Metering the disposition of a food product into cavities forming a pellet

• US 9,648,898 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kerry Group Services Limited (Kerry Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Kerry Luxembourg S.A.R.L. (Kerry Group PLC)
• Inventors: Strand, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): LEFF, STEVEN N
• Application Number:
  US13/614,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20140072688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• 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 3/36 Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/375 with direct contact between the food and the chemical, e.g. liquid nitrogen, at cryogenic temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 30/10 Moulding
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 13/06 with conveyors carrying articles to be cooled through the cooling space
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/04 by conveyors in general B65G

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 and with the endless conveyor having a lower portion and an upper portion, 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;

aligning a lower endless conduction bar conveyor with and contacting a lower portion of the endless conveyor at each cavity;

reducing the temperature of the conveyor and the lower endless conduction bar conveyor to a predetermined temperature in a lower section of 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;

aligning an upper endless conduction bar conveyor with and contacting an upper portion of the endless conveyor on each cavity;

reducing the temperature of the upper endless conduction bar conveyor to a predetermined temperature in an upper section of the cryogenic refrigeration apparatus; and

freezing all surfaces of the food product into an individual quick frozen pellet starting immediately upon contact of the upper endless conduction bar conveyor with one of the cavities in the endless 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 4, wherein the second 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 1 wherein the 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 endless 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.