Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus – Female mold and cooperating stock smoothing means or excess...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-27
2001-01-16
Pyon, Harold (Department: 1722)
Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus
Female mold and cooperating stock smoothing means or excess...
C425S217000, C425S453000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06174157
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to apparatus for preparing moulded articles, particularly for preparing frozen confecionery articles in moulds and more particularly to preparation of multi-component, layered articles and to means for removing liquid from moulds which contain a solidified article form and liquid and particularly to apparatus for suctioning for removing liquid from a solidified article form for preparing multi-component, layered articles.
There is known, for example from U.S. Pat. No. 3,529,553, a method for moulding hollow chocolate shells in which melted chocolate is poured into cavities pressed in an aluminium foil serving as a mould cooled to low temperature, the chocolate is left to solidify in contact with the cooled surface of the mould, and then the still-liquid centre of the chocolate is extracted by means of tubular nozzles connected to a reservoir under vacuum, so as to form a hollow chocolate shell with a thin wall. The extracted chocolate is recirculated into the reservoir of the apportioning machine by means of a pump and a tube heated to keep the chocolate mass in the liquefied state.
In the field of frozen confectionery articles, the principle of the cold mould is also used, for example in PCT International Patent Application Publication No. WO 91/13557, to manufacture frozen cones by moulding a layer of chocolate inside a wafer cone. To do this, a mass of liquid chocolate is poured inside a wafer cone, and then the mass is distributed in a thin layer on the internal surface of the cone by inserting a cold conical counter-mould into the wafer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to manufacture, at a high rate, moulded frozen confectionery articles comprising a hollow chocolate shell with a thin wall, the shell being sufficiently rigid so as not to crumble during its formation or to be damaged when being removed from the mould, and which can easily be removed from the mould.
To this end, the method according to the invention comprises the moulding of shells with thin walls of chocolate by apportioning liquid chocolate into pre-cooled moulds and then sucking out the still-liquid chocolate from the mould centre, and the invention further is characterised in that the shell is formed by pouring chocolate, at a temperature greater than 35° C., into the alveoli of rigid aluminium alloy moulds manufactured by lost-wax casting, cooled to a temperature less than or equal to −10° C., in an environment with a relative humidity of less than 60%, so that the chocolate completely fills the alveoli and solidifies on the surface in contact with the cold wall of the mould, and then the still-liquid centre is extracted by suction under vacuum.
The present invention also includes apparatus useful for suctioning a liquid, particularly liquid chocolate, from moulds and which comprises a suction valve and a connecting piece which extends from the valve for suctioning a liquid. In further detail, the apparatus comprises a guide for holding moulds driven by a chain in a position for suctioning, a carriage which may be provided with horizontal reciprocating movement and an elevator device supported by the carriage and to which the suction valve is connected, a liquid reservoir member and a flexible tube which connects the suction valve to the reservoir.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to the process of the invention, the alveoli of the moulds are completely filled with liquid chocolate from controlled nozzles delivering, in successive doses, exactly the volumetric quantity representing the volume of an alveolus, into the alveoli of the moulds, preferably passing continuously on a conveyor. The chocolate is fed at a temperature higher than the tempering temperature, preferably around 50° C., at which the chocolate has the minimum flow threshold.
The moulds are manufactured in a foundry from aluminium alloy by the lost-wax casting method. They have sufficient thickness to ensure good rigidity, greater than 1 mm, preferably 1 to 3 mm, for example approximately 2.5 mm. The material and its thickness give excellent heat transfer between the mould cooling fluid and the product to be moulded and affords good removal from the mould.
The lost-wax casting method gives the surface a certain porosity, or surface roughness, without its having jutting cavities or splits. Preferably, the surface roughness is expressed by an RA value, representing the mean value of the peak height of the protrusions in microns. The conditions of the lost-wax casting process give the surface roughness dictated by the configuration of the surface of the wax and the first coating bath. The RA valve is preferably 1.6 to 3.2 microns, for good removal from the mould.
The surface state appears to assist the contraction of the chocolate and thus facilitates removal from the mould.
In addition, the thermal characteristics, on the one hand, of the material of the mould, which is a good conductor, and on the other hand, of the chocolate, which is thermally inert, are very different, which enables the shell to be moulded under good conditions, since the surface rigidifies rapidly whereas the centre of the mass of chocolate remains sufficiently liquid to be able to be sucked out.
The ambient air has a relative humidity of less than 60% and preferably equal to or even less than 10%. It has been found that the higher the relative humidity, for example around 60%, the lower must be the temperature of the moulds at the time of removal from the mould, around −30° C. On the other hand, a relative humidity of around 10% and less requires only a mould temperature of around −10° C. in order to obtain the same mould removal characteristics. The lowest relative humidity possible is preferred, also because to a greater extent it prevents frosting of the surface of the moulds, which frosting would prevent removal from the moulds.
It has also been found that the temperature of the moulds should not be too low during the manufacture of the shell, so that the thermal shock inflicted on the chocolate would not be too abrupt, which would result in a risk of collapse of the thin walls of the shell. In practice it is preferred for the moulds to be at approximately −10° C. to −25° C.
Through these measures, a thickness of the chocolate of the shell of approximately 0.5 to 2 mm is obtained, together with good strength thereof, and the frozen confectionery product may have a shell thickness of from 0.5 to 3 mm.
In the context of the invention, the term “chocolate” is not limited to chocolate strictly speaking, but extends to the fatty compositions normally used in chocolate confectionery, comprising vegetable fats in substitution for cocoa butter, such as, for example, coverings or compounds. The chocolate in question advantageously contains less than 50% and preferably around 40% by weight of fat.
The present invention also includes preparation of a frozen confectionery article wherein a frozen confection, in particular ice cream, is deposited into the hollow space of a moulded coating fat shell, particularly a moulded shell of chocolate, and includes depositing a biscuit onto the frozen confection, in particular wherein a fatty coating separates the biscuit from the frozen confection and includes enrobing the biscuit with a fatty composition, particularly chocolate, to provide a base so that the frozen confection and biscuit are enclosed by the shell and base.
The present invention further includes the products of the process described above and provides frozen confectionery articles comprising a moulded shell of a coating fat, particularly chocolate, and the invention includes articles comprising, inside the shell, a mass of frozen confection and also, optionally, comprising inside the shell, a biscuit, and the biscuit may be protected against moisture by an enrobing layer.
Preferably, in a frozen confectionery article of the invention comprising a biscuit, the biscuit is a wafer, for example consisting of a friable thin rolled sheet of biscuit.
Daouse Alain
Mange Christian
Heckenberg Donald
Nestec S.A.
Pyon Harold
Vogt & O'Donnell, LLP
LandOfFree
Apparatus for suctioning liquid during manufacture of frozen... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus for suctioning liquid during manufacture of frozen..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus for suctioning liquid during manufacture of frozen... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2541703