Method for producing a food product with a decoration

Abstract

The present application discloses a method for producing food products provided with respective decorations having a given conformation, comprising the steps of: making a plurality of food products (100), each food product (100) having a surface and at least one cavity (101); advancing said plurality of food products (100) along an advancement direction (K) on a conveying line (2); detecting, by means of a camera (4), for each food product (100), the respective cavity (101); determining, on the basis of the data obtained by the camera detection, one or more data (A, P) indicative of the volume of the cavity (101) of the food product (100); providing, along said conveying line (2), at least one unit (10) for dispensing a fluid food material; dispensing, by means of a nozzle (N1), an amount of fluid food material in the cavity (101) of each food product (100). The present application also discloses a system for implementing the aforementioned method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for producing decorated food products. Background Technology

[0002] According to existing technology, the first type of method for decorating food products envisions applying food cream to the surface of the product in order to replicate the desired graphic representation.

[0003] Conversely, the second type of approach envisions performing the printing operation using food-grade inks again on the surface of the product in order to reproduce the desired graphic representation.

[0004] The disadvantages of the known methods of the first type are that they exhibit limited graphic reproduction capabilities in terms of the complexity of the representation and the accuracy and quality of the obtained representation. Furthermore, the volume of material that can be distributed across multiple parts of an identical product is somewhat limited. On the other hand, the resulting decorations are weakly attached to the product, making them easily detachable, for example, in the event of impact or vibration.

[0005] Conversely, the disadvantage of the second type of decoration method described above is the use of substances that contribute little (if not zero) to the sensory characteristics of the food product. Moreover, these substances often contain additives, which may reduce the consumer base interested in the resulting product. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In this paper, the present invention proposes a new method for producing decorated food products, which offers a number of advantages over the known methods described above, as will be shown below.

[0007] In particular, the present invention relates to a method for producing food products, the food products being provided with a corresponding decoration having a given structure, the method comprising the steps of: producing a plurality of food products, each food product having a surface and at least one cavity, the cavity being manufactured on the surface and having a pre-determined outline in a plan view to replicate a given structure of the corresponding decoration; moving the plurality of food products along a forward direction on a conveyor line; detecting the corresponding cavity for each food product using a camera; determining one or more data representing the volume of the cavity of the food product by a control unit based on the data obtained by the camera detection; and providing a flow for distribution along the conveyor line. At least one dispensing unit for bulk food material, the dispensing unit comprising multiple rows of nozzles arranged along a direction transverse to the forward direction; a control unit selecting a set of nozzles from the multiple rows of nozzles according to one or more data representing the volume of a previously determined cavity, dispensing fluid food material through the set of nozzles; dispensing a certain amount of fluid food material into the cavity of each food product through the selected set of nozzles, the amount of fluid food material being approximately equal to the volume of the cavity of the food product, wherein the fluid food material is dispensed through the selected set of nozzles at corresponding preset times, while the food products on the conveyor line advance below the multiple rows of nozzles.

[0008] The present invention also relates to a system for implementing the aforementioned method, the system comprising: a unit for manufacturing a plurality of food products, each food product having a surface and a cavity, the cavity being manufactured on the surface and having a pre-determined outline in a plan view for replicating a given construction of decoration; a conveyor line for supplying the plurality of food products in a forward direction; at least one camera for detecting the food products moving along the conveyor line in the forward direction; at least one dispensing unit for dispensing fluid food material into cavities manufactured on the food products moving along the conveyor line, wherein the dispensing unit includes multiple rows of nozzles arranged in a direction transverse to the forward direction; and a control unit configured to determine one or more data representing the volume of the cavities of the food products based on data obtained from the detection of the food products by the camera, and configured to control the dispensing unit according to the data representing the corresponding volume of a single cavity. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Other features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are provided by way of non-limiting example only, and in the drawings:

[0010] - Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the system described in this application;

[0011] - Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A top view of part of the system;

[0012] - Figure 3 It indicates Figure 1 A partial perspective view of the system's allocation unit;

[0013] - Figure 4 It indicates Figure 3 The distribution head edge of the distribution unit Figure 3 The cross-sectional view of section IV-IV shown;

[0014] - Figure 5 yes Figure 3 The distribution head edge of the distribution unit Figure 3 The cross-sectional view of section VV shown;

[0015] - Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating the method described in this application according to a preferred embodiment is shown;

[0016] - Figure 7 This diagram illustrates another flowchart of the method described in this application according to a preferred embodiment;

[0017] - Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of two consecutive steps of the method described in this application according to an application example;

[0018] - Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a food product in two consecutive steps of the method described in this application according to an application example;

[0019] - Figure 10 Examples of food products used in the methods described in this application are shown; and

[0020] - Figure 11 Examples of food products obtained by the method described in this application are shown. Detailed Implementation

[0021] In the following description, various specific details are shown to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. Embodiments may be obtained without one or more specific details, or by other methods, components, or materials. In other instances, known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail so as not to obscure the various aspects of the embodiments.

[0022] The reference materials used in this application are provided for convenience only and therefore do not limit the scope or range of protection of the embodiments.

[0023] As described above, the solution described in this application relates to a method for producing a food product having a decoration having a given structure.

[0024] Food products can include, for example, oven-baked products, confectionery, ice cream, etc.

[0025] It should be understood that the teachings provided in this application can be applied to any type of food product, as will become apparent below.

[0026] Typically, the method described in this application includes the following steps:

[0027] - Produce multiple food products, each food product having a surface and at least one cavity made on said surface, and the outline in the plan view is predetermined to replicate a given structure of the corresponding decoration.

[0028] - This causes the multiple food products to move along the forward direction on the conveyor line;

[0029] - Use a camera to detect the corresponding cavities in various food products;

[0030] -Based on data obtained from detection by a camera, determine one or more data representing the cavity volume of a food product;

[0031] - At least one unit for dispensing fluid food material is provided along the conveyor line, the unit comprising multiple rows of nozzles arranged in a direction transverse to the direction of travel;

[0032] - Based on one or more data representing a previously determined cavity volume, select a set of nozzles from a multi-row nozzle array to dispense the fluid food material through that set of nozzles; and

[0033] - A certain amount of fluid food material is dispensed into the cavity of each food product through the selected set of nozzles. This amount is approximately equal to the volume of the cavity of the food product.

[0034] In this process, fluid food materials are dispensed through selected nozzles at corresponding preset times, while food products on the conveyor line move forward under these multiple rows of nozzles.

[0035] As described above, the method described in this application first envisions the manufacture of food products, each food product having at least one cavity with a predetermined outline in a plan view, the cavity being used to receive fluid food material, and the designed decoration being replicated through the fluid food material; the predetermined outline of the cavity corresponds to the shape of the decoration or a part of the decoration.

[0036] The cavity performs the function of providing a reference to the dispensing components for dispensing fluid food materials, enabling these components to dispense the correct amount of fluid food materials according to a predetermined distribution, so as to facilitate the replication of the planned decoration and to make the implementation of the method described in this application general, as described below.

[0037] in this regard, Figure 11 Examples of decorated food products manufactured using the methods described in this application are shown, while Figure 10This refers to the same food product manufactured using the method described in this application, but with added decoration.

[0038] The food product example shown (generally indicated by reference numeral 100) has a decoration formed by four almond-shaped elements 110 arranged radially, each almond-shaped element 110 having a central circle 110A surrounded by a region 110B of a different color. The central circle 110A and the surrounding region 110B are replicated by two different fluid food materials.

[0039] According to the example, the method described in this application firstly includes manufacturing a food product 100A comprising four cavities 101, which are provided in a plan view with a predetermined shape corresponding to the almond shape of the element 110, and are arranged accordingly based on the same radial arrangement of the four elements 110.

[0040] Each cavity 101 has a preset volume V given by multiplying the bottom area A of the cavity by the depth P of the cavity itself.

[0041] The area A depends on the shape and extent of the cavity 101, and therefore can certainly be varied from one application to another.

[0042] On the other hand, as mentioned above, the depth P of the cavity 101 can be very limited, for example, between 1 mm and 2 mm, because the main function of the cavity 101 is to determine the preset volume to be filled with the fluid food material.

[0043] As described above, the cavity 101 is then detected by a camera, and the method described in this application includes controlling a dispensing unit for dispensing fluid food materials based on data indicating the volume of the cavity 101 obtained from the detection step performed by the camera.

[0044] It should be noted that in this way, the dispensing unit can directly and automatically adapt its own operation to produce food products with different finishes in a single process.

[0045] Figures 1 to 4 An example of a system for implementing the method described in this application is shown.

[0046] The system shown (represented by reference numeral 1) includes:

[0047] - Unit 5 for manufacturing food product 100 having cavity 101;

[0048] - Conveyor line 2, used to move multiple products 100 leaving unit 5 along the forward direction K;

[0049] - At least one camera 4 for detecting the cavity 101 of the product 100 moving along the forward direction K on the conveyor line 2;

[0050] - At least one unit 10 for dispensing fluid food materials into the cavity 101 of product 100.

[0051] Unit 5 can be, for example, a forming unit for forming or molding dough, such as dough for oven-baked products (especially cookies), or any other base material for preparing food ingredients; it can be a mixture of multiple components or even a single component.

[0052] For example, unit 5 can include components for cutting, molding, and extruding in order to process dough or another base material.

[0053] exist Figure 1 In the example, unit 5 is constituted by a rotary machine for molding cookies, which includes a rotary roller 5A with a plurality of cavities 5B formed on its outer surface. These cavities 5B are configured to define corresponding molds for forming individual cookies from cookie dough supplied to roller 5A from hopper 5C. A protrusion (not shown) is provided at the bottom of the cavity 5B, forming a cavity 101 to be formed on product 100. Clearly, unit 5 can be any other type.

[0054] Typically, Unit 5 can be a conventional machine used to manufacture shaped food products, and its type will vary depending on the specific type of food product to be manufactured.

[0055] A special reference is made to the distribution unit 10, which includes multiple rows of nozzles 11 arranged along the direction of travel K.

[0056] In a preferred embodiment, similar to the illustrated embodiment, the dispensing unit 10 includes a plurality of dispensing heads 12, each dispensing head 12 including a row of nozzles 11 arranged along a direction transverse to the forward direction K.

[0057] The dispensing head 12 is arranged according to a matrix structure that extends along the forward direction K and along a direction orthogonal to it, H. Thus, the arrangement of the multiple rows of nozzles is configured as a series 11A of multiple rows of nozzles 11 aligned along the direction H, with the nozzles 11 following each other along the forward direction K.

[0058] Preferably, the multiple rows of nozzles 11 are oriented in corresponding directions J that are parallel to each other and inclined relative to the forward direction K, preferably at an angle ɵ between 3° and 15° relative to the forward direction K, and even more preferably between 7° and 10°. Generally, the angle ɵ can be selected according to the desired definition: the smaller the angle, the higher the definition that can be achieved.

[0059] In a preferred embodiment, similar to the illustrated embodiment, the multiple rows of nozzles 11 are identical to each other, particularly having an equal number of nozzles 11', which are spaced apart from each other by a distance D1, which is the same for all nozzle rows (see [link to embodiment]). Figure 8 ).

[0060] In a preferred embodiment, similar to the illustrated embodiment, multiple rows of nozzles 11A of the same series are equidistant from each other along direction H by a given distance D2 (see Figure 2 ).

[0061] In a preferred embodiment, similar to the illustrated embodiment, a series 11A of multiple rows of nozzles following each other along direction K are equidistant from each other by a given distance D3 (see...). Figure 2 ).

[0062] Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, similar to the illustrated embodiment, each series 11A is offset relative to the series preceding it (referring to the forward direction K); in particular, it is shifted along direction H such that the first nozzle of each row of this series (except for the end rows) is substantially aligned along the forward direction K with the last nozzle of the corresponding row of the series preceding it, and the last nozzle of each row of this series is aligned along direction K with the first nozzle of the corresponding row of the series preceding it, and vice versa (see...). Figure 2 ).

[0063] This ensures a constant and uniform distribution of nozzles 11' along direction H across the entire width of the distribution unit 10 within two consecutive series 11A.

[0064] In particular, it should be noted that the effective distance along direction H between the nozzles is equal to the distance D1 multiplied by the sine of angle ɵ. Figure 8 ).

[0065] Preferably, the number of distribution heads 11 can vary depending on the width of the desired representation.

[0066] The above-described nozzle arrangement enables the use of material deposited on the product to achieve a graphic resolution of at least 70 DPI, preferably at least 100 DPI.

[0067] The dispensing unit 10 includes a valve device 20 associated with the nozzle 11' to control the dispensing of fluid food materials through them.

[0068] The valve assembly 20 is pre-arranged for individual and independent control.

[0069] In this way, the liquid food material can be dispensed through each nozzle in a predetermined amount and at a predetermined time, and the predetermined amount and predetermined time can be different from the predetermined amount and predetermined time of other nozzles.

[0070] For example, Figure 6 and 7 The implementation of the method described in this application is illustrated by a block diagram, in order to obtain... Figure 10 Products.

[0071] refer to Figure 6 The method described in this application includes producing a food product 100 (step 200), and then detecting the cavity 101 of the product 100 by a camera 4 as the product 100 is brought to the dispensing unit 10 via a conveyor line 2 (step 201).

[0072] System 1 includes a control unit 6 configured to process signals received from camera 4 in order to obtain one or more data representing the volume of a single cavity 101 (step 202).

[0073] Preferably, the control unit 6 determines the area A and depth P of the cavity 101 in the plan view.

[0074] For this purpose, the control unit 6 may include a storage unit on which image processing software is stored, which is capable of obtaining data about the volume of cavity 101 (such as the values ​​of A and P mentioned above) based on the images sent by camera 4.

[0075] The software can be any known computer program that is commercially available and suitable for the stated purpose.

[0076] Based on the obtained data A and P, the control unit 6 is configured to select the nozzle of the dispensing unit 10, which will dispense fluid food material into the cavity 101, thereby completely filling it (step 203).

[0077] A selection is made so that the selected nozzle performs the dispensing of fluid food material, while product 100 continues to move forward in direction K without stopping.

[0078] In the first step (step 203'), the control unit 6 determines the first group of nozzles N1 based on the determined area A, the first group of nozzles N1 being located in the corresponding positions within the matrix described above, so that the nozzles can dispense fluid food material as a whole, so as to substantially cover the entire area or region A.

[0079] Therefore, the group of nozzles N1 is selected based on the shape and size of the region or area A.

[0080] It should be noted that the nozzle is controlled to dispense fluid food material, wherein the opening time is determined based on the forward velocity of the food product. The dispensed fluid food material can therefore be schematically represented as a cylinder with a base of area Ai and a height Hi (Figure 9). The base Ai depends on the nozzle's outflow cross-section, while the height Hi depends on the opening time of the dispensing nozzle.

[0081] Therefore, in the above steps, the control unit 6 selects a set of nozzles N1 to deliver a set of food material cylinders that completely cover the bottom of the cavity 101, so that they are arranged side by side on the bottom (image a of FIG9).

[0082] In the subsequent step (step 203''), the control unit 6 checks whether the height Hi of the cylinder is equal to the depth P of the cavity 101.

[0083] Those skilled in the art will understand that this depends on the forward speed of the product 100 on the conveyor line 2: in fact, the higher the forward speed of the product 100, the shorter the time that the cavity 101 remains in the correct position relative to the single nozzle (the predetermined position used to dispense the fluid food material within the cavity 101). Incidentally, it should be noted that, given the constant movement of the product 100, this position will actually be a predetermined outer region.

[0084] Then, the control unit 6 checks whether the speed of the conveyor line 2 is sufficient to transport a cylinder with a height Hi equal to its depth P.

[0085] At that time, the nozzle will be able to deliver a cylindrical food material with a height Hi equal to the depth P, and the set of nozzles N1 will distribute the fluid food material into the cavity 101.

[0086] If not, the control unit 6 continues to determine the second set of nozzles N2 to deliver another set of fluid food material cylinders, which is substantially equal to the set of cylinders to be delivered by the set of nozzles N1. During the dispensing operation, the second set of cylinders positions itself on top of the first set of cylinders, thereby forming a multi-layered structure (image b of FIG9).

[0087] Repeat the above steps until the control unit 6 determines that one set of cylindrical layers associated with the selected multiple sets of nozzles has reached a depth P equal to the height of the cavity 101. It should be noted that the cavity 101 does not necessarily need to be filled up to its own top edge, so that the steps can usually be repeated until the cavity 101 is filled with a predetermined amount of material.

[0088] Once the nozzle required to fill cavity 101 is selected, control unit 6 issues a command to valve device 20 to perform the dispensing of a predetermined amount of material (step 204).

[0089] In the accompanying drawings, the dispensed fluid food material is generally indicated by reference numeral 102. Referring to the example shown, material 102 replicates area 110B of decoration 110 (… Figure 11 ).

[0090] For the selected nozzle, the control unit determines a preset allocation time that can vary from one nozzle to another based on the position of each nozzle within the allocation unit 10 (i.e., more generally, based on its position within a set of multiple rows of nozzles).

[0091] As described above, each nozzle is selected to dispense fluid food material at a given point in the cavity 101. Therefore, during the dispensing operation, it is initiated during a time period in which the cavity 101 is positioned relative to the nozzle in a preset position suitable for dispensing the fluid food material into the cavity 101.

[0092] Taking this overall standard into account, the nozzles of each group N1, N2, etc. can be selected from each dispensing head 11 in a completely variable manner according to the specific requirements and environment of each dispensing operation.

[0093] For example, nozzles in the same group can belong to the same distribution head 11 or to different distribution heads. Similarly, two different groups of nozzles can include nozzles from the same distribution head or nozzles from different distribution heads.

[0094] Preferably, multiple sets of nozzles N1, N2, etc. are selected such that during the dispensing operation, the fluid food material will first be dispensed by the nozzles of the first set of N1, and then the food material will be dispensed only by the nozzles of another set of N2; the same division of the dispensing operation is maintained between the set of N2 and the possible other set, etc.

[0095] For example, Figure 8 This indicates the selection of two sets of nozzles N1 and N2 for filling the same area of ​​cavity 101. Each set of nozzles is selected from different dispensing heads 11, with the nozzles of the second set N2 located downstream of the nozzles of set N1 relative to the forward direction K. In this way, the nozzles of the second set N2 dispense the fluid food material only after the nozzles of set N1 have completed their dispensing operation.

[0096] refer to Figure 7 In a preferred embodiment, the method described herein envisions dispensing a second fluid food material onto a first fluid food material deposited in cavity 101.

[0097] The second material (denoted by reference numeral 104 in the accompanying drawings) is provided for finishing the decoration of product 100 and is thus distributed to provide another graphic representation. According to the example shown, the second material 104 replicates the circle 110A of decoration 110.

[0098] The method described herein envisions controlling the distribution of the second fluid material based on the arrangement characteristics of the first food material already deposited on the food product 100. This ensures that the two manifestations obtained through the first and second food materials, respectively, will be coordinated with each other.

[0099] In particular, in the preferred embodiment ( Figure 1 and 7 The method described in this application includes:

[0100] - The first fluid food material dispensed into the cavity 101 of the food product 100 is detected by the second camera 8;

[0101] -Based on the data obtained from the detection of camera 8, determine the area A1 of the first food material in the cavity 101 in the plan view (step 205).

[0102] - Determine the reference area A2 based on the previously determined area A1 (step 206);

[0103] - A second unit 30 for dispensing second fluid food material is provided along conveyor line 2 (step 207).

[0104] - Select a set of nozzles for the second dispensing unit 30 based on the reference area A2, through which the second fluid food material is dispensed (step 208); and

[0105] - The second fluid material is dispensed onto the product using the selected set of nozzles to cover the area corresponding to reference area A2.

[0106] In this process, the fluid food material is dispensed through the selected nozzle at a corresponding preset time, while the food product 100 on the conveyor line 2 moves forward under the multiple rows of nozzles in the unit 30 (step 209).

[0107] As described above, the method described herein envisions controlling the distribution of the second material based on one or more characteristics of the product area covered by the first fluid food material.

[0108] The characteristics considered and the control mode adopted depend on the specific application requirements.

[0109] Referring to the example described here, the second material is designed to create a decoration concentric with the decoration obtained through the first material.

[0110] The control scheme implemented determines the area A2 to be covered by distributing the second material onto the first material deposited in the cavity 101. The position and size of the area A2 will vary depending on the position and size of the area A1 of the first material, such that the area A2 will fall at a preset position relative to the area A1 of the first material and be in a given size ratio with it.

[0111] As mentioned above, the analytical characteristics and envisioned control modes of region A1 generated by the first material depend on the requirements of the specific application. For example, location, shape, size, etc., can represent some analytical characteristics of region A1, and given location, geometry, proportion, shape, etc., these can be control criteria implemented to determine region A2.

[0112] The dispensing unit 30 can have the same structure as the dispensing unit 10, and the nozzle control mode can also substantially correspond to the previously described mode.

[0113] It should be noted, however, that in this case, the operation of distributing the second fluid material is intended to cover only the predetermined area (equal to area A2), and not to fill the predetermined volume. Therefore, the distribution operation is always intended to activate only a single set of nozzles for depositing a single layer of material in the defined area A2.

[0114] On the other hand, it should be noted that the use of cameras 4 and 8 also provides the advantage of enabling the implementation of a method in which the food products to be decorated are supplied to the dispensing units 10 and 30 in a disordered and completely random manner, provided that the system can select the nozzle to dispense the fluid material based on the position of the food products on the conveyor line 2.

[0115] As described above, in order to perform the method described in this application, the valve device 20 associated with the nozzle 11' must be able to be controlled individually and independently of each other.

[0116] In a preferred embodiment, similar to the illustrated embodiment (see...) Figure 4 Each nozzle valve device 20 is equipped with an electrically driven opening / closing component.

[0117] In a preferred embodiment, similar to the illustrated embodiment ( Figure 5 The valve device 20 includes an opening / closing component 21, which is made of a body of elastic material and has a common hollow structure defining a peripheral edge 21A and a central region 21B.

[0118] An opening / closing component 21 is disposed within a conduit 13 of the dispensing head 12, which supplies food material to the nozzle 11' of the dispensing head.

[0119] The peripheral edge 21A is fixed above the conduit 13, as will be seen in more detail below, while the central region 21B can move within the conduit 13 between a first lowered position and a second raised position. In the first lowered position, the central region 21B closes the nozzle 11' to prevent the fluid food material from being dispensed through the nozzle 11'. In the second raised position, the channel is opened through the nozzle to dispense the fluid food material.

[0120] Due to the elasticity of the body of the opening / closing component 21, the central region 21B is able to move relative to the peripheral edge 21A.

[0121] The valve device 20 also includes a solenoid 24 and a magnetic element 25, which is connected to the central region 21B of the opening / closing component via a rod 26 and is movable in a reference direction T substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the conduit 13 due to electromagnetic interaction with the solenoid 24.

[0122] The solenoid 24 and magnetic element 25 are pre-arranged to drive the central region 21B of the opening / closing component from a lowered position to an raised position, as described above. A spring 27 acts on the magnetic element 25 to return the central region 21B to the lowered position.

[0123] In an alternative embodiment, the solenoid 24, the magnetic element 25, and the spring 27 can be pre-arranged for operation in exactly the opposite manner.

[0124] The control unit 6 is configured to drive the solenoid 24 of the valve device 20 of different nozzles 11' according to optical readings taken by cameras 4 and 8 at a preset time, which varies from one nozzle to another according to the criteria highlighted above.

[0125] In a preferred embodiment, similar to the illustrated embodiment, the valve device 20 is housed within a seat 14 disposed in the dispensing head 12 and extending along the reference direction T until it emerges into the conduit 13 itself.

[0126] The peripheral edge 21A of the opening / closing component 21 is fixed to the opening 16 by the fixing component 15, through which the seat 14 extends into the conduit 13, so that the opening / closing component 21 completely closes the opening 16, thereby separating the seat 14 and the valve device 20 housed therein from the conduit 13.

[0127] It should be understood that the opening / closing element 21 is therefore pre-arranged to operate both as an opening / closing component of the corresponding nozzle 11' and as a sealing element of the seat 14 that accommodates the valve device 20.

[0128] As in Figure 4As can be seen, the valve devices 20 for different nozzles are installed in the dispensing head 12 in the manner described above, based on the mutual arrangement of the row of nozzles 11 in the conduit 13.

[0129] on the other hand, Figure 3 This illustrates a series of dispensing heads 12 along direction H and a system for supplying food materials to corresponding conduits 13.

[0130] In a preferred embodiment, similar to the illustrated embodiment, the supply system includes a plurality of different and separate chambers 17, each chamber 17 supplying a corresponding subgroup of a series of dispensing heads 12.

[0131] The chamber 17 is supplied in parallel via a series of conduits 18, which are disconnected from the common source 19 of the food materials.

[0132] The above configuration enables the determination of the pressure and rate of fluid food material flow within the conduit 13, which is much less volatile and more constant compared to the case where the conduit 13 of all dispensing heads 12 is supplied by a single chamber. This facilitates the dispensing of fluid food material through a nozzle, which is more precise and constant over time.

[0133] On the other hand, the applicant has noted that during the nozzle closing step, the thrust of the central region 21B applied by the magnetic element 25 on the nozzle causes a portion of the central region 21B to enter the nozzle orifice, thereby transmitting a pulse to the food material still in the orifice that facilitates its exit.

[0134] The applicant has noted that the aforementioned effects significantly improve the dispensing of fluid food materials, particularly in applications where the amount of material to be dispensed is very small and the material itself has high viscosity. Under these conditions, conventional apparatus operation is quite difficult because the small amount of substance to be dispensed tends to remain inside the nozzle orifice due to the high viscosity of the material.

[0135] In a preferred embodiment, similar to the illustrated embodiment, the central portion 21B may have an attachment 23, which is specifically pre-arranged as an opening for entering the nozzle 11'.

[0136] For example, refer to Figure 2 and 8 The applicant has tested the system using a system that has the following characteristics and operates under the following conditions:

[0137] D1=8mm

[0138] D2=48mm

[0139] D3=250mm

[0140] Nozzle diameter: starting from 0.5mm

[0141] ɵ=7°

[0142] Forward speed: 15m / min

[0143] Materials dispensed by the system: chocolate cream (viscosity 1400 mPas, flow limit 2 Pa).

[0144] Graphics resolution: 150 DPI.

[0145] The minimum volume to be allocated is 0.05g, and the allocation time is 5ms.

[0146] Finally, it should be noted that the system described in this application does not necessarily need to be pre-arranged to implement the above method, and therefore it is even possible to perform the normal allocation method without setting up components such as camera 4 or second allocation unit 30, and the system described in this application can be used to perform the normal allocation method, providing the advantages highlighted above in any case.

[0147] Of course, without prejudice to the principles of the invention, the details of the construction and embodiments may vary significantly with respect to what is shown by non-limiting examples in this application, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for producing a food product, the food product being provided with a corresponding decoration having a given structure, the method comprising the steps of: - Produce a plurality of food products (100), each food product (100) having a surface and at least one cavity (101), the cavity (101) being manufactured on the surface and having in a plan view a given structure predetermined in order to replicate the corresponding decoration; - The plurality of food products (100) are moved along the forward direction (K) on the conveyor line (2); - The camera (4) is used to detect the corresponding cavity (101) for each food product (100); -Based on the data obtained by camera detection, one or more data (A, P) representing the volume of the cavity (101) of the food product (100) are determined by the control unit (6). - At least one dispensing unit (10) for dispensing fluid food material is provided along the conveyor line (2), the dispensing unit (10) comprising multiple rows of nozzles (11) arranged in a direction traversing the forward direction (K); -Based on one or more data (A, P) representing the volume of the previously determined cavity (101), the control unit (6) selects a set of nozzles (N1) from the multi-row nozzles and dispenses the fluid food material through the set of nozzles (N1). - A certain amount of fluid food material is dispensed into the cavity (101) of each food product (100) by means of the selected set of nozzles (N1), the amount of fluid food material being approximately equal to the volume of the cavity of the food product (100). In this process, the fluid food material is dispensed through the selected set of nozzles (N1) at a corresponding preset time, while the food product (100) on the conveyor line (2) moves forward below the multi-row nozzles (11).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein: Manufacturing the plurality of food products (100) includes creating cavities (101) with a depth (P) of less than 2 mm on the surface of each food product (100).

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein: Determining the one or more data representing the cavity volume includes determining the area (A) and depth (P) of the cavity (101) in a plan view; The selection of the set of nozzles includes: - Determine the first set of nozzles for at least covering the bottom of the cavity (101) based on the determined area (A); and -A plurality of another set of nozzles are determined based on the determined depth (P) and the rate at which the product advances in the forward direction (K) to fill the entire volume of the cavity (101).

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: - The food material deposited in the cavity (101) is detected by the second camera (8); -Based on the data obtained by the camera detection, determine the area of ​​the food material contained in the cavity in the plan view (A1). - Determine the reference area (A2) based on the previously determined area; -A second dispensing unit (30) for dispensing a second fluid food material is provided along the conveyor line (2), the second dispensing unit (30) including a second multi-row nozzle (11) arranged in a direction transverse to the forward direction (K); - Select a set of nozzles of the second dispensing unit (30) according to the reference area (A2), and dispense the second fluid food material through the set of nozzles of the second dispensing unit; - The second fluid food material is dispensed onto the food product using the selected set of nozzles of the second dispensing unit, so as to cover the area corresponding to the reference area. In this process, food materials are dispensed through selected nozzles at corresponding preset times, while food products on the conveyor line advance beneath the multiple rows of nozzles.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein: The multi-row nozzles include multiple rows of nozzles (11) oriented in corresponding directions (J) of the forward direction (K) that are parallel to each other and cross the conveyor line (2).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein: The multi-row nozzles have a matrix structure extending along the forward direction (K) and in a direction orthogonal to the forward direction (H).

7. The method of claim 5 or 6, wherein: The food material is deposited onto the food product through the multi-row nozzles, thereby achieving a graphic resolution of at least 70 DPI.

8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The dispensing unit (10) includes a valve device (20) associated with each individual nozzle (11') and designed to control the flow of food material through each individual nozzle (11'). The method includes controlling the valve device (20) individually and according to a corresponding preset time, which varies for each nozzle depending on the position of the nozzle within the multi-row nozzles (11).

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein: Each valve device is electrically driven.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The multi-row nozzles are oriented according to an angle between 3° and 15°.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein: The multi-row nozzles are oriented according to an angle between 7° and 10°.

12. A system for carrying out the method according to any one of claims 1-11, the system comprising: - A unit (5) for manufacturing multiple food products (100), each food product (100) having a surface and a cavity, the cavity being manufactured on the surface and having a profile in a plan view that is predetermined in order to replicate a given structure of decoration; - Conveyor line (2) for supplying the plurality of food products (100) in the forward direction (K). - At least one camera (4) for detecting food products moving along the forward direction (K) on the conveyor line (2); - At least one dispensing unit (10) for dispensing fluid food material into cavities created on a food product advancing on the conveyor line (2), wherein the dispensing unit (10) includes multiple rows of nozzles (11) arranged in a direction transverse to the direction of travel (K); and - Control unit (6), the control unit (6) is configured to determine one or more data (A, P) representing the volume of the cavity (101) of the food product (100) based on data obtained from the detection of the food product by the camera (4), and is configured to control the dispensing unit (10) according to the data (A, P) representing the corresponding volume of the individual cavity (101).

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein: The multi-row nozzle (11) includes multiple rows of nozzles oriented in corresponding directions (J) along the forward direction (K) that are parallel to each other and cross the conveyor line (2).

14. The system according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the multi-row nozzles (11) have a matrix configuration extending along the forward direction (K) and in a direction orthogonal to the forward direction (H).

15. The system according to claim 12 or 13, wherein: The dispensing unit (10) includes a valve device (20) associated with each individual nozzle (11') and designed to control the flow of food material through each individual nozzle (11').

16. The system according to claim 12 or 13, further comprising: A memory unit comprising a series of instructions executable by a control unit to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein: The multi-row nozzles are oriented according to an angle between 3° and 15°.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein: The multi-row nozzles are oriented according to an angle between 7° and 10°.

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