Metering The Disposition Of A Food Product Into Cavities Forming A Pellet

• US 20130084373A1
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kerry Group Services Limited (Kerry Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Kerry Luxembourg S.A.R.L. (Kerry Group PLC)
• Inventors: Linck, Karl L., Vue, Chay, Hackl, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 10,448,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/305
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/083 using moulds
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/18 the products being on the outer wall of a cooled body, e.g. drum or endless band
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/221 Moulds
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/28 for portioning or dispensing
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/48 Composite products, e.g. layered , laminated, coated, filled
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 23/00 Soups; Sauces soya sauce A23L27/50; salad dressings, mayonnaise or ketchup A23L27/60; Preparation or treatment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 23/10 Soup concentrates, e.g. powders or cakes
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/362 with packages or with shaping in form of blocks or portions
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 30/10 Moulding
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/04 by conveyors in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/11 with conveyors carrying articles to be cooled through the cooling space

Abstract

A process for metering the disposition of a food product into cavities forming a pellet. The cavities are defined in a conveyor as individual cavities. Each cavity defines a specific volume. The process includes supplying a quantity of food product in a supply chamber which includes a plurality of nozzles aligned above the conveyor. The nozzles are aligned with a predetermined portion of the cavities. A predefined supply of food product is dispensed and metered through each nozzle. The food product is dispensed through the nozzles into the cavities without exceeding the specific volume of the cavity. The food product is frozen into an individual quick frozen pellet starting immediately upon disposition in one of the cavities. The step of metering the predefined amount of food product includes metering a predetermined weight of the food product.

Claims

1. A process for metering the disposition of a food product into cavities for forming a pellet, the cavities are defined in an endless conveyor as individual cavities, with each cavity defining a specific volume and defined by a two part structure, the process comprising:

supplying a quantity of food product in a supply chamber, wherein the supply chamber includes a plurality of nozzles aligned above the conveyor;

reducing the temperature of the conveyor to a predetermined temperature in a cryogenic refrigeration apparatus;

aligning the plurality of nozzles with a predetermined portion of the cavities;

metering a predefined amount of the supply of food product dispensed through each nozzle;

dispensing the food product through one of the nozzles into one of the cavities without exceeding the specific volume of the cavity; and

freezing the food product into an individual quick frozen pellet starting immediately upon disposition in one of the cavities in the conveyor.

2. The process for metering the disposition of a food product of claim 1, further comprising the step of metering to include a predetermined weight of the food product.

3. The process for metering the disposition of a food product of claim 2, wherein each cavity of the predetermined portion of the cavities receives a different predetermined weight of the food product.

4. The process for metering the disposition of a food product of claim 1, further comprising supplying a second quantity of food product in a second supply chamber having a second plurality of nozzles, aligning the second plurality of nozzles with the predetermined portion of the cavities, metering the second predefined amount of food product, and dispensing the second quantity of food product through each of the second plurality of nozzles into the predetermined portion of cavities on top of the previously dispensed food product.

5. The process for metering the disposition of a food product of claim 1 wherein the quantity of food product is one of a solid food product and a viscous food product.

6. The process for metering the disposition of a food product of claim 4, wherein the second quantity of food product is one of a solid food product and a viscous food product.

7. The process for metering the disposition of a food product of claim 1, further comprising supplying a second quantity of food product in a second supply chamber in communication with the plurality of nozzles aligned above the conveyor with the plurality of nozzles configured to dispense both quantities of food product simultaneously through the same plurality of nozzles into the predetermined portion of cavities.

8. The process for metering the disposition of a food product of claim 7, wherein each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles comprises two separate discharge chambers with each chamber in communication with one of the quantity of food products.

9. The process for metering the disposition of a food product of claim 8, wherein the two discharge chambers are aligned side-by-side.

10. The process for metering the disposition of a food product of claim 8, wherein the two discharge chambers are aligned concentrically.

11. The process for metering the disposition of a food product of claim 1, further comprising supplying a second quantity of food product in a second supply chamber having a second plurality of nozzles, aligning the second plurality of nozzles with a second predetermined portion of the cavities, metering the second predefined amount of food product, and dispensing the second quantity of food product through each of the second plurality of nozzles into the second predetermined portion of cavities.

12. The process for metering the disposition of a food product of claim 1, wherein the food product is one of a cheese sauce, vegetable sauce, and a meat sauce.

13. The individual quick frozen food product pellet manufactured by the process of claim 1.

14. A system to meter the disposition of a food product into an individual quick frozen pellet, the system comprising:

an endless conveyor, with the conveyor defining cavities, with each cavity defining a specific volume and further defined by a two part structure configured to discharge the quick frozen pellet;

a quick freeze apparatus through which a portion of the conveyor moves and the apparatus configured to freeze material defining the cavities as the conveyor moves through the apparatus; and

a supply chamber configured to hold a supply of the food product, the supply chamber includes a plurality of nozzles positioned above the conveyor and aligned with a predetermined portion of the cavities;

wherein the nozzles are configured to dispense the food product into the predetermined portion of the cavities without exceeding the individual, specific volume of such cavities and the dispensed food product freezes starting immediately upon disposition in the cavities.

15. A system to meter the disposition of a food product into an individual quick frozen pellet of claim 14, further comprising:

a second supply chamber configured to hold a second supply of the food product, the second supply chamber includes a second plurality of nozzles positioned above the conveyor and aligned with the predetermined portion of the cavities;

wherein the nozzles are configured to dispense the second food product into the predetermined portion of the cavities without exceeding the individual, specific volume of such cavities on top of the preciously dispensed food product.

16. The system to meter the disposition of a food product into an individual quick frozen pellet of claim 14, wherein the quantity of food product is one of a solid food product and a viscous food product.

17. The system to meter the disposition of a food product into an individual quick frozen pellet of claim 15, wherein the second quantity of food product is one of a solid food product and a viscous food product.

18. The system to meter the disposition of a food product into an individual quick frozen pellet of claim 14, further comprising a second quantity of food product in a second supply chamber in communication with the plurality of nozzles aligned above the conveyor with the plurality of nozzles configured to dispense both quantities of food product simultaneously through the same plurality of nozzles into the predetermined portion of cavities.

19. The system to meter the disposition of a food product into an individual quick frozen pellet of claim 18, wherein each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles comprises two separate discharge chambers with each chamber in communication with one of the quantity of food products.

20. The system to meter the disposition of a food product into an individual quick frozen pellet of claim 19, wherein the two discharge chambers are aligned side-by-side.

21. The system to meter the disposition of a food product into an individual quick frozen pellet of claim 19, wherein the two discharge chambers are aligned concentrically.

22. The system to meter the disposition of a food product into an individual quick frozen pellet of claim 14, further comprising:

a second quantity of food product in a second supply chamber, the second chamber having a second plurality of nozzles aligned with a second predetermined portion of the cavities above the conveyor with the second plurality of nozzles configured to dispense the second quantity of food product into the second predetermined portion of cavities.