Apparatus for Applying Coating to Products and Methods of Use Thereof

• US 20090123616A1
• Filed: 11/14/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vibratory Solutions, Llc
• Original Assignee: Vibratory Solutions, Llc
• Inventors: Rose, Scott, Renkly, Travis, Karpinsky, James, Bakos, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,181,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/289
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 15/002 Apparatus for spreading granular material on, or sweeping or coating the surface of baked articles of pieces of dough A21C9/04; for confectionary A23G3/28
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 9/04 Apparatus for spreading granular material on, or sweeping or coating the surfaces of, pieces or sheets of dough coating baked articles A21C15/002
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 19/06 Storage, supply or control of the application of particulate material; Recovery of excess particulate material

Abstract

An apparatus and method for coating products is disclosed herein. An exemplary apparatus comprises a vibration generating portion and a product coating portion. The product coating portion can include a coating application portion, a sifting portion, and an aligning portion. The exemplary apparatus can include a coating recycle portion as well. The vibration generation portion further comprises a motor vibration assembly secured to a frame wherein the frame is in communication with the product coating portion, such as a pan assembly, by springs that move the pan assembly with a vibratory motion. The product coating portion includes a series of angled steps that guide the coating and vibrating product upwards and forward, while simultaneously allowing the product to be agitated against the coating resting on the step surface. Additionally, the product coating portion can include a moveable wire belt conveyor assembly.

Claims

1. An apparatus for applying coating to products comprising:

a vibration generating portion, for providing a vibratory motion, and

a product coating portion, for receiving the vibratory motion and applying a coating to a product.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including, a recycle conveyor for collecting the coating that does not adhere to the product and returning the coating to the product coating portion for application to other products.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, the vibration generating portion comprises a vibratory frame assembly that includes a motor vibration assembly, and the product coating portion includes a pan assembly, wherein the vibratory frame assembly is in communication with the pan assembly by spring assemblies that move the pan assembly with a vibratory motion.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the pan assembly includes at least one of the coating application portion, the sifting portion, and the aligning portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the coating application portion further comprises one or more steps to guide the coating and the product upwards and forwardly, while simultaneously allowing the product to be vibrated against the coating resting on the step surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the sifting portion succeeds the coating application portion and where the product continues to vibrate across one or more steps of which slots are formed therein, and where excess coating flows through the slots.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the coating that passes through the slots is collected and guided into at least one of a hopper and a recycle conveyor that conveys the coating back to the coating application portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the aligning portion further comprises a corrugated surface situated at an incline having tray channels formed by the corrugations that are substantially parallel with the length of the pan assembly, the tray channels being situated to bias the product such that it can be elongated and aligned from the vibrations.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein an additional sifting portion can be provided that comprises another aligning portion having holes situated there-through to allow agglomerations of coating and fragmented product to pass through, thereby removing them from the process.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a base recycle conveyor and a waterfall recycle conveyor for recycling coating, wherein each conveyor includes a conveyor channel having a lower length, an upper length, an ascending portion and a descending portion, and a looped drag-chain belt having one or more flights situated at least partially in the channel for transporting coating from the lower length to the upper length via the ascending portion, with the lower lengths of at least one channel receiving coating from one end of the apparatus, and the upper lengths releasing coating at another end of the apparatus adjacent to the product coating portion.

11. An apparatus for applying coating to products comprising:

a wire conveyor belt assembly capable of receiving coating and food products and applying the coating to the products,

a vibration generating portion for providing a vibratory motion to a pan assembly, and

a pan assembly capable of receiving coating and products and applying the coating to the products.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the apparatus further includes at least one of a base recycle conveyor and a waterfall recycle conveyor for collecting coating that does not adhere to the product and supplying the coating for application to at least one of a bottom and top portion of a product.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each conveyor includes a conveyor channel having a lower length, an upper length, an ascending portion and a descending portion, and a looped drag-chain belt having one or more flights situated at least partially in the channel for transporting coating from the lower length to the upper length via the ascending portion, with the lower length of at least one channel receiving coating from a discharge end of the pan assembly, and the upper length of at least one channel releasing coating adjacent an inlet end of the pan assembly.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the vibration generating portion comprises a vibratory frame assembly that includes a motor vibration assembly in communication with the pan assembly by springs that are capable of moving the pan assembly in a vibratory motion, and a support frame isolated from the vibratory motion.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the support frame includes a swing frame portion that supports the wire conveyor belt assembly, such that the wire conveyor belt assembly is movable from a non-production position to a production position, wherein the production position allows product to be transported on the wire conveyor belt assembly.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the pan assembly includes at least one of a coating application portion, a sifting portion, and an aligning portion.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the coating application portion further comprises one or more steps that utilize the vibratory motion to guide the coating and the product up and over each step, while simultaneously allowing the product to be vibrated against the coating on the step surface.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the sifting portion succeeds the coating application portion and where the product continues to vibrate across one or more steps of which slots are formed therein, and where excess coating flows through the slots.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the coating that passes through the slots is collected and guided into at least one of a hopper and the recycle conveyor.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the aligning portion further comprises a corrugated surface situated at an incline having tray channels formed by the corrugations that are substantially parallel with the length of the pan assembly, the tray channels being situated to bias the product such that it can be elongated and aligned from the vibrations.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein an additional sifting portion can be provided that comprises another aligning portion having holes situated there-through to allow agglomerations of coating and fragmented product to pass through, thereby allowing them to be removed from the steps.

22. A method for applying coating to products comprising:

receiving coating at an inlet end of a pan assembly for application to a product,

vibrating the pan assembly using a vibratory frame assembly connected thereto,

positioning the product at the inlet end of the pan assembly,

vibrating the product upwardly along one or more inclined steps situated within the pan assembly, such that the product is moved along the steps towards a discharge end of the pan assembly, and wherein coating is applied on multiple sides of the product as the product is vibrated along the steps,

removing excess coating from at least a portion of the pan assembly,

receiving the product at the discharge end of the pan assembly, and

receiving the excess coating at the discharge end of the pan assembly and transporting it to the inlet end of the pan assembly.

23. The method of claim 22 including positioning a wire conveyor belt assembly supported above and adjacent to the pan assembly, in a non-production position such that the wire conveyor belt assembly is not adjacent to the pan assembly.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the coating is received at the inlet end of the pan assembly from a recycle conveyor, and the excess coating is received by the recycle conveyor at the discharge end.

25. A method for applying coating to products comprising:

receiving coating at an inlet end of a pan assembly,

positioning a proximal end of a wire conveyor belt assembly adjacent to the inlet end of the pan assembly,

vibrating the pan assembly, such that coating situated at the inlet end of the pan assembly is transported by vibratory motion to the proximal end of the wire conveyor belt assembly,

positioning a product at the proximal end of the wire conveyor belt assembly,

conveying the product from the proximal end of the wire conveyor belt assembly to a distal end, wherein coating is applied to the product during at least a portion of the conveyance,

receiving excess coating from the wire conveyor belt assembly and transporting the excess coating along the pan assembly to the discharge end of the pan assembly using the vibratory motion, and

receiving the excess coating from the discharge end of the pan assembly in a recycle conveyor, and transporting it to at least one of the inlet end of the pan assembly and the proximal end of the wire conveyor belt assembly.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the wire conveyor belt assembly is supported by a swing frame, such that it is capable of being positioned in production and non-production positions.

27. A coating recycle assembly comprising:

at least one recycle conveyor that includes a conveyor channel having a lower length, an upper length, an ascending portion and a descending portion, and a looped drag-chain belt having one or more flights situated at least partially in the channel for transporting coating from the lower length to the upper length via the ascending portion, where coating is received at the lower length and is released at the upper length.

28. The coating recycle assembly of claim 27, wherein a first recycle conveyor is a base recycle conveyor and a second recycle conveyor is a waterfall recycle conveyor, wherein the base recycle conveyor is situated at least partially below the waterfall recycle conveyor.

29. The coating recycle assembly of claim 28, wherein at least one of the base recycle conveyor and the waterfall recycle conveyor receives coating at the lower length from the discharge end of a pan assembly.

30. The coating recycle assembly of claim 29, wherein the coating is transported from the lower length of the base recycle conveyor to an inlet end of the pan assembly for initial application to the bottom portion of a product, and coating is transported from the lower length of the waterfall recycle conveyor to at least one of an inlet end of the pan assembly and a proximal end of a wire conveyor belt assembly for initial application to the top portion of a product.