727results about "Baked articles handling" patented technology

A freeform fabrication method for making a three-dimensional food object from a design created on a computer, including: (a) providing a support member by which the object is supported while being constructed; (b) operating a material dispensing head for dispensing a continuous or intermittent strand of food composition in a fluent state; this food composition including a liquid ingredient and a primary body-building food material and the dispensed food composition having a rigidity and strength sufficient for permitting the food composition to be built up layer by layer into a three-dimensional shape in a non-solid state; and (c) operating control devices for generating control signals in response to coordinates of the object design and controlling the position of the dispensing head relative to the support member in response to the control signals to control dispensing of the food composition to construct a 3-D shape of this object. The method optionally includes an additional step of applying a heat treatment to the 3-D shape after this 3-D shape is constructed. This method can be used to form an intricate shape of a cake mix, which is then baked in an oven. It can also be used to form a custom-designed decorative shape on the top surface of a pre-made cake.

The invention provides an automated method and apparatus for pizza production which is initiated by individual order placement and uses only fresh ingredients (no ingredients are frozen, pre-prepared or pre-cooked). Each dough portion is individually and mechanically prepared from flour and other fresh, pre-proportioned ingredients. The dough portion passes through a series of shaping and pre-heating processing stations to prepare a flattened and partially baked pizza base. Using a preheated or continuously heated conveying tray, the pizza base passes under a number of metering and distribution devices for selected application of tomato sauce and / or various other toppings according to the order. Baking occurs in one of multiple ovens to complete pizza preparation. Multiple ovens are provided to facilitate the automated preparation of multiple pizzas at any given time. A tray conveying system transports one or more trays through the various processing stations to accommodate multiple orders at the same time.

A bag for applying seasoning to a food item is provided. The bag comprises a mouth, an interior surface, and a seasoning. The mouth receives the food item, and the seasoning is adhered to at least a portion of the interior surface such that the food item may be seasoned if placed through the mouth into the bag. In another embodiment, the bag may comprise a compartment for holding a seasoning. The compartment may have a releasable seal to release the seasoning on the food item. The bag may be provided to the consumer in a container such that the consumer may remove the bag from the container and place a food item in the bag to season the food item.

A system for creating a decorative edible item from a selected image. The system includes at least one image source, such as a scanner and / or a library of stored images, a controller unit and a printer. An edible media is inserted into the printer. The user then selects the image source, such as the scanner for scanning in a photograph reminiscence of a person or event being honored. The size of the printed image is then selected as well as the number of copies to be printed from the image. The print sequence is then activated. The controller unit applies color correction to the digital image and converts the digital image into printer control signals to operate the printer. The printer then prints a rendition of the image with edible inks as the edible media travels through the printer. A high-quality pictorial rendition of the image is thus created. The printed edible media can then be applied onto a product, shipped to a separate location or eaten as is.

A cap which frictionally engages a piping tip has a generally conical cover portion with an interior surface, an exterior surface, a closed end and an open end sized to fit over a piping tip; a gripping portion on the exterior surface of the closed end of the cover portion; and a plurality of protuberances on the interior surface of the cover portion extending toward the closed end of the cover portion. The cap can include a circular ridge extending circumferentially around the interior surface of the cap, the ridge sized to fit within a circular indentation in the piping tip to maintain the cap on the piping tip.

An aseptic method of preparing meals using automated means to place food portions of different types such as meat, lamb, chicken, vegetables, starches, rice, and potatoes within individual food type moulds (21) and into an in-line oven (1); each type of the food portions is then cooked as the moulds (21) are conveyed (19) through the oven; and automated means such as a spatula (22) and mould holder and lifting apparatus (24) are used to remove the food from the oven and moulds; and assembling the individual food portions to form a meal within a package (23). Also disclosed is a monitoring means for sue in a multiple stage sequential automatic food processing system that includes a means (15) for assigning a unique identification code or barcode to each individual food portion and sensors for measuring values of predetermined parameters (e.g. temperature, duration) of the process for said identified portions.

A container has an opening and a nozzle disposed within the opening. The nozzle has a sealed tip that extends from the opening. A cap having an opening therethrough is secured to the nozzle. To use the container, the tip of the nozzle is cut to enable a viscous fluid to dispense therefrom at a first thickness. When the cap is re-secured to the nozzle, the opening of the cap enables the viscous food substance to dispense therefrom at a second thickness that is less than the first thickness.

The invention relates to a kitchen appliance, especially a food printer, and a method for printing food in 2- or 3-dimensional shapes. The food printer for making 2- or 3-dimensional shapes comprising a housing, an opening for printable food and binder, a control unit, and a printer head, wherein the printer head prints small drops of the printable food and the binder while moving to build the 2- or 3-dimensional shape.

A far infrared panel for humid and dry environments includes a frame, a thin layer, a grounding circuit board, a cloth layer and a second layer. The thin layer includes a carbon membrane and a printed circuit board. Two wires are used to connect the carbon membrane with a control device. The grounding circuit board includes a grounding layer, a circuit board and a wire. The wire is used to connect the grounding circuit board with the ground. The second layer which has a crisscross pattern and a plurality of fixing devices are used to fixedly hold the thin layer, grounding circuit board and cloth layer in the frame. Therefore, the far infrared panel of the present invention may be used to raise the temperature of a sauna room swiftly and evenly and then can make users to sweat heavily.

A melt cooler and valving system for an underwater pelletizer has a diverter valve that facilitates multiple modes of melt processing. The cooler has a cooler inlet line that conveys the melt to the cooler, and a cooler outlet line that conveys the cooled melt from the cooler. The diverter valve is configured to convey the melt to and from the cooler during a cooling mode of operation, to convey the melt around the cooler during a bypass mode of operation, and to drain the melt from the cooler and the diverter valve during a drain mode of operation. The diverter valve is compact and therefore contains a minimum of product inventory. The valve is streamlined and direct in its bypass mode, and includes a drain capability to allow for faster, easier cleaning of the process line, which in turn provides a fast changeover time with less lost product.

The invention provides an automated method and apparatus for pizza production which is initiated by individual order placement and uses only fresh ingredients (no ingredients are frozen, pre-prepared or pre-cooked). Each dough portion is individually and mechanically prepared from flour and other fresh, pre-proportioned ingredients. The dough portion passes through a series of shaping and pre-heating processing stations to prepare a flattened and partially baked pizza base. Using a preheated or continuously heated conveying tray, the pizza base passes under a number of metering and distribution devices for selected application of tomato sauce and / or various other toppings according to the order. Baking occurs in one of multiple ovens to complete pizza preparation. Multiple ovens are provided to facilitate the automated preparation of multiple pizzas at any given time. A tray conveying system transports one or more trays through the various processing stations to accommodate multiple orders at the same time.

Improved confectionery compositions and methods of using those compositions are provided. Broadly, the compositions comprise a sweetening ingredient, a proteinaceous material, and a thickening agent and can further comprise various additives such as colorants, flavoring agents, and preservatives. The compositions can be provided in the form of a dry mix which can be stored for long periods of time, or in the form of a ready-to-use composition. The final hydrated icing compositions flow readily through extremely small apertures (e.g., 18-24 gauge) and thus can be formed into detailed and complex patterns by even those with little skill in the art. The patterns can also be formed on a release substrate and packaged for sale directly to consumers or to bakeries.

Confectionary image design system including a graphical user interface through which a user defines a pattern of confectionary pieces to be arranged on a substrate. A computer processor controls the graphical user interface through which the user defines the pattern, and provides instructions for arranging the confectionary pieces in the defined pattern. A container retains the confectionary pieces used to form the defined pattern. A robot receives from the computer processor the instructions for arranging the confectionary pieces, retrieves the confectionary pieces stored in the container, and arranges the pieces on the substrate in the pattern defined by the user.

The apparatus and method for making conical tortilla shells involves a pair of conical molds with a plurality of apertures therethrough. The first mold has a closed apex at one end, and a widened end at the other, and a handle mounted to the inside at the opening of the first mold, and the second mold has a narrow open apex at one end, and a widened end at the other end, with a handle mounted to the exterior at the opening, to allow the handles to be grasped by a user. In the method, a tortilla is wrapped in a conical shape around the first mold and the molds are put together with the tortilla between them, and with the handles placed together to that the molds and tortilla between them may be manipulated as a unit by a user in cooking the tortilla.

A method of making edible substrates that have an image registered on them in a consistent manner. The method comprises the steps of providing an edible substrate sheet, and an image source, wherein the image source has at least one image. Further, a trigger pulse signal is provided, which relays the frequency of a process element that is communicated to an image disposal device. The image disposal device uses the trigger pulse signal to determine when to dispose an image from the image source. Then an image is disposed on the edible substrate sheet with the image disposal device to form an image-disposed edible substrate sheet. And then a portion of the edible substrate sheet that comprises an image is separated into an individual piece.

Apparatuses and methods for coating, topping, and conveying foods. The apparatus includes a first frame, spring assemblies, a vibrating assembly including an upper pan, a middle pan, a lower pan, and a second frame mounted to the lower pan with the spring assemblies. The second frame is an excited frame and the upper pan, the middle pan, the lower pan are vibrationally connected. The apparatus also includes a vibratory drive unit mounted and adapted to impart energy to the second frame. In addition, the apparatus has a wire conveyor belt assembly including a wire conveyor belt, and a housing that receives the wire conveyor belt. The wire conveyor belt assembly is suspended inside of the vibratory assembly by the first frame such that the wire conveyor belt assembly is isolated from the vibratory assembly.

The present invention relates to a forming apparatus for forming a formable material or materials. The apparatus has a first forming tool set, and a second forming tool set. Each forming tool of the second forming tool set is adapted to co-act with one or more forming tools of the first forming tool set, or vice versa, to form a co-acting forming tool in a pressure forming zone. There is a first forming tool set guide or guides about which the first forming tool set can be moved about a first circuit. There is also a second forming tool set guide or guides about which the second forming tool set can be moved about a second circuit. There is also a drive means to drive the tools in a machine direction. At least on part of the circuit, immediately before or after the pressure forming zone, adjacent forming tools of one the forming tool sets are movably supported such that the only relative movement of said adjacent forming tools is towards or away from the forming tools of the other forming tool set with which they co-act.

Seasoning for use with snack chips can be recovered and recycled. A seasoning permeable conveyor transports snack chips through a seasoning application. The seasoning applicator deposits seasoning onto the snack chips. The conveyor allows the seasoning not adhered to the moving snack chips to substantially pass through and by toward a seasoning recoverer. The seasoning recoverer, which is positioned beneath the conveyor, collects the seasoning for purification and blending with fresh seasoning. After blending, the seasoning mixture is transported to the seasoning application for use.

Disclosed is a 3D cake printer, comprising a rack, a printer support assembly, a printer head assembly, a cream squeezing device and a control system. The printer support assembly is installed on the rack, and comprises a lifting support device which moves in a vertical direction driven by a support driving device; the printer head assembly is installed on the rack and located above the lifting support device, and comprises a working table, which moves in a transverse direction or in a longitudinal direction driven by a printer head driving device, and a printer head (3) provided on the working table; and the cream squeezing device comprises a cream container (13) and a cream pressing device, with the end of the cream container away from the cream pressing device being provided with a squeezing outlet (27) which is in communication with the printer head. The control system is used for controlling the support driving device, the printer head driving device and the cream squeezing device to act according to pre-set instructions, thereby reducing the requirements of manual operations and materials, improving the operation efficiency, decreasing the production costs and being able to produce photo-realistic three-dimensional patterns.

Confectionary image design system including a graphical user interface through which a user defines a pattern of confectionary pieces to be arranged on a substrate. A computer processor controls the graphical user interface through which the user defines the pattern, and provides instructions for arranging the confectionary pieces in the defined pattern. A container retains the confectionary pieces used to form the defined pattern. A robot receives from the computer processor the instructions for arranging the confectionary pieces, retrieves the confectionary pieces stored in the container, and arranges the pieces on the substrate in the pattern defined by the user.

An electric or battery powered dispenser comprising a multi-mode motor control system comprising a plurality of different user selected dispensing control modes for dispensing a wide variety of semi-soft materials. The powered dispenser is held in one hand and dispenses the material in accordance with a user selected one of the plurality of different user selected dispensing control modes. The powered dispenser features a quick-change cartridge system, which allows the user to quickly and easily change cartridges, which can be refilled or pre-filled with the material of the user's choice, without having to clean out the barrel. The dispenser can be used in many applications such as cake decorating, craft applications, woodworking, and construction.

A device for assembling orders of food from prepared food items having multiple sides on different sides of the device is disclosed. Also disclosed is a system including the device and a method of assembling orders of food. Each side has a plurality of side receptacles accessible to a worker at the side. Adjacent to the sides is a holding area for holding prepared food items. Preferably the heated holding area has a central portion that is heated.

The invention is directed to an inverting device which takes one or more articles from a first device, inverts the article(s), and discharges the article(s) onto a second device that may be at essentially the same relative height as the first device. The inverting device has a rotating device with two opposed surfaces that are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the height of the article. Once the article(s) has been moved into position in the rotating device, the rotating device rotates 180 degrees about a transverse axis, resulting in the inversion of the article. The new orientation of the article may facilitate further processing in a manufacturing environment, such as cleaning, filling, labeling, stacking or any other activity that relies on a specific product disposition.

A pneumatic seasoning system and method utilizing a rotating drum for seasoning, a funnel-fed pneumatic eductor, line splitters, and a plurality of specially-designed swirl-inducing nozzle spools for inducing a broad and even seasoning plume. In a preferred embodiment, a pneumatic seasoning system transports seasoning from a seasoning hopper to food items within a rotating drum using a combination of an eductor and four in-line vacuum generators, which vacuum generators operate on compressed air. Each vacuum generator comprises a distributing nozzle roughly shaped like a collared spool, wherein compressed air is supplied to the annular region defined between the spool and its collar, and said compressed air exits through swirl ports distributed about the circumference of the spool exit. Each swirl port preferably has a pitch angle of 15° and a yaw angle of 15°.

A food processor with recognition ability of emotion-related information and emotional signals is disclosed, which comprises: an emotion recognition module and a food processing module. The emotion recognition module is capable of receiving sound signals so as to identify an emotion containing in the received sound signals. The food processing module is capable of producing food products with a taste corresponding to the emotion recognition result of the emotion recognition module.

The invention relates to a cake-surrounded, self-standing device for applying, and a method for applying a decorative colorful rain of edible particles or sugars to the existing frosting, icing or prepared surface of same cake by launching small edible and delicate candy particles or sugars from a particle containing chamber within the cake by the use of a pressure controlled remote air pump, internal mechanical spring release piston, or pyrotechnic activated gas pressure piston in such a manner so as to control the height, direction and effect of the particles being released to a pre-determined height and returning back down onto and only onto the surface of the cake in a distinct and well defined pattern and in an entertaining and surprise fashion. Such an expelling device is known in the industry as a mine or a fountain.