Title of Invention

"A DEVICE FOR PRICKING OF FOOD PRODUCTS"

Abstract

This invention relates to a device for pricking of food products. Particularly such as peas, pulses, ginger and chillies. It has been found advantageous to rupture the skins of these plant products before drying them. These pricked and dried products require less time to prepare for consumption. Drying of food products for making them convenient products is age old known technology. However, plant products needs to be dried at low temperatures to retain their valuable nutrients or delicate flavours. This causes long drying times and it is very difficult to bring the core moisture out of the product for the safe preservation of the product. One of the alternatives is to prick the product and make deep and minute holes to facilitate the removal of moisture from the core.

Full Text

This invention relates to a device for pricking of food products. Particularly such as peas, pulses, ginger and chillies. It has been found advantageous to rupture the skins of these plant products before drying them. These pricked and dried products require less time to prepare for consumption. Drying of food products for making them convenient products is age old known technology. However, plant products needs to be dried at low temperatures to retain their valuable nutrients or delicate flavours. This causes long drying times and it is very difficult to bring the core moisture out of the product for the safe preservation of the product. One of the alternatives is to prick the product and make deep and minute holes to facilitate the removal of moisture from the core. Reference may be made to a British patent GB835401 and GB835402 by C.J. Edwin entitled "Pricking pulses" dated 1960-05-18. The patents describe a machine for pricking pulses such as peas and broad beans. A plurality of pockets are moved along an endless path and a plurality of pins are moved along another endless path contiguous in part with the path of the pockets. The pins point outwards from their paths and, during their movement along the contiguous portion, also towards the pockets. Pulses are placed in the pockets before the contiguous portion, are pricked by pins during their passage through the contiguous portion and are then removed from their pins, e.g. after being removed from the pockets. The drawback of the above system is that it is suitable for only spherical products. Products like ginger, chillies and such products cannot be pricked. Also, the critical component is the pocket in which the product is held. Under size or oversize products are discarded without pricking and hence the product needs to be graded. Reference may be made to an US patent US 3078890 by G.W. Behnke entitled "Cucumber pricking machine" dated 1959-04-30. The patent describes a cucumber pricking machine based on a vibratory trough with a pinned plate. As the trough vibrates, the cucumbers jump over the pinned plate and hence get pricked. The drawback of the above system is that it is suitable for only heavy cylindrical products. Products like ginger, chillies and such products cannot be pricked as due to their light weight they do not get pierced. Also, the critical component is the vibratory plate on which the product moves forward after getting pricked. Spherical products are discarded without pricking and hence is not suitable for pulses and peas Reference may be made to Bongirwar, D.R and Sreenivasan, A, "Development of quick cooking peas" J Food Science & Technology, 14(1), 1977, 17-23 wherein a pea-pricking machine is described. The machine has pricking pins mounted inside a spherical vessel mounted on brackets and driven by motor. Peas to be pricked are poured into the spherical vessel and are rotated at 10-60 rpm. Due to the rotation of the sphere, peas move up and fall down when they come in direct contact with pricking pins on the inside surface of the sphere and thus get pricked. Pricked peas are removed after 10 minutes of rotation by tilting the spherical vessel. The drawback of the above system is that pricking may not be complete and is different for different sized peas. Smaller peas may not get pricked. Also, the extent of pricking depends on the falling of peas on to the pins on the inside of the sphere. The peas attached to the pins are difficult to be removed from the pins. Also, it is suitable for only spherical products. Products like ginger, chillies and such products cannot be pricked as once they are pricked they stick to the pins. The main objective of the present invention is to provide a device for pricking of food products. Another object of the invention is to provide a device for any type of product -spherical or cylindrical or cubical can be pricked. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device wherein the dimensions of the device can be suitably varied to vary the capacity. Still another object of the invention is to provide a device wherein the device can be suitably adopted to make the pricking process continuous. Still another object of the invention is to provide a device wherein the extent of picking can be suitably accommodated by manipulating the pricking block movement. Accordingly the present invention relates to a device for pricking of food products, comprising: i) pricking block, ii) a perforated plate iii) and a tray for holding the product to be pricked, the pricking block (1) is made up of stainless steel the dimensions depending on the capacity of the machine and may be 75 to 300mm in length and 75 to 300mm in width, consists of pricking projections or pins (2), made of stainless steel placed at regular Intervals the pins may be of 1-3 mm in diameter with a projection of 10 to 50 mm depending on the thickness of the product to be pricked, the block having a handle to operate the block up and down iv) and the perforated plate is made up of a stainless steel with a thickness of 1-3 mm and dimension suitable to pricking block (75 to 300mm), the plate (4) is attached to the pinned block by v) a spring mechanism (5), which is always retained within the projections so that, the pins are always placed within the projection and the plate is always located and moves within the pins and never is dislocated from the pins(2), the spring mechanism (5) being provided to remove the product pricked that might stick to the pins after pricking, the tray made of SS with dimension suitable to pricking block (70 to 300mm) in which a product is placed has a projection (6) all around the rim(edge) to locate the perforated plate (4), to have perfect seating on the tray during the pricking operation, for the operation, the product to be pricked like peas, beans, ginger or chilies are placed in the tray and the pinning block is pressed downwards to initiate the pricking operation and held in that position for 2 to 5 seconds and the pressure on the block is released, the block retracts due to spring action and perforated plate releases the product into the trays. In an embodiment of the device the shape of the product like spherical, cylindrical or irregular shape such as green peas or bean, chillies or ginger is pricked. In an embodiment of the device the dimensions are suitably modified to accommodate any capacities. In an embodiment of the device the device is mounted on a conveyor to have a continuous pricking machine. The novelty of the system is that (1) Any type of product -spherical or cylindrical or cubical can be pricked. (2) If multiples of pricking is required, the product can be pricked repeatedly in the same. (3) The dimensions of the device can be suitably varied to vary the capacity. (4) The embodiment (2) can be suitably adopted to make the pricking process continuous. (5) The extent of picking can be suitably accommodated by manipulating the pricking block movement. EXAMPLE -1 25g of green peas was placed in the tray and the pricking block was pressed downwards with uniform pressure and held for 3 to 4 seconds, after releasing the pressure, the peas uniformly pricked were collected from the tray. EXAMPLE-2 28 g of green peas was placed in the tray and the pricking block was pressed downwards with uniform pressure and held for 3 to 4 seconds, after releasing the pressure, the peas uniformly pricked were collected from the tray. EXAMPLE -3 2 ginger pieces weighing 41 g were placed in the tray, and the pricking block was pressed downwards with uniform pressure and held for 3 to 4 seconas, after releasing the pressure, the peas uniformly pricked were collected from the tray. EXAMPLE -A 2 ginger pieces weighing 35 g were placed in the tray, and the pricking block was pressed downwards with uniform pressure and held for 3 to 4 seconds, after releasing the pressure, the peas uniformly pricked were collected from the tray. EXAMPLE -5 6 green chillies weighing 25 g were placed in the tray, and the pricking block was pressed downwards with uniform pressure and held for 3 to 4 seconds, after releasing the pressure, the peas uniformly pricked were collected from the tray. The pricked and unpricked chillies were further dried in an infrared drier by evenly spreading the chillies on a tray at 70 °C. The unpricked chillies took 90 minutes for complete drying while pricked chillies took 60 minutes for dying the same conditions. The savings in drying time by pricking was 33 %, due to which the retention of green colour was better. EXAMPLE -6 7 green chillies weighing 17 g were placed in the tray, and the pricking block was pressed downwards with uniform pressure and held for 3 to 4 seconds, after releasing the pressure, the peas uniformly pricked were collected from the tray. We claim 2. A device for pricking of food products, comprising : i) pricking block, ii) a perforated plate iii) and a tray for holding the product to be pricked, the pricking block (1) is made up of stainless steel the dimensions depending on the capacity of the machine and may be 75 to 300mm in length and 75 to 300mm in width, consists of pricking projections or pins (2), made of stainless steel placed at regular intervals the pins may be of 1-3 mm in diameter with a projection of 10 to 50 mm depending on the thickness of the product to be pricked, the block having a handle to operate the block up and down iv) and the perforated plate is made up of a stainless steel with a thickness of 1-3 mm and dimension suitable to pricking block (75 to 300mm), the plate (4) is attached to the pinned block by v) a spring mechanism (5), which is always retained within the projections so that, the pins are always placed within the projection and the plate is always located and moves within the pins and never is dislocated from the pins(2), the spring mechanism (5) being provided to remove the product pricked that might stick to the pins after pricking, the tray made of SS with dimension suitable to pricking block (70 to 300mm) in which a product is placed has a projection (6) all around the rim(edge) to locate the perforated plate (4), to have perfect seating on the tray during the pricking operation, for the operation, the product to be pricked like peas, beans, ginger or chilies are placed in the tray and the pinning block is pressed downwards to initiate the pricking operation and held in that position for 2 to 5 seconds and the pressure on the block is released, the block retracts due to spring action and perforated plate releases the product into the trays. 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein any shape of the product like spherical, cylindrical or irregular shape such as green peas or bean, chillies or ginger is pricked. 3. A device as claimed in claim 1-2, wherein the dimensions are suitably modified to accommodate any capacities. 4. A device as claimed in claim 1-3, wherein in the device is mounted on a conveyor to have a continuous pricking machine. 5. A device for pricking of food products herein substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings and examples.

Documents:

522-del-2004-Abstract-(20-01-2014).pdf

522-del-2004-abstract.pdf

522-del-2004-Claims-(23-01-2014).pdf

522-del-2004-claims.pdf

522-del-2004-Correspondence Others-(20-01-2014).pdf

522-del-2004-Correspondence Others-(23-01-2014).pdf

522-del-2004-Correspondence-Others-(17-01-2013).pdf

522-del-2004-correspondence-others.pdf

522-del-2004-correspondence-po.pdf

522-del-2004-description (complete).pdf

522-del-2004-Drawings-(20-01-2014).pdf

522-del-2004-drawings.pdf

522-del-2004-form-1.pdf

522-del-2004-form-18.pdf

522-del-2004-form-2.pdf

522-del-2004-Form-3-(17-01-2013).pdf

522-del-2004-form-3.pdf

522-del-2004-Form-5-(20-01-2014).pdf

522-del-2004-form-5.pdf