Food processing vat with a clean-in-place vent

1. A food processing vat system comprising:

a vat having wall structure defining an inside space therein;

a vent fluidly connecting the inside space of the vat to the ambient so as to maintain a pressure within the vat at an ambient pressure, the vent defining a collection chamber having a lower wall spaced from the wall structure of the vat and including a drain arranged with respect to the lower wall of the collection chamber for removing the entire collected contents of the collection chamber; and

a nozzle being configured to convey a cleaning fluid therethrough and mounted to at least one of the vent and the vat, the nozzle having an opening that is positioned with respect to the vent so as to direct the cleaning fluid into the vent, wherein at least some of the cleaning fluid collects in the collection chamber as collected contents and is entirely removed from the collection chamber through the drain while the vent remains attached to the vat.

2. The food processing vat system of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle is positioned inside of the vent.

3. The food processing vat system of claim 2 , the vent defining a body thereof and further comprising a lid that is positioned with respect to the vent body such that (i) vented fluid that flows out of the vat can flow between the vent body and the lid so that the vented fluid can exit the vent, and (ii) cleaning fluid that is delivered out of the nozzle cannot flow between the vent body and the lid so that the cleaning fluid remains in the vent body or flows into the vat.

4. The food processing vat system of claim 3 wherein he nozzle is positioned below an upper edge of the vent body.

5. The food processing vat system of claim 3 , the vent further comprising a nozzle tube that extends through the lid and holds the nozzle inside of the vent.

6. The food processing vat system of claim 3 , wherein the lid includes (i) a lid lower portion that overlaps at least part of an upper end of the vent body, and (ii) a lid upper portion that is spaced from the upper end of the vent body.

7. The food processing vat system of claim 6 , wherein the lid lower portion (i) longitudinally overlaps at least part of the upper end of the vent body, and (ii) is transversely spaced from the upper end of the vent body.

8. The food processing vat system of claim 3 , the vent body further comprising a tube that extends between the vat and the lid of the vent and directs the vented fluid from the vat to the vent.

9. The food processing vat system of claim 8 , the vent body further comprising a canister around the tube so as to define an annular passage between the tube and the canister and through which the vented fluid can flow.

10. The food processing vat system of claim 9 , the canister having a side wall and wherein the lower wall of the vent defines a slanted lower wall that extends angularly with respect to the canister side wall such that corresponding portions of the slanted lower wall, tube, and canister side wall define the collection chamber, wherein the vat wall structure includes an upper wall and wherein the slanted lower wail of the canister is spaced from the upper wall of the vat.

11. The food processing vat system of claim 10 , wherein the drain extends through the canister side wall and into the collection chamber for removing condensate from the vent.

12. The food processing vat system of claim 11 , wherein the condensate includes water and non-water materials that were suspended in the vented fluid.

13. A food processing vat system comprising:

a vat defining an inside space therein;

a vent attached to the vat and fluidly connecting the inside space of the vat o the ambient so as to maintain a pressure within the vat at an ambient pressure; and

a nozzle being configured to convey a cleaning fluid therethrough and mounted to at least one of the vent and the vat, the nozzle having an opening that is positioned with respect to the vent so as to direct the cleaning fluid into the vent while the vent remains attached to the vat, wherein the nozzle is positioned inside of the vent;

the vent defining a body thereof and further comprising a lid that is positioned with respect to the vent body such that (i) vented fluid that flows out of the vat can flow between the vent body and the lid so that the vented fluid can exit the vent, and (ii) cleaning fluid that is delivered out of the nozzle cannot flow between the vent body and the lid so that the cleaning fluid remains in the vent body or flows into the vat, the vent body further comprising a tube that extends between the vat and the lid of the vent and directs the vented fluid from the vat to the vent, and the vent body further comprising a canister around the tube so as to define an annular passage between the tube and the canister and through which the vented fluid can flow; and

wherein a lower portion of the tube extends beyond the canister and has a solid side wall and a portion of the tube that is provided within the canister has a perforated side wall.

14. The food processing vat system of claim 13 , the canister further comprising a lower wall that extends generally radially toward and connects to the tube.

15. The food processing vat system of claim 14 , wherein the canister lower wall connects to the tube at a location on the tube that generally defines a division line between the solid side wall of the tube and the perforated side wall of the tube.

16. The food processing vat system of claim 14 , wherein the canister lower wall is slanted so that different depths of the annular passage are defined at different locations about a periphery of the tube.

17. The food processing vat system of claim 16 , the vent further comprising a drain that extends through the canister side wall at a location that corresponds to a deepest portion of the annular passage.

18. A food processing vat system comprising:

a vat having wall structure defining an inside space therein;

a vent fluidly connecting the inside space of the vat to the ambient so as to maintain a pressure within the vat to an ambient pressure and to direct vented fluid that flows out of the vat to the ambient, the vent defining a collection chamber having a lower wall spaced from the wall structure of the vat and including a drain arranged for removing the entire collected contents of the collection chamber; and

a nozzle that is arranged to deliver cleaning fluid inside of the vent, wherein at least some of the cleaning fluid collects in the collection chamber as collected contents that is entirely removed through the drain while the vent remains attached to the vat.

19. The food processing vat system of claim 18 , wherein the vent includes a vent body having a tube and a container that surrounds at least a portion of the tube.

20. The food processing vat system of claim 19 , the vent further comprising a collar between the tube and container, and being configured to deflect cleaning fluid that is delivered from the nozzle such that the cleaning fluid remains in the vent body or flows into the vat and does not exit the vent.

21. A food processing vat system comprising:

a vat having wall structure defining an inside space therein;

a vent fluidly connecting the inside space of the vat to the ambient so as to maintain a pressure within the vat at an ambient pressure and to direct vented fluid that flows out of the vat to the ambient, wherein the vent defines a collection chamber that can collect contents therein and is spaced from the wall structure, the vent including a solid side wall and a perforated side wall arranged inwardly of the solid side wall and a drain arrange with respect to the solid side wall for removing the entire collected contents of the collection chamber; and

a nozzle that is mounted in a generally fixed position and delivers cleaning fluid inside of the vent, wherein the cleaning fluid is directed through the perforated side wall and toward the solid side wall such that some of the cleaning fluid flows from the vent into the inside space of the vat and the remainder of the cleaning fluid collects as the collected contents of the collection chamber and wherein the entire collected contends of the collection chamber is removed through the drain.

22. The food processing vat system of claim 21 , wherein the vent includes a bottom wall that extends generally radially between the perforated and solid side walls and wherein the perforated and solid side walls extend generally parallel to each other.

23. The food processing vat system of claim 22 , wherein the bottom wall of the vent is arranged at an angle with respect to the perforated and solid side walls.