Non-contact printed comestible products and apparatus and method for producing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9226513-B2
Application number	US-69274607-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2007
Priority date	Mar 29, 2006
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems, apparatuses, methods and products directed to non-contact printing of confectionery products. The confectionery products may include an edible substrate having a surface and an edible ink printed on the edible surface. The edible ink may cover at least about 5% of the surface. An apparatus of the present disclosure may include a removal device for removing at least a portion of a rolling compound from a confectionery material and a printing device for non-contact printing an edible ink-indicia on the confectionery material. An apparatus of the present disclosure may also include a detection device detecting the presence of confectionery material at a predetermined position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A confectionery product comprising:
a chewing gum having a surface defining an indentation; and
an edible ink forming a 3-D object printed through non-contact printing on the chewing gum, wherein the 3-D object is disposed in connection with the indentation on the surface of the chewing gum and comprises multiple layers, and wherein the edible ink comprises an ink selected from the group consisting of water-based ink, solvent-based ink, wax-based ink, absorbing ink, pigment-containing ink, non-pigment containing ink, and combinations thereof.

2. The confectionery product of claim 1 , wherein the chewing gum is selected from the group consisting of a chewing gum stick, a chewing gum tablet, a chewing gum pellet, a coated chewing gum, a center-filled chewing gum and combinations thereof.

3. The confectionery product of claim 1 , wherein the edible ink comprises polyols, solvents, dies, lakes, pigments, or combinations thereof.

4. The confectionery product of claim 1 , wherein the edible ink comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of oil, fat, wax, water, glycerol, polypropylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerin, and combinations thereof.

5. A confectionary product comprising:
an edible substrate having a surface defining a feature; and
a 3-D object formed by a flowable edible material disposed in connection with the feature on the edible substrate, wherein the 3-D object comprises multiple layers, wherein the feature defines a surface embossment and the flowable edible material includes a polyol, and is an edible ink, and wherein the edible ink comprises ink selected from the group consisting of water-based ink, solvent-based ink, wax-based ink, absorbing ink, pigment-containing ink, non-pigment containing ink, and combinations thereof.

6. The confectionary product of claim 5 wherein the edible substrate is a chewing gum selected from the group consisting of a chewing gum stick, a chewing gum tablet, a chewing gum pellet, a coated chewing gum, a center-filled chewing gum and combinations thereof.

7. The confectionary product of claim 5 wherein the edible ink comprises polyols, solvents, dyes, lakes, pigments, or combinations thereof.

8. The confectionary product of claim 5 wherein the surface embossment is an indentation, a protrusion, or combinations thereof.

9. The confectionary product of claim 5 wherein the surface embossment is an indentation.

10. The confectionary product of claim 9 wherein the 3-D object formed by the edible flowable material is disposed within the indentation on the surface of the substrate.

11. The confectionary product of claim 7 wherein the edible ink comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of oil, fat, wax, water, glycerol, polypropylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerin, and combinations thereof.

12. The confectionary product of claim 7 wherein the edible ink includes an organoleptic component that includes an agent selected from the group consisting of a cooling agent, a heating agent, a breath freshening agent, an audible agent, and combinations thereof.

13. The confectionary product of claim 12 wherein the edible ink further includes a second organoleptic component.

14. The confectionary product of claim 13 wherein the second organoleptic component further includes an agent selected from the group consisting of a cooling agent, a heating agent, a breath freshening agent, an audible agent, and combinations thereof.

Assignees

• Ream Ronald L
• Valdez Enrique
• Gleffe William R
• Wrigley W M Jun Co

Inventors

• Ream Ronald L
• Valdez Enrique
• Gleffe William R

Classifications

• B41J3/407

  for marking on special material · CPC title

• A23G3/0242

  Apparatus in which the material is shaped at least partially by a die; Extrusion of cross-sections or plates, optionally the associated cutting device · CPC title

• B05B13/0447

  Installation or apparatus for applying liquid or other fluent material to conveyed separate articles (B05B13/0442 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A23G3/0021 Primary

  Processes in which the material is shaped at least partially by a die; Extrusion of cross-sections or plates, optionally the associated cutting · CPC title

• A23G3/0097

  Decorating sweetmeats or confectionery · CPC title