Search

EP-4736635-A1 - A CHEESE PRESSING TUNNEL AND A METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME

EP4736635A1EP 4736635 A1EP4736635 A1EP 4736635A1EP-4736635-A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to cheese pressing tunnel (10) comprising a tunnel base (1) having an upper opening (8) and a tunnel cover (5) forming a concave void (9) having a downward facing opening (11). The tunnel cover is arranged on the tunnel base with the downward facing opening facing in a direction of the tunnel base. A flexible and fluid impermeable membrane (2) is arranged to seal the concave void. A first flange (12) is provided on the tunnel base and a second flange (13) is provided on said tunnel cover, where the second flange mates the first flange. A fixation element (3) is arranged between the first and the second flanges, and a rim (14) of the membrane and the fixation element are arranged in a stacked configuration between the first and the second flanges.

Inventors

  • Knudsen, Claus Theibel

Assignees

  • Primodan A/S

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20251028

Claims (20)

  1. A cheese pressing tunnel (10) comprising • a tunnel base (1) having an upper opening (8) and a tunnel cover (5) forming a concave void (9) having a downward facing opening (11), wherein said tunnel cover (5) is arranged on said tunnel base (1) with said downward facing opening facing in a direction of said tunnel base (1); • a flexible and fluid impermeable membrane (2) arranged to seal said concave void (9) so that a pressure difference between an interior of said concave void (9) and an exterior to said concave void (9) results in a deflection of said membrane (2); • a first flange (12) on said tunnel base, said first flange (12) encircles said upper opening (8) • a second flange (13) on said tunnel cover (5) mating said first flange (12), said second flange (13) encircles said downward facing opening (11), • a fixation element (3) arranged between said first and second flanges (12, 13); wherein • a rim (14) of said membrane (2) and said fixation element (3) are arranged in a stacked configuration between said first and second flanges (12, 13).
  2. A cheese pressing tunnel (10) according to claim 1, wherein said membrane has a thickness between 2.0 and 4.0 mm, such as between 2.5 and 3.5 mm, and preferably has a thickness of substantially 3.0 mm.
  3. A cheese pressing tunnel (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said membrane is made from EPDM rubber.
  4. A cheese pressing tunnel (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said fixation element (3) comprises a plurality of through going openings (18).
  5. A cheese pressing tunnel (10) according to claim 4, wherein said through going openings (18) are arranged in at least two, such as three, rows (19) in a longitudinal direction of said fixation element (3).
  6. A cheese pressing tunnel (10) according to claim 5, wherein said through going openings (18) of two of said rows (19) next to each other are arranged in a staggered configuration.
  7. A cheese pressing tunnel (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said fixation element (3) has a width (w) and a length (l), wherein said width is smaller than said length.
  8. A cheese pressing tunnel (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fixation element (3) has a thickness between 0.25 and 0.75 mm, and preferably has a thickness of substantially 0.5 mm.
  9. A cheese pressing tunnel (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said fixation element comprises a number of fixation element parts (15) connected to each other to provide said fixation element (3).
  10. A cheese pressing tunnel (10) according to claim 8, wherein said fixation element parts (15) comprises mating extensions (16) and notches (17) provided at ends of the fixation elements parts (15) and is connected to each other by one of said extensions (16) of one of said fixation element part (15) is received by one of said notches of another of said fixation elements part (15).
  11. A cheese pressing tunnel according to claim 10, wherein said mating extensions 16 and notches 17 engage with each other to provide an interlocking.
  12. A cheese pressing tunnel (10) according to clam 10 or 11, wherein said notches (17) are keyhole shaped and said mating extensions (16) fit snugly within said keyholes.
  13. A cheese pressing tunnel (10) according to any one of the preceding claims 4-12, wherein a total opening area of said through going openings (18) makes up more than 30% and less than 60% of a total face area of said fixation element (3).
  14. A cheese pressing tunnel (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a flexible liner (4), preferably made from silicone rubber, is arranged in said stacked configuration at a position above said fixation element (3) and in abutment with said fixation element (3) and with said second flange (13).
  15. A cheese pressing tunnel (10) according to claim 14, wherein the flexible liner (4) has a thickness of 0.5 mm and a width substantially equal to a width of the fixation element (3).
  16. A cheese pressing tunnel (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said tunnel cover (5) is releasably fixed to said tunnel base (1) by a plurality of threaded bars (6).
  17. A cheese pressing tunnel (10) according to claim 16, wherein said membrane (2), said fixation element (3) and, when dependant on claim 10, said liner (4) comprises threaded bar openings (20) to allow said threaded bars (6) to pass through.
  18. A cheese pressing tunnel (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said fixation element (2) is made from metal, such as stainless steel.
  19. A cheese pressing tunnel (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said tunnel base (1) has a length being larger than 5m and smaller than 30m, a height being larger than 30cm and smaller than 75cm and a width being larger than 35cm and smaller than 125cm, preferably said width of said tunnel is substantially 54.5cm, such as substantially 47.6cm.
  20. A cheese pressing tunnel according to claim 19, wherein said fixation element (3) has a width being larger than 20cm and smaller than 30cm, preferably said width of said fixation element (3) is substantially 29mm.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to cheese pressing tunnel comprising a tunnel base having an upper opening and a tunnel cover forming a concave void having a downward facing opening. The tunnel cover is arranged on the tunnel base with the downward facing opening facing in a direction of the tunnel base. A flexible and fluid impermeable membrane is arranged to seal the concave void. A first flange is provided on the tunnel base and a second flange is provided on said tunnel cover, where the second flange mates the first flange. A fixation element is arranged between the first and the second flanges, and a rim of the membrane and the fixation element are arranged in a stacked configuration between the first and the second flanges. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Pressing tunnels are widely used in the production of cheese. Such pressing tunnels are configured to exert a pressure onto piston lid being placed on top of freshly produced cheese curd filed into a cheese mould. The pressure exerted onto the piston lids are in many instances provided by a flexible membrane which deflects towards and abut upper ends of the piston lids. Such a deflection is in many instances provided by applying a pressure difference across the membrane so that an over pressure relative to atmospheric pressure deflects the membrane downwards and into contact with the upper ends of the piston lids. The membrane may be in the form of an inflatable body. However, this demands a high amount of membrane material to be used and since the membrane is to be formed from blanks of flexible material, such blanks need to a sealed along edges to form an inflatable which is considered a delicate operation often resulting in a less useable inflatable body. Another approach is to use the membrane to seal a cavity, where deflection of the membrane is provided by pressurization of the cavity. In such approaches, the rim of the membrane needs to be sealingly attached to a rim of the cavity. The rim of the cavity often extends in a single horizontal plane meaning that when the membrane is pressurized, strong forces are generated at the rim resulting in that sealingly attachment fails When such sealingly attachment fails the pressing tunnel needs to be dismantled and the sealing attachment reestablished. However, in many instances, failure of the sealing attachment results in that the rim of membrane suffers permanent damages not allowing the membrane cannot be reused. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to at least mitigate failure of a sealingly attachment of a membrane in a pressing tunnel for cheese production. In particular, it may be seen as an object of the invention to provide cheese pressing tunnel that solves the above-mentioned problems. It is a further object of the invention to provide an alternative to the prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thus, the above-described objects and several other objects are intended to be obtained in first aspect of the invention by providing cheese pressing tunnel comprising a tunnel base having an upper opening and a tunnel cover forming a concave void having a downward facing opening, wherein the tunnel cover is arranged on the tunnel base with the downward facing opening facing in a direction of the tunnel base;a flexible and fluid impermeable membrane arranged to seal the concave void so that a pressure difference between an interior of the concave void and an exterior to the concave void results in a deflection of the membrane;a first flange on said tunnel base, the first flange encircles the upper opening;a second flange on the tunnel cover mating the first flange, the second flange encircles the downward facing opening;a fixation element arranged between the first and second flanges; whereina rim of the membrane and the fixation element are arranged in a stacked configuration between the first and second flanges. EPDM rubber as used herein refers to ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber. By arranging the rim of the membrane and the fixation element in the stacked configuration, the risk of pulling the membrane out of the stacked configuration is greatly improved. In preferred embodiments, the tunnel cover may be fixed to the tunnel base by a number of threaded bars or bolts. These threaded bolts extend through through-going openings provided in the fixation elements, which maintains the fixation element in between the first and the second flanges. These threaded bars or bolts extend through the second flange and nuts are screwed onto the protruding part of the threaded bars or bolts and tightened to secure the tunnel cover on the tunnel base, with the membrane and fixation element in a firm grip between the first and second flange. In embodiments including a liner, the threaded bars or bolts also extend through through-going opening in the liner and the tightening of the nuts provide that also the liner is in a firm grip between the first and the second flange. I