Bagel making machine and associated method
First Claim
1. A machine for making a food product, comprising:
- cooking apparatus for cooking an aliquot of dough formed by disposing said dough in a predetermined shape about a cooking member made of a material which has a chemical composition impervious to cooking temperatures; and
a mechanism for removing said cooking member from the dough, thereby forming a chamber, said mechanism including;
a gripper in grasping contact with a protruding end of said cooking member;
a holder in contact with the dough for restraining the cooked dough; and
a motive component operatively connected to at least one of said holder and said gripper for moving said one of said holder and said gripper relative to the other to remove the cooking member from dough.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A machine for making a food product includes a cooking apparatus for cooking an aliquot of dough disposed in a predetermined shape about a cooking member made of a material which has a chemical composition essentially impervious to cooking temperatures. The machine also incorporates a mechanism for extracting the cooking member from the cooked dough, thereby creating a chamber in the cooked dough. This mechanism has a gripper which is disposable in grasping contact with a protruding end of the cooking member, a holder disposable in contact with the cooked dough for restraining the cooked dough, and a motive component operatively connected to at least one of the holder and the gripper for moving the one of the holder and the gripper relative to the other to remove the cooking member from cooked dough.
20 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A machine for making a food product, comprising:
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cooking apparatus for cooking an aliquot of dough formed by disposing said dough in a predetermined shape about a cooking member made of a material which has a chemical composition impervious to cooking temperatures; and a mechanism for removing said cooking member from the dough, thereby forming a chamber, said mechanism including; a gripper in grasping contact with a protruding end of said cooking member; a holder in contact with the dough for restraining the cooked dough; and a motive component operatively connected to at least one of said holder and said gripper for moving said one of said holder and said gripper relative to the other to remove the cooking member from dough. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for making a food product, comprising:
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cooking an aliquot of dough having an internal chamber formed by disposing said dough in a predetermined shape about a cooking member made of a material which has a chemical composition impervious to cooking temperatures; actuating a mechanical gripper to grasp a protruding end of said cooking member; operating a holder mechanism to contact the dough and restrain the dough; and activating a motive component operatively connected to at least one of said holder and said gripper to move said one of said holder and said gripper relative to the other to remove the cooking member from at least partially cooked dough to thereby form a chamber in said at least partially cooked dough.
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11. A method for making a food product, comprising:
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providing an aliquot of dough disposed in a predetermined shape about a cooking member or insert having a predetermined configuration; cooking said dough at a relatively elevated temperature for a predetermined period to form a cooked food product having an internal chamber having said predetermined configuration; and maintaining said cooking member in said dough during at least an initial portion of the cooking of said dough; the cooking member being made of a material which disintegrates at cooking temperatures so that the cooking member disappears by the end of a cooking operation, further comprising gradually disintegrating said cooking member during the cooking of said dough so that, after the cooking of said dough at said elevated temperature for said predetermined period, said cooking member has disappeared from the cooked dough, thereby creating said chamber in the cooked dough. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A method for making a food product, comprising:
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providing an aliquot of dough disposed in a predetermined shape about a cooking member or insert having a predetermined configuration; and cooking said dough at a relatively elevated temperature for a predetermined period to form a cooked food product having an internal chamber having said predetermined configuration, the cooking member being made of a material which has a chemical composition impervious to cooking temperatures, further comprising removing said cooking member from said aliquot of dough to thereby open said chamber, also comprising slicing said dough in a plurality of substantially parallel planes after the cooking of said dough. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A composite dough preform comprising an aliquot of dough disposed in a predetermined shape about a cooking member or insert made of a material which disintegrates at cooking temperatures.
- 16. A composite dough preform comprising an aliquot of dough disposed in a predetermined shape about a cooking member or insert, said cooking member being made of a material which is dissolvable in water so that upon cooking said aliquot of dough, said cooking member or insert dissolves at cooking temperature, thereby forming a chamber in the cooked dough.
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18. A method for making a food product, comprising:
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providing an aliquot of dough disposed in a predetermined shape about a cooking member or insert having a predetermined configuration, said cooking member being made of a flexible material which has a chemical composition impervious to cooking temperatures; and removing said cooking member from said aliquot of dough, said chamber maintaining said predetermined configuration after the removing of said cooking member, said aliquot of dough maintaining said predetermined shape after the removing of said cooking member, the removing of said cooking member from said aliquot of dough including unbending said cooking member from an arcuate configuration; and after the removing of said cooking member from said aliquot of dough, cooking said dough at a relatively elevated temperature for a predetermined period to form a cooked food product having an internal chamber having said predetermined configuration. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification