Mould member for moulding three-dimensional products, system and methods of manufacturing a mould member

• US 20090134308A1
• Filed: 11/28/2007
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stork Titan B.V. (Marel HF)
• Original Assignee: Stork Titan B.V. (Marel HF)
• Inventors: van der Eerden, Hendricus Franciscus, Boom, Wilhelmus Gerardus Maria
• Granted Patent: US 7,931,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 249/137
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 7/0038 Demoulding means
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 7/0069 Pressing and moulding by means of a drum
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 7/0092 with worms or other rotary mounted members A22C7/0007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 30/10 Moulding

Abstract

A mould member for moulding three-dimensional products from a mass of one or more food starting materials, which are suitable for consumption, in particular human consumption, comprises a body having a porous structure and a plurality of mould cavities, which mould cavities each have a mould cavity wall defined by the body and an opening in a surface of the body, wherein the body comprises at least one essentially fluid tight barrier.

Claims

1. Mould member for moulding three-dimensional products from a mass of one or more food starting materials, which are suitable for consumption, in particular human consumption, the mould member comprising a body having a porous structure and a plurality of mould cavities, which mould cavities each have a mould cavity wall defined by the body and an opening in a surface of the body, wherein the body comprises at least one essentially fluid tight barrier.

2. Mould member according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of mould cavities is arranged in at least two adjacent rows of mould cavities, the essentially fluid tight barrier being provided between the adjacent rows of mould cavities.

3. Mould member according to claim 1, wherein the mould member further comprises at least one fluid channel having a fluid inlet opening and a fluid outlet opening, for supplying a fluid from a fluid outlet opening through the porous structure of the body to the mould cavities.

4. Mould member according to claim 3, wherein the fluid channel is provided in the body.

5. Mould member according to claim 3, wherein the mould member comprises a support member having a supporting surface for supporting the body at a back surface opposite to the surface of the body wherein the opening of the mould cavity is provided, and wherein the fluid channel is defined by the supporting surface of the support member and the back surface of the body.

6. Mould member according to claim 5, wherein the back surface is provided with at least one recess having recess walls defining together with the supporting surface of the support member a fluid channel.

7. Mould member according to claim 5, wherein sealing means are provided between an essentially fluid tight barrier and the supporting surface of the support member.

8. Mould member according to claim 1, wherein the mould member comprises a mould cylinder having an axis of rotation, an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface, wherein the mould cavities have an opening in the outer peripheral surface, and the essentially fluid tight barrier extends in a radial direction.

9. Mould member according to claim 8, wherein the essentially fluid tight barrier extends from the inner peripheral surface to the outer peripheral surface.

10. Mould member according to claim 1, wherein the essentially fluid tight barrier comprises a fluid impermeable strip in the body, preferably incorporated during manufacturing of the porous structure thereof.

11. Mould member according to claim 10, wherein the fluid impermeable strip is made from a flexible material.

12. Mould member according to claim 1, wherein the essentially fluid tight barrier comprises a barrier layer locally impregnated in the porous structure of the body.

13. Mould member according to claim 11, wherein the barrier layer comprises a synthetic material, a metal, metal alloy or combination thereof.

14. System for moulding three-dimensional products from a mass of one or more food starting materials which are suitable for consumption, in particular human consumption, which system comprises:

a production device comprising;

a mould member according to claim 1,

mass feed means for feeding the mass to the plurality of mould cavities of the mould member, the mass feed means comprising one or more mass feed members disposed along a mould member surface provided with the mould cavities, and

fluid feed means for feeding a fluid to the mould cavities of the mould member in order to release mass from a mould cavity.

15. System according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of mould cavities are arranged in at least two adjacent rows of mould cavities, the essentially fluid tight barrier being provided between the adjacent rows of mould cavities.

16. System according to claim 14, wherein the fluid feed means comprise a pressurized fluid source and at least one fluid channel in the mould member having a fluid inlet opening connected to the pressurized fluid source, and a fluid outlet opening, for supplying a fluid from a channel outlet opening through the porous structure of the mould body to the mould cavities.

17. System according to claim 14, wherein the mould member comprises a mould cylinder having an axis of rotation, an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface, wherein the mould cavities have an opening in the outer peripheral surface, and the essentially fluid tight barrier extends in a radial direction, preferably from the inner peripheral surface to the outer peripheral surface.

18. System according to claim 14, wherein the essentially fluid tight barrier comprises a fluid impermeable strip in the mould body, preferably incorporated during manufacturing of the porous structure thereof.

19. System according to claim 14, wherein the essentially fluid tight barrier comprises a barrier layer locally impregnated in the porous structure of the mould body.

20. System according to claim 17, wherein the barrier layer comprises a synthetic material, a metal, metal alloy or combination thereof.

21. A method of manufacturing a mould member for moulding three-dimensional products from a mass of one or more food starting materials which are suitable for consumption, in particular human consumption, comprising the steps of

providing a body having a porous structure,

providing at least one essentially fluid tight barrier in the body,

providing a plurality of mould cavities in the body, which mould cavities each have a mould cavity wall defined by the body and an opening in a surface of the body,

wherein the steps are carried out in such a way that the essentially fluid tight barrier is arranged at least between two mould cavities.

22. Method according to claim 21, further comprising a step of providing at least one fluid channel having a fluid inlet opening and a fluid outlet opening, for supplying a fluid from a channel outlet opening through the porous structure of the body to the mould cavities.

23. A method of manufacturing a mould member for moulding three-dimensional products from a mass of one or more food starting materials which are suitable for consumption, in particular human consumption, the mould member comprising a body having a porous structure and a plurality of mould cavities, which mould cavities each have a mould cavity wall defined by the body and an opening in a surface of the body, wherein the body comprises at least one essentially fluid tight barrier, comprising the steps of providing a die having a die chamber defining the shape of the body to be formed, arranging a fluid impermeable strip in the die chamber at the position of the barrier to be formed, filling the remaining space of the die chamber with a particulate starting material that can be sintered, sintering the particulate starting material thereby obtaining a sintered body having a porous structure, and providing a plurality of mould cavities in a surface of the body.

24. Method according to claim 23, wherein the mould member further comprises at least one fluid channel having a fluid inlet opening and a fluid outlet opening, for supplying a fluid from a fluid outlet opening through the porous structure of the body to the mould cavities, as well as a support member having a supporting surface for supporting the body at a back surface opposite to the surface of the body wherein the opening of the mould cavity is provided, and wherein the fluid channel is defined by the supporting surface of the support member and the back surface of the body, the method further comprising the step of providing the support member.

25. Method according to claim 24, wherein a section of the die defining the back surface is provided with at least one projection thereby obtaining a corresponding recess in the back surface of the body, said recess defining at least partially the fluid channel in the mould member.

26. Method according to claim 24, also comprising a step of providing sealing means between an essentially fluid tight barrier and the supporting surface of the support member.

27. Method according to claim 23, wherein the mould member further comprises at least one fluid channel having a fluid inlet opening and a fluid outlet opening, for supplying a fluid from a channel outlet opening through the porous structure of the body to the mould cavities, and the method further comprises a step of arranging a filling element in the die chamber at the position of the fluid channel to be formed prior to the step of filling the die chamber with said particulate material and a step of removing the filling element from the body.

28. Method according to claim 23, comprising a step of further machining the surface of the sintered mould body to be provided with the mould cavities.

29. A method of manufacturing a mould member for moulding three-dimensional products from a mass of one or more food starting materials which are suitable for consumption, in particular human consumption, the mould member comprising a body having a porous structure and a plurality of mould cavities, which mould cavities each have a mould cavity wall defined by the body and an opening in a surface of the body, wherein the body comprises at least one essentially fluid tight barrier, comprising the steps of sintering a particulate starting material in a die thereby obtaining a sintered body having a porous structure, locally impregnating the sintered body with an impregnating agent at the position of the barrier to be formed, and providing mould cavities in a surface of the body.

30. Method according to claim 29, wherein the mould member further comprises at least one fluid channel having a fluid inlet opening and a fluid outlet opening, for supplying a fluid from a fluid outlet opening through the porous structure of the body to the mould cavities, as well as a support member having a supporting surface for supporting the body at a back surface opposite to the surface of the body wherein the opening of the mould cavity is provided, and wherein the fluid channel is defined by the supporting surface of the support member and the back surface of the body, the method further comprising the step of providing the support member.

31. Method according to claim 30, wherein a section of the die defining the back surface is provided with at least one projection thereby obtaining a corresponding recess in the back surface of the body, said recess defining at least partially the fluid channel in the mould member.

32. Method according to claim 30, also comprising a step of providing sealing means between an essentially fluid tight barrier and the supporting surface of the support member.

33. Method according to claim 29, wherein the mould member further comprises at least one fluid channel having a fluid inlet opening and a fluid outlet opening, for supplying a fluid from a channel outlet opening through the porous structure of the mould body to the mould cavities, and the method further comprises a step of arranging a filling element in the die chamber at the position of the fluid channel to be formed prior to the step of filling the die chamber with said particulate material and a step of removing the filling element from the body.

34. Method according to claim 29, comprising a step of further machining the surface of the sintered body to be provided with the mould cavities.

35. Method according to claim 29, wherein the impregnating agent is impregnated in one surface of the body, while suction is applied to an opposite surface of the body.