Device and method for forming food products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016302467-A1
Application number	US-201615099497-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 14, 2016
Priority date	Apr 16, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a forming device for forming and partitioning a pasty food strand as well as to a filling machine with a respective forming device and to a method. The forming device comprises more than two flat displacement elements superposed in the direction of transport of the food strand, each having at least one opening through which the food strand can be moved in the direction of transport. The forming device further comprises a movement mechanism for moving the flat displacement elements on respective curved paths, such that the respective openings can move relative to each other, so that the cross-sectional area of the resulting overall opening of the superposed openings changes.

First claim

1 . A forming device for forming and partitioning a pasty food strand, comprising:
more than two flat displacement elements superposed in a direction of transport of said food strand, each having at least one opening through which said food strand is movable in said direction of transport, and a movement mechanism for moving said flat displacement elements on respective curved paths, such that said respective openings of said displacement elements are movable relative to each so that a cross-sectional area of a resulting overall opening of said superposed openings changes.

2 . The forming device according to claim 1 , wherein said movement mechanism is configured such that said flat displacement elements are movable to a severing position in which said openings are aligned to each other such that no overall opening exists and are movable to an open position in which the cross-sectional area of said overall opening has a predetermined maximum cross-section.

3 . The forming device according to claim 2 , wherein during a motion of n flat displacement elements from said open position to said severing position, edges of said openings defining said overall opening move from n sides in a direction toward a center M of said overall opening and during the motion of n flat displacement elements from said severing position to said open position, said edges of said openings can move toward n sides away from said center.

4 . The forming device according to claim 1 , wherein said openings have a cross-sectional area that corresponds approximately to a cross-sectional area of said supplied food strand, or to an extrusion opening creating said food strand ±10%, respectively.

5 . The forming device according to claim 1 , wherein said openings have an enclosed circumference and/or are formed round or oval or at least have curved sections.

6 . The forming device according to claim 1 , wherein said respective displacement elements each comprise multiple adjacently disposed openings for multiple food strands.

7 . The forming device according to claim 1 , wherein said movement mechanism comprises at least one rotary member, including a rotatable disc on which said flat displacement elements are rotatably mounted, where said flat displacement elements are coupled and distributed about a circumference of said rotary member.

8 . The forming device according to claim 7 , wherein said flat displacement elements are at their two oppositely disposed end portions rotatably mounted on a respective rotary member.

9 . The forming device according to claim 7 , wherein said at least one rotary member is driven.

10 . The forming device according to claim 9 , wherein said rotary member is driven in two directions of rotation and/or multiple rotary members are driven.

11 . The forming device according to claim 7 , wherein said movement mechanism comprises multiple rotary members on one side, where
at most one flat displacement element is respectively coupled on its end portion at a front or rear side of said rotary members and is at its other end portion guided on a respective path.

12 . The forming device according to claim 7 , wherein coupling points of said flat displacement elements on said rotary member exhibit varying distances to a central axis of said rotary member.

13 . The forming device according to claim 1 , wherein said forming device further comprises a controller which controls said movement mechanism, including a position of said flat displacement elements in dependence of time and an extrusion speed of said food strand.

14 . A filling machine for producing formed food with a forming device for forming and partitioning a food strand, comprising:
a hopper for receiving pasty food mass, and a conveying device that conveys said pasty food mass into a filling member with at least one extrusion opening, where displacement elements of said forming device are in a direction of transport disposed downstream of said extrusion opening.

15 . The filling machine according to claim 14 , wherein a center of a respective overall opening of superposed openings of said displacement elements and a center of said respective extrusion opening of said filling member are arranged in alignment.

16 . The filling machine according to claim 14 , wherein said filling member comprises a filling flow divider through which said pasty food mass is conveyed to multiple extrusion openings and said flat displacement elements each have several openings.

17 . The filling machine according to claim 14 , wherein said filling machine comprises a control device which actuates a movement mechanism and said conveying device.

18 . A method for producing a formed food product with a filling machine, comprising:
actuating a movement mechanism such that more than two flat displacement elements are moved from a severing position to an open position on a curved path, where said flat displacement elements are in said severing position superposed such that no resulting overall opening of said superposed openings exists and a food strand is severed, and where a cross-sectional area of said overall opening in an open position is a predetermined maximum cross-section, moving said flat displacement elements then again on a curved path from said open position to said severing position, and moving pasty food mass through an extrusion opening of a filling member and through an expanding or tapering overall opening of said flat displacement elements.

19 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein said pasty food mass is extruded continuously or in portions from said extrusion opening, and where when said displacement elements are in said severing position, a speed of said food strand relative to said flat displacement elements is in a direction of transport reduced, including reduced to 0.

20 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein said openings are for severing said food strand superposed such that edges defining said respective openings slide past one another such that said food product is cut off, or that said displacement elements are moved on the curved path only until the area of said overall opening becomes zero.

Assignees

• Handtmann Albert Maschf

Inventors

• Baechtle Manfred
• Cret Claudiu
• Teufel Daniel

Classifications

• B29C48/301

  having reciprocating, oscillating or rotating parts · CPC title

• A22C7/0023

  Pressing means · CPC title

• A21C11/103

  having multiple cutting elements slidably or rotably mounted in a diaphragm-like arrangement · CPC title

• B29C48/002

  combined with surface shaping · CPC title

• A21C9/085

  Separating, spacing, orienting or aligning discrete dough pieces, e.g. after passing a cutting device · CPC title