System and method for bottom coating food products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9826762-B2
Application number	US-201414894677-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2014
Priority date	Aug 9, 2013
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A product conveying and coating system includes at least first and second, sequentially arranged conveyor belts, with at least the second conveyor belt being a solid belt. Interposed in a gap between the first and second belts is a dispenser head of a coating manifold. The dispenser head spans the gap between upper surface portions of the first and second conveyor belts, with an elongated side wall outlet portion of the dispenser head being exposed, in a downstream direction of the overall conveyor unit, to the upper surface of the second conveyor belt. The system provides for dispensing of coating material directly onto the second, solid conveyor belt and enrobing at least bottom and partial side portions of food products upon the solid belt. Provisions are made for scraping from the solid belt, removing from the coated food products and recycling excess coating material.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for coating bottom and partial side portions of a food product comprising:
a first conveyor belt, said first conveyor belt being configured to deliver a food product in a longitudinal direction;
a second, solid conveyor belt aligned with and longitudinally spaced from the first conveyor belt by a longitudinal gap, wherein the second, solid conveyor belt includes a first longitudinal end juxtapose the gap and a second longitudinal end;
a dispenser head positioned within the gap and including at least one dispensing opening exposed to an upper surface of the second, solid conveyor belt, wherein coating material is configured to be dispensed from the dispenser head onto and laterally across a portion of the second, solid conveyor belt from within the longitudinal gap such that food product delivered upon the first conveyor belt is transferred onto the second, solid conveyor belt and become partially immersed in the coating material in order to establish a coated food product; and
a detailer assembly including a comb detailer having a plurality of spaced, rotatable comb elements provided directly adjacent the second longitudinal end for removing excess coating material from the bottom portion of the food product.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the dispenser head includes an uppermost wall, an upstream side wall and a downstream side wall, said at least one dispensing opening being provided in the downstream side wall for dispensing of the coating material.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the uppermost wall of the dispenser head is substantially flush with an upper surface of the first conveyor belt.

4. The system according to claim 2 , further comprising a manifold for the coating material, said dispenser head projecting from the manifold.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the second, solid conveyor belt includes a first longitudinal end juxtapose the gap and a second longitudinal end, said system further comprising a scraper device for removing excess coating material from the second, solid conveyor belt and a hopper for collecting the excess coating material, said scraper device being located at a position spaced from the second longitudinal end and below the upper surface of the second, solid conveyor belt.

6. The system according to claim 4 , further comprising: a third conveyor belt which is longitudinally aligned with the second, solid conveyor belt downstream of the first conveyor belt, said third conveyor belt constituting a chiller belt for chilling the coated food product on the third conveyor belt.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein each of the first and third belts are also constituted by solid belts such that the system is void of any open mesh belts.

8. The system according to claim 6 , wherein each of the first and third belts are also constituted by solid belts such that, in directing the food product along the first conveyor belt, transferring the food product onto the second conveyor belt and transferring the food product onto the third conveyor belt, the food product is not placed on any open mesh belts.

9. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a presser unit mounted above the upper surface of the second, solid conveyor belt for forcibly pressing the food product into the coating material upon the second, solid conveyor belt.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the presser unit includes a roller extending laterally across the second, solid conveyor belt and means for adjusting a height of the roller above the upper surface of the second, solid conveyor belt.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the detailer assembly further includes a rotatable spinner bar arranged adjacent the comb elements.

12. The system according to claim 11 , further comprising: a drive arrangement for rotating each of the comb elements and the spinner bar at a speed faster than a rate in which the second, solid conveyor belt is driven.

Assignees

• Gen Mills Inc

Inventors

• Heinzen Thomas E
• Harder Zachary

Classifications

• A23G3/0093

  Coating by dipping in a liquid, at the surface of which another liquid or powder may be floating · CPC title

• A23L1/0061 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A23L7/126

  Snacks or the like obtained by binding, shaping or compacting together cereal grains or cereal pieces, e.g. cereal bars · CPC title

• A23P20/11

  Coating with compositions containing a majority of oils, fats, mono/diglycerides, fatty acids, mineral oils, waxes or paraffins · CPC title

• A23P20/18

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