Device for deforming and / or moving a food product and corresponding method

Abstract

Device for deforming and / or moving a food product (35), in particular a dairy product, with a functional section (14, 36) which interacts with the food product (35) during deformation and / or movement, wherein the functional section (14, 36) is at least partially porous, so that a pressurized fluid, in particular a gas, can be forced from the interior of the functional section (14, 36) through the porous section (16, 38) into the outer space surrounding the functional section (14, 36), characterized in that the functional section (14, 36) has sections (16, 38) of different porosity.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for deforming and / or moving a food product, in particular a dairy product. The device comprises a functional section that interacts with the food product during the deformation and / or movement process.

[0002] Such devices can include, for example, pistons that move a food product during the production process, such as from a mold into packaging. Alternatively, such a device can include a plunger that is pressed into a food product to deform it locally. In both moving and deforming the food product, the problem can arise that components of the food product adhere to the piston or plunger when they are withdrawn. To prevent this, the surface of the piston or plunger is sprayed with water, which acts as a release agent. However, the water used often has a detrimental effect on downstream production steps. For example, packaging the wet food product is often difficult.

[0003] EP 2 140 767 A1 discloses a device for molding food products, comprising a movable molding body in which the product is formed and an ejection cup for ejecting the product from the molding body. The ejection cup has a partially permeable bottom through which a fluid can be ejected to create a fluid cushion.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for deforming and / or moving a food product, avoiding the problem described above.

[0005] This problem is solved by a device having the features of claims 1 and 4.

[0006] According to the invention, the functional section is at least partially porous, so that a pressurized fluid from the interior of the functional section can be forced through the porous section into the external space surrounding the functional section. In particular, the fluid is a gas, for example air.

[0007] Due to the porous design of at least part of the functional section, the fluid can be forced through the section, thus wetting or surrounding the part that interacts with the food product. When air is used as the fluid, this creates a kind of air cushion that prevents parts of the food product from adhering to the piston or plunger when it is moved or deformed. Preferably, all areas of the functional section that come into contact with the food product are porous.

[0008] In principle, any fluid can be used. It is understood that the porosity of the porous section must be adapted to the properties of the fluid used—especially its viscosity—in order to achieve the desired effect. While it is certainly possible to force a liquid through the porous section of the functional part in certain applications, the use of a gas, particularly air, has the advantage that the food product does not get wet, which—as described at the beginning—can be problematic in a number of subsequent production and / or processing steps. For particularly sensitive applications, the use of a protective gas may also be advisable.

[0009] Further embodiments of the invention are specified in the description, the claims and the accompanying drawings.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the interior of the functional section has at least one supply channel. The supply channel can extend at least partially into the porous section. It serves to distribute the fluid appropriately within the functional section to ensure that sufficient fluid is available in all areas of the porous section. This prevents parts of the porous section from not receiving enough fluid, which would result in an incomplete fluid cushion forming in the area associated with the undersupplied region, potentially leading to food adhesion. In other words, the at least one supply channel enables the targeted—and, in particular, as uniform as possible—distribution of the fluid within and / or on the surface of the porous section or the functional section.

[0011] According to a first aspect of the invention, the functional section includes areas of varying porosity. In other words, the porous section does not only have an area of ​​constant porosity, which is traversed by supply channels as needed, but the porosity is deliberately varied. One of the aims of this measure is to achieve the most uniform fluid distribution possible. By varying the porosity, for example, it can be ensured that fluid flowing over a comparatively long path through the porous section is not subjected to significantly higher back pressure than parts of the fluid that travel a shorter path through the porous section to reach the outside. This prevents the fluid from "seeking" a preferred flow path through the porous section—namely, the one with the least flow resistance—and prevents other areas of the porous section from being undersupplied.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the invention, which can be realized independently or in combination with the first aspect of the invention, several supply channels are provided inside the functional section, which are arranged completely in the porous section and wherein the porous section of the functional section is connected to at least one fluid supply chamber via several supply lines.

[0013] In this context, it should be noted that the term porosity, as used in the context of the present invention, is to be understood as open porosity, i.e., the sum of the cavities that are interconnected with each other and with the external space, as well as—directly or indirectly—with a fluid source. The choice of the appropriate porosity depends—as already mentioned—among other things, on the fluid used. Different porosities are areas with varying pore volumes relative to a unit volume, so that these areas exhibit different characteristics regarding fluid flow characteristics. This directly results in them presenting different flow resistances for the fluid. Areas with closed porosity (unconnected cavities), solid areas, and completely open areas are not to be described as porous in the context of this disclosure.

[0014] The porous section of the functional section can be connected directly and / or via supply lines to at least one fluid supply chamber. However, it is also conceivable to provide two or more fluid supply chambers to generate a specific fluid distribution, supplying fluid at different pressures to the porous section.

[0015] To provide the pressurized fluid, the device can include a fluid supply unit through which the fluid can be supplied to the functional section under pressure. In particular, the fluid supply unit has a flanged section that is coupled to the functional section. Preferably, the flanged section forms part of the fluid supply chamber. For example, the flanged section is bell-shaped and is placed on the functional section. Preferably, the device is designed such that the flanged section is attached to a side of the functional section facing away from the food. However, it is also possible to provide a side connection.

[0016] According to an advantageous embodiment, at least the porous section of the functional section is made of metal. Metal can be easily cleaned and sterilized, which is of particular importance in the food industry.

[0017] At least the porous section of the functional part can be manufactured using a 3D printing process. Suitable 3D printing processes include, for example, selective laser sintering, selective laser welding, selective electron sintering, and / or selective electron melting. All of these processes allow for the precise processing of metallic materials and the creation of the desired porosity distribution. Furthermore, 3D printing processes can also be used to implement complex geometries of the porous section and / or the functional part with relative ease.

[0018] The functional section can form an embossing die, which can be used, for example, to imprint a symbol or logo onto a food product. However, the functional section can also be a piston for moving the food product, for example, to eject the product from a mold.

[0019] The present invention further relates to a portioning unit for processing a food product, comprising a mold for receiving the food product and a first device for ejecting it from the mold. The first device is designed according to at least one of the embodiments described above. The functional section of the device is movably arranged by means of a drive unit. In particular, the porous section of the functional section of the device essentially forms the entire base of the mold. This design of the device offers the advantage that the food product can be reliably pressed out of the mold through the functional section without any components of the food product adhering to it. As explained above, the fluid forced through the porous section ensures reliable detachment of the product from the functional section.

[0020] The portioning unit can comprise a filling station and an embossing station. The filling station is designed such that the food product can be poured into the mold while at least the porous section of the functional part of the first device is arranged in a receiving position. The embossing station comprises a second device according to one of the embodiments described above, by means of which the food product can be deformed. In other words, this embodiment of the portioning unit comprises two devices, each with at least one porous section through which pressurized fluid is forced to reliably prevent unwanted product adhesion.

[0021] The portioning unit can include an ejection station. This station is designed such that the food product can be pushed out of the mold from the receiving position to an ejection position by moving the functional section of the first device. In particular, the ejection station can be designed such that the product can be pushed out of the mold into packaging.

[0022] The mold, the first device, and the drive unit for moving the first device can be arranged on a rotatably mounted frame, allowing the mold containing the food product to be transported from the filling station to the stamping station and / or the ejection station. This enables efficient processing of the food product.

[0023] The invention further relates to a method for deforming and / or moving a food product—preferably a dairy product—in which, in particular, a device according to at least one of the embodiments described above is used. A functional section that interacts with the food product during the deformation and / or movement process is at least partially porous. According to the invention, a pressurized fluid is forced through this porous section from the interior of the functional section into the surrounding external space in order to prevent product adhesion to the functional section.

[0024] The present invention is explained below by way of example with reference to advantageous embodiments and the accompanying drawings. These show: Fig. 1 a first embodiment of an embossing die according to the invention, Fig. 2 to 6 sectional views of further embodiments of the embossing die according to the invention, Fig. 7 an embodiment of a piston according to the invention for ejecting a food product from a mold and Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 perspective views of a portioning device for portioning and packaging a food product.

[0025] Fig. Figure 1 shows an embossing die 10, which is used to emboss a symbol into a food product. For example, the die 10 is used to stamp a manufacturer's logo into a dairy product, such as butter.

[0026] The embossing die 10 comprises a carrier plate 12, which carries an embossing element 14. By pressing the embossing die 10 against the food product, the embossing element 14 penetrates at least partially into the product and deforms it locally. In this case, the letter "W" is embossed onto the product. The embossing element 14 does not penetrate completely into the product, so the carrier plate 12 does not come into contact with the product.

[0027] With conventional embossing dies, the embossing element is moistened with water to prevent product adhesion. However, this results in the product becoming wet and / or getting into the mold or packaging containing the food product being processed. This water leads to a variety of problems that should be avoided.

[0028] According to the invention, it has been found that product adhesion to the embossing element can be reliably prevented if the embossing element is at least partially porous and a fluid, in particular a gas (e.g., air), is forced through the pore space. The fluid emerging from the porous section also prevents a vacuum from forming in the resulting depression between the surface of the food product and the surface of the embossing element when the embossing die is withdrawn, which could lead to undesirable deformation of the embossing.

[0029] The embossing element 14 is essentially composed of two parts. It comprises a porous embossing section 16 facing the food product and an optional solid base section 18, which is arranged between the embossing section 16 and the carrier plate 12. During the embossing process, the embossing element 14 does not penetrate the product to such an extent that the base section 18 comes into contact with it. Thus, only the porous parts of the embossing die 10 come into contact with the food product.

[0030] To prevent the fluid from escaping laterally from the porous embossing section 16, this section can be provided with non-porous side walls, in deviation from the embodiment shown. When the section 16 penetrates the food product, the fluid flow through the side of the section 16 facing the product may be significantly reduced or even cease, as the fluid seeks the path of least resistance—that is, the path with the least resistance—through the section 16 and therefore escapes through the side walls of the section 16 that have not yet come into contact with the product. In this case, the desired fluid cushion forms only incompletely, so that the effect preventing the product from adhering to the die 10 is either not achieved or only partially achieved.A dense design of the side walls of section 16 – regardless of how this design is achieved – can often avoid the problem described above. The dense side walls can be an integral part of element 14 or applied to the sides of the porous section 16 in another production step.

[0031] The fluid is supplied from the side of the embossing die 10 facing away from the food product. This die has a chamber section 20, into which the fluid is supplied by a supply device (not shown). The chamber section 20 is essentially a shallow, cylindrical recess in the carrier plate 12. Supply lines 22 lead from the chamber section 20 to supply channels 24, which, in the illustrated embodiment, run entirely within the porous embossing section 16. They ensure that the fluid can distribute itself evenly within the embossing section 16. In this case, the supply channels 24 not only form the shape of the "W". To improve the distribution of the fluid, a supply channel 24' is also provided, which connects the two central legs of the "W" transversely.It is understood that the geometry, cross-section, number and distribution of the channels 24, 24' depend, among other things, on the complexity of the geometry of the embossing section 16 and the properties of the fluid used.

[0032] From the supply channels 24, 24' and the parts of the supply lines 22 extending into the embossing section 16, the fluid enters the porous parts of the embossing section 16 and thus ultimately the external space adjacent to the embossing section 16, where it creates a fluid cushion surrounding it.

[0033] When the embossing section 16 penetrates the food product, the fluid cushion described above prevents parts of the product from adhering to the embossing section 16. The pressure at which the fluid is supplied plays a significant role in this process. If it is too low, the food product, especially if it is a relatively soft material, can penetrate the pores of the embossing section 16. Conversely, excessive pressure leads to poor-quality embossing, particularly if the fluid exiting the embossing section 16 itself causes uncontrolled deformation of the food product. To achieve good embossing results, the porosity of the material of the embossing section 16 must be appropriately selected. The permeability provided by the pores must not be too small, otherwise too little fluid can escape through the embossing section 16.Conversely, excessive porosity may create an excessively large fluid cushion, or – if the fluid pressure is too low – allow the food product to penetrate the pores, which is also undesirable.

[0034] In the illustrated embodiment, the porosity of the material forming the embossed section 16 is essentially constant throughout. However, to create a uniform fluid cushion, the porosity can vary locally. In certain cases, it may also be desirable to deliberately create a non-uniform fluid cushion, which can likewise be achieved by varying the porosity and / or by using appropriately shaped supply channels 24, 24'.

[0035] The embossing section 16, the base section 18, and the carrier plate 12 are made of the same material. A 3D printing process is used to manufacture the embossing die 10, which allows for the realization of complex workpiece geometries and locally well-defined material porosities. Electron sintering or electron melting processes, or laser sintering or laser melting processes, are particularly suitable for manufacturing metallic dies. Of course, it is also possible, for example, to manufacture the embossing element 14 separately—possibly with dense side walls, as described above—and to attach it to a carrier plate 12 produced, for example, by a machining process. The base section 18—if present—can also be manufactured separately or together with the carrier plate 12. The components 16, 18, and 12 do not necessarily have to be made of the same material.

[0036] The carrier plate 12 is attached to a drive unit (not shown) by means of bores 26, which allows the embossing die 10 to be moved. The bores 26 can also be used to attach a flange (not shown) through which the fluid can be directed into the chamber section 20. In principle, it is possible to arrange more than one embossing element 14 on the carrier plate 12.

[0037] Fig. Figure 2 shows an embodiment 10a of the embossing die according to the invention. The carrier plate 12 is connected to a bell-shaped flange section, which in turn is connected to a fluid line 30. Pressurized fluid flows through the fluid line 30 into a chamber 32, which is formed by the flange section 28 and the chamber section 20. The fluid flows from the chamber 32 through the supply lines 22, through the base section 18, and into the relatively porous embossing section 16. Due to the relatively high porosity of the embossing section 16, the fluid is distributed sufficiently evenly even without supply channels 24, 24'.

[0038] The in Fig. The die shown in Figure 3, 10b, has a die section 16 with a lower porosity, so that here - as with die 10 of the Fig. 1 - in turn, supply channels 24 are provided for the even distribution of the fluid.

[0039] Fig. Figure 4 shows an embodiment 10c of the embossing die according to the invention. The arrows indicate the flow path of the fluid from the chamber 32 through the supply channels 22 into the porous embossing section 16. The embossing section 16 has a section of reduced porosity in its central area (symbolized by a denser dot pattern) in order to deliberately achieve a weaker fluid flow in this area. In principle, the porosity distribution can be arbitrarily complex in order to achieve a desired fluid flow pattern.

[0040] Fig. Figure 5 shows an embossing die 10d with two separate embossing elements 14, 14', each with its own fluid supply chamber 32 or 32'. This makes it possible to supply the elements 14, 14' with different fluid pressures, which can be advantageous, for example, when the elements 14, 14' have geometries of varying complexity.

[0041] Fig. Figure 6 shows a die 10e, which—like the die 10d—has two chambers 32, 32'. However, the chambers 32, 32', in which different fluid pressures prevail, both feed a single porous die section 16. This design makes it possible to vary the fluid distribution as needed, namely by adjusting the applied fluid pressures. It is understood that more than two chambers 32, 32' can be provided.

[0042] In the case of the embossing die 10e, there is no base section 18, so that the embossing element 14 and the embossing section 16 are identical in this embodiment.

[0043] The measures “porosity variation” (see, for example, the embodiment according to Fig. 4) and “fluid variation” (see, for example, the embodiment according to Fig. 6) can be combined as required.

[0044] Fig. Figure 7 shows a cross-section through a mold 34 containing a food product, for example, butter 35. A piston 36 essentially forms the entire base of the mold 34. The piston 36 is provided on its side facing the butter 35 with a porous base section 38, which functions similarly to the embossing section 16 of the embossing dies 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e. The piston 36 is moved to push the butter 35 out of the mold 34 into a package 40. Pressurized fluid is forced through the porous base section 38 to prevent the butter 35 from adhering to the base section 38 when the piston 36 is retracted after the butter 35 has been ejected. The fluid is supplied via a fluid line 30 and a chamber 32 inside the piston 36.

[0045] For example, the bottom section 38 is first manufactured separately as a porous plate and attached to the base of the piston 36, which is provided with the chamber 32. The piston 36 – as a whole or parts thereof – can be manufactured by a 3D printing process.

[0046] The Fig. 8 and Fig. Figure 9 shows a portioning device 42 in perspective views. The device 42 comprises a frame 46 rotatably mounted about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation 44, which carries a plurality of molds 34. The molds 34 are arranged in groups of four, offset by 90° each, on the frame 46. The uppermost molds 34 are filled with butter or another food product at a filling station. After the filling of the molds 34 is complete, the frame 46 is rotated clockwise by 90° so that the newly filled molds 34 face an embossing station 50. In this position, the butter manufacturer's logo is embossed onto the butter in the molds 34, which, due to its relatively high viscosity during filling, does not leak out of the molds 34, by means of embossing dies 10f.The embossing dies 10f each have a porous embossing section, as described by way of example using the embossing dies 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e.

[0047] After completion of the embossing process, the frame 46 is rotated again by 90° and the butter 35 is ejected at an ejection station 52 by means of a piston 36 - see for example Fig. 7 - from molds 34 into prepared packaging. In Fig. Figure 6 shows that the packages 40 are lifted when the butter 35 is ejected from the molds 34 to facilitate the introduction of the butter 35 into the respective package 40. To ensure a reliable transfer of the butter block 35, the packages 40 are lifted sufficiently so that a portion of the mold 34 penetrates the corresponding package 40, which also works well in Fig.Figure 7 shows that this penetration of the open end of the mold 34 into the packaging 40 is facilitated by a wedge-shaped taper of the mold 34. Reference symbol list 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d 10e, 10f embossing stamp 12 Carrier plate 14, 14' Embossing element 16 embossing section 18 Basic section 20th chamber section 22 Supply line 24, 24' supply channel 26 bore 28 Flange section 30 Fluid line 32, 32' Chamber 34 Form 35 Butter 36 pistons 38 Floor section 40 Packaging 42 Portioning device 44 axis of rotation 46 frames 48 filling stations 50 embossing station 52 Ejection station

Claims

[1] Device for deforming and / or moving a food product (35), in particular a dairy product, comprising a functional section (14, 36) which interacts with the food product (35) during deformation and / or movement, wherein the functional section (14, 36) is at least partially porous, so that a pressurized fluid, in particular a gas, can be forced from the interior of the functional section (14, 36) through the porous section (16, 38) into the outer space surrounding the functional section (14, 36), characterized by , that the functional section (14, 36) has sections (16, 38) of different porosity. [2] Device according to claim 1, characterized by , that at least one supply channel (24, 24') is provided inside the functional section (14, 36). [3] Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by, that the porous section (16, 38) of the functional section (14, 36) is directly and / or via supply lines (22) connected to at least one fluid supply chamber (32). [4] Device, in particular according to claim 1, for deforming and / or moving a food product (35), in particular a dairy product, comprising a functional section (14) which interacts with the food product (35) during deforming and / or moving, wherein the functional section (14) is at least partially porous, so that a pressurized fluid, in particular a gas, can be forced from the interior of the functional section (14) through the porous section (16) into the outer space surrounding the functional section (14), characterized by, that inside the functional section (14) several supply channels (24, 24') are provided which are arranged entirely in the porous section (16) and wherein the porous section (16) of the functional section (14) is connected to at least one fluid supply chamber (32) via several supply lines (22). [5] Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the device includes a fluid supply unit (28, 30) through which the fluid can be supplied to the functional section (14). [6] Device according to claim 5, characterized by , that the fluid supply unit has a flange section (28) which is coupled to the functional section (14, 36), in particular wherein the flange section (28) forms part of the fluid supply chamber (32). [7] Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that at least the porous section (16, 38) of the functional section (14, 36) is made of metal. [8] Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that at least the porous section (16, 38) of the functional section (14, 36) is manufactured by a 3D printing process. [9] Device according to claim 8, characterized by , that the 3D printing process includes a selective laser sintering process, a selective laser welding process, a selective electron sintering process and / or a selective electron melting process. [10] Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the functional section forms an embossing die (14). [11] Device according to at least one of the preceding claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the functional section forms a piston (36) for moving the food product (35), in particular a piston (36) for ejecting the product (35) from a mold (34). [12] Portioning unit for processing a food product (35) comprising a mold (34) for receiving the food product (35) and a first device for ejecting the same from the mold (34), wherein the first device is configured according to at least one of the preceding claims and the functional section (36) of the first device is movably arranged by means of a drive unit, in particular wherein the porous section (38) of the functional section (36) of the device substantially forms a bottom of the mold (34). [13] Portioning unit according to claim 12, characterized in that the portioning unit comprises a filling station (48) and an embossing station (50), wherein the filling station (48) is configured such that the food product (35) can be filled into the mold (34) while the porous section (38) of the functional section (36) of the first device is arranged in a receiving position, and wherein the embossing station (50) comprises a second device according to at least one of the preceding claims 1 to 11, by means of which the food product (35) can be deformed. [14] Portioning unit according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the portioning unit comprises an ejection station (52), wherein the ejection station (52) is designed such that the food product (35) can be pushed out of the mold (34) by moving the functional section (36) of the first device from a receiving position to an ejection position, in particular into a packaging (40). [15] Portioning unit according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the mold (34), the first device and the drive unit are arranged on a rotatably mounted frame (46) by which the mold (34) with the food product (35) can be transported from the filling station (48) to the embossing station (50) and / or to the ejection station (52). [16] Method for deforming and / or moving a food product (35) - preferably a dairy product - by means of a device according to at least one of the preceding claims 1 to 11, wherein a functional section (14, 36) cooperating with the food product (35) during the deformation and / or movement is designed to be porous at least section by section and a pressurized fluid is forced from the interior of the functional section (14, 36) through the porous section (16, 38) into the outer space surrounding the functional section (14, 36).

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