Preparing and Storing a Free Flowing Frozen Supplementary Product

Abstract

An apparatus for manufacturing cryogenically frozen supplementary beads, including a freezing chamber configured to contain a cryogenic liquid, at least one feed tray overlying the freezing chamber arranged and adapted to receive a liquid composition from a delivery source, the at least one feed tray having a plurality of orifices for the discharge of uniformly sized droplets of the liquid composition from the at least one feed tray, whereby the droplets are delivered by gravity into the freezing chamber there-below to form frozen beads, at least one clean-in-place structure, and a conveyor belt assembly comprising a conveyor belt, wherein at least a portion of the conveyor belt is positioned proximate a bottom of the freezing chamber such that the conveyor belt is positioned to receive frozen beads onto the conveyor belt.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for manufacturing cryogenically frozen supplementary beads, comprising:
 a freezing chamber configured to contain a cryogenic liquid;   at least one feed tray overlying the freezing chamber arranged and adapted to receive a liquid composition from a delivery source, the at least one feed tray having a plurality of orifices for the discharge of uniformly sized droplets of the liquid composition from the at least one feed tray, whereby the droplets are delivered by gravity into the freezing chamber there-below to form frozen beads;   at least one clean-in-place structure; and   a conveyor belt assembly comprising a conveyor belt,   wherein at least a portion of the conveyor belt is positioned proximate a bottom of the freezing chamber such that the conveyor belt is positioned to receive frozen beads onto the conveyor belt.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one clean-in-place structure comprises:
 an upper spray ball positioned to spray cleaning solution onto the at least one feed tray.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one clean-in-place structure comprises:
 a lower spray ball positioned to spray cleaning solution onto an interior wall of the freezing chamber.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an elongated housing comprising an intake end and a discharge end comprising a chute,   wherein the elongated housing is formed around the conveyor belt from the intake end to the chute.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one clean-in-place structure comprises the conveyor belt looped around and frictionally engaged with at least one sanitary roller. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one clean-in-place structure comprises a drain line at the intake end of the housing. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one clean-in-place structure comprises a cleaning intake at the discharge end. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus for manufacturing cryogenically frozen supplementary beads, comprising:
 an elongated housing comprising an intake end and a discharge end comprising a chute, the elongated housing in the form of a channel from the intake end to the chute,   wherein the intake end of the elongated housing comprises an intake configured to extend to a bottom of a cryogenic chamber when the apparatus is positioned to receive the frozen bead from the cryogenic chamber; and   a conveyor belt disposed within the channel of the elongated housing from the intake end to the discharge end.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the conveyor belt is looped around and frictionally engaged with at least one sanitary roller. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the elongated housing comprises a drain line at the intake end of the housing. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the elongated housing comprises a cleaning intake at the discharge end. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a drive motor assembly in rotary communication with the conveyor belt, the drive motor assembly configured to rotate the conveyor belt toward the discharge end.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the conveyor belt is disposed at a conveying angle relative to a plane that is perpendicular to a cross-sectional plane of the intake. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the conveying angle is about 50 degrees to about 60 degrees relative to the plane. 
     
     
         15 . A method of preparing and storing a free-flowing frozen supplementary product, comprising:
 preparing a supplementary composition for freezing;   dripping the supplementary composition into a freezing chamber;   freezing the dripped supplementary composition into frozen beads; and   transporting the frozen beads by a conveyor belt away from the freezing chamber, wherein transporting the frozen beads comprises:
 receiving the frozen beads through an intake of an elongated housing, 
 receiving the frozen beads onto a first portion of the conveyor belt within the elongated housing, and 
 discharging the frozen beads by dropping the frozen beads from the conveyor belt through a chute; and 
   cleaning an apparatus used to prepare the free-flowing supplementary product.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein cleaning comprises:
 running water into the elongated housing through a receiver positioned proximate the discharge end of the elongated housing.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein cleaning comprises:
 draining water out of the elongated housing through a drain line positioned proximate the intake end of the elongated housing.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein cleaning comprises:
 spraying water from an upper spay ball positioned to spray the at least one feed tray.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein cleaning comprises:
 spraying water from a lower spray ball positioned to spray an interior wall of the freezing chamber.