U.S. patent application number 17/216813 was filed with the patent office on 2021-07-15 for equipment and method for continuously processing plant material.
This patent application is currently assigned to Apeks LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Apeks LLC. Invention is credited to Benjamin K. Stephens.
Application Number | 20210214330 17/216813 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005489968 |
Filed Date | 2021-07-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210214330 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Stephens; Benjamin K. |
July 15, 2021 |
EQUIPMENT AND METHOD FOR CONTINUOUSLY PROCESSING PLANT MATERIAL
Abstract
Cannabinoids can be separated or extracted from plant material.
Versions can include a process for separating trichomes from plant
material, including mixing plant material with a fluid in a metered
feed system and forming a slurry; pumping the slurry into a
turbulent processor, agitating the slurry between rotating and
static teeth and shearing trichomes from the plant material to form
a mixture of fluid, trichomes and plant material; coarse filtering
the mixture and removing portions of the plant material to form an
interim mixture; and then second filtering the interim mixture and
removing other plant material and some trichomes to form a
resulting mixture comprising other trichomes and fluid.
Inventors: |
Stephens; Benjamin K.;
(Santa Rosa, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Apeks LLC |
Johnstown |
OH |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Apeks LLC
Johnstown
OH
|
Family ID: |
1000005489968 |
Appl. No.: |
17/216813 |
Filed: |
March 30, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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16833573 |
Mar 28, 2020 |
10968194 |
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17216813 |
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62825180 |
Mar 28, 2019 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01D 11/0257 20130101;
B01D 21/0012 20130101; B01D 11/0288 20130101; C07C 37/685 20130101;
C07D 311/78 20130101; B01J 2219/00164 20130101 |
International
Class: |
C07D 311/78 20060101
C07D311/78; B01D 11/02 20060101 B01D011/02; C07C 37/68 20060101
C07C037/68; B01D 21/00 20060101 B01D021/00 |
Claims
1. A system for separating plant subcomponents from plant material,
the system comprising: a feed system configured to mix the plant
material with a fluid to form a slurry; a turbulent processor
including a pump configured to pump the slurry while providing a
shear mixing environment; and the turbulent processor including a
shear blender downstream from the pump and configured to receive
and agitate the slurry between rotating and static teeth and shear
the plant subcomponents from the plant material to form a mixture
of the fluid, the plant subcomponents and the plant material.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the pump configured to pump the
slurry while providing the shear mixing environment is a liquid
ring pump having a turbulent internal mechanism configured to
remove the plant subcomponents from the plant material in addition
to moving the slurry, the turbulent internal mechanism including a
spinning off-center blade ring rotatable within a ring of the fluid
configured to pull the slurry and circulate the slurry as a high
solids mixture including the plant subcomponents.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the pump configured to pump the
slurry while providing the shear mixing environment is a sinusoidal
pump having an inlet receiving the slurry into a housing containing
a sinusoidal rotor rotated on a shaft to define four evenly sized
chambers, the sinusoidal pump is configured to pull the slurry into
each chamber in sequence before discharging a high solids mixture
from an outlet of the housing.
4. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a coarse filter
configured to remove some portions of the plant material from the
mixture to form an interim mixture; and a second filter configured
to remove other portions of the plant material from the interim
mixture to form a resultant mixture comprising the fluid and the
plant subcomponents.
5. The system of claim 4, further comprising at least one medium
filter having a filter size and position between the coarse filter
and the second filter, and configured to filter the interim mixture
with the at least one medium filter prior to pumping the interim
mixture through the second filter.
6. The system of claim 4, wherein the feed system is a metered feed
system, the system further including pipes from at least one of the
coarse filter and the second filter to the metered feed system for
routing at least one of the interim mixture from the coarse filter
and the resultant mixture from the second filter back to the
metered feed system for continued processing and reuse.
7. The system of claim 4, wherein the plant subcomponents are
trichomes and the system further comprises a liquid spray system
configured to comprise an additional fluid and configured to move
the mixture through the coarse filter with the additional
fluid.
8. A system for separating plant subcomponents from plant material,
the system comprising: a metered feed system configured to mix the
plant material with a fluid to form a slurry; and a turbulent
processor including a shear blender and configured to receive and
agitate the slurry between rotating and static teeth and shear the
plant subcomponents from the plant material to form a mixture of
the fluid, the plant subcomponents and the plant material, the
rotating and static teeth defining a prescribed clearance
therebetween configured to allow the plant subcomponents to pass
through without damage.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the plant subcomponents are
trichomes and the prescribed clearance is in a range of
approximately 0.1 millimeters to approximately 1 millimeter.
10. The system of claim 8, further including a diaphragm valve
disposed downstream of the shear blender to create backpressure to
slow the mixture of the fluid, the plant subcomponents and the
plant material through the shear blender.
11. The system of claim 8, further including a coarse filter
configured to remove some of the plant material from the mixture to
form an interim mixture.
12. The system of claim 11, further including a second filter
configured to remove other plant material from the interim mixture
and form a resultant mixture comprising the fluid and the plant
subcomponents.
13. The system of claim 12, further comprising at least one medium
filter having a filter size and position between the coarse filter
and the second filter, and configured to filter the interim mixture
with the at least one medium filter prior to pumping the interim
mixture through the second filter.
14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a liquid spray
system configured to comprise an additional fluid and configured to
move the mixture through the coarse filter with the additional
fluid.
15. The system of claim 11, further comprising at least one
additional shear blender configured to be coupled between the shear
blender and the coarse filter and configured to process the mixture
through the at least one additional shear blender prior to coarse
filtering.
16. A system for extracting botanicals from plant material, the
system comprising: a hopper configured to mix the plant material
with a solvent to form a slurry; a turbulent processor configured
to receive and agitate the slurry to extract the botanicals from
the plant material to form a mixture of solvent, plant
subcomponents, the plant material, and dissolved botanicals, the
rotating and static teeth defining a prescribed clearance
therebetween configured to allow the plant subcomponents to pass
through without damage.
17. The system of claim 16, further comprising: a coarse filter
configured to remove some portions of the plant material from the
mixture to form an interim mixture of the solvent, other plant
material and the dissolved botanicals; a second filter configured
to remove other portions of the plant material from the some
portions of the plant material to form a solution comprising
substantially only the solvent and the dissolved botanicals; and
equipment configured to process the mixture to remove the dissolved
botanicals from the solvent.
18. The system of claim 17, further comprising at least one pump
configured to be coupled upstream from the coarse filter and
configured to process the mixture prior to coarse filtering.
19. The system of claim 17, wherein the second filter comprises a
separator and the interim mixture from the coarse filter comprises
a grade a tincture and the solution comprising substantially only
the solvent and the dissolved botanicals comprises a grade b
tincture.
20. The system of claim 16, wherein the plant subcomponents are
trichomes and the botanicals are cannabinoids and the solvent is
configured to comprise ethanol and at least one additive.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 16/833,573 filed Mar. 28, 2020 which claims
priority to and the benefit of U.S. Prov. Pat. App. No. 62/825,180,
filed Mar. 28, 2019. Both applications are incorporated herein by
reference in their entirety as if reproduced in full below.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable.
REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM
LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX
[0003] Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Disclosure
[0004] The present disclosure relates generally to processing plant
material. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a
continuous system and method of separating or extracting
cannabinoids from cannabis plants.
2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Hashish is a consumable compress of purified cannabinoid
resins from the glandular trichomes of the cannabis plant. The
trichomes are found on the flowers, and to a lesser extent, in the
stems and leaves of the plant. Historically, separating the
cannabinoids from the plant has been very difficult as the
cannabinoid resin is quite sticky. Methods such as flat screening
or dry sieving require practice and skill, are inefficient, and
often result in a lower quality product that contains broken
leaf-matter contaminants. Machines that tumble the plant flowers
and collect the sticky cannabinoids on sieving screens, although
inexpensive, are also inefficient, and are difficult to clean and
reuse.
[0006] Some success has been found with a washing process using
ice, water, and a mechanical agitator. The ice cools the resinous
trichome heads, making them more brittle and reducing their
stickiness. Mechanical agitation forces the trichome heads to break
away from their stalks and botanical material. These processes not
only use excessive energy due to the requirement for ice and
continual cooling, but are also quite labor intensive and
inefficient, generally yielding only 30% to 50% of the potential
cannabinoid material, even after multiple washings. Some additional
success has been found using solvents to dissolve the plant biomass
material, leaving the cannabinoids with the solvent in a tincture
form. Basic washing machines that use solvents, however, take time
for the solvents to work and can introduce harsh flavors to the end
product due to the long duration of blending and agitating.
Although these solutions are workable, improvements in cannabis
processing continue to be of interest.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0007] Embodiments of a system, method and apparatus for processing
plant material are disclosed. For example, cannabinoids can be
separated or extracted from plant material. Versions can include a
process for separating trichomes from plant material, including
mixing plant material with a fluid in a metered feed system and
forming a slurry; pumping the slurry into a turbulent processor,
agitating the slurry between rotating and static teeth and shearing
trichomes from the plant material to form a mixture of fluid,
trichomes and plant material; coarse filtering the mixture and
removing portions of the plant material to form an interim mixture;
and then second filtering the interim mixture and removing other
plant material and some trichomes to form a resulting mixture
comprising other trichomes and fluid.
[0008] In an alternate embodiment, cannabinoids can be extracted
from plant material by mixing plant material with a solvent in a
hopper and forming a slurry; pumping the slurry into a turbulent
processor, agitating the slurry and extracting cannabinoids from
the plant material and forming a mixture of solvent with plant
material and dissolved cannabinoids; coarse filtering the mixture
and removing portions of the plant material to form an interim
mixture of solvent, other plant material and dissolved
cannabinoids; second filtering the interim mixture and removing the
other plant material to form a resulting solution comprising
substantially only the solvent and dissolved cannabinoids; and then
processing the resulting solution to remove the dissolved
cannabinoids from the solvent.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] A more complete understanding of the present disclosure may
be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when
considered in connection with the figures, wherein like reference
numbers refer to similar items throughout the figures.
[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the
equipment for the overall process when using water as the
fluid.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the
equipment for an alternate process when using another solvent as
the fluid.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram depicting an embodiment of the
passage of material through a liquid ring pump.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the
interior of a shear blender depicting the flow of the high solids
plant material through the static and rotating teeth.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram depicting an embodiment of the
passage of material through a sinusoidal pump.
[0015] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an embodiment that uses water as
the liquid.
[0016] FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an embodiment that uses an
alternate solvent.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0017] In the following detailed description, reference is made to
the accompanying drawings which form a part of the disclosure and,
which show by way of illustration, and not of limitation, specific
embodiments by which the disclosure may be practiced. The drawings,
the foregoing discussion, and the following description are
exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit the
scope of the disclosure or its application in any manner.
[0018] Embodiments can optionally include one or more of a feed
device 100, first pump 102, liquid ring pump 117, shear blender
103, diaphragm valve 106, coarse filter 101, positive displacement
pump (PDP) 104, filter pack 108, fine filter 109, spray bar 111 and
holding tank 105. In one example, the feed device 100 can comprise
a Screw Sump for a Waukesha 130 Pump, by Carlsen and Associates of
Healdsburg, Calif. Another example of the feed device 100 can be an
Aqseptence Group Noggerath Grit Classifier GS. An example of the
first pump 102 can comprise a Positive Displacement Lobe Pump, by
SPX Flow, model Waukesha 130 Pump. Another example of the first
pump 102 can be a Netzsch Pumps model Progressive Cavity Pump--Nemo
Bmax Mixing Pump. An example of the liquid ring pump 117 can
comprise a Fristam Pumps model FZX 2100 Liquid Ring Pump. An
example of the shear blender 103 can comprise a Fristam Pumps model
FS 352 Shear Blender. One example of the diaphragm valve 106 can
comprise a Glacier Tanks Diaphragm Valve. An example of the coarse
filter 101 can be a Vincent Corporation model VDS-36 Side Hill
Screen, and it can be a parabolic screen. An example of the PDP 104
can be a Pacer Pumps model PC Centrifugal Pump. Examples of the
filter pack 108 and fine filter 109 can be a Spiral Water
Technologies model Self Cleaning Mechanical Separator S1000.
Versions of the holding tank 105 can contain fluid or be connected
to an external fluid source, which can be connected with stainless
steel, plastic or other suitable pipes 110 and/or tank, such as a
stainless steel tank.
[0019] In some versions, the process can begin by placing bulk
cannabis plants 113 into the feed device 100 and adding water from
the holding tank 105 to form a slurry 112. The bulk cannabis plants
113 can be milled or ground to a desired size, such as
approximately 1/32, 1/4, 3/8 or 1/2 inch size. Such small sizes can
reduce the risk of clogging the system during processing. If the
bulk cannabis plants 113 are not pre-milled, an optional grinder
118 can be added to the system, such as shown in FIG. 1, to reduce
the particulate size of the bulk cannabis plants 113. In an
example, the grinder 118 can comprise a JWC Environmental model
Muffin Monster Inline Sewage Grinder. In one version, the feed
device 100 can be a one or two-step auger system with a metered
feed that gently blends the bulk cannabis plants 113 with the fluid
and moves the slurry 112 at, for example, a constant rate toward
the first pump 102.
[0020] Embodiments of the first pump 102 can be a positive
displacement lobe pump.
[0021] However, any type of pump suitable for moving high solid
fluids may be used, such as a sinusoidal, progressive cavity or a
hose (peristaltic) pump. The first pump 102 can move the slurry 112
through the system to the (optional) grinder 118, or directly to
the liquid ring pump 117. Versions of the liquid ring pump 117 can
be a commercially available liquid ring pump. However, any type of
apparatus configured to enable a shear mixing environment may be
used. In one example, the liquid ring pump 117 can serve to remove
trichomes from the plant material through its highly turbulent
internal mechanism, rather than to merely serve as a pump to move
material through the process. The high solids mixture 114 from the
liquid ring pump 117 can be a mixture of separated trichomes,
larger plant material, smaller plant material and fluid, for
example.
[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, embodiments of the liquid ring pump 117
can draw in the slurry 112 and circulate it as a high solids
mixture 114. In one embodiment, the pump can be a liquid ring pump
having a spinning off-center blade ring 302, in conjunction with a
water ring 301, that can pull the slurry 112 into the pump 102 and
circulate the high solids mixture 114.
[0023] Alternatives to the liquid ring pump can include any
commercially available pump, such as a self-priming pump. For
example, if a sinusoidal pump is used, it can have a single
sinusoidal rotor 501 (FIG. 5) and a number of chambers, such as
four evenly-sized chambers, with a rotor 501 that is rotated on a
shaft 502. The slurry 112 can be pulled through the inlet into each
chamber in sequence. As the chamber rotates, it contracts the
space, closes and then discharges the high solids mixture or
mixture 114 to the outlet port.
[0024] In some embodiments, the high solids mixture 114 from the
liquid ring pump 117 can be transported, such as by pipe, into
(e.g., the center) of the shear blender 103. The shear blender 103
can comprise alternating rings of static and rotating teeth 401, in
some examples. The rotating teeth 401 can be configured to rotate
in a range of approximately 5 to 60 hz, but higher frequencies can
be used to achieve additional turbulence. The clearance between the
teeth can be prescribed, such as approximately 0.5 millimeters. The
clearance can be in a range of about 0.1 mm to about 1 mm, or more,
depending on the application. The high solids mixture 114 can be
drawn outward between the static and rotating teeth 401 as shown in
FIG. 4, macerating the cannabis flowers, stems and leaves.
[0025] Because the trichomes are so small, and the flow is so fast,
the trichomes can be sheared off the cannabis material and pass
through the teeth without damage. The smaller solids effluent 402
from the shear blender 103 can be a mixture of liquid with smaller
botanical material 107, trichomes 115 and, for example, trichomes
and macerated botanical material 116. Optionally, the smaller
solids effluent 402 may be fed into one or more additional shear
blenders 103 to further remove trichomes from the botanical
material. An optional diaphragm valve 106 (FIG. 1) may be used,
e.g., downstream, of the shear blender(s) 103 to create back
pressure in the system to slow the progress of material through the
shear blender(s) 103.
[0026] Versions of the smaller solids effluent 402 from the shear
blender(s) 103 can be fed into a coarse filter 101. The course
filter 101 can be a drum screen. However, the coarse filter also
can be a hydrostatic screen, fiber filter, other coarse filtering
device, or a combination thereof. Embodiments of the size for
filtration of the coarse filter 101 can be 190 microns or more, 220
microns or more, in a range of about 190 to about 225 microns, or a
range of about 190 microns to about 500 microns. To aid in
processing the smaller solids effluent 402 through the coarse
filter 101, and to assist with removing the sticky trichomes from
the solids, a high pressure spray of filtered liquid 119 from the
output of the downstream fine filter 109 may be ported back to a
spray bar 111 and sprayed on the screen. The coarse filter 101
separates out the larger botanical material 107, which can be
ported back to the feed device 100 for repeated processing if it
still contains trichomes, as indicated in the flow chart shown in
FIG. 6. If the majority of cannabinoids have been removed, the
larger botanical material 107 may be discarded or further processed
for secondary hemp usage such as feed for livestock.
[0027] In some examples, a positive displacement pump 104 can be
used to pull the remaining material through the coarse filter 101
and send it downstream to a fine filter 109. An optional medium
filter 108 may be used before the fine filter 109. For example, the
medium filter 108 can be used to collect at least some of the
trichomes, and/or help remove some of the trichomes and any fibers
116 or other particulate matter that were not captured by the
coarse filter 101. The medium filter 108 can be a continuous
mechanical separator. In one version, the medium filter 108 can
have a filter size of approximately 100 microns. Other versions of
the medium filter 108 can comprise a filter size range of about 100
microns to about 220 microns, or of about 120 microns to about 190
microns.
[0028] Like some of the other filters, the fine filter 109 can be
an automatic self-cleaning mechanical filter with a filter size of,
for example, approximately 15 microns, or in a filter size range of
about 15 to about 140 microns, or about 15 microns to about 120
microns. The fine filter 109 can remove the concentrated trichomes
115 from the remaining liquid. The filtered liquid 117 can be
ported to the spray bar 111 at the coarse filter 101, sent back to
the holding tank 105 for reuse, and/or sent to final waste.
Alternatively, one or more of the filters of the system can be used
to selectively collect trichomes in specific ranges of sizes. For
example, the system can selectively collect trichomes in a range of
about 15 to about 45 microns, about 45 to about 70 microns, about
45 to about 90 microns, or about 70 to about 120 microns, to name a
few samples.
[0029] In an alternate embodiment, one or more of the first pump
102, liquid ring pump 117, shear blender 103 and coarse filter 101
may be replaced with a tumbling mechanism, such as a continuous
tumbling mechanism. This design can allow the biomass to collide
with itself, resulting in shear forces that are developed from
gravity and rotational speeds. The tumbling mechanism, such as an
internally fed drum screen, can introduce biomass to a portion of
the filter screen while the biomass travels through the drum. The
biomass crashing into itself can remove trichomes from the surfaces
of the biomass. The drum, which can comprise wedge wire,
perforated, or mesh screen, can simultaneously act as a filter,
allowing trichomes to pass through the drum. The biomass can go
through the entirety of the drum length while trichomes pass
through the drum wall.
[0030] In some embodiments, the spray bar 111 can use fluid to
physically push the trichomes through the drum wall to (1) keep the
drum screen from blinding off, and (2) physically shearing the
trichomes from the biomass. The term "physically shearing" can be a
stand-alone function of the spray bar 111, in addition to keeping
the drum screen from blinding off. One or more of the filters, such
as the medium filter 108 and fine filter 109, can be employed
downstream to complete the process. Any of the filters can include
an internal spinning brush to facilitate filtering. Alternate
embodiments can include sieves or strainers, such as sieve bags,
instead of filters.
[0031] In still another embodiment, the in-line turbulence (or
turbulent processor) of the system can be provided by one, two or
more pumps without the shear mixer. Such a system also can include
a liquid ring pump, such as downstream of the pumps, as described
herein.
[0032] In another alternate embodiment, one or more other solvents
may be used instead of water. Embodiments of the downstream
equipment and processing can be adjusted as shown, for example, in
the schematic FIG. 2. Although embodiments can comprise the same
processing steps as described herein, the results of using another
solvent can be an extraction of the cannabinoids, rather than
merely a separation of the trichomes from the biomass material.
Other modifications to the equipment selection can be included, and
some examples are described herein. In some cases, the feed device
100 can be a single stage auger feed system that can feed the
hopper of the first pump 102. Versions of the first pump 102 can be
a progressive cavity pump.
[0033] An example of the hopper on the first pump 102 can include
paddles that can stir the biomass, and a flanged injection pipe
where additional solvent 202 can be injected into the hopper. The
slurry 112 can enter the pump 102 as a mixture of bulk cannabis
material 113 and the solvent 202. The solvent 202 can include
ethanol (e.g., ethyl alcohol), but other suitable liquid solvents
and/or additives may be used. The smaller solids effluent 402 from
the shear blender(s) 103 can include a cannabinoid tincture mixed
with biomass. The smaller solids effluent 402 is fed into the
coarse filter 101, that can be a drum screen that separates grade a
tincture 203 from the biomass. The grade a tincture 203 is then fed
back to the pump 102 for continued processing until the solvent is
fully saturated. The remaining biomass 204 is fed into a separator
to remove as much liquid as possible, producing a grade b tincture
205 that can also be ported back to the pump 102. Examples of the
separator can be a centrifuge device, but may also be a screw press
or any other suitable machine that can separate the elements.
[0034] The present disclosure addresses the issues of conventional
equipment by providing a faster system, apparatus and process that
can use one or more of turbulent hydrodynamic, gravitational or
rotational shear forces to separate the cannabinoids from the plant
material. The process can be used with a liquid, such as water,
which can produce a mechanical separation of the trichomes. Water
can be used in the context of mechanical separation (e.g., to make
"water hash") since cannabinoids may not be readily soluble in
water.
[0035] Alternatively, another solvent can be used to dissolve the
cannabinoids (e.g., CBD and THC molecules, and other high value
cannabinoids) out of the trichomes to form a cannabinoid-rich
tincture, rather than just separate the trichomes from the
biomass.
[0036] The process can be automated for continuous, in-line flow
production for water, solvent or both. In some versions, yields of
desired recovery can be 75% or more, and the system can process 200
to 1000 pounds of plant material or more per hour (e.g., 500 pounds
or more). In addition, the system, method and apparatus can be used
as a separation or extraction process for any type of plant matter
or material. Embodiments of a system, method and apparatus can
separate cannabinoids from plants using the turbulent hydrodynamic,
gravitational and/or rotational speed shear forces of one or more
pumps coupled with one or more shear blenders, or an in-line,
continuous drum screen, to separate the cannabinoids from the
leaves, flowers, and stems. Milled or ground plant parts can be
mixed with liquid to create a slurry mixture that is pumped into a
liquid ring or other type of pump. The hydrodynamic turbulence
within the liquid ring pump can force cannabinoids from the
external surfaces of the plant material to create a mixture of
cannabinoids, liquid and large plant material containing more
cannabinoids.
[0037] In some embodiments, the mixture from the liquid ring pump
can be transferred to a shear blender. The rotor-stator clearances
within the shear blender can be configured to break apart the
botanical material of the cannabis, but are not small enough to
impact the trichome structures since they are orders of magnitude
smaller than the leaves, flowers and stems of the plant. As the
mixture is processed within the shear blender, the plant parts can
be further broken down into smaller pieces to expose even more of
the cannabinoids. The turbulence within the shear blender can cause
the additionally exposed cannabinoids to separate from the plant
material. The mixture from the shear blender may be processed
through one or more additional shear blenders for additional
product maceration and separation. The mixture of the final shear
blender can be fed into a filtration system starting with a coarse
filter. A positive displacement pump can be used to pull the
mixture from the course filter and send it through one or more
filters. In other embodiments, the pumps and blenders can be
replaced with a drum screen that uses gravitational and/or
rotational speed shear forces to separate the trichomes from the
biomass. The larger plant material that is filtered out in the
first filtration step can be routed back into the system for
continued processing. The liquid that is filtered out in the final
polishing filtration step can also be routed back into the system
for reuse, in some versions.
[0038] If a solvent, such as ethanol, is used as the liquid, the
cannabinoids can be dissolved during the process such that the
mixture from the shear blender is a cannabinoid tincture. The
tincture can then be further processed using a centrifuge and/or
screw press to separate the remaining tincture from the biomass. In
some examples, the process can form an extraction rather than a
mere separation. The entire system can be operated continuously or
in a batch process.
[0039] Other embodiments can include one or more of the following
items.
1. A process for separating trichomes from plant material, the
process comprising:
[0040] mixing plant material with a fluid in a metered feed system
and forming a slurry;
[0041] pumping the slurry into a turbulent processor, agitating the
slurry between rotating and static teeth and shearing trichomes
from the plant material to form a mixture of fluid, trichomes and
plant material;
[0042] coarse filtering the mixture and removing portions of the
plant material to form an interim mixture; and then
[0043] second filtering the interim mixture and removing other
plant material and some trichomes to form a resulting mixture
comprising other trichomes and fluid.
2. The process of item 1, wherein the turbulent processor comprises
at least one of a shear blender, liquid ring pump, in-line
turbulent mixer, solids handling pump or particle reducer. 3. The
process of item 1, further comprising grinding the slurry to reduce
a size of the plant material prior to processing in the turbulent
processor. 4. The process of item 2, further comprising at least
one additional shear blender coupled between the shear blender and
the coarse filter and processing the mixture through the additional
shear blender prior to coarse filtering. 5. The process of item 1,
further comprising at least one medium filter having a filter size
and position between the coarse filtering and the second filtering,
and filtering the interim mixture with the medium filter prior to
pumping the resulting mixture through the second filter. 6. The
process of item 1, further comprising a liquid spray system
comprising an additional fluid and moving the mixture through the
coarse filter with the additional fluid. 7. The process of item 1,
wherein pumping the slurry comprises first pumping the slurry
through at least one shear blender. 8. The process of item 1,
wherein the resultant mixture comprises substantially only
discharge fluid. 9. A process for extracting cannabinoids from
plant material, the process comprising:
[0044] mixing plant material with a solvent in a hopper and forming
a slurry;
[0045] pumping the slurry into a turbulent processor, agitating the
slurry and extracting cannabinoids from the plant material and
forming a mixture of solvent with plant material and dissolved
cannabinoids;
[0046] coarse filtering the mixture and removing portions of the
plant material to form an interim mixture of solvent, other plant
material and dissolved cannabinoids;
[0047] second filtering the interim mixture and removing the other
plant material to form a resulting solution comprising
substantially only the solvent and dissolved cannabinoids; and
then
[0048] processing the resulting solution to remove the dissolved
cannabinoids from the solvent.
10. The process of item 9, further comprising at least one shear
blender or liquid ring pump and processing the mixture prior to
coarse filtering. 11. A system for separating trichomes from plant
material, the system comprising:
[0049] a metered feed system configured to mix plant material with
a fluid to form a slurry;
[0050] a turbulent processor comprising a shear blender and
configured to receive and agitate the slurry between rotating and
static teeth and shear trichomes from the plant material to form a
mixture of fluid, trichomes and plant material;
[0051] a coarse filter configured to remove some plant material
from the mixture to form an interim mixture; and
[0052] a second filter is configured to remove other plant material
from the interim mixture and form a resultant mixture comprising
fluid and trichomes.
12. The system of item 11, wherein the turbulent processor
comprises at least one of a liquid ring pump, an in-line turbulent
mixer, a solids handling pump or a particle reducer. 13. The system
of item 11, further comprising a grinder configured to grind the
slurry to reduce a size of the plant material prior to processing
in the turbulent processor. 14. The system of item 11, further
comprising at least one additional shear blender configured to be
coupled between the shear blender and the coarse filter and
configured to process the mixture through the additional shear
blender prior to coarse filtering. 15. The system of item 11,
further comprising at least one medium filter having a filter size
and position between the coarse filtering and the second filtering,
and configured to filter the resulting mixture with the medium
filter prior to pumping the interim mixture through the second
filter. 16. The system of item 11, further comprising a liquid
spray system configured to comprise an additional fluid and
configured to move the mixture through the coarse filter with the
additional fluid. 17. The system of item 11, wherein the turbulent
processor comprises a pump configured to be located upstream from
the shear blender. 18. A system for extracting cannabinoids from
plant material, the system comprising:
[0053] a hopper configured to mix plant material with a solvent to
form a slurry;
[0054] a turbulent processor configured to receive and agitate the
slurry to extract cannabinoids from the plant material to form a
mixture of solvent, plant material and dissolved cannabinoids;
[0055] a coarse filter configured to remove some portions of the
plant material from the mixture to form an interim mixture of
solvent, other plant material and dissolved cannabinoids;
[0056] a second filter configured to remove other portions of the
plant material from the interim mixture to form a solution
comprising substantially only the solvent and dissolved
cannabinoids; and
[0057] equipment configured to process the mixture to remove the
dissolved cannabinoids from the solvent.
19. The system of item 18, further comprising at least one pump or
shear blender configured to be coupled upstream from the coarse
filter and configured to process the mixture prior to coarse
filtering. 20. The system of item 18, wherein the solvent is
configured to comprise ethanol and at least one additive, such as
water (e.g., from the ambient air) or other co-solvents.
[0058] This written description uses examples to disclose the
embodiments, including the best mode, and also to enable those of
ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention. The
patentable scope is defined by the claims, and can include other
examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other
examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they
have structural elements that do not differ from the literal
language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural
elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages
of the claims.
[0059] Note that not all of the activities described above in the
general description or the examples are required, that a portion of
a specific activity may not be required, and that one or more
further activities can be performed in addition to those described.
Still further, the order in which activities are listed are not
necessarily the order in which they are performed.
[0060] In the foregoing specification, the concepts have been
described with reference to specific embodiments. However, one of
ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications
and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the
invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the
specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative
rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are
intended to be included within the scope of invention.
[0061] It can be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain
words and phrases used throughout this patent document. The term
"communicate," as well as derivatives thereof, encompasses both
direct and indirect communication. The term "discreet," as well as
derivatives thereof, references to the amount of skin exposed by a
user of the garment, rather than the type of style of the garment.
The terms "include" and "comprise," as well as derivatives thereof,
mean inclusion without limitation. The term "or" is inclusive,
meaning and/or. The phrase "associated with," as well as
derivatives thereof, can mean to include, be included within,
interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or
with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with,
interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have,
have a property of, have a relationship to or with, or the like.
The phrase "at least one of," when used with a list of items, means
that different combinations of one or more of the listed items can
be used, and only one item in the list can be needed. For example,
"at least one of: A, B, and C" includes any of the following
combinations: A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and A and B and
C.
[0062] Also, the use of "a" or "an" are employed to describe
elements and components described herein. This is done merely for
convenience and to give a general sense of the scope of the
invention. This description should be read to include one or at
least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is
obvious that it is meant otherwise.
[0063] The description in the present application should not be
read as implying that any particular element, step, or function is
an essential or critical element that must be included in the claim
scope. The scope of patented subject matter is defined only by the
allowed claims. Moreover, none of the claims invokes 35 U.S.C.
.sctn. 112(f) with respect to any of the appended claims or claim
elements unless the exact words "means for" or "step for" are
explicitly used in the particular claim, followed by a participle
phrase identifying a function.
[0064] Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have
been described above with regard to specific embodiments. However,
the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any feature(s)
that can cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or
become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical,
required, sacrosanct or an essential feature of any or all the
claims.
[0065] After reading the specification, skilled artisans will
appreciate that certain features are, for clarity, described herein
in the context of separate embodiments, can also be provided in
combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features
that are, for brevity, described in the context of a single
embodiment, can also be provided separately or in any
subcombination. Further, references to values stated in ranges
include each and every value within that range.
[0066] As used herein, the term "about" or "approximately" applies
to all numeric values, whether or not explicitly indicated. These
terms generally refer to a range of numbers that one of skill in
the art would consider equivalent to the recited values (i.e.,
having the same function or result). In many instances these terms
may include numbers that are rounded to the nearest significant
figure. As used herein, the terms "substantial" and "substantially"
means, when comparing various parts to one another, that the parts
being compared are equal to or are so close enough in dimension
that one skill in the art would consider the same. Substantial and
substantially, as used herein, are not limited to a single
dimension and specifically include a range of values for those
parts being compared. The range of values, both above and below
(e.g., "+/-" or greater/lesser or larger/smaller), includes a
variance that one skilled in the art would know to be a reasonable
tolerance for the parts mentioned.
[0067] The above discussion is meant to be illustrative of the
principles and various embodiments of the present invention.
Numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those
skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated.
It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace
all such variations and modifications.
* * * * *