrial apparatus is capable of large batch processes and continuous operation. The perishables treated by the industrial apparatus have shelf lives that extend from two to three years without refrigeration and preservatives. The device also preserves the original natural taste, color, odor, and flavor found in these perishables when fresh.

Full Text

FORM 2 THE PATENTS ACT, 13 70 (39 of 1970) COMPLETE SPECIFICATION. (See Section 10? rule13 APPARATUS AND METHOD OF ASEPTIC PACKAGING PERISHABLES MENDEZ, ALEJANDRO of P.O. BOX 523271, MIAMI FL 33152-32" U.S.A. , AMERICAN National >34/ IWUM N P h 003 2.3-OS"- 2.O03 The following specification particularly describes the nature of the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed : - ^fVHfrj) i n - $T*~ & c ° Jy APPARATUS AND M0MOD OP ASUF11C PACKAGING PfflUSllAMliS CftOSK-RF.FEKENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of application No. 09/393,412, filed September 10, 1999, now UlS. Patent No. 6,135,015, which is a continuation-in-part of Application No. 09/309,387. filed June 18,1998, which is a continuation-in-part of Application No. 08/823,813, filed March 24,1997, abandoned, which is a continuation of Application No. 08/442,1S8. filed May 16,1995; now U.S. Patent No. 5,614,233. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1 Field of the Invention The present invention is directed to an industrial apparatus for preserving perishables, such as fresh squeezed citrus and non-citrus fruit juices, fruit juice blends, fruit pulp, dairy products, barley products, soups, and soft drinks. More particularly, the industrial apparatus enables a thermal preservation process for asepttcally packaging perishables without adding preservatives. The invention also encompasses an industrial apparatus for treating perishable products 20 (including fruit juice, fruit juice blends, fruit pulp, wines, milk, chocolate milk, butter, yogurt, cultured milk products, beer, malt and oat beverages, soups, and soft drinks) in order to extend their shelf-life. "22/20U3" 13:35 FAX 954 522 9123 BRINKLEY McNERNEY SS010 during ripening. Enzymes are also responsible for the deterioration of fruits after harvesting, such as the browning of the cut surface of apples and pears caused by the oxidation of phenols by the enzyme phenolase. Because enzymes are proteins, enzymes are heal sensitive. Most proteins irreversibly 5 denature when heated above normal biological temperatures. When proteins denature, they unmvel and lose their three-dimensional shape. Because the ability to catalyse reactions depends onshape, once enzymes are heated, they usually lose their ability to catalyze reactions. Thermal preservation techniques for rendering inactive bacteria and enzymes in fruit juices and citrus pulp typically rely on known, large-scale, pasteurization techniques. 10 Pasteudzation is a heat treatment process, wherein a supply offood product is heated in stainless steel containers at temperatures normally less than 212° F (100°C). Although common pasteurization techniques destroy pathogenic organisms, they do not provide indefinite protection against microbiological spoilage. Products that have been pasteurized need to be refrigerated immediately. Pasteurization extends shelf life to four to seven days in diary products and four 15 to six weeks in fruit products. Even aji acidic product, such as fruit juice, requires protection from spo/iage organisms such as acetobacter, whose growth can lead to cloudiness in the fruit juice product Cloudiness in some itrus juice products is due to the presence of pectin, which occurs naturally in the fru/t If the natural pectolytic enzymes of the fruit are not destroyed, they degrade the pectin with the 20 result that the juice becomes cloudy and often gels. Therefore, in order to destroy the pectolytic enzymes, most citrusjuices are processed by flash pasteurizing in a plate heat exchanger at 203 *F (95oC) for 30 seconds. However, while partially rendering enzymes organically inactive, this process degrades juice quality since the j uice in contact with metallic heat exchanger elements reach temperatures above 100°C. The product that directly contacts the heating surface may 05/22/2003 13:35 FAX 954 522 9123 BRINKLEY McNERNEY BlOll SUMMARYOFTHE INVENTION . The instant invention teaches a process that effectively kills, or renders organically inactive, one-hundred percent of Uie bacteria and enzymes, as well as any other non-pathogenic microorganisms present in fresh squeezed citrus and non-citrus fruit juices and fruit juice blends, as well as fruit pulps, wines, dairy products such as milk, barley products such as beer, soups, and soft drinks. The process results in the aseptic packaging of natural juices having a shelf life extending from two to three years without the need for refrigeration or artificial preservatives. The industrial apparatus and process also preserves the natural tastevcolor$, and aromas typically found in fresh squeezed juices, juice blends, and fruit pulp, wbile avoiding the disadvantages of overheating experienced in plate heat exchangers. The process includes the following steps: extracting the juice or pulp (hereinafter "juice") in a conventional manner using a juice extractor; placing the extracted juice immediately into temperature-resistant containers capable of withstanding temperatures greater than 100 °C; submerging substantially the containers iu a tank of water at room temperature; raising the temperature ofthe water in the tank to 100vCwithmatimeperiodbetweenfiveatidtenminutes (5-10 min); monitoring the juice temperature until the juice reaches a minimum temperature of 92°C and a maximum temperature of 97 °C; allowing the juice to remain at a temperature between 92 T and 9VC for a time between one and two minutes (1-2 min,); removing the containers from the water; capping the containers in an airtight manner; cooling the containers to approximately 35°C by suitable means such as rinsing with room-temperature water and passing cold air, thereby causing a vapor lock inside the individual containers caused by the volumetric contraction ofthe enclosed vapor during cooling, and preventing continued heating. In addition, the process may add the following steps: stabilizing the juice for three days; checking _05/22/2003 13:36 FAI 954 522 9123 BRINKLEY McNERNEY ( battles to create mixing during flow, and villi which increase the surface to volume ratio to enhancf heat transfer. The industrial apparatus includes temperature sensor to monitor the temperature of the perishable Ihroughoul die process. After heating, the product is hot bottled, capped, cooled, and labeled in a typicul fashion 5 to create a vacuum sealed product. The invention can be a batch process- In a batch process the tank is filled with perishables, the perishables are heated, and then the entire tank is emptied and the perishable is dispatched for bottling. The invention can be a continuous process. In a continuous process, the perishable is 10 flowed continuously through the tank. The flow, mixing, and heat exchange is controlled within the tank so that whenever a perishable is flowed through the tank, it exits having been fully heated according to the method described in the previous paragraphs- Throughout the continuous process, perishables flow into and out of the tank- By being a continuous process that constantly produces treated perishables, the filler can be operated constantly without a wait between batches 15 The invention lengthens the shelf life of the perishables including the following products: fruit juice, fruit juice blends, fruit pulp, wines, milk, chocolate milk, butter, yogurt, cultured milk products, beer, malt and oat beverages, soups, and soft drinks. Therefore, an object of the instant invention is to provide a thermal preservation method for products such as citrus and non itrus fruit juices, fruit juice blends, and fruit pulps, whereby 20 one-hundred percent natural juice or pulp products may be sceptically packaged in air tight containers having an extended, non-refrigerated, shelf life of at least two years. A further object of the instant invention is to provide a thermal preservation method whereby juice and pulp products are prevented from overheating contact with heat exchanging industrial ap/watus, 05/22/2003 13.;37 FAX 954 522 9123 , BRINKLEY McNERNEY RRTF,F DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 illustrates the container filling procedure. Figure 2 illustrates capping of a container. Figure 3 illustrates the containers submerged into a water bath and heating procedure wherein the water temperature is raised. Figure 4 illustrates a capping process forming an air tight seal. Figure 5 illustrates cooling the containers with a water spray, Figure 6 illustrates the containers during the stabilization and inspection stage. Figure 7 illustrates the final labeling and packaging stage. Figure 8 is a flow chart of the instant process. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of an industrial apparatus capable of processing large amounts of perishables. Figure 10 is a table showing die deactivation of enzymes as a function of the product being heated to different temperatures. Figure 1 lis a side, cross-sectional view of the tank and surrounding layers shown in .Figured*. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention encompasses a process that kills, or renders organically inactive, one-hundred percent of the bacteria and enzymes, as well as any other non-pathogenic microorganisms present in fresh squeezed citrus and non-citrus fruit juices and fruit juice blendb, as well as fruit pulps, wines, milk, chocolate milk, butter, yogurt, cultured milk products, beer, malt and oat beverages, soups, and soft drinks. The process results in the aseptic packaging of one hurofreti percent natural jukes having a shelf life extending from two to thrct years without 05/22/21)03 13:38 FAX 954 522 9123 BRINKLEY McNERNEY container such that the exterior water level reaches approximately two-thirds to three-quarters of the container height is optimum. Tank 18 Is preferably constructed having an elevated, or double bottom, shown as 20, for elevating the containers above a heat exchanging means 22. In the preferred embodiment, the heat exchanging means includes a steam heat exchanger, having 5 a steam inlet 24 and a steam outlet 26, submerged within tank 18 with heat supplied by superheated steam. The temperature of the water in the tank is then raised to eighty degrees centigrade (80°C) over a period of approximately five (5) minutes. Thereafter, the temperature of the water in the tank is further raised to at least ninety-two degrees centigrade (92 °C) over an additional two 10 minute (2 roiri.) period. As the temperature of the water in the tank is uniformly raised, temperature sensors (not shown) monitor the product temperature. To insure uniform heating, • the product may be mixed by agitating the containers. The heat translcr process is terminated when the juice product reaches ninety-two degrees centigrade (92°C). The product should not be heated above ninety-seven degrees centigrade (97 °C). The juice product, however, may be 15 maintained at that temperature for a few (I-3) minutes, depending on the product to deactivate organic matter such as bacteria and enzymes. The containers are then removed from the tank and capped if previously left, uncapped, or "totally capped" as best illustrated in Figure 4 if the partial capping method is used. "Totally capped" is defined as securing the cap in an air tight manner, typically by imparting an additional 20 twist to the cap 16- As best depicted in Figure 5, the product is then partially cooled on specially designed toolmgraeks 30, using opmy 32 of room tcmpcraturoO 25 °C) water, thereby producing coolinginduced volumetric contraction of the liquid and vapor in the containers which produces a vapor lock, thereby causing the pop-up portion of the pop-up cap to become depressed (not 05/22/2003 13:38 FAX 954 522 9123 BRINKLEY McNERNEY I ■ heating medium 103. Heal source 104 can have a temperature above One-hundred degrees centigrade(100pC)becauseheatsourcel04doesnotdirectlycontaetperishablel00. Preferred forms of heat source 104 include steam boilers and heating coils. Once in tank 101, perishables 100 are heated through the walls of tank 101 by heating medium 103. Heating medium 103 is heated by heat source 104. Perishables 100 are heated in tarik 101 to a temperature between ninety-two and ninety-seven degree^centigrade (92 - 97 ° C) for a period of lime between one and two minutes (1-2 min.). Figure 10 is a table showing the effect of heating perishables 100 to different temperatures. The experiments show that the heating of products of temperatures approaching one-hundred degrees centigrade (100°C) denatures the enzymes within these products which prevents these same enzymes from spoiling the products. The data in Figure 10 shows that the percentage of inactivation of enzymes depends on the temperature to which the product is heated. Additional experiments have shown that heating products above 100° C also deactivate enzymes, but,at the cost of taste, color, and aroma. When heated above the boiling point, the taste of perishables 100 is irreversibly changed. After boiling, the color becomes brown and the taste and aroma are changed. Tank 101 is connected to filler 108, Filler 108 hot fills containers 109 with processed perishables 100 while perishables 100 are still above room temperature. Pump 114 is preferably a centrifugal pump that moves perishables 100 from tank 101 to filler 108, Containers 109 are preferably made out of material that withstands temperatures of at least one-hundred degrees centigrade (100° c) such as thermoplastic and glass. A means for transporting containers 109 such as a conveyor belt 115 transfers containers 109 to capper 110. Capper 1J 0 places cap 111 on each of containers 109 while perishables 101 are still hot within containers 109. A means for cooling containers 109 such as water spray 112, b/2003 13:38 FAX 054 522 9123 BRINKLE1" McNERNEY mac erefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to ■ •■■■• ■■■ • " [■ ■ ■ y a person skilled iri the art. • l. An apparatus for the aseptic/processinfifef a perishable Without, preservatives,] a tank capable of holding said perishable, said tank having an inlet and an outlet for receiving and discharging the perishable; a first jacket surrounding said tank; a second jacket surrounding said first jacket; a first heating medium at least partially filling a volume between said tank arid said first jacket that can exchange heat through said tank with said perishable; jacket; and S. a means for heating said second heating medium so that said second heating medium exchanges heat with said first heating medium, which in turn raises the temperature of the perishable within the tank. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first heating medium is chosen trom the group consisting of water, ethylene glycol and mineral oil, 3. The apparatus of claim 1, further including means for increasing heat transfer.between:;, me first heating medium and the perishable. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the means for increasing heat transfer includes an , agitator in said tank . 5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the means for increasing heat transfer includes a baffle disposed v/ithvn the last. 6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the means for increasing heat transfer includes at least one fin disposed within-the tank. 7. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the means for increasing heat transfer includes an agitator, at least one baffle and at least one heat transfer fin disposed within the tank 8. The apparatus of claim 1, in which 100% of the enzymes within the perishable are de¬natured. 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the perishable are selected.from the group consisting of fruit juice, fruit juice blends, fruit pulp, wines, milk, chocolate ruilk, butter, yogurt, cultured milk products, beer, malt and oat beverages, soups, water and soft drinks, 10. A method for the aseptic processing of a perishable without preservatives utilizing a tank capable of holding the perishable, said tank having an inlet and an outlet for receiving and discharging the perishable, a first jacket surrounding the tank, a second jacket surrounding the first jacket, a first heating medium filling a volume between said tank and said first jacket that can exchange heat through said tank with said perishable, a second heating medium filling a volume between said first jacket and said second jacket, and a means for heating said second heating medium, the steps comprising: placing a quantity of the perishable in the tank; causing said means for heating to raise the temperature of the second heating medium, to in turn raise the temperature of the Mist heating medium for a sufficient duration to raise the temperature of the perishable in the tank to a temperature between 92 and 100 degrees centigrade. 11. The method of claim 10. wherein the perishable is maintained at a temperature between 92 and 100 degrees centigrade for between one and five minutes. 12, The method of claim 10, wherein the perishable is maintained at a temperature between 92 and 100 degrees centigrade for a period of time between one and two minutes. ,

Documents:

534-mumnp-2003-cancelled pages(23-05-2003).pdf

534-mumnp-2003-claims(granted)-(23-05-2003).doc

534-mumnp-2003-claims(granted)-(23-05-2003).pdf

534-mumnp-2003-correspondence(01-07-2004).pdf

534-mumnp-2003-correspondence(ipo)-(07-11-2005).pdf

534-mumnp-2003-drawing(23-05-2003).pdf

534-mumnp-2003-form 19(03-10-2003).pdf

534-mumnp-2003-form 1a(01-07-2004).pdf

534-mumnp-2003-form 2(granted)-(23-05-2003).doc

534-mumnp-2003-form 2(granted)-(23-05-2003).pdf

534-mumnp-2003-form 3(27-05-2003).pdf

534-mumnp-2003-form 5(23-05-2003).pdf

534-mumnp-2003-pct-isa-210(27-05-2003).pdf

534-mumnp-2003-power of attorney(14-07-2003).pdf

abstract1.jpg