System for depositing foodstuff material in the fluid state on a foodstuff product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12035741-B2
Application number	US-202217829990-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2022
Priority date	Jun 10, 2021
Publication date	Jul 16, 2024
Grant date	Jul 16, 2024

Abstract

A system for depositing foodstuff material in the fluid state on a foodstuff product is provided. The system includes a product conveying line; at least one foodstuff material dispensing unit including a plurality of rows of nozzles; and a dispensing control unit. The dispensing unit includes a valve device associated to each individual nozzle to control foodstuff material flow through the nozzle. The valve device includes an open/close member; a solenoid; and a magnetic element operatively connected to the open/close member and mobile between a first position in which it closes the respective nozzle, preventing dispensing of the foodstuff material therethrough, and a second position in which a passage is opened through the nozzle for dispensing the foodstuff material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for depositing foodstuff material in the fluid state on a foodstuff product, comprising:
a conveying line ( 2 ) for feeding a plurality of foodstuff products ( 100 ) in a direction of advance (K);
a dispensing unit ( 10 ) for dispensing the fluid foodstuff material on the foodstuff products ( 100 ) that advance on the conveying line ( 2 ), where the dispensing unit ( 10 ) comprises a plurality of rows of nozzles ( 11 ) arranged in a direction transverse to the direction of advance (K); and
a control unit ( 6 ) for controlling the dispensing unit ( 10 ),
wherein said dispensing unit ( 10 ) comprises a plurality of valve devices ( 20 ) associated to the nozzles ( 11 ′) of the plurality of rows of nozzles ( 11 ) and designed to control the flow of the fluid foodstuff material through the nozzles ( 11 ′),
the valve device ( 20 ) comprising:
an open/close member ( 21 );
a solenoid ( 24 ); and
a magnetic element ( 25 ) operatively connected to the open/close member ( 21 ) and mobile between a first position in which the open/close member ( 21 ) closes the respective nozzle ( 11 ′), preventing dispensing of the fluid foodstuff material therethrough, and a second position in which a passage is opened through the nozzle ( 11 ′) for dispensing of the fluid foodstuff material,
wherein movement of the open/close member ( 21 ) from the first position to the second position or vice versa is driven by the magnetic element ( 25 ) as a result of an electromagnetic interaction with said solenoid ( 24 ), and
wherein the valve device is housed within a seat ( 14 ) that extends until the seat ( 14 ) gives out into a supply duct ( 13 ) for supply of the fluid foodstuff product to the nozzle ( 11 ′), and wherein the open/close member ( 21 ) is constituted by an elastic body that closes said seat ( 14 ) with respect to the supply duct ( 13 ) and that comprises an open/close portion ( 21 B) operatively connected to the magnetic element ( 25 ) and mobile together therewith.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of rows of nozzles ( 11 ) comprises rows of nozzles ( 11 ) oriented in respective directions (J) parallel to one another and transverse to the direction of advance (K).

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of rows of nozzles ( 11 ) has a matrix configuration that extends in the direction of advance (K) and in a direction (H) orthogonal thereto.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of rows of nozzles ( 11 ) have all one and the same number of nozzles ( 11 ′), and wherein the nozzles ( 11 ′) of each row are equally spaced apart by a distance that is the same for all the rows of nozzles.

5. The system according to claim 1 , comprising for each row of nozzles ( 11 ) a supply duct ( 13 ) for dispensing the fluid foodstuff material to the nozzles ( 11 ′) of the row ( 11 ), and a plurality of distinct and separate chambers ( 17 ), which are prearranged for dispensing the fluid foodstuff material to the supply duct ( 13 ) of respective subsets of the plurality of rows of nozzles ( 11 ), where the chambers ( 17 ) are supplied in parallel via a series of ducts ( 18 ) that depart from a common source ( 19 ) of foodstuff material.

6. The system according to claim 1 , comprising a camera ( 4 ) for detecting the foodstuff products ( 100 ) that advance on the conveying line ( 2 );
wherein the control unit ( 6 ) is configured for controlling the dispensing unit ( 10 ) as a function of data obtained from detection of the foodstuff products made by the camera ( 4 ).

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said control unit ( 6 ) is configured for driving the solenoids ( 24 ) of the valve devices ( 20 ) associated to the nozzles ( 11 ′) of the plurality of rows of nozzles ( 11 ) as a function of data obtained from detection of the foodstuff products made by the camera ( 4 ), according to pre-set times that vary from nozzle to nozzle as a function of the position of the nozzle within said plurality of rows of nozzles ( 11 ).

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of rows of nozzles ( 11 ) comprises rows of nozzles ( 11 ) oriented in respective directions (J) parallel to one another and transverse to the direction of advance (K), according to an angle comprised between 3° and 15°.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of rows of nozzles ( 11 ) comprises rows of nozzles ( 11 ) oriented in respective directions (J) parallel to one another and transverse to the direction of advance (K), according to an angle comprised between 7° and 10°.

10. A system for depositing foodstuff material in the fluid state on a foodstuff product, comprising:
a conveying line ( 2 ) for feeding a plurality of foodstuff products ( 100 ) in a direction of advance (K);
a dispensing unit ( 10 ) for dispensing the fluid foodstuff material on the foodstuff products ( 100 ) that advance on the conveying line ( 2 ), where the dispensing unit ( 10 ) comprises a plurality of rows of nozzles ( 11 ) arranged in a direction transverse to the direction of advance (K); and
a control unit ( 6 ) for controlling the dispensing unit ( 10 ),
wherein said dispensing unit ( 10 ) comprises a plurality of valve devices ( 20 ) associated to the nozzles ( 11 ′) of the plurality of rows of nozzles ( 11 ) and designed to control the flow of the fluid foodstuff material through the nozzles ( 11 ′),
the valve device ( 20 ) comprising:
an open/close member ( 21 );
a solenoid ( 24 ); and
a magnetic element ( 25 ) operatively connected to the open/close member ( 21 ) and mobile between a first position in which the open/close member ( 21 ) closes the respective nozzle ( 11 ′), preventing dispensing of the fluid foodstuff material therethrough, and a second position in which a passage is opened through the nozzle ( 11 ′) for dispensing of the fluid foodstuff material,
wherein movement of the open/close member ( 21 ) from the first position to the second position or vice versa is driven by the magnetic element ( 25 ) as a result of an electromagnetic interaction with said solenoid ( 24 ),
wherein said plurality of rows of nozzles ( 11 ) has a matrix configuration that extends in the direction of advance (K) and in a direction (H) orthogonal thereto, and
wherein said plurality of rows of nozzles ( 11 ) comprises series ( 11 A) of rows of nozzles aligned in the direction (H) orthogonal to the direction of advance (K), which follow one another in the direction of advance (K), and wherein each series ( 11 A) of rows of nozzles ( 1 ) is offset with respect to the series of rows of nozzles that precedes it, with reference to the direction of advance (K), so that the first nozzle ( 11 ′) of each row ( 11 ) is substantially aligned, in the direction of advance (K), with the last nozzle of a corresponding row of the series that precedes it, and the last nozzle ( 11 ′) of each row ( 11 ) is substantially aligned, in the direction of advance (K), with the first nozzle of a corresponding row of the series that precedes it, or vice versa.

Assignees

• Soremartec Sa

Inventors

• Mollo Marco
• Aragone Giovanni
• Guastalli Romilbert

Classifications

• B05C13/00

  Means for manipulating or holding work, e.g. for separate articles {(B05C1/0821 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B05C5/0225

  characterised by flow controlling means, e.g. valves, located proximate the outlet (B05C5/0258, B05C5/0275 take precedence; supply valves upstream the coating head B05C11/1036) · CPC title

• A23P20/18 Primary

  by spray-coating, fluidised-bed coating or coating by casting (combined with breading A23P20/12) · CPC title

• F16K27/003

  Housing formed from a plurality of the same valve elements · CPC title

• A23P2020/253

  Coating food items by printing onto them; Printing layers of food products · CPC title