Edible container apparatus and method of manufacture

• US 20060292276A1
• Filed: 06/22/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conics Foods, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Conics Foods, Inc.
• Inventors: Lehmann, Thomas A., Huxel, Edward T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,895,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/505
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 5/026 for baking waffle cups or cones
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 15/025 Apparatus for shaping or moulding baked wafers, e.g. to obtain cones for ice cream

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for forming and baking an edible cone-shaped container, the container being of a bread dough provided with a light, flaky texture by the inclusion of solid flaked fat pieces in the dough mixture and the cone formed by an initial forming and cooking step followed by multiple baking steps.

Claims

1. An apparatus for forming and baking an edible cone-shaped bread product from a bolus of dough the apparatus comprising:

a cone-shaped female baking form for receiving the bolus of dough therein,

a cone-shaped mandrel mounted on a movable shaft, said shaft providing vertical displacement of said mandrel, said mandrel for insertion into said female baking form to urge the dough bolus into a conical shape,

a heating unit connected to said mandrel to sufficiently heat said mandrel to provide a partial cooking of said conically shaped dough bolus upon said mandrel contacting said dough bolus, and

a cone-shaped male baking form for insertion into said conically shaped dough bolus within said female form upon removal of said mandrel therefrom said male form being spaced from said female form to provide an interstice into which said conically shaped dough bolus expands during baking.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said female baking form and said mandrel are aligned by a registration means for centering said female bottom portion directly below said mandrel of said press.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mandrel is heated to a temperature between 200°

F. and 300°

F.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a male form limiting means to provide an upper terminus to the movement of said male form upwardly from said female form during the expansion of said conically shaped dough bolus baking.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said registration means comprises a pin aligned with said mandrel vertex and a void aligned with said female baking form vertex said pin and void being registerable to center said female form vertex underneath said mandrel vertex.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a hydraulic cylinder attached to said movable to provide vertical displacement of said mandrel.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a thermostat for selecting and maintaining the temperature of said heating unit.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a timer to regulate the duration said mandrel is in cooking contact with said dough bolus.

16. The method as claimed in claim 8 further comprising timing the duration said mandrel is in cooking contact with said dough bolus.

9. A method of forming and baking an edible cone-shaped bread the method comprising:

inserting a bolus of dough into a cone-shaped female baking form,

registering said female baking form under a cone-shaped mandrel,

pressing said cone-shaped mandrel into said bolus of dough within said cone-shaped female baking form to partially form a cone shaped dough from said dough bolus,

heating said mandrel during said pressing of said mandrel into said bolus to partially cook said partially formed cone shaped dough,

withdrawing said mandrel from said cone shaped dough and said female baking form,

inserting a cone-shaped male baking form into said female form to capture said partially formed cone shape of dough therebetween,

spacing said male baking form from said female form to provide an interstice between said male baking form and said female baking form,

baking said male form and said female form and said partially formed cone shaped dough for sufficient time and at a sufficient temperature to expand said partially formed cone shape dough into a desired cone shape baked dough,

removing said male baking form from said female baking form while retaining said baked cone shaped dough on said male baking form, and

baking said baked cone shaped dough on said male baking form for about 3 minutes at sufficient temperature to brown and crisp said cone.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein said registering comprises centering said female bottom portion directly below said mandrel of said press.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein said sufficient baking time is between 8 and 25 minutes and said baking temperature is between 350°

F. and 500°

F.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising applying a male form limiting means to provide an upper terminus to the movement of said male form upwardly from said female form during the expansion of said conically shaped dough bolus baking.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein said registering comprises inserting a pin into a void, said pin being aligned with said mandrel vertex and said void being aligned with said female baking form vertex to center said female form vertex underneath said mandrel vertex.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising the step of activating a hydraulic cylinder to effect pressing said cone-shaped mandrel into said bolus of dough.

15. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising detecting the temperature of said heating unit with a thermostat during said pressing of said mandrel into said bolus.

17. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein said sufficient baking time is about fourteen minutes and said baking temperature is about 450°

F.