Device for producing a snack product based on an ice cream cone

Abstract

A die (10) for producing a snack product, comprising a die (20) having a circular recess surrounded by a cutting edge, wherein the recess is designed to receive the tip (EWS) of an ice cream cone (EW) and the wall of the die forming the cutting edge is designed to hold the ice cream cone (EW), and a punch (30), wherein the die (20) and the punch (30) are movable relative to each other and, when they interact, are designed to separate the tip of the ice cream cone (EW) from the section of the ice cream cone (EW) arranged above the die (20) by forming a closed cutting line.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a tool and a method for producing a snack product based on an ice cream cone. In particular, the invention relates to a tool for processing ice cream cones, especially rolled sweet waffles, which form the basis of the snack product to be produced.

[0002] Snack products are generally understood to be sweets or savory snacks, which come in various forms. This also includes the chocolate-covered tips of ice cream cones, which are offered as a standalone product, i.e., without ice cream, specifically as a coffee treat.

[0003] Due to its small size, it is not possible to produce such a snack product, shaped like an ice cream cone tip, independently using existing baking equipment. The main difficulty lies in the fact that the amount of heat required to bake the relatively small cone is at the lower end of the oven heating range, and that removing the baked cone from the baking plate and feeding it into the winding tool are prone to errors.

[0004] Therefore, the current method for producing ice cream cone tips involves using rolled-up sweet wafers, which are then cut to the desired length in a subsequent step. For this, the ice cream cones are fed into a chain conveyor belt and passed by angled ultrasonic blades that cut through the cone. A disadvantage of this method is that the lateral stress caused by the ultrasonic blades, combined with insufficient fixation of the cone in the chain conveyor belt, results in a slanted, unclean cut edge in most cases.

[0005] Other tools known from the production of ice cream cones, such as those disclosed in DE 20 2011 003 664 U1 or EP 0 760 603 B1, are not suitable for the production of ice cream cone tips.

[0006] The object of the invention is therefore to create a tool for the production of a snack product based on an ice cream cone, with the help of which precisely shaped and cut ice cream cone tips can be produced while avoiding products of insufficient quality.

[0007] This problem is solved by the stamping tool with the features of claim 1 and by the method with the features of claim 10. The dependent claims each describe advantageous embodiments of the invention.

[0008] The basic idea of ​​the invention is to produce a snack product in the form of an ice cream cone tip, preferably designed as a wound cone cone and particularly preferably having a cone angle of 22° ± 2° and / or a leg length of 37 mm ± 3 mm, from a conventionally manufactured ice cream cone using a die. Unlike conventional die-cutting tools, where the raw workpiece is placed on the die, the die is designed such that the recess formed in the die, which interacts with the punch, is configured as a receptacle for an ice cream cone. The die is thus designed such that, when the ice cream cone is inserted into the recess, the tip of the cone passes through the die, rests against the die wall, and the ice cream cone is therefore not supported on, but rather within, the die.The vertical alignment of the ice cream cone in the die is achieved on the one hand by the preferred conical shape of the die wall forming the recess and on the other hand by the preferably conical shape of the punch that engages the ice cream cone. This ensures a clean, geometrically precise cut. The ice cream cone tip, separated from the section above the die by the punch, represents the snack product to be manufactured or an intermediate product suitable for further processing. The section of the ice cream cone separated above the tip during the stamping process can be used to manufacture other food products.

[0009] According to the invention, a stamping tool for the production of a snack product is proposed, comprising a die having a circular recess surrounded by a cutting edge, wherein the recess is designed to receive the tip of an ice cream cone and the wall of the die forming the cutting edge is designed to hold the ice cream cone, and a punch, wherein the die and the punch are movable relative to each other and, when they interact, are designed to form a closed cutting line for separating the tip of the ice cream cone from the section of the ice cream cone arranged above the die.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the punch is conical, specifically designed as a truncated cone. Particularly preferably, the truncated cone shape has a chamfer around the (blunt) tip, which ensures gentle contact between the punch and the inner wall of the ice cream cone and facilitates the alignment of the ice cream cone in the die.

[0011] It is further preferably provided that the stamping tool has a device that causes the section of the ice cream cone located above the die to break when the closed cutting line is formed. This device can be designed as a section of the punch, and it is specifically provided that this device is a ring arranged on the punch and surrounding it. In any case, the device is dimensioned such that its circumference, i.e., for example, the circumference of the ring arranged on the punch, is larger than the inner diameter of the ice cream cone in the area of ​​the cone where the ring is located when the stamping tool is closed. To allow for manufacturing adjustments, it is particularly provided that the device is detachably connected to the stamping tool so that the ring can be adjusted on the stamping tool, especially on the punch of the stamping tool.

[0012] Specifically, the die is designed to have a blunt cutting edge, with the punch being tapered, forming a closed cutting line with the blunt cutting edge, and sealing the die recess. This special design ensures that no product residue, in particular fragments of the ice cream cone section located above the die, can pass through the die recess and reach the product.

[0013] The wall of the die forming the recess for receiving the tip of an ice cream cone is in particular cylindrical or preferably designed as an internal cone opening towards the punch. This design ensures that the ice cream cone received by the recess can be aligned perpendicular to the plane of the die or perpendicular to the plane of the cutting edge of the die.

[0014] The stamping tool preferably also includes a feeding device for supplying ice cream cones to the die and, more preferably, a conveying means for removing the tip cut off the ice cream cone. It is understood that the stamping tool can also have a plurality of dies and punches designed according to the invention in order to enable industrial production with the simultaneous processing of a plurality of ice cream cones. Accordingly, the feeding device and / or the conveying means would be designed, for example, as a chute, wherein the chutes can transport the raw material and the product, or the raw materials and the products, to and from the stamping tool by gravity.

[0015] Finally, an advantageous embodiment of the invention consists in the provision of a suction device on the upper side of the die, which creates a vacuum and is used to remove the section of the ice cream cone separated from the tip and located above the die. This suction device is specifically designed to transport away the cone fragments produced by the device that breaks the section of the ice cream cone located above the die. Since the punch seals the die recess when the die is closed, the product can be removed without creating a vacuum.

[0016] Accordingly, a method for producing a snack product using the stamping tool according to the invention is also proposed, comprising the following steps: - Inserting an ice cream cone into the circular recess of the die and - Separation of the tip of the ice cream cone from the section of the ice cream cone located above the die by the interaction of the die and the punch, forming a closed cutting line.

[0017] The cone angle of the punch, when used in a conical die, is adapted to the cone angle of the ice cream cone inserted into the circular recess of the die. This ensures a clean cut and a smooth process.

[0018] Furthermore, with regard to the procedure - as mentioned previously - it is provided that the suction of the section of the ice cream cone located above the die and separated from the tip of the ice cream cone takes place with the stamping tool closed.

[0019] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to a particularly preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings. These show: Fig. 1 a schematic cross-section through a particularly preferred embodiment of the stamping tool according to the invention; Fig. 2 a particularly favorably designed stamp in a frontal view (A) and a side view (B); and Fig. 3 a particularly preferred die in cross-section (A), in a side view (B) and in a top view (C) as well as a cut detail view in the area of ​​the cutting edge of the die (D).

[0020] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-section through a particularly preferred embodiment of the stamping tool according to the invention. In particular, it shows Fig. 1 A die 20 and a punch 30, designed for the production of a snack product based on an ice cream cone (EW), in particular a rolled sweet waffle cone. The die 20 has a circular recess surrounded by a cutting edge, which is designed to receive the tip EWS of an ice cream cone EW, hereinafter also referred to as ice cream cone tip EWS. The wall of the die 20 forming the cutting edge acts as a bearing ring for the entire ice cream cone EW.

[0021] Furthermore, it can be seen that the stamping tool 10 has a feed device 40 set up for feeding ice cream cones EW to the die 30 and a conveying means 50 that causes the removal of the tip EWS separated from the ice cream cone EW.

[0022] As is known, die 20 and punch 30 are arranged to be movable relative to each other, whereby, when they interact, forming a closed cutting line, the tip EWS of the ice cream cone EW is separated from the section of the ice cream cone EW located above die 20. At the same time, the device that causes the section of the ice cream cone EW located above die 20 to break (see...) ensures that... Fig. 2) and the extraction device 60 to ensure that the no longer needed fragments of the ice cream cone EW can be removed separately from the ice cream cone tip EWS.

[0023] Fig. Figure 2 shows a particularly elaborately designed stamp in a frontal view (A) and a side view (B). The one in Fig. The punch 30 shown in Figure 2 is designed as a truncated cone, with a chamfer circumferencing the punch 30 in the area of ​​the truncated cone tip. This chamfer aligns the ice cream cone being processed, if it is not already vertically oriented, in the direction of the cone angle of the punch 30. The cone angle of the punch 30 corresponds to the cone angle of the ice cream cone being processed.

[0024] Furthermore, in Fig. 2. It can be seen that the device causing the section of the ice cream cone EW located above the die 20 to break is designed as a ring 32 detachably attached to the punch 30 and encircling the punch 30. In particular, for the purpose of adjusting the punching tool 10 with respect to the respective product, the ring 32 is designed to be height-adjustable in its relative position on the punch 30.

[0025] Finally, it shows Fig. 3 A particularly preferred die in cross-section (A), in a side view (B) and in a top view (C) as well as a cutaway detail view in the area of ​​the cutting edge of the die (D). The recess of the die 20 is circular, wherein the wall surrounding the recess is also conical, corresponding to the conical shape of the ice cream cone EW to be processed with the punching tool 10. How Fig. As shown in the 3D detailed view, the cutting edge is blunt, with the conically shaped punch 30 sealingly abutting the cutting edge of the die 20 when the punching tool 10 is closed. This prevents the ice cream cone tip ESW, located below the punch 30 or the die 20, from being captured by the suction device 60. Simultaneously, any ice cream cone fragments ESW generated above the die 20 cannot reach the product.

Claims

[1] Stamping tool (10) for the production of a snack product with - a die (20) having a circular recess surrounded by a cutting edge, wherein the recess is designed to receive the tip (EWS) of an ice cream cone (EW) and the wall of the die (20) forming the cutting edge is designed to hold the ice cream cone (EW), and - a punch (30), wherein the die (20) and the punch (30) are movable relative to each other and, when they interact, are arranged to form a closed cutting line for separating the tip (EWS) of the ice cream cone (EW) from the section of the ice cream cone (EW) arranged above the die (20). [2] Punching tool (10) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the stamp (30) is conical in shape. [3] Punching tool (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the punching tool (10) has a device which causes the section of the ice cream cone (EW) arranged above the die (20) to break when the closed cutting line is formed. [4] Punching tool (10) according to claim 3, characterized by , that the device causing the section of the ice cream cone (EW) arranged above the die (20) to break is designed as a section of the punch (30). [5] Punching tool (10) according to one of claims 3 and 4, characterized by , that the device causing the section of the ice cream cone (EW) arranged above the die (20) to break is a ring (32) arranged on the punch (30) and surrounding the punch (30). [6] Punching tool (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the wall of the die (20) forming the recess for receiving the tip (EWS) of an ice cream cone (EW) is designed as an inner cone opening towards the punch (30). [7] Punching tool (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a feeding device (40) designed to supply ice cream cones (EW) to the die (30). [8] Punching tool (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a conveying agent (50) effecting the removal of the tip (EWS) separated from the ice cream cone (EW). [9] Punching tool (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a suction device (60) on the upper side of the die (20) which creates a vacuum for the removal of the section of the ice cream cone (EW) which is arranged above the die (20) and separated from the ice cream cone tip (EWS). [10] Method for producing a snack product using the stamping tool (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the steps: - Inserting an ice cream cone (EW) into the circular recess of the die (20) and - Separation of the tip (EWS) of the ice cream cone (EW) from the section of the ice cream cone (EW) located above the die (20) by the interaction of the die (20) and the punch (30) forming a closed cutting line. [11] Method according to claim 10, characterized by , that the cone angle of the punch (30) in a conically shaped punch (30) of the stamping tool (10) corresponds to the cone angle of the ice cream cone (EW) inserted into the circular recess of the die (20). [12] Method according to one of claims 10 and 11, characterized by, that the stamping tool (10) has a suction device, wherein suction of the section of the ice cream cone (EW) arranged above the die (20) and separated from the ice cream cone tip (EWS) takes place when the stamping tool (10) is closed.

Images