Foods and beverages: apparatus – Cooking – With other treating or handling of material
Reexamination Certificate
2003-04-18
2004-08-10
Simone, Timothy F. (Department: 1761)
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Cooking
With other treating or handling of material
C099S355000, C099S452000, C099S455000, C099S483000, C425S410000, C425S414000, C425S416000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06772679
ABSTRACT:
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns an apparatus for making edible articles by immersing plungers into chocolate-like mass deposited directly onto a conveyor web.
2. Background of the Invention
Generally, chocolate-like masses are suspensions of non-fat particles such as sugar, milk powders and cocoa solids mixed up with a liquid fat constituent. Often the fat phase comprises genuine cocoa butter of until around 30%, but may comprise substitutes as well. Such substitutes can be in the form of other types of fat-containing oils. Chocolate types where the cocoa butter has been replaced wholly or partly by other fats are often named commercially as compound chocolate, in which the cocoa butter has been replaced by palm-kernel oil. Mass made of 100% fat in the form of cocoa butter or the like as compound is also possible.
However, for the chocolate-like mass according to the present invention it is decisive, that whether the fat phase constitutes of genuine cocoa butter or substitutes therefore, that the fat phase is capable of crystallizing into stable crystal types, such as the &bgr;-crystals developing in genuine cocoa butter when the mass solidifies.
The chocolate-like mass is brought to a tempered, liquid state and then deposited directly onto a conveyor web. Optionally, the conveyor web may then be shaken for obtaining a more even distribution of the chocolate mass.
By the tempering process the mass is brought to around 40-50° C., where after it is being cooled to around 25-34° C. so that crystallisation is initiated. Then the mass is reheated around 0.5-2.0° C. for re-melting most of the in-stable crystals in the mass, however preserving a content of stable &bgr;-crystals which melts at a higher temperature than the in-stable crystals. The stable crystals are preserved in the mass ready for depositing in an amount of typically 0.01%-5%, preferably in an amount of 0.1%-2%. The stable crystals could preferably be of the &bgr;V or &bgr;IV type.
After the edible articles made are solidified, they could be filled with a centre mass of a creamy or liquid food material, which differs from that of the article material. The centre mass could be an alcohol containing mass, a sugar containing mass or a creamy fondant mass, simply any of the centre masses known to the chocolate industry. Finally, a chocolate covering layer may be deposited for closing the centre mass off thereby creating a kind of “praline-like” article. If the edible article made by the invention is flat or plate-shaped such as a tablet, a centre in the form of a bisquit could be arranged as well.
WO 98/30111 (Mars) discloses embossing of details on top of enrobed products. A bar-shaped centre is arranged on a supporting surface and enrobed with chocolate mass before embossing. The disclosure is silent about depositing chocolate directly on a conveyor web before embossing as the disclosure exclusively deals with enrobed products. The disclosure teaches low temperatures of the embossing surfaces typically being below 0° C. and that ice builds up on the embossing surfaces. The ice melts in contact with the chocolate working as a lubricant, which secures separation from the covering layer when the embossing device is retracted therefrom. The disclosure is silent about how to keep the articles staying on the supporting surface when the embossing plungers are retracted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The inventive apparatus makes edible articles of chocolate-like mass, in particular chocolate mass, being tempered and deposited directly on a conveyor web. A holding and cooling device carrying plungers with pressing surfaces is arranged above the conveyor web and is movable up- and down in relation thereto. The holding device with plungers as well as the underlying part of the conveyer web are arranged in a housing connected to air drying means adapted to supply dry air into the housing.
The pressing surfaces of the plungers are kept dry and free from any lubricant or moisture from the air. The conveyor web surfaces are kept free from lubricant and moisture as well. Thereby it is possible to make chocolate articles directly on a conveyor web without the use of any lubricants which could contaminate the articles.
The plungers having dry pressing surfaces onto which no lubricant is applied are immersed into contact with deformable, non-solidified tempered chocolate deposited directly in small lumps on a conveyor web and thereby being pressed into the shape of an article. The temperature of the pressing surfaces is kept below the solidification temperature of the chocolate mass during the pressing, whereafter the plungers are retracted from the edible articles.
So necessary for the plunger to be capable of being retracted from the chocolate without deforming the contacted surfaces of the article is, that the outer part or surface “skin” of the chocolate layer has solidified and thereby contracted slightly. The pressing surfaces are high gloss surfaces.
A predetermined geometry of a chocolate article can be obtained directly on a conveyor web from a deposited lump of chocolate without the use of any separate moulds or mould plates or any bar-shaped centre or the like.
When being deformed by the pressing surfaces of the plungers the ready made surfaces of the chocolate articles are simply an identical print of the geometry of the plunger pressing surfaces. Deleterious effects to the chocolate caused by remains of lubricant, whether it be water, gelatine or any other possible receipt is completely avoided. Furthermore is contamination of the plungers and the edible chocolate articles with lubricant remains avoided. Remains having a water content is certainly suspected to give rise to bacteria growth such as in the dangerous salmonella form.
The chocolate rapidly solidifies under crystallisation from its surface in contact with the pressing surfaces of the plunger and inwardly through the chocolate layer. By being forced into contact with the colder pressing surfaces of the plunger, the tempered chocolate instantly solidifies and contracts slightly at its part in contact with the pressing surfaces whereby it releases. Decisive is here, that the tempered chocolate contains stable crystals, which makes the chocolate mass contract just slightly when it solidifies in contact with a continuously cooled surface. A solidified outer “skin” is created on the chocolate in contact with the pressing surfaces when the chocolate solidifies and contracts slightly, and this is sufficient for the chocolate to release from the plunger surface where after the plunger can be retracted. The pressing surfaces are high gloss surfaces so that diminishing friction is created with the chocolate mass when it contracts slightly during contraction. The remaining or inner part of the chocolate layer then doesn't need to be solidified when the plunger is retracted from its contact with the chocolate. The solidified “skin” of the chocolate layer secures a geometrical stable geometry of the article though heat remains inside the chocolate mass when the plunger is retracted from contact.
Thereby it has though become possible to make chocolate articles directly on a conveyor web by use of plungers and without applying any lubricant, yet still moulding the articles with the complete geometry without any surplus chocolate to be re-circulated. The production line then becomes very simple as it is free from any moulds or mould plates. Any de-moulding, removal or knocking out of articles from moulds becomes superfluous as the articles by the inventive technique simply stays on the conveyor web in the position they were pressed being transported on to possible further modification, such as the depositing of centre mass in pressed cavities of the article or the like.
When the plungers have been retracted the surfaces of the chocolate articles are completely dry and free from any remains of lubricant. Whether the articles made are to be eaten with visible surfaces made by the plungers or are to be filled with centre mass and
Aasted Mikroverk APS
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Simone Timothy F.
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