Method of and apparatus for producing endless rolls of a resilient foodstuff

• US 20020187236A1
• Filed: 04/17/2002
• Published: 12/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kraft Foods Incorporated (Mondelez International, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kraft Foods Incorporated (Mondelez International, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kaiser, Anno
• Granted Patent: US 7,060,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/572
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 3/06 Machines for coiling sheets of dough, e.g. for producing rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 3/065 the coil axis of the produced rolls being in parallel or oblique position relative to the transport direction; with coiling elements, e.g. rollers, being placed in parallel or oblique position relative to the transport direction
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 19/082 Adding substances to the curd before or during melting; Melting salts
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 19/0908 Sliced cheese; Multilayered or stuffed cheese; Cheese loaves
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 20/20 Making of laminated, multi-layered, stuffed or hollow foodstuffs, e.g. by wrapping in preformed edible dough sheets or in edible food containers

Abstract

A method of and an apparatus for producing endless rolls of a resilient foodstuff, as well as a product in the form of a roll of hard cheese is provided. The method comprises supplying a layer (7) of the resilient foodstuff in a supply plane and against first guide means (20, 120), continuously deflecting the resilient foodstuff layer (7) by way of the first guide means (20, 120) away from the supply plane, and continuously re-directing the deflected foodstuff layer (7) by way of second guide means (30, 130) toward the supply plane, so as to produce a roll of foodstuff; the apparatus comprises supply means (5) for supplying a layer (7) of the resilient foodstuff in a supply plane, first guide means (20, 120) against which the resilient foodstuff layer (7) can be supplied and for continuously deflecting the foodstuff layer away from the supply plane, and second guide means (30, 130) for continuously re-directing the deflected foodstuff layer (7) toward the supply plane.

Claims

1. Method of producing rolls (10) of a resilient foodstuff, the method comprising the following steps:

supplying a layer (7) of the resilient foodstuff in a supply plane and against first guide means (20,120), and

continuously deflecting the resilient foodstuff layer (7) by way of the first guide means (20, 120) away from the supply plane,

continuously re-directing the deflected foodstuff layer (7) by way of second guide means (30, 130) toward the supply plane, so as to produce a roll of foodstuff.

2. Method as claimed in claim 1,

characterized in that

the step of supplying is carried out in the supply plane along a supply direction (S_L), and the step of deflecting is carried out in an angle (α

) relative to the supply direction.

3. Method as claimed in claim 2,

characterized in that

the diameter of the produced roll of foodstuff is controlled by modifying the angle (a) relative to the supply direction (S_L).

4. Method as claimed in claim 2 or 3,

characterized in that

the angle (α

) relative to the supply direction (S_L) is between 30° and

60°

, and is preferably 45°

.

5. Method as claimed in any of the preceding claims,

characterized in that

the first guide means (20, 120) is driven so as to frictionally enhance its guiding effect, and/or the second guide means (30, 130) is driven so as to frictionally enhance its re-directing effect.

6. Method as claimed in claim 5,

characterized in that

the first guide means (20, 120) and the second guide means (30, 130) are driven in opposite directions.

7. Method as claimed in claim 5 or 6,

characterized in that

the velocity of the first and/or second guide means are/is used for controlling the tightness of the produced roll of foodstuff.

8. Method as claimed in any of the preceding claims,

characterized in that

the first guide means comprises a deflection roller (22) having a generatrix line adjacent and substantially parallel to the supply plane.

9. Method as claimed in any of the preceding claims,

characterized in that

the second guide means comprises at least one redirection roller (31), preferably a pair (31, 32) of redirection rollers.

10. Method as claimed in claim 8 or 9,

characterized in that

the deflection roller comprises a cone-shaped deflection roller (22) having an axis (23), and the re-direction roller comprises a cylindrical re-direction roller (31) having an axis arranged substantially parallel to the axis of the deflection roller.

11. Method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7,

characterized in that

the first guide means comprises a non-cylindrical deflection roller (122) having an axis (125) arranged substantially perpendicular to the supply plane.

12. Method as claimed in claim 11,

characterized in that

the second guide means comprises a non-cylindrical redirection roller (131) having an axis (136) arranged substantially perpendicular to the supply plane and substantially parallel to the axis (125) of the deflection roller.

13. Method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, further comprising a step of parting the produced roll of foodstuff.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14,

characterized in that

the first guide means (20, 120) is arranged in an angle (α

), preferably an adjustable angle, relative to the supply direction (S_L), so as to deflect the resilient foodstuff layer (7) in an angle relative to the supply direction (S_L).

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14,

characterized in that

the arrangement angle (α

) relative to the supply direction is between 30° and

60°

, and is preferably 45°

.

19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18,

characterized in that

the means (33) for driving are/is adapted to drive the first guide means and the second guide means in opposite directions.

20. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18 or 19, further comprising control means for modifying the velocity of the first and/or second guide means, so as to control the tightness of the produced roll of foodstuff.

14. Apparatus for producing rolls (10) of a resilient foodstuff, the apparatus comprising:

supply means (5) for supplying a layer (7) of the resilient foodstuff in a supply plane,

first guide means (20, 120) against which the resilient foodstuff layer (7) can be supplied and for continuously deflecting the foodstuff layer away from the supply plane, and

second guide means (30, 130) for continuously redirecting the deflected foodstuff layer (7) toward the supply plane, so as to produce a roll (10) of foodstuff.

18. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 14 to 16, further comprising means (33) for driving the first guide means and/or the second guide means, so as to frictionally enhance the guiding and/or re-directing effect thereof.

21. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 14 to 20,

characterized in that

the first guide means comprises a deflection roller (22) having a generatrix line adjacent and substantially parallel to the supply plane.

22. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 14 to 21,

characterized in that

the second guide means comprises at least one redirection roller (31), preferably a pair (31, 32) of redirection rollers.

23. Apparatus as claimed in claim 21 or 22,

characterized in that

the deflection roller comprises a cone-shaped deflection roller (22) having an axis (23), and the re-direction roller comprises a cylindrical re-direction roller (31) having an axis arranged substantially parallel to the axis (23) of the deflection roller.

24. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 14 to 20,

characterized in that

the first guide means comprises a non-cylindrical deflection roller (122) having an axis (125) arranged substantially perpendicular to the supply plane.

25. Apparatus as claimed in claim 24,

characterized in that

the second guide means comprises a non-cylindrical redirection roller (131) having an axis (136) arranged substantially perpendicular to the supply plane and substantially parallel to the axis (125) of the deflection roller.

26. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 14 to 20,

characterized in that

the first and second guide means (20, 30;

120, 130) are mounted so that the distance between the first and second guide means is variable.

27. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 14 to 26, further comprising means (12) for parting the produced roll of foodstuff.

28. Apparatus as claimed in claim 27,

characterized in that

the parting means is arranged adjacent to the supply means.

30. Cheese product as claimed in claim 29, characterized in that the cheese layer consists of process cheese.

31. Cheese product as claimed in claim 29 or 30,

characterized in that the cheese product is constructed and arranged as a snack product.

29. Cheese product in the form of a roll, the roll being wound from a layer of process cheese or hard cheese.

32. Cheese product as claimed in any of claims 29 to 31,

characterized in that the roll has between 3 and 65 windings, preferably between 6 and 32 windings, and more preferably 8 windings.

33. Cheese product as claimed in any of claims 29.to 32,

characterized in that the outer diameter of the roll is between 3 cm and 20 cm, preferably between 4 cm and 10 cm, and is more preferably 5.5 cm.

34. Cheese product as claimed in any of claims 29 to 33,

characterized in that the inner diameter of the roll is between 0.5 cm and 5 cm, preferably between 0.5 cm and 3 cm, and is more preferably 1.4 cm.

35. Cheese product as claimed in any of claims 29 to 34,

characterized in that the breadth of the cheese layer and correspondingly the length of the roll is between 0.5 cm and 10 cm, preferably between 0.7 cm and 5 cm, and is more preferably 1 cm.

36. Cheese product as claimed in any of claims 29 to 35,

characterized in that the thickness of the provided cheese layer is between 1 mm and 10 mm, preferably between 1.5 mm and 5 mm, and is more preferably 2.1 mm.

37. Cheese product according to any one of claims 29 to 36,

characterized in that the cheese has the following composition:

70-85 wt.-% cheese;

2-4 wt.-% butter;

2-6 wt.-% labcasein;

2-4 wt.-% citrate;

balance of water.

38. Sales package comprising a cheese product according to any one of claims 29 to 37.

39. Use of a cheese product according to any one of claims 29 to 37 for decoration or in snack foods.