Apparatus for preparing encapsulated bodies

• US 5,040,960 A
• Filed: 12/07/1988
• Issued: 08/20/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snow Brand Milk Products Co. Ltd. (Megmilk Snow Brand Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Snow Brand Milk Products Co. Ltd. (Megmilk Snow Brand Company Limited)
• Inventors: Shiinoki, Yasuhiko, Shioya, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Jay H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khanh P.
• Application Number:
  US07/280,939
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 264/7, 264/12, 264/14, 264/4.1-4.7, 425/67-70, 425/7, 425/10, 425/130, 425/5
• US Class Current: 425/5
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 2/00 Non-alcoholic beverages; Dry compositions or concentrates therefor soup concentrates A23L23/10; Their preparation preparation of non-alcoholic beverages by removal of alcohol C12H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 10/30 Encapsulation of particles, e.g. foodstuff additives
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 20/105 Coating with compositions containing vegetable or microbial fermentation gums, e.g. cellulose or derivatives; Coating with edible polymers, e.g. polyvinyalcohol
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 13/04 by physical processes, e.g. drying, spraying
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 13/08 Simple coacervation, i.e. addition of highly hydrophilic material combined with spraying B01J13/043; combined with mechanical division B01J13/04
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 11/04 entrapped within the carrier, e.g. gel or hollow fibres
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 426/803 Simulated fruit or vegetable

Abstract

An apparatus for the production of encapsulated bodies employing a dropping tank for a fluid to form the cores of the encapsulated bodies and a reaction tank containing a solution capable of forming gel skins upon contact with the core material in communication therewith. Double-walled cylindrical nozzles are arranged in a lower part of the drop tank, the inner and outer walls of the double-walled cylindrical nozzles being coaxial. A pressurized air feed pipe is in communication with an upper part of the dropping tank. The peripheral walls of the reaction tank are in the form of a double-walled cylinder whose upper peripheral portion of its inner wall contains a screen. A liquid feed pipe and a capsule discharge port are provided in communication with the interior of the reaction tank through lower parts of the double-walled cylinder. A liquid discharge port also is provided in communication with an annular spacing of the double-walled cylinder through its outer wall.

The apparatus provides for obtaining a dispersion of encapsulated bodies without their mechanical separation from the liquid in which they are prepared.

Claims

1. An apparatus for the production of encapsulated bodies, comprising a dropping tank for a fluid to be employed to form the cores of the encapsulated bodies and a reaction tank having a peripheral inner and outer wall for containing a solution forming gel skins upon contact with said fluid in communication therewith, double-walled cylindrical nozzles arranged in a lower part of the dropping tank, the inner and outer walls of each of said double-walled cylindrical nozzles being coaxial, a pressurized air feed pipe in communication with an upper part of said dropping tank, the peripheral walls of said reaction tank comprising a double-walled cylinder whose upper peripheral portion of the inner wall of said double-walled cylinder comprises a screen, a liquid feed pipe and a capsule discharge port in communication with the interior walls of said reaction tank through lower parts of said double-walled cylinder, and a liquid discharge port in communication with an annular spacing defined by the inner and outer walls of said double-walled cylinder through the outer wall of said double-walled cylinder, the interior of said reaction tank being in fluid communication with said annular space through said screen.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a stirring means in a bottom part of the reaction tank for stirring the encapsulated bodies.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pressurized gas feed pipe in communication with annular spacings of the double-walled cylindrical nozzles, said annular spacings being defined by the inner and outer walls of the respective double-walled cylindrical nozzles.