MOULDING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MOULDING A FOOD PRODUCT
First Claim
1. A moulding device for moulding three-dimensional products from a pumpable mass of foodstuff, comprising:
- a mould member having a moulding surface in which at least one mould cavity for moulding the products from the mass of foodstuff is arranged, which mould cavity is provided with a mould cavity opening at the moulding surface and which mould cavity has a volume,a filling device for filling the mould cavity of the mould member with the mass of foodstuff, which filling device is provided with a dispensing mouth, and with a pump for displacing a volume of the mass of foodstuff from the dispensing mouth wherein the mould cavity opening of the mould cavity of the mould member and the dispensing mouth of the filling device are movable with respect to one another along a movement path,a drive device to move the mould cavity opening of the mould cavity of the mould member and the dispensing mouth of the filling device with respect to one another along said movement path,wherein the dispensing mouth and the mould cavity opening each, viewed in the direction of said movement path, comprise a front edge and a rear edge which is situated at a fixed distance thereof, and wherein the distance between the front edge and the rear edge of the dispensing mouth in said direction of said movement path is smaller than the distance between the front edge and the rear edge of the mould cavity opening in said direction of said movement path,wherein the moulding device is further provided with;
a position-determining device for determining the position of the front edge of the mould cavity opening of the mould cavity with respect to the front edge of the dispensing mouth of the filling device during movement of the mould cavity opening of the mould cavity and the dispensing mouth of the filling device with respect to one another caused by said drive device, anda control unit which is connected to the position-determining device and to the pump, which control unit is configured to control the pump on the basis of the position-determining device and during the movement of the mould cavity opening of the mould cavity and the dispensing mouth of the filling device with respect to one another caused by said drive device, in such a manner that the pump displaces a volume of the mass of foodstuff which substantially corresponds to the volume of the mould cavity from the dispensing mouth into the mould cavity while the front edge of the mould cavity opening and the front edge of the dispensing mouth, viewed in the direction of said movement path, move with respect to each other over a predetermined filling length which has been input into the control unit, which filling length is smaller than the distance between the front edge and the rear edge of the mould cavity opening, viewed in the direction of said movement path.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A moulding device (10) for moulding three-dimensional products (76) from a mass of foodstuff comprises a moulding roller (16) and a filling device (18). The moulding roller (16) has a moulding surface with at least one mould cavity (44) which is delimited by a mould cavity (44) opening. The filling device (18) has a dispensing mouth (36) and a pump. The dispensing mouth (36) and the mould cavity (44) opening each have, viewed in the direction of the movement path, a front edge and a rear edge which is situated at a fixed distance thereof. A position-determining device determines the position of the front edge of the mould cavity (44) opening with respect to the front edge of the dispensing mouth during the movement of the mould cavity (44) opening and the dispensing mouth (36) with respect to each other. A control unit controls the pump on the basis of the position-determining device during the movement of the mould cavity (44) opening and the dispensing mouth (36) with respect to each other.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A moulding device for moulding three-dimensional products from a pumpable mass of foodstuff, comprising:
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a mould member having a moulding surface in which at least one mould cavity for moulding the products from the mass of foodstuff is arranged, which mould cavity is provided with a mould cavity opening at the moulding surface and which mould cavity has a volume, a filling device for filling the mould cavity of the mould member with the mass of foodstuff, which filling device is provided with a dispensing mouth, and with a pump for displacing a volume of the mass of foodstuff from the dispensing mouth wherein the mould cavity opening of the mould cavity of the mould member and the dispensing mouth of the filling device are movable with respect to one another along a movement path, a drive device to move the mould cavity opening of the mould cavity of the mould member and the dispensing mouth of the filling device with respect to one another along said movement path, wherein the dispensing mouth and the mould cavity opening each, viewed in the direction of said movement path, comprise a front edge and a rear edge which is situated at a fixed distance thereof, and wherein the distance between the front edge and the rear edge of the dispensing mouth in said direction of said movement path is smaller than the distance between the front edge and the rear edge of the mould cavity opening in said direction of said movement path, wherein the moulding device is further provided with; a position-determining device for determining the position of the front edge of the mould cavity opening of the mould cavity with respect to the front edge of the dispensing mouth of the filling device during movement of the mould cavity opening of the mould cavity and the dispensing mouth of the filling device with respect to one another caused by said drive device, and a control unit which is connected to the position-determining device and to the pump, which control unit is configured to control the pump on the basis of the position-determining device and during the movement of the mould cavity opening of the mould cavity and the dispensing mouth of the filling device with respect to one another caused by said drive device, in such a manner that the pump displaces a volume of the mass of foodstuff which substantially corresponds to the volume of the mould cavity from the dispensing mouth into the mould cavity while the front edge of the mould cavity opening and the front edge of the dispensing mouth, viewed in the direction of said movement path, move with respect to each other over a predetermined filling length which has been input into the control unit, which filling length is smaller than the distance between the front edge and the rear edge of the mould cavity opening, viewed in the direction of said movement path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for moulding three-dimensional products from a pumpable mass of foodstuff, comprising:
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moving, by means of a drive device, a mould cavity opening of at least one mould cavity of a mould member and a dispensing mouth of a filling device (with respect to each other along a movement path, wherein the mould member has a moulding surface in which the mould cavity for moulding the products from the foodstuff is arranged, which mould cavity is provided with the mould cavity opening at the moulding surface and which mould cavity has a volume, and wherein the filling device is configured to fill the mould cavity of the mould member with the foodstuff, which filling device is provided with the dispensing mouth, and a pump for displacing a volume of the foodstuff from the dispensing mouth), and wherein the dispensing mouth and the mould cavity opening each, viewed in the direction of the movement path, comprise a front edge and a rear edge which is situated at a fixed distance thereof, and in which the distance between the front edge and the rear edge of the dispensing mouth in said direction is smaller than the distance between the front edge and the rear edge of the mould cavity opening in said direction, determining by means of a position-determining device the position of the front edge of the mould cavity opening of the mould cavity with respect to the front edge of the dispensing mouth of the filling device during the movement of the mould cavity opening of the mould cavity and the dispensing mouth of the filling device with respect to each other, and inputting a predetermined filling length into a control unit, controlling, on the basis of the position-determining device and during the movement of the mould cavity opening of the mould cavity and the dispensing mouth of the filling device with respect to each other caused by said drive device, the pump by means of the control unit in such a manner that the pump displaces a volume of the foodstuff which substantially corresponds to the volume of the mould cavity from the dispensing mouth into the mould cavity, while the front edge of the mould cavity opening and the front edge of the dispensing mouth, viewed in the direction of the movement path, are moved with respect to each other over the predetermined filling length which has been input into the control unit, which filling length is smaller than the distance, viewed in the direction of the movement path, between the front edge and the rear edge of the mould cavity opening. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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Specification