A food product processing machine and methods of operation thereof

Abstract

A food product cooling and shaping machine 2 comprises holders 4 which receive food products 18 and are configured to change the size and / or shape of the food product within the holder. A transport me

Claims

1. A food product cooling and shaping machine, comprising:a plurality of food product holders, each configured to receive a food product;a transport mechanism configured to circulate the holders along a flow path from an input location where a food product is received by each holder, via an output location where the food product is removed from each holder, back to the input location; anda cooling region in which heat energy is extracted from each holder,wherein each holder is configured to change the size and / or shape of a food product within the holder.

2. A machine of claim 1, wherein each holder includes a plurality of dies, with each die defining an inwardly facing product shaping surface, and the dies are moveable between a larger transverse profile configuration and a smaller transverse profile configuration.

3. A machine of claim 2, wherein one or more dies are configured to be driven towards the smaller transverse profile configuration until a predetermined pressing force threshold is reached.

4. A machine of claim 2 or claim 3, wherein one or more dies are configured to be driven towards the smaller transverse profile configuration until a predetermined position is reached.

5. A machine of any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the plurality of dies comprises two dies, each of which defines two mutually perpendicular inwardly facing product shaping surfaces.

6. A machine of claim 5, wherein each holder includes a die mechanism which is operable to move the two dies towards and away from each other whilst maintaining each inwardly facing product shaping surface of one die perpendicular to an adjacent inwardly facing product shaping surface of the other die.

7. A machine of any of claims 2 to 6, wherein each holder includes a die retention mechanism which is configured to temporarily retain the dies of the holder in a transverse profile configuration which is smaller than the larger transverse profile configuration.

8. A machine of any preceding claim, wherein each holder includes an end stop configured to engage with one of the ends of a food product in the holder, and a movable end pressure plate configured to retractably move into engagement with an opposite end of a food product in the holder.

9. A machine of claim 8 including a retention mechanism coupled to the end pressure plate, wherein the retention mechanism is configured to temporarily retain the end pressure plate in contact with a food product in the holder.

10. A machine of any of claims 2 to 9, wherein dies of each holder include fluid conduits for receiving a cooling fluid in order to cool the dies in the cooling region of the machine.

11. A machine of any of claims 2 to 10 including a cooling fluid outlet configured to direct cooling fluid towards dies of a holder in the cooling region of the machine.

12. A machine of any of claims 2 to 11 including at least one drive configured to move the dies between the larger transverse profile configuration and the smaller transverse profile configuration, and a connector for selectively connecting the at least one drive to a holder.

13. A machine of claim 12, wherein at least one drive and a respective connector is provided to actuate a holder at the input location, and at least one drive and a respective connector is provided to actuate a holder at the output location.

14. A machine of any preceding claim, wherein the transport mechanism includes a rotatable support structure, with the holders mounted around the outer periphery of the support structure.

15. A machine of any of claims 1 to 13, wherein the transport mechanism includes linkages between adjacent holders so as to form a continuous chain of holders which extends along the flow path.

16. A food processing system, comprising a food product cooling and shaping machine of any preceding claim;a cutter configured to cut portions from a food product; anda transport system arranged to carry a food product from the food product cooling and shaping machine to the cutter.

17. A method of cooling and shaping a food product with a machine of any of claims 1 to 15 or a system of claim 16, comprising the steps of:loading a food product into a food product holder at the input location;changing the size and / or shape of the food product with the holder;extracting heat energy from the food product into the holder;transporting the food product holder to the output location with the transport mechanism; andoutputting the food product at the output location.

18. A method of claim 17, wherein heat energy is extracted from the food product by the holder as the holder moves along the flow path.

19. A method of claim 17 or claim 18, wherein sufficient heat energy is extracted from areas of the surface of the food product by the holder to freeze those areas of the surface.A

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