Cell for making an anisotropic-structured product from a starting material when being subjected to a shear force and heated and a method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12433317-B2
Application number	US-202017780244-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2020
Priority date	Nov 27, 2019
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A cell ( 100 ) for making an anisotropic-structured product from a protein starting material, the cell ( 100 ) comprising an inner member ( 110 ) and an outer member ( 120 ) arranged concentrically along a longitudinal axis ( 180 ) to define together a chamber ( 150 ) for holding the starting material, wherein the inner member ( 110 ) and the outer member ( 120 ) are rotatable relative each other about the longitudinal axis ( 180 ) for providing the shear force to the starting material and wherein both the inner member ( 110 ) and the outer member ( 120 ) further define for the cell an inner longitudinal surface ( 114 ) and an outer longitudinal surface ( 124 ) facing away the chamber ( 150 ) such that a normal of each longitudinal surface is transverse to the longitudinal axis ( 180 ) characterized in that both members are designed to be exposed to the ambient for allowing a heat exchange between both the inner longitudinal surface ( 114 ) and the outer longitudinal surface ( 124 ) with the ambient to heat the chamber ( 150 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cell for making an anisotropic-structured product from a protein starting material when being subjected to a shear force and heated, the cell comprising an inner member and an outer member arranged concentrically along a longitudinal axis to define together a chamber for holding the starting material, wherein the inner member and the outer member are rotatable relative each other about the longitudinal axis for providing the shear force to the starting material and wherein both the inner member and the outer member further define for the cell an inner longitudinal surface and an outer longitudinal surface facing away from the chamber such that a normal of each longitudinal surface is transverse to the longitudinal axis, wherein both members are designed to be exposed to the ambient for allowing a heat exchange between both the inner longitudinal surface and the outer longitudinal surface with the ambient to heat the chamber.

2. The cell according claim 1 , wherein the inner longitudinal surface defines a through-hole all along the longitudinal of the cell.

3. The cell according to claim 1 , wherein one member of the cell comprises connecting means for:
connecting the one member to rotating means; and/or
connecting the one member to a further connecting means of a further cell such that when the one member of the cell is rotated, a further member of the further cell also rotates.

4. The cell according to claim 1 , wherein the inner member and the outer member are cylindrical.

5. The cell according to claim 1 being designed such that it can withstand a temperature between 150° C. and 300° C.

6. The cell according to claim 1 further comprising a vacuum-valve for helping to fill the chamber with the starting material by applying vacuum.

7. The cell according to claim 2 , wherein the through-hole is open at a top surface and a bottom surface of said inner member relative to the longitudinal axis for allowing air from the ambient to flow all along the longitudinal of the cell.

8. A system for making an anisotropic-structured product from a protein starting material, the system comprising:
at least one cell according to claim 1 ;
means for rotating one member relative to the other member of the at least one cell; and
a heater arranged to provide hot air and/or steam to the inner longitudinal surface and the outer longitudinal surface of the at least one cell.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the system further comprises means for flowing hot air and/or steam provided by the heater along the longitudinal of the inner longitudinal surface and the outer longitudinal surface of the at least one cell.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the inner longitudinal surface defines a through-hole and the means for flowing hot air and/or steam is arranged for flowing hot air and/or steam through the through-hole along the longitudinal axis of the cell.

11. The system according to claim 8 , comprising a further cell being connected to the at least one cell such that by rotation of the one member a further one member of the further cell is also rotated.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the system further comprises means for flowing hot air and/or steam provided by the heater along the longitudinal of the inner longitudinal surface and the outer longitudinal surface of the at least one cell, and wherein a further through-hole of an inner member of the further cell is aligned with the through-hole of the inner member of the at least one cell when the further cell and the at least one cell are connected and the means for flowing hot air and/or steam is also arranged for flowing hot air and/or steam through the further through-hole.

13. A method for making a solid material having an anisotropic structure, the method comprising steps of:
providing at least one cell according to claim 1 ;
filling the chamber of the cell with a protein starting material;
subjecting the starting material to a shear force by rotating the inner member relative to the outer member or by rotating the outer member relative to the inner member; and
heating the chamber of the at least one cell by providing a flow of hot air and/or steam to the inner longitudinal surface and the outer longitudinal surface.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the step of heating the chamber is done by flowing hot air and/or steam all along the inner member and the outer member of the cell.

15. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising providing a further cell that is connected to the at least one cell such that by rotation of the inner member or the outer member of the at least one cell a further inner member or further outer member of the further cell is also rotated.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein a further through-hole of the further inner member of the further cell is aligned with the through-hole of the inner member of the at least one cell when the further cell and the at least one cell are connected and the flow of hot air and/or steam also flows through the further through-hole.

17. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising a step of cooling down the chamber after having obtained the solid material having an anisotropic structure by flowing air to the inner longitudinal surface and the outer longitudinal surface of said cell, the air being colder than the temperature of the solid material.

Assignees

• Univ Wageningen

Inventors

• Van Steijn Aloysius Christianus Maria
• Steenbergen Willem Cornelis
• Van Der Goot Atze Jan

Classifications

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title

• A23J3/22

  by texturising · CPC title

• A23J3/14

  Vegetable proteins · CPC title

• A23J3/08

  Dairy proteins · CPC title

• A23P10/00

  Shaping or working of foodstuffs characterised by the products · CPC title