Support trays for bread, viennoiserie, patisserie and similar products made of expanded metal sheets

Abstract

The present invention relates to a support tray device (1) for transporting bakery, patisserie, viennoiserie or similar products through at least one processing unit of an installation used to produce such products, the device (1) comprising a frame (2) to which at least one sheet (5) of metal material is fixed. The sheet (5) of metal is made of an expanded metal sheet with a micromesh forming a metal grid, which can be obtained by cutting and stretching a sheet of metal, the micromesh having through holes of 130 to 750 μm, and as a result of the micromesh, the expanded metal sheet has a void area corresponding to 17 to 60% of the total surface area of ​​the sheet.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a support tray apparatus, in particular for the fermentation, baking, cooling and freezing of bread, viennoiserie, patisserie or similar products.

[0002] The present invention finds application primarily in the fields of cookware and industrial bakery equipment.

[0003] In this application area there are essentially two main product families: - products baked on a support tray or in a mould; -The product is baked directly on the oven floor.

[0004] Traditionally, for the first type of product, the dough first undergoes a step in which it is divided into pieces, which may then be shaped before being placed on a support tray or into a mold.

[0005] Such support trays are then used to transport and feed the dough pieces through the various bakery product processing units typically present in an industrial bakery facility, in particular fermentation units, baking units, freezing units and cooling units.

[0006] There are many types of support trays for bread or similar products, and in the remainder of this description these support trays will also be referred to as baking trays.

[0007] In particular, such a support tray may therefore comprise supports fixedly attached to a frame, thereby providing a framework that provides overall tray rigidity for handling the tray.

[0008] In one particular embodiment, the support is comprised of a solid sheet that can be specifically shaped by bending to form receptacles for receiving the dough pieces. The specific shape is comprised of indentations in the support that form recessed receptacles, also called cells or troughs. Hence the name "dimpled trays" and such trays are used in methods of producing bakery products and the like to give them a rounded shape.

[0009] In this type of support tray, it is possible to arrange several pieces of dough at a distance from one another in one and the same receiving section, the number of pieces of dough received in one trough being determined on the one hand by the length of the trough and on the other hand by the dimensions of the pieces of dough.

[0010] Known from the international patent application published under number WO2015 / 044588 is a support tray apparatus for baking bread or similar products, comprising a frame to which is fixed a solid support shaped to provide a plurality of receptacles for receiving dough pieces.

[0011] The receptacles extend parallel to each other from one end of the tray to the opposite end, and each of the receptacles is constructed of a solid sheet having an arc-shaped cross section, and adjacent edges of two adjacent receptacles are spaced apart to provide a continuous slot between the receptacles to make the receptacles independent of each other.

[0012] Such an arrangement has certain advantages, in particular that in the event of deterioration of the receptacle, one of the receptacles can be replaced without the need to replace the entire arrangement.

[0013] Another advantage of this support tray arrangement with separate receptacles is that the mechanical stresses on the tray, in particular the deformations associated with the expansion of the material, are significantly reduced, since in fact the upper longitudinal edge of each receptacle is free and can therefore expand without constraint.

[0014] Additionally, the tray contains spaces between the cells or compartments that allow airflow from the oven to pass through to ensure optimal baking of all dough pieces placed on the tray, including those located in the center of the tray.

[0015] Furthermore, the use of a solid sheet for baking the dough pieces allows the bottom of the final product to have a smooth appearance comparable to that of the product obtained after baking on a stone.

[0016] However, the moisture and gas that are inevitably released at the bottom surface of the dough piece in the process of producing a bread product cannot escape through the solid sheet. More specifically, it is during the fermentation stage, also called the proofing stage, that the product releases gas and moisture. Furthermore, during the cooling process, the product also releases moisture. This stage, in which the product releases moisture after baking, when the crust of the product has already formed, is also called sweating.

[0017] If baking is done on the same tray as that used for the proofing step, such gas and moisture release during the proofing step will cause cracks to form at the bottom of the product which will become more noticeable after the baking step and ultimately result in an unsightly appearance at the bottom of the final product.

[0018] Release of moisture during the cooling stage in turn leads to wetting at the base of the product and subsequent softening, in other words an unsatisfactory final texture and appearance.

[0019] During the baking stage of the product, water vapor is injected into the oven in the first baking step, after which the atmosphere in the oven is dry in the second baking step. During baking, the product also releases moisture. However, the heat from the bottom of the oven ensures that the pieces of dough are "fixed" quickly and that a skin forms quickly enough to prevent the moisture released at the bottom from causing cracks. In other words, the hot and dry atmosphere in the oven in the second baking step, as opposed to the proofing step (specifically the step where the product stays for a relatively long time in an already moist atmosphere), contributes to the absorption of the moisture released by the pieces of dough.

[0020] To eliminate or at least limit the presence of cracks, the product may be placed on a tray that has been previously floured: the purpose of the flour is to absorb the evaporation of moisture formed at the bottom of the product, thus preventing the appearance of water droplets at the interface between the tray and the product, which would likely lead to the formation of cracks.

[0021] However, the dusting method has its drawbacks, firstly the risk of flour accumulating on the production line, which can lead to contamination of the production line or flour buildup in the oven, which can cause a fire.

[0022] Furthermore, such a method does not provide the consumer with a flourless bottom product.

[0023] Another possibility is to carry out the fermentation stage of the dough pieces on a tray made of plastic material that has been previously floured or covered with semolina to prevent the appearance of cracks, before transferring the pieces into the trough of a solid sheet metal support tray for baking.

[0024] However, the implementation of such a possibility presupposes the existence and operation of a complex mechanical system for picking up the dough pieces from the first tray for proofing and depositing them on the second tray where baking takes place, and such picking and depositing operations therefore necessarily entail significant constraints, especially with regard to the management of the various sets of trays and the maintenance of the mechanical equipment.

[0025] It is also known in the prior art to use a support tray comprising a sheet of metal having a plurality of perforations or openings formed therein and regularly spaced over its entire surface.

[0026] In prior art support trays, which are provided with perforated sheets, conventionally obtained by material removal, in particular punching, the perforations are approximately circular and have a diameter of 1.8 to 3 mm. The porosity or openness in the tray is of the order of 40%. This openness can be as high as 50% or even higher, if deemed necessary, in order to allow the support tray to fully vent from below the moisture generated and discharged at the bottom of the dough piece during the fermentation stage.

[0027] For example, from French patent application published under number FR2756706, an apparatus for a baking grid is known, which comprises a support frame on which rests a metal sheet or perforated structure shaped in a sinusoidal manner so as to define a number of longitudinal grooves constituting a loaf-receiving housing.

[0028] The metal sheet of this device has a high porosity (greater than 25%) to allow for even heat distribution and moisture evacuation during firing, and is covered with a thin layer of a non-stick polymer sprayed onto the sheet.

[0029] A removable flexible section of non-adherent material, also with perforations, molded to press into one of the longitudinal grooves, is mounted over this sheet of metal.

[0030] Such trays have the advantage that they allow effective and optimal evacuation of moisture and gases released from the dough pieces during certain stages of the production process, in particular during fermentation and cooling, while ensuring good transfer of air and baking heat.

[0031] Products baked on such perforated trays, whether or not they incorporate similarly perforated non-stick features, will bake evenly without the appearance of cracks due to moisture released by the product, but the perforations will inevitably result in a pattern on the bottom surface of the product.

[0032] Such patterns give the product the impression of industrial firing, which has negative connotations in the eyes of consumers, who subconsciously assume the product is of lower quality, whereas products with an appearance associated with artisanal manufacture are generally sought after.

[0033] In the prior art, from German utility model application No. 9114841 and French patent application No. 1045958 and WO 01 / 65946 baking trays or cookware made of rolled expanded metal are known. In WO 01 / 65946 the mesh of the expanded metal used is rhomboidal with relatively large dimensions, usually 6 mm x 20 mm, and does not solve the occurring problems mentioned in the previous paragraph.

[0034] The present invention offers the possibility of at least partially resolving various drawbacks of the prior art by proposing a support tray device intended to receive a plurality of dough pieces in order to transport them through the fermentation and baking units of an installation for the production of bread or similar products, which at the same time allows optimal evacuation of the moisture released by the product while avoiding unsightly patterns on the underside or bottom surface of the product, resulting in particular from perforation marks, which would lead the consumer to consider the product as having been produced industrially.

[0035] To this end, the invention relates to a support tray device for transporting bakery, patisserie, viennoiserie or similar products through at least one processing unit of an installation for producing said products, the support tray device comprising a frame to which at least one sheet of metal material is fixed, the support tray device being composed of an expanded metal sheet provided with a micromesh forming a metal grid, the micromesh having passage holes of 130 to 750 μm, as a result of which the expanded metal sheet has a void area corresponding to 17 to 60% of the total surface area of ​​the sheet.

[0036] According to a very advantageous feature which also allows reducing the pattern on the bottom of the product, the device is characterized in that the metal sheet is comprised of an expanded metal sheet provided with a micromesh forming a metal grid, the micromesh having through holes of 130 to 250 μm, as a result of which the expanded metal sheet has a void area of ​​17 to 45% of the total surface area of ​​the sheet.

[0037] The expanded metal sheets used in the support tray apparatus of the present invention may advantageously be obtained by cutting and stretching a sheet of metal.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the expanded metal sheet with the micromesh is covered with a non-stick coating, which may be comprised of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or a sol-gel coating, or even a silicone polymer.

[0039] Preferably, the expanded metal sheet with the micromesh is made of a metallic material selected from aluminum and stainless steel.

[0040] The expanded metal sheet may be advantageously shaped by bending to form at least one substantially semicircular cell defining a recessed receptacle for receiving at least one piece of dough or at least one loaf or the like, the cell extending longitudinally from one end of the support tray to the other.

[0041] In an advantageous embodiment, the support tray apparatus of the present invention comprises a plurality of expanded metal sheets each formed by bending to form a substantially semicircular cell defining a recessed receptacle for receiving at least one dough piece or at least one loaf or the like, each cell extending longitudinally from one end of the sheet to the other between two longitudinal cell supports.

[0042] In another embodiment, in the support tray apparatus of the present invention, the surface of the expanded metal sheet is flat or nearly flat.

[0043] The micromesh of the expanded metal sheet providing the support tray device of the present invention may have a diamond shape with openings of 200 μm and dimensions of 0.6 mm (LD - long diagonal) x 0.4 mm (SD - short diagonal) x 0.12 mm (W - strip width) x 0.10 mm (Th - strip thickness), and the expanded metal sheet may have a void area equivalent to 28% of the total surface area of ​​the sheet.

[0044] The micromesh of the expanded metal sheet providing the support tray device of the present invention may also have a diamond shape with pores of 200 μm and dimensions of 0.75 mm (LD) x 0.5 mm (SD) x 0.20 mm (W) x 0.15 mm (Th), and the expanded metal sheet may have a void area equivalent to 29% of the total surface area of ​​the sheet.

[0045] The micromesh of the expanded metal sheet providing the support tray device of the present invention may further have a diamond shape with openings of 250 μm and dimensions of 0.85 mm (LD) x 0.7 mm (SD) x 0.20 mm (W) x 0.15 mm (Th), and the expanded metal sheet may have a void area equivalent to 30% of the total surface area of ​​the sheet.

[0046] The present invention has many advantages, in particular the use of expanded metal sheets in a support tray arrangement for bread products and the like, which greatly reduces and completely or nearly completely eliminates patterns on the bottom surface of the baked products as compared to patterns caused by perforated trays currently in use.

[0047] Furthermore, despite a not inconsiderable reduction in open area compared to prior art sheets, the micromesh still ensures effective moisture evacuation during certain stages of the production of the bread product, particularly during the proofing and cooling stages.

[0048] The support tray apparatus of the present invention is also economical to manufacture and has particularly advantageous mechanical strength that lasts for long periods of time.

[0049] Other features and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments of the invention, which refers to the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0050] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a specific embodiment of a support tray apparatus for bakery products or the like, comprising a frame to which several cells are fixed, each cell consisting of an expanded metal sheet with a micromesh and shaped to form a receiving portion for at least one dough piece or the like, the cells extending longitudinally from one end of the support tray apparatus to the other. [Figure 2A]2 is a schematic diagram in perspective view of a specific embodiment of a frame of the support tray apparatus of FIG. 1, the frame comprising a plurality of vertical cell supports. [Figure 2B] 2 is a schematic diagram in perspective view of a specific embodiment of a cell contained in the support tray apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 3A] 2 is a schematic diagram, in a side view, of a detail of the support tray apparatus shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram in side view of an enlarged detail of FIG. 3A. [Figure 4A] Photograph making it possible to compare a support tray arrangement according to the invention with an expanded metal sheet with micromesh on the left and with a perforated metal sheet on the right. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a photograph of the bottom of a bread product, in this case a baguette, obtained after baking the product on a support tray device according to the invention as shown on the left side of FIG. 4A. [Figure 4C] FIG. 4B is a photograph of the bottom of a bakery product, in this case a loaf of bread, obtained after baking the product on a standard perforated tray of a support tray apparatus as shown on the right side of FIG. 4A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0051] The present invention relates to the field of industrial bakery and more particularly to the field of producing bread, patisserie, viennoiserie or similar products, using suitable production installations comprising at least one, and preferably several, processing units for said products.

[0052] Thus, an installation for producing such a product may in particular comprise at least one proofing oven and / or baking oven and / or cooler and / or freezer.

[0053] More specifically, as shown in the accompanying FIG. 1, the present invention relates to a support tray device 1 for transporting bakery, patisserie, viennoiserie or similar products through the various processing units that make up a manufacturing facility for such products.

[0054] In practice, the dough pieces resulting from the dough dividing and optionally subsequent shaping steps are typically placed on such a support tray device 1 in order to facilitate handling of the dough pieces by the aforementioned processing units.

[0055] More specifically, in accordance with the present invention, and with reference to Figures 1, 2A, 2B and 3, the support tray device 1 comprises a frame 2, specifically seen in detail and overall in Figure 2A, which may, by way of non-limiting example, be made up of an assembly of several metallic tubular sections 21, 22, 23, 24, e.g. rectangular, specifically forming a framework 3 that ensures the rigidity of the entire device 1.

[0056] At least two, and preferably several, juxtaposed transverse supports 4 are attached to this framework 3, each transverse support 4 preferably connecting two parallel tubular portions 22, 24 on the framework 3.

[0057] Between the two juxtaposed transverse supports 4 a support sheet 5 made of a metallic material may be fixed, which can advantageously be shaped, for example by bending, to form a substantially semicircular shaped cell 11 or trough, in particular as shown in detail in Figure 2B. Preferably, two longitudinal edges 111, 112 extend the semicircle at each end of the semicircle and over the entire length of the cell 11.

[0058] This cellular shaped metal sheet 5 can thus form a recessed receiving portion intended to receive at least one dough piece 6, for example extending longitudinally between the two ends of the sheet 5.

[0059] Depending on the length of the sheet 5 of metal material and the size of the dough pieces 6, several dough pieces 6 may be accommodated in one and the same receiving compartment.

[0060] Advantageously, this support sheet 5 made of metallic material is fixed at the longitudinal edges 111, 112 of the cells 11 to the transverse supports 4 of the framework 3 by screwing and / or riveting with screws 7 and / or rivets 8, respectively.

[0061] As specifically shown in FIG. 1, the support tray apparatus 1 of the present invention comprises a plurality of metal sheets 5, each of which is formed by bending to form a semicircular cell 11 for receiving one or more dough pieces 6.

[0062] In this embodiment, referring to Figures 3A and 3B, each cell 11 is fixed to two juxtaposed cell supports 4, and two adjacent cells 11, 11' are fixed to a common cell support 4 by overlapping their respective longitudinal edges 111, 111'.

[0063] Furthermore, advantageously, in order to ensure the fixation of the cells, in particular by riveting and / or screwing, covering means 9, in particular in the form of sheet metal parts, may be applied onto the overlapped longitudinal edges 111, 111', as shown in FIG. 3B.

[0064] In another, equally interesting but not shown, embodiment of the support tray device 1 of the invention, a single metal support sheet 5 is provided with corrugations by bending, thereby forming a plurality of recessed receiving sections for receiving the dough pieces 6, two adjacent receiving sections being separated by an apex of the corrugations, in which apex one or more grooves may optionally be formed for better passage of air flow between the receiving sections.

[0065] In an embodiment not shown, it is also conceivable that the metal sheet or piece of sheet metal 5 is flat or nearly flat and is fixed to the frame 2 of the support tray device 1 of the present invention, at least partially overlapping the tubular portion forming the frame 2.

[0066] According to an essential feature of the bakery product support tray device 1 of the invention, the metal sheet 5 intended to support the dough pieces 6 is in particular an expanded metal sheet having a relatively small micromesh.

[0067] Such an expanded metal sheet intended to provide the device 1 of the invention may be obtained by shearing or cutting a solid metal sheet, for example with a knife, and stretching it almost simultaneously, in order to obtain an open mesh in the form of a three-dimensional metal lattice, without removing material. An optional flattening step by rolling may be carried out before or after stretching.

[0068] Generally, the micromesh of the lattice is diamond-shaped, leaving for each diamond formed a void surrounded by interconnected metal bars that define the size of a passage hole, and particles having dimensions larger than this passage hole cannot pass through the mesh. More specifically, if the smallest dimension (length, width, diagonal, diameter, etc.) of a particle is larger than this passage hole, the particle cannot pass through the micromesh.

[0069] According to the invention, the expanded metal sheet 5 is provided with a micromesh having through holes of 130 to 750 μm, and due to said micromesh the expanded metal sheet has a void area of ​​17 to 60% of the total surface area of ​​the sheet.

[0070] A support tray device 1 with an expanded metal sheet 5 having such characteristics with regard to the through holes of the micromesh 4 and the void area of ​​the sheet 5 allows the production of an optimal quality final product, especially at the bottom of the product.

[0071] In a further advantageous embodiment of the device 1 according to the invention, the expanded metal sheet 5 which it comprises has a micromesh with through holes of 130 to 250 μm, so that the proportion of the void or open area formed by the micromesh to the total surface area of ​​the expanded metal sheet 5 amounts to 17 to 45%.

[0072] With such an apparatus 1, the bottom quality of the final product is further improved and the bottom pattern is almost eliminated.

[0073] Specifically, the underside of the product, in other words the bottom of the product, has a pattern that is difficult to notice with the naked eye, but there are no cracks, and the micromesh leaves almost no trace of its structure on the product, but moisture is properly discharged through the gaps in the mesh.

[0074] With reference to Figures 4A to 4C, a baking test of a product (in this case baguette) was carried out using, on the one hand, a support tray 10 with cells made of a perforated metal sheet with perforations of an equivalent diameter of 1.8 mm and an equivalent porosity of 40%, and, on the other hand, a support tray device 1 with cells made of an expanded metal sheet, each of the two tested trays being provided with a layer of a silicone non-stick coating.

[0075] The results obtained clearly show that the appearance of the bottom 61, i.e. the bottom surface of the product when it is placed and fired on a support tray device 1 made of expanded metal (Figure 4B) is visually of much higher quality than the bottom 610 of the product obtained after firing on a perforated metal tray 10 (Figure 4C).

[0076] In other words, the use of a support tray apparatus 1 made from expanded metal leaves little pattern on the bottom of the product both during and before firing, so that the final product has an appearance reminiscent of artisanal manufacturing, as is evident in the photograph of Figure 4B.

[0077] It should be noted that the diamond-shaped micromesh of the expanded metal sheet 5 forming the support tray device 1 of the present invention is defined by at least four dimensions, namely the long diagonal of the diamond (LD), the short diagonal of the diamond (SD), the width of the diamond strip (W), and the thickness of the diamond strip (Th). Therefore, conventionally, the dimensions of the diamond-shaped micromesh are specified as follows: LD x SD x W x Th.

[0078] After calcination, the result is shown in Fig. 4. B The results shown in the photo are for a diamond-shaped micromesh of 0.85 × 0.7 mm. × This was achieved using a support tray device 1 comprising an expanded metal sheet 5 having dimensions of 0.20×0.15 mm and an equivalent void area of ​​30% and a micromesh having through holes of equivalent 250 μm.

[0079] However, other dimensions of the micromesh, such as the following non-limiting examples, allow for optimal results in terms of having a plain bottom while still maintaining sufficient moisture evacuation.

[0080] ·0.6×0.4×0.12×0.10mm, 28% void area, passage hole 200μm ·0.75×0.5×0.20×0.15mm, 29% void area, passage hole 200μm ·0.85×0.7×0.15×0.15mm, 45% void area, passage hole 250μm 1.25×1×0.2×0.2mm, 45% void area, 550μm through hole 1.5×1×0.15×0.15mm, 56% void area, 750μm through hole 1.25×1×0.15×0.15mm, 60% void area, 600μm through hole The micromesh of the expanded metal sheet 5 included in the support tray device 1 of the present invention may also have a shape other than a rhombus, specifically a square, a rectangle, a hexagon, or even a circle.

[0081] Advantageously, the expanded metal sheet 5 consists of an aluminium, steel or stainless steel sheet, which preferably has a very small thickness, typically less than 0.3 mm.

[0082] Whatever embodiment is selected, particularly with regard to the dimensions of the micromesh and the properties of the metal material, the expanded metal sheet 5 may advantageously be covered with a non-stick coating to facilitate removal of the dough pieces 6 after baking.

[0083] In a first embodiment, the non-stick treatment is performed using polytetrafluoroethylene (or PTFE), a compound also known under the trademark "Teflon."

[0084] In a second embodiment, the non-stick coating consists of a sol-gel coating, which may be applied by any suitable means known to those skilled in the art, in particular by spraying.

[0085] Finally, in yet another embodiment, the non-stick coating is comprised of a silicone polymer, which may also be applied by spraying.

[0086] The support tray device 1 according to the invention is particularly interesting and advantageous for the transport and rerouting of bread products within and between the various fermentation, baking and cooling units of an installation for the production of bread products.

[0087] In fact, it is in these steps carried out in the method for producing bread and similar products that it is necessary to ensure optimal drainage of the moisture generated in order to avoid the formation of cracks on the bottom surface of the product, in other words the underside of the product that is in direct contact with the support tray 1, in order to avoid the formation of cracks on its surface.

[0088] The applicant has found that the features of the support tray 1 of the present invention make it possible to avoid the formation of visible protrusions on the underside of the dough pieces 6 in contact with the tray 1, which is not possible with perforated trays conventionally used as supports. By implementing the present support tray device 1, the formation of patterns that would negatively imply the final product is avoided as far as possible.

[0089] In addition to this significant improvement, the bottom pattern of the product obtained by the support tray 1 of the present invention is similar to that of the product baked directly on the stone oven, so there is no visual difference in quality between the product baked on the tray support and the product baked directly on the oven.

[0090] The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing the aforementioned support tray device 1, in particular the support tray device 1 comprising a frame 2 to which is fixed at least one sheet 5 of metallic material consisting of an expanded metal sheet.

[0091] The manufacturing method includes at least the following steps.

[0092] The openings are preferably formed in a sheet of metallic material, advantageously stainless steel, by substantially simultaneous cutting and stretching, the sheet preferably having a thickness of less than 0.3 mm.

[0093] Optionally, the sheet 5 of metal material is shaped, in particular by bending, to form at least one cell 11 or a plurality of cells, each of which is approximately semicircular in shape and constitutes a recessed receptacle for receiving at least one piece of dough or at least one loaf or the like, the cells 11 extending longitudinally from one end of the support tray 1 to the other.

[0094] A sheet 5 of metal material is assembled to the frame 2.

[0095] In an advantageous embodiment of the method of the invention, before or after the step of assembling the sheet 5 of metal material to the frame 2, a layer of a non-stick coating selected from polytetrafluoroethylene, silicone or a sol-gel coating is provided on the surface of said sheet.

[0096] Preferably, in order to avoid clogging of the micromesh of the expanded metal sheet, a layer of a non-stick coating having a thickness of less than or equal to 500 μm is provided.

[0097] This step of providing a non-stick coating may be performed by any means known to those skilled in the art, particularly by spraying.

[0098] Optionally, the step in which the surface of the sheet of metal material 5 is provided with a layer of a non-stick coating is preceded by at least one surface treatment of the sheet.

[0099] This surface treatment may in particular consist of a treatment by brushing or a plasma treatment in order to favour the adhesion of a non-stick coating subsequently applied to the surface of the sheet of metallic material.

[0100] In particular, the plasma treatment can be used to provide sufficient roughness to the sheet of metal material without deforming the sheet of metal material.

[0101] Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples shown and described above, but it can include variations and modifications without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. 1. A support tray device (1) for transporting bakery, patisserie, viennoiserie or similar products through at least one processing unit of an installation for producing said products, said device (1) comprising a frame (2) on which at least one sheet (5) of metal material is fixed, said sheet of metal being made of an expanded metal sheet with a micromesh forming a metal grid, said micromesh having passage holes of 130 to 750 μm, the value of said passage holes being set such that particles capable of passing through said micromesh each have a smallest dimension that is less than or equal to said value of said passage holes, and said expanded metal sheet having, as a result of said micromesh, a void area corresponding to 17 to 60% of the total surface area of ​​said sheet.

2. 2. The support tray apparatus (1) of claim 1, characterized in that the micromesh has through holes of 130 to 250 μm and the expanded metal sheet has a void area due to the micromesh of 17 to 45% of the total surface area of ​​the sheet.

3. 3. The support tray device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the expanded metal sheet with micromesh is covered with a non-stick coating.

4. 4. The support tray apparatus (1) of claim 3, characterized in that the non-stick coating is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

5. 4. The support tray apparatus (1) of claim 3, characterized in that the non-stick coating consists of a sol-gel coating.

6. 4. The support tray apparatus (1) of claim 3, characterized in that the non-stick coating is made of a silicone polymer.

7. The support tray device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the expanded metal sheet with micromesh is made of a metallic material selected from aluminium and stainless steel.

8. The support tray device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the expanded metal sheet is shaped by bending to form at least one substantially semicircular cell (11) constituting a recessed receptacle for receiving at least one piece of dough or at least one loaf or the like, the cell (11) extending longitudinally from one end of the support tray device (1) to the other end.

9. 9. A support tray apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that it comprises a plurality of expanded metal sheets, each sheet being formed by bending to form substantially semicircular cells (11) constituting a recessed receptacle for receiving at least one piece of dough or at least one loaf or the like, each said cell (11) extending longitudinally from one end of the sheet to the other between two longitudinal cell supports.

10. A support tray device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the surface of the expanded metal sheet is flat or nearly flat.

11. 11. The support tray device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the micromesh of the expanded metal sheet has a rhomboid shape with through holes of 200 μm and dimensions of 0.6 mm (LD - long diagonal) x 0.4 mm (SD - short diagonal) x 0.12 mm (W - strip width) x 0.10 mm (Th - strip thickness), and the expanded metal sheet has a void area corresponding to 28% of the total surface area of ​​the sheet.

12. 11. The support tray device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the micromesh of the expanded metal sheet has a diamond shape with a through hole of 200 μm and dimensions of 0.75 mm (LD) x 0.5 mm (SD) x 0.20 mm (W) x 0.15 mm (Th), and the expanded metal sheet has a void area corresponding to 29% of the total surface area of ​​the sheet.

13. 11. The support tray device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the micromesh of the expanded metal sheet has a diamond shape with a through hole of 250 μm and dimensions of 0.85 mm (LD) x 0.7 mm (SD) x 0.20 mm (W) x 0.15 mm (Th), and the expanded metal sheet has a void area corresponding to 30% of the total surface area of ​​the sheet.

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