Hard taco shell and method and apparatus for producing the hard taco shell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11246315-B2
Application number	US-201816473481-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2018
Priority date	Jun 27, 2018
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

A taco shell is produced using a rotary cutter including a shaft, an outer blade extending radially outward from the shaft and a first inner blade extending radially outward from the shaft. The outer blade defines an interior area, enclosed by the outer blade, and an exterior area. The first inner blade is located in the interior area and includes a plurality of teeth. A dough piece is cut from a dough sheet with the outer blade, and a first arcuate line of depressions is created in the dough piece with the plurality of teeth. The dough piece is folded to form a shaped dough piece, and the shaped dough piece is baked to produce a hard taco shell.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hard taco shell comprising:
a first sidewall;
a second sidewall;
a first arcuate line of depressions extending up both the first and second sidewalls;
a second arcuate line of depressions;
a straight line of depressions intermediate the first and second arcuate lines of depressions; and
a first region, free of depressions, encompassing an entire area between the first arcuate line of depressions and the straight line of depressions.

2. The hard taco shell of claim 1 , wherein the second arcuate line of depressions extends up both the first and second sidewalls.

3. The hard taco shell of claim 2 , wherein the straight line of depressions extends up both the first and second sidewalls.

4. The hard taco shell of claim 1 , further comprising: a base interconnecting the first and second sidewalls, wherein the first and second sidewalls are substantially parallel to one another.

5. The hard taco shell of claim 4 , wherein the hard taco shell is U-shaped.

6. The hard taco shell of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first end, a second end spaced along a longitudinal axis, a base interconnecting the first and second sidewalls and extending along the longitudinal axis, wherein the first arcuate line of depressions is substantially continuously curved with a constant radius of curvature toward a center point located along the longitudinal axis and beyond the base.

7. A method of producing a hard taco shell, including a first sidewall and a second sidewall, using a rotary cutter including a shaft, an outer blade extending radially outward from the shaft and a first inner blade extending radially outward from the shaft, wherein the outer blade defines an interior area enclosed by the outer blade and an exterior area, the first inner blade is located in the interior area, and the first inner blade includes a plurality of teeth, the method comprising:
cutting a dough piece from a dough sheet with the outer blade;
creating a first arcuate line of depressions, in the dough piece with the plurality of teeth a second arcuate line of depressions and a straight line of depressions in the dough piece;
folding the dough piece to form a shaped dough piece; and
baking the shaped dough piece to produce the hard taco shell with the first arcuate line of depressions extending up both the first and second sidewalls, the second arcuate line of depressions, the straight line of depressions intermediate the first and second arcuate lines of depressions, and a first region, free of depressions, encompassing an entire area between the first arcuate line of depressions and the straight line of depressions.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the rotary cutter includes a second inner blade extending radially outward from the shaft, the second inner blade is located in the interior area, and the second inner blade includes a plurality of teeth, the method further comprising creating the second arcuate line of depressions in the dough piece with the plurality of teeth of the second inner blade.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein folding the dough piece includes folding the dough piece so that the second arcuate line of depressions extends up both the first and second sidewalls.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the rotary cutter includes a third inner blade extending radially outward from the shaft, the third inner blade is located in the interior area, and the third inner blade includes a plurality of teeth, the method further comprising creating the straight line of depressions in the dough piece with the plurality of teeth of the third inner blade.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein folding the dough piece includes folding the dough piece so that the straight line of depressions extends up both the first and second sidewalls.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein creating the straight line of depressions includes creating the straight line of depressions such that the straight line of depressions extends from a leading edge of the dough piece to a trailing edge of the dough piece.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein creating the first arcuate line of depressions includes creating the first arcuate line of depressions such that the first arcuate line of depressions extends from a leading edge of the dough piece to a trailing edge of the dough piece.

Assignees

• Gen Mills Inc

Inventors

• Elayedath Shivakumar
• Fenske John J
• Igo Sean
• King Andrew David
• Russell David Morrison
• Whitmore Samuel
• Zentile Mark Anthony

Classifications

• A21D13/42 Primary

  Tortillas · CPC title

• A23L7/13

  Snacks or the like obtained by oil frying of a formed cereal dough · CPC title

• A21C11/04 Primary

  with cutting and embossing rollers or drums {(A21C11/106 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B26F1/3846

  cutting out discs or the like (B26F1/384, B26F1/40 and B26F1/44 take precedence) · CPC title

• B26F1/20

  with tools carried by a rotating drum or similar support (B26F1/22 takes precedence) · CPC title