Confectionery tool and mold for chocolate

Abstract

To provide a confectionery tool or the like for chocolate, which is easy to handle and can apply a pattern to chocolate coated with a center material without a large workload.SOLUTION: A confectionery tool for chocolate is a confectionery tool for chocolate for applying a pattern to a surface of a chocolate confectionery produced by coating a center material with melted chocolate, and includes a center area formed of a flexible resin sheet material and having an uneven pattern formed so as to protrude from the sheet material to one side, and a frame area that is an area around the center area and is an area rising from the sheet material to the other side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a chocolate confectionery tool and a molding die for applying a pattern to the surface of chocolate. [Background technology]

[0002] Bite-sized chocolate confections with a chocolate-coated center made of ganache or marzipan are well known. These chocolate confections are also called bonbons. Because the ganache center is soft and the chocolate coating is very thin, bonbons are not suitable for mass production and are instead handcrafted by artisans known as chocolatiers.

[0003] A tool called a structure sheet is known as a confectionery tool used to create patterns on the surface of bonbon chocolates (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). A structure sheet is a flexible sheet material made of a resin such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) on which a textured pattern is formed. The textured pattern of the structure sheet can be transferred to the surface of the chocolate by placing the structure sheet cut to an appropriate size on the chocolate liquid that has coated the center material and then solidifying the chocolate liquid.

[0004] As a method for applying a pattern to a chocolate confectionery, Patent Document 1 discloses a method in which liquid chocolate is dispensed into a mold having an uneven shape and then cooled and solidified (see paragraph 0013 of Patent Document 1).

[0005] Additionally, a tool known as a cookie stamp, which is made of metal or silicone rubber with a textured pattern engraved on it, is known as a confectionery tool for creating a textured pattern on the surface of confectionery (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 2). Cookie stamps are used by pressing the patterned surface against flattened cookie dough before baking. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-253340 [Non-patent literature]

[0007] [Non-Patent Document 1] Mona Lisa (Decoration) General Catalog, pages 10-11, Nichi-Futsu Shoji Co., Ltd. <URL:https: / / www.nichifutsu.co.jp / wp-content / uploads / 2024 / 03 / catalogue_general_Monalisa_20240304.pdf> , Retrieved April 15, 2024 [Non-patent document 2] "Cookie Stamp" website, cookie roller specialty store fico,<URL:https: / / majimaya.jp / shopbrand / 0000001323 / > , Retrieved April 15, 2024 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Structure sheets pose the following problems for craftsmen who use them. Typically, structure sheets are commercially available in sizes, such as approximately 60 cm x 40 cm, and users cut these sheets to the desired size (slightly larger than a single bonbon chocolate). This requires time and effort, not to mention the handling of the small pieces. To prevent stains from adhering to the bonbon chocolate, users must hold the edges of the cut sheets. However, it is difficult to grasp the edges of the cut sheets one by one with fingers or tweezers. Furthermore, since it is difficult to distinguish between the front and back of a cut sheet, care must be taken to prevent the sheet from flipping over (i.e., to prevent the pattern to be transferred from being reversed). Furthermore, after coating the center material with chocolate liquid, the sheet must be placed on top of the chocolate while the chocolate liquid is still liquid, quickly and carefully, while avoiding the introduction of bubbles. This type of work is burdensome even for experienced users, and is inherently difficult for inexperienced users.

[0009] Regarding handling of the tool, the cookie stamp disclosed in Non-Patent Document 2 is equipped with a handle, making it very easy to handle. However, the cookie stamp is used by pressing it firmly against the cookie dough and is released from the mold before baking. Therefore, such a cookie stamp cannot be used to apply a pattern to the surface of chocolate coated with a soft center material.

[0010] Furthermore, the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 involves pouring a chocolate liquid into a mold and solidifying the chocolate. Therefore, the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot be applied to applying a pattern to the surface of a chocolate coated with a center material.

[0011] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide a chocolate confectionery tool that is easy to handle and allows for applying patterns to chocolate coated with a center material without a large workload. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention is a chocolate confectionery tool for applying a textured pattern to the surface of a chocolate confectionery made by coating a bite-sized center material with molten chocolate, and the tool comprises a center region formed from a flexible resin sheet material in which the textured pattern is formed so as to protrude from one side of the sheet material, and a frame region surrounding the center region and rising from the sheet material to the other side.

[0013] In the chocolate confectionery tool described above, the concave-convex pattern may be formed so that the surface on the one side of the center region is in contact with the surface of the chocolate confectionery when used.

[0014] In the above-mentioned chocolate confectionery tool, the frame region may rise from the base surface of the sheet material toward the other side, and a base may be further provided that is convex from the base surface toward the one side, and the center region may be provided on an end surface of the base.

[0015] In the chocolate confectionery tool, the height of the concave-convex pattern may be uniform. In the above-mentioned chocolate confectionery tool, the height of the embossed pattern may be 0.2 mm or more and 1 mm or less.

[0016] In the above chocolate confectionery tool, the thickness of the sheet material may be 0.1 mm or more and 0.8 mm or less. In the chocolate confectionery tool, the height of the frame region may be 3 mm or less.

[0017] Another aspect of the present invention is a molding die for producing chocolate confectionery tools for applying patterns to the surface of chocolate confectionery made by coating a center material with molten chocolate, and is configured to form, by vacuum molding, a center region in which a textured pattern is formed so as to protrude from one side of a flexible resin sheet material, and a frame region surrounding the center region and rising from the sheet material to the other side. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a chocolate confectionery tool that is easy to handle and allows for applying a pattern to chocolate coated with a center material without a significant workload. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a chocolate confectionery tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the chocolate confectionery tool shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the chocolate confectionery tool shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom side of the chocolate confectionery tool shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the AA end face of FIG. 2. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating how to use the chocolate confectionery tool shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a molding die for producing a chocolate confectionery tool. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, a chocolate confectionery tool according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. In addition, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals in the drawings.

[0021] The drawings referred to in the following description merely show the shapes, sizes, and positional relationships in a schematic manner to enable the contents of the present invention to be understood. That is, the present invention is not limited to the shapes, sizes, and positional relationships exemplified in each drawing.

[0022] Fig. 1 is a front view of a chocolate confectionery tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the chocolate confectionery tool. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the chocolate confectionery tool. Fig. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the chocolate confectionery tool. Fig. 5 is an AA end view of Fig. 2.

[0023] The chocolate confectionery tool according to this embodiment is used to create a textured pattern on the surface of chocolate confectionery, which is made by coating a bite-sized center with chocolate. Such chocolate confectionery is also called bonbon chocolat, and various types of center materials, such as ganache and marzipan, are used.

[0024] 1 to 5, the chocolate confectionery tool 1 according to this embodiment is formed from a flexible resin sheet material and includes a center region 11 in which a concave-convex pattern 111 is formed so as to protrude from one side (bottom side 1a) of the sheet material, and a frame region 12 surrounding the center region 11 and rising from the sheet material to the other side (top side 1b). The frame region 12 rises from the base surface 13 to the top side 1b in a bending manner.

[0025] As described below, the chocolate confectionery tool 1 can be produced by vacuum forming using a resin sheet material. The type of resin forming the sheet material is not particularly limited as long as it exhibits the flexibility required for the chocolate confectionery tool 1 during use. For example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), etc. can be used. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of flexibility during use of the chocolate confectionery tool 1, the thickness t of the sheet material (see FIG. 2 ) is preferably 0.8 mm or less, more preferably 0.3 mm or less. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of ease of handling of the chocolate confectionery tool 1 and shape retention of the textured pattern 111, the thickness of the sheet material is preferably 0.1 mm or more, more preferably 0.2 mm or more. Herein, the thickness t of the sheet material refers to the thickness before forming by vacuum forming, and the thickness may change overall or partially after forming.

[0026] In this embodiment, the chocolate confectionery tool 1 is provided with a base 14 that is convex from the base surface 13 toward the bottom surface 1a (the lower side in Figure 1). The area inside this base 14 is the center region 11, and an uneven pattern 111 is formed so as to be convex from an end surface 110 of the base 14 toward the bottom surface. However, the base 14 does not necessarily have to be provided; for example, the uneven pattern 111 may be formed directly on the base surface 13.

[0027] The planar shape of the chocolate confectionery tool 1 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a square as shown in FIG. 2, or may be a rectangle, circle, oval, polygon, or other shape.

[0028] Basically, one chocolate confectionery tool 1 is used for each bonbon chocolate. Therefore, the size of the chocolate confectionery tool 1 in plan view is not limited, but for example, if the planar shape is a square, it can be approximately 2.5 cm to 5 cm square. If the size in plan view is too small, the size of the applicable bonbon chocolates will be limited. On the other hand, if the size is too large, it may be difficult to maintain balance when the chocolate confectionery tool 1 is placed on the bonbon chocolate, depending on the size of the bonbon chocolate to be made. Furthermore, because the weight of the chocolate confectionery tool 1 increases, there is a risk that the bonbon chocolate may become deformed, depending on the size of the bonbon chocolate to be made.

[0029] As will be described later, the chocolate confectionery tool 1 may bend slightly when used. Therefore, to facilitate bending, the total height H (see FIG. 1) of the chocolate confectionery tool 1 when viewed from the side is preferably 5 mm or less, and more preferably 3 mm or less. Of these, the height h1 of the frame region 12 is preferably 3 mm or less, and can be, for example, about 1 mm.

[0030] As mentioned above, it is not essential to provide the base 14, but by providing the base 14 and making the center region 11 inside it, a distance is created between the frame region 12, which serves as a handle, and the center region 11, reducing the risk that the user will accidentally touch the uneven pattern 111 of the center region 111. From the perspective of allowing the chocolate confectionery tool 1 to bend slightly, the height h2 of the base 14 is preferably 2 mm or less, and may be around 1 mm or less.

[0031] The height h3 of the uneven pattern 111 protruding from the end surface 110 of the base 14 is not limited, but is preferably 1 mm or less, taking into account the thickness of the chocolate liquid that coats the center material. On the other hand, from the perspective of transferring a clear pattern, it is preferably 0.2 mm or more. It is also preferable that the height h3 of the uneven pattern 111 be constant throughout the entire center region 11. Naturally, the pattern of the uneven pattern 111 is not limited to the patterns shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, and various patterns can be applied.

[0032] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating how to use the chocolate confectionery tool 1. When making bonbons, first, a center material such as ganache or marzipan is formed into bite-sized pieces and then coated with molten chocolate. The center material coated with the chocolate (chocolate 2) is then placed on a tray or workbench 3. While the chocolate is still molten, the chocolate confectionery tool 1 is placed on the chocolate 2, with the bottom side 1a of the center region 11 abutting against the top surface of the chocolate 2. At this time, slightly bending the chocolate confectionery tool 1 so that its bottom is convex and gradually bringing it into contact with the chocolate from the center toward the outside prevents bubbles from being mixed in and allows the center region 11 to adhere tightly to the top surface of the chocolate 2. After the chocolate liquid has solidified, the chocolate confectionery tool 1 is peeled off the chocolate 2, resulting in a chocolate confectionery with the concave-convex pattern 111 of the center region 11 transferred to its top surface.

[0033] FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a molding die for producing a chocolate confectionery tool 1 by vacuum forming. The molding die 4 shown in FIG. 7 is composed of a plurality of connected molding dies 4a, each for forming one chocolate confectionery tool 1. Each molding die 4a is provided with a center region forming section 41 for forming a center region 11 (i.e., a region in which a concave-convex pattern 111 is formed so as to protrude from one side of the sheet material) in a flexible resin sheet material, and a frame region forming section 42 for forming a frame region 12 (i.e., a region surrounding the center region 11 and rising from the sheet material to the other side). A heated resin sheet material is placed over the molding die 4, and the shape of the molding die 4 is transferred to the sheet material by vacuum suction. The sheet material is released from the molding die 4 and then cut one by one to produce the chocolate confectionery tools 1.

[0034] Various materials that can withstand the heat in the vacuum forming method, such as metals and alloys such as aluminum, hard resins, and wood, can be used as materials for the forming die 4. The forming die 4 can also be produced using processing techniques such as cutting, 3D printing, and sandblasting.

[0035] To make the chocolate confectionery tool 1 easier to bend during use, a cut may be made in part of the frame region 12 after cutting each chocolate confectionery tool 1. The chocolate confectionery tool 1 is usually used so that the bottom side 1a of the center region 11 comes into contact with the chocolate, but it can also be used so that the top side 1b of the center region 11 comes into contact with the chocolate. In such a case, if a cut is made in part of the frame region 12, the chocolate confectionery tool 1 will be easier to bend in the opposite direction to normal. In this case, the concave and convex portions of the pattern will be reversed.

[0036] (Example) A simulation was conducted to measure the degree of deflection of a chocolate baking tool. The dimensions of the chocolate baking tool are as follows. The material used was a 0.2 mm thick PET sheet. Example 1 Outer dimensions of frame area: 32mm x 32mm Base dimensions: 28mm x 28mm Frame area height (h1): 3mm Height of base and textured pattern (h2+h3): 1mm

[0037] Example 2 Outer dimensions of frame area: 32mm x 32mm Base dimensions: 28mm x 28mm Frame area height (h1): 1mm Height of base and textured pattern (h2+h3): 1mm

[0038] In the simulation, the bottom side of the chocolate confectionery tool was facing upward, one vertex was fixed and kept horizontal, and a load of approximately 3 mg was applied to the vertex diagonally opposite the fixed vertex. The displacement from the horizontal plane at the vertex where the load was applied was calculated as the degree of deflection.

[0039] The deflection of Example 1 was approximately 5.4 mm, and the deflection of Example 2 was approximately 7.4 mm. Applying this to the case where the chocolate confectionery tool is bent by grasping two diagonal vertices, the center of the chocolate confectionery tool can be protruded approximately 2.7 mm (= 1 / 2 of the deflection) in Example 1 and approximately 3.7 mm (same as above) in Example 2. In the actual chocolate confectionery production process, it is sufficient to slightly deflect the chocolate confectionery tool so that air does not get trapped between the chocolate confectionery tool and the chocolate, and gradually bring the chocolate confectionery tool into contact with the top surface of the chocolate from the center toward the outside. Therefore, it was confirmed that both Examples 1 and 2 have dimensions that are practically usable. However, since Example 2 has a larger deflection, it can be said that Example 2 is easier to use in practice.

[0040] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to realize a chocolate confectionery tool 1 that is easy to handle and can apply patterns to chocolate coated with a center material without a significant workload.

[0041] In detail, the chocolate confectionery tool 1 of this embodiment is basically molded so that one tool is used for each bonbon chocolate, eliminating the need for the user to cut it as with conventional structure sheets.

[0042] Furthermore, the chocolate confectionery tool 1 has a frame region 12 that rises from the sheet material around the center region 11 on which the uneven pattern 111 is formed, allowing the user to easily grasp the chocolate confectionery tool 1 and place it on the chocolate. Gripping the frame region 12 also makes it possible to prevent the center region 11 from becoming dirty (for example, from the user's fingerprints).

[0043] Furthermore, since the chocolate confectionery tool 1 is provided with the frame region 12, it is possible to prevent the front and back of the embossed pattern 111 from being mistaken for each other.

[0044] Furthermore, because the chocolate confectionery tool 1 is made of a flexible sheet material, the center region 11 can be brought into close contact with the chocolate liquid that coats the center material, and therefore the uneven pattern 111 formed in the center region 11 can be reliably transferred onto the surface of the bonbon chocolate.

[0045] Furthermore, the chocolate confectionery tool 1 can be easily manufactured by vacuum forming using a resin sheet material. Vacuum forming allows for relatively inexpensive production of molding dies, and because molding dies are easy to replace, it is possible to supply a wide variety of chocolate confectionery tools 1 with different designs. This allows for greater freedom and diversity in the design of chocolate confectionery.

[0046] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various other forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, some components may be omitted from all of the components shown in the above embodiment, or the components shown in the above embodiment may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1... chocolate confectionery tool, 1a... bottom side, 1b... top side, 2... chocolate, 3... work table, 4, 4a... mold, 11... center region, 12... frame region, 13... base surface, 14... base, 41... center region forming portion, 42... frame region forming portion, 110... end surface, 111... uneven pattern

Claims

1. A chocolate confectionery tool for forming a textured pattern on the surface of a chocolate confectionery made by coating a bite-sized center material with melted chocolate, It is formed from a flexible resin sheet material, a center region in which a concave-convex pattern is formed so as to be convex on one side of the sheet material; a frame region that is a region surrounding the center region and that stands up from the sheet material to the other side; A chocolate confectionery tool comprising:

2. 2. The chocolate confectionery tool according to claim 1, wherein the concave-convex pattern is formed so that the surface on one side of the center region is in contact with the surface of the chocolate confectionery.

3. the frame region rises from the base surface of the sheet material to the other side, A pedestal is further provided that is convex from the base surface to the one surface, The center region is provided on an end surface of the base. The chocolate confectionery tool according to claim 1 or 2.

4. 3. The chocolate confectionery tool according to claim 1, wherein the height of the concave-convex pattern is uniform.

5. 5. The chocolate confectionery tool according to claim 4, wherein the height of the concave-convex pattern is from 0.2 mm to 1 mm.

6. 3. The chocolate confectionery tool according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the sheet material is 0.1 mm or more and 0.8 mm or less.

7. 3. The chocolate confectionery tool according to claim 1, wherein the height of the frame region is 3 mm or less.

8. A mold for producing a chocolate confectionery tool for applying a pattern to the surface of a chocolate confectionery made by coating a center material with molten chocolate, A flexible resin sheet material, a center region in which a concave-convex pattern is formed so as to be convex on one side of the sheet material; a frame region that is a region surrounding the center region and that stands up from the sheet material to the other side; A mold configured to form the above by a vacuum forming method.

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