Moulding
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides methods and moulding devices for moulding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff which is suitable for human consumption, in particular from a mass of meat, in particular chicken. The method comprises filling a mould cavity with a portion of the mass under the influence of a filling pressure exerted on the mass and for a filling period via a filling opening associated with the mould cavity, closing the filling opening of the mould cavity and holding the mass in the mould cavity for a fixing period. Then, the mould cavity is opened and the moulded product is removed from the mould cavity. The method uses fixing-pressure-exerting means which are designed to exert a fixing pressure which acts on the mass in the mould cavity after the filled mould cavity has been closed.
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Citations
71 Claims
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1-37. -37. (canceled)
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38. A molding device for molding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff which is suitable for human consumption comprising:
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a. a drum having a direction of rotation and comprising a drum wall having at least one mold cavity extending through the drum wall;
b. a mass-feed component adjacent the drum for feeding and pressing the mass into the at least one mold cavity; and
c. separating means for removing any mass projecting from the at least one mold cavity of the drum. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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42. A molding device for molding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff which is suitable for human consumption comprising:
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a. a drum having a first surface, a second surface, and a direction of rotation and comprising a drum wall having at least one passage extending through the drum wall, wherein the at least one passage has a first opening positioned along the first surface of the drum and a second opening positioned along the second surface of the drum;
b. at least one molding component positioned on the first surface of the drum and positioned over the first opening of the passage, wherein the molding component comprises a slideable mold; and
c. a mass-feed component positioned adjacent the second opening of the at least one passage to feed mass through the passage and into the slideable mold.
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43. A molding device for molding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff which is suitable for human consumption comprising:
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a. a drum having a first surface, a second surface, and moving along a path and comprising at least one mold cavity defined by mold walls and having a cavity opening positioned along the first surface of the drum; and
b. a mass-feed component positioned adjacent the drum for feeding mass into the at least one mold cavity. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A molding device for molding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff which is suitable for human consumption comprising:
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a. a drum having a first surface, a second surface, and moving along a path and comprising at least one mold cavity defined by mold walls and having a cavity opening positioned along the first surface of the drum;
b. a mass-feed component positioned adjacent the drum for feeding mass into the at least one mold cavity;
c. film-feed means positioned adjacent the drum and upstream of the mass-feed component, wherein the film-feed means is adapted to place a film to cover the at least one mold cavity before mass is fed into the cavity;
d. vacuum means for removing air from the mold cavity covered by the film so that the film comes to lie against the walls of the mold cavity;
e. ejector means for removing the mass from the at least one mold cavity; and
f. a film coating station positioned adjacent the drum between the film-feed means and the mass-feed component to apply a coating to the film. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51)
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52. A molding device for molding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff which is suitable for human consumption comprising:
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a. a mold comprising a mold cavity, wherein the mold cavity is at least partially lined with a substantially flexible membrane; and
b. feed means for feeding a pressure medium between the mold and the membrane at a feed position. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54)
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55. A molding device for molding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff which is suitable for human consumption comprising:
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a. a mold comprising a mold cavity defined by side walls and a base and having a cavity opening, wherein the base comprises a piston; and
b. pressure medium feed means having outlet nozzles arranged in the base of the mold cavity for supplying pressure to the base to move the piston.
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56. A molding device for molding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff which is suitable for human consumption and has a viscosity comprising:
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a. a drum having a first surface, a second surface, and moving along a path and comprising at least one mold cavity defined by mold walls and having a cavity opening positioned along the first surface of the drum;
b. a mass-feed component positioned adjacent the drum for feeding mass into the at least one mold cavity;
c. a pump device coupled to the mass-feed component for supplying the mass to the mass-feed component; and
d. additive feed means for feeding additives to the pump device to alter the viscosity of the mass. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58)
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59. A molding device for molding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff which is suitable for human consumption comprising:
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a. a mold moving along a path and comprising at least one mold cavity defined by walls and a base, wherein the mold cavity has a cavity volume;
b. a first mass-feed component positioned along the path for feeding a first mass into the at least one mold cavity; and
c. a second mass-feed component positioned along the path downstream of the first mass-feed component for feeding a second mass into the at least one mold cavity. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61)
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62. A molding device for molding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff which is suitable for human consumption comprising:
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a. a stationary central tube for receiving a mass of foodstuff and having a tube opening through which the mass exits the tube;
b. a rotating ring positioned around the tube;
c. at least one chamber formed between the tube and the ring and having an outlet passage through which the mass exits the chamber;
d. closure means for closing the outlet passage; and
e. separating means for separating at least a portion of the mass exiting the outlet passage. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65)
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66. A molding device for molding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff which is suitable for human consumption comprising:
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a. at least one mold cavity having at least one opening;
b. at least one mass-feed component for at least partially filling the at least one mold cavity with a portion of a mass of foodstuff via the at least one opening for a filling period;
c. closure means for at least temporarily closing the at least one cavity opening to retain the mass in the closed mold cavity for a fixing period, wherein the device is capable of exerting on the mass a filling pressure during at least part of the filling period and a fixing pressure during at least part of the fixing period, wherein the fixing pressure is capable of being varied during at least part of the fixing period.
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67. A molding device for molding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff which is suitable for human consumption comprising:
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a. at least one mold cavity having at least one opening;
b. at least one mass-feed component for filling the at least one mold cavity with a portion of a mass of foodstuff via the at least one opening; and
c. closure means for at least temporarily closing the at least one cavity opening, wherein the at least one mold cavity further comprises an adjustable base and has a cavity volume that varies depending on the position of the base, wherein the at least one mold cavity has;
i. a first volume when the base is positioned in a first position before mass is fed into the cavity;
ii. a second volume when the base is positioned in a second position after mass has been fed into the cavity but before the cavity opening has been closed; and
iii. a third volume when the base is positioned in a third position after the cavity opening has been closed, wherein the second volume is greater than the first volume and the third volume.
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68. A molding device for molding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff which is suitable for human consumption comprising:
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a. a drum having a first surface, a second surface, and moving along a path and comprising at least one mold cavity defined by mold walls and having a cavity opening positioned along the first surface of the drum; and
b. a mass-feed component positioned adjacent the drum for feeding mass into the at least one mold cavity; and
c. a closed-loop elastic belt comprising plastic and capable of restoring its shape, wherein the belt bears against the first surface of the drum from a position upstream of the mass-feed component until at least removal of the mass from the at least one mold cavity. - View Dependent Claims (69)
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70. A molding device for molding three-dimensional meat products from a meat mass suitable for human consumption comprising:
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a. a drum having a first surface, a second surface, and moving along a path and comprising at least one mold cavity defined by mold walls and having a cavity opening positioned along the first surface of the drum;
b. a meat mass-feed component positioned adjacent the drum for feeding the meat mass into the at least one mold cavity;
c. a pump device coupled to the meat mass-feed component for supplying the meat mass to the mass-feed component; and
d. additive feed means for feeding additives to the meat mass in the pump device.
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71. A molding device for molding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff suitable for human consumption and having a viscosity comprising:
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a. a drum having a first surface, a second surface, and moving along a path and comprising at least one mold cavity defined by mold walls and having a cavity opening positioned along the first surface of the drum;
b. a mass-feed component positioned adjacent the drum for feeding mass into the at least one mold cavity;
c. an extruder coupled to the mass-feed component for supplying mass to the mass-feed component, wherein the extruder comprises an extruder tube and an associated extruder screw rotatable in the extruder tube; and
d. additive feed means connected to the extruder tube.
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Specification