Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Processes – Molding – casting – or shaping
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-24
2001-07-17
Yeung, George C. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Processes
Molding, casting, or shaping
C062S346000, C165S089000, C425S363000, C426S512000, C426S660000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261620
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not Applicable
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a method for molding food products and an apparatus for use with the method. In particular the method and apparatus are directed to the molding of confectionery products such as gels, gums, high-boiled sweets, chocolate, and fat-based products.
BACKGROUND
Food products, in particular confectionery products, can be produced using chilled rollers, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,204 and GB 641,682. The methods disclosed in these patents use a pair of counter-rotating rollers with cavities on their surfaces in order to form shaped confectionery products that are linked together by a thin web of confectionery product. GB 641,982 is directed to the production of chocolate confectionery articles only and the problems associated with adherence of chocolate to surfaces of the rollers. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,204 the molded product is in the form of a solid ribbon that requires further processing.
It would be desirable to have a molding process that avoids the problems associated with forming a web that links the molded confectionery products and avoids the need for further processing after molding.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to an apparatus and a method for making a molded food product. One embodiment of the food product molding apparatus includes a chilled roller, a plurality of molds attached radially to the surface of a chilled roller, a depositor for sequentially depositing a solidifiable food substance into one or more of the molds when the molds are in a substantially horizontal position to provide one or more molds filled with a food substance having an exterior surface, a conveyor belt arranged to contact the exterior surface of the food substance in the one or more molds sufficiently soon after the solidifiable food substance is deposited into the molds to prevent the exterior surface of the food substance from being distorted as the molds move away from the horizontal position, and a means for separating the food substance from the molds. The temperature of the chilled roller is sufficiently low to at least partially solidify the solidifiable food substance before it is separated from the mold.
The conveyor belt may be arranged to contact the exterior surface of the food substance before the molds have moved more than 90 degrees with respect to the position of the molds when they are being filled or it may be arranged to contact the exterior surface of the food substance before the molds have moved more than 60 degrees with respect to the position of the molds when they are being filled. The conveyor belt may remain in contact with the exterior surface of the food substance during an angular motion of the molds of at least 90 degrees before the food substance is separated from the molds or the conveyor belt may remain in contact with the exterior surface of the food substance during an angular motion of the molds of at least 120 degrees before the food substance is separated from the molds.
The means for separating the partly solidified food substance from the molds may involve introducing compressed air into a cavity behind each mold or introducing compressed air through air nozzles at the bottom of each mold.
In another embodiment, the food product molding apparatus includes a chilled roller, a plurality of molds attached radially to the surface of the chilled roller, a depositor for sequential depositing a solidifiable food substance into one or more of the molds when the molds are in a substantially horizontal position, to provide one or more molds filled with a food substance that has an exterior surface, a chilled plate that comes in contact with one or more filled molds while the food substance is being deposited in the molds so that the chilled plate contacts the molds and the exterior surface of the food substance, and a means for separating the food substance from the molds, wherein the temperature of the chilled roller is sufficiently low to at least partially solidify the solidifiable food substance before it is separated from the molds.
The means for separating the food substance from the molds may involve introducing compressed air into a cavity behind each mold or introducing compressed air through air nozzles at the bottom of each mold. In another embodiment the means for separating the food substance from the molds includes a perforated conveyor belt and a vacuum source positioned on the side of the conveyor belt opposite to the side that contacts the food product wherein the vacuum source generates a sufficient vacuum to pull the food substance from the mold when the mold passes over the conveyor belt. In yet another embodiment the means for separating the food substance from the molds includes an articulated arm that draws a vacuum wherein the articulated arm contacts the exterior surface of the food substance in the mold, applies a vacuum to the exterior surface of the food substance that is sufficient to remove the food substance from the mold, transports the food substance to a conveyor belt, and deposits the food substance on the conveyor belt by releasing the vacuum.
The roller may be chilled to a temperature of between about 5° C. and −25° C. The molds may be removed from the chilled roller.
The invention further relates to methods of molding food products. In one embodiment the method involves the steps of sequentially depositing a solidifiable food substance into one or more of a plurality of molds that are attached radially to a chilled roller while the molds are in a substantially horizontal position to provide one or more molds filled with the food substance having an exterior surface wherein the temperature of the roller is sufficiently low to at least partly solidify the food substance when it is in the mold, rotating the chilled roller to move the one or more filled molds from the substantially horizontal position so that the exterior surface of the food substance contacts a conveyor belt sufficiently soon after the food substance is deposited in the mold to prevent the exterior surface of the food substance from being distorted as the molds moves away from the substantially horizontal position, and separating the at least partly solidifed food substance from the molds onto the conveyor belt.
The at least partly solidified food substance may be separated from the mold by introducing compressed air into a cavity behind each mold or introducing compressed air through air nozzles at the bottom of each mold.
A second embodiment of the method for molding food products involves the steps of sequentially depositing a solidifiable food substance into one or more of a plurality of molds that are radially attached to a chilled roller while the molds are in a substantially horizontal position to provide one or more molds filled with a food substance having an exterior surface wherein the temperature of the roller is sufficiently low to at least partly solidify the food substance when it is in the mold, lowering a chilled plate onto the molds when the molds are being filled with the solidifiable food substance so that the chilled plate contacts the mold and the exterior surface of the food substance to at least partially solidify the exterior surface of the food substance, removing the chilled plate from the molds, rotating the chilled roller, and separating the at least partly solidified food substance from the molds.
The at least partly solidified food substance may be separated from the molds by introducing compressed air into a cavity behind each mold or introducing compressed air through air nozzles at the bottom of each mold. The at least partially solidified food substance also may be separated from the molds by applying a sufficient vacuum to the exterior surface of the partially solidified food substance to pull the food substance from the molds. The vacuum is provided by a vacuum source posit
Nestec S.A.
Winston & Strawn
Yeung George C.
LandOfFree
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