Confectionery

Abstract

We offer confectionery that enhances its appeal. [Solution] The confectionery 1 comprises a main body 10, a character part 20 formed on the main body 10, and a background part formed on the main body 10 around the character part 20. The character part 20 is composed of multiple parts, and the main body 10 has either a first type of groove 41 or a second type of groove 42 with different widths formed between the parts. The groove 40 has parts with different widths, which makes it possible to increase the difficulty of breaking the confectionery.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to confectionery.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a confectionery, for example, in Patent Document 1, there is disclosed a configuration of "a puzzle chocolate characterized in that molten chocolate is poured into a mold, a chocolate confectionery having a peripheral shape conforming to the inside of the mold, a three-dimensional shape / patterned surface along the bottom surface of the mold, and a required thickness is solidified and formed, and this chocolate confectionery is divided into a required number of pieces by cut lines provided intersecting from the vertical and horizontal directions at a required interval".

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In Patent Document 1, a chocolate confectionery formed into a puzzle by providing cut lines is disclosed. However, this confectionery only has ways of playing such as cutting a predetermined pattern with cut lines and assembling it into the original pattern, has no change in taste, has few types of ways of playing, and has problems in its interestingness.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a confectionery with improved interestingness.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A confectionery according to one aspect of the present invention is a confectionery comprising a main body, a character part formed on the main body, and a background part formed on the main body surrounding the character part, wherein the character part is composed of a plurality of parts, and the main body has either a first type of groove or a second type of groove with different widths formed between the parts. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide confectionery with improved appeal. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a plan view of a confectionery according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the confectionery shown. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of the portion along line AA in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This is a plan view showing the state when the character part of the confectionery has been successfully divided and separated. [Figure 5] This is a plan view of the character section shown in Figure 4, after it has been further divided. [Figure 6] This is a plan view showing the state when the character part identification fails. [Figure 7] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the method of disassembly when the failure condition is shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, a confectionery product according to one aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to the figures. Figure 1 is a plan view of confectionery 1. Figure 2 is a perspective view of confectionery 1. The confectionery 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is made of chocolate as the confectionery material, and is, for example, a rectangular chocolate confectionery with four sides (left, right, top, and bottom). A character part 20 is formed approximately in the center of the rectangular confectionery 1 in a plan view. A first background part 31 and a second background part 32 are provided around the character part 20 as background parts.

[0010] In this embodiment, the first background section 31 and the second background section 32 have different colors from the character section 20, for example, and are arranged to decorate the central character section 20. The background section is divided into the first background section 31 and the second background section 32 by its protruding height and color. The first background section 31 has, for example, a flat section 31a on which no pattern is formed, and a patterned section 31b on which a polygon (including a hexagon) is formed by a third type of groove 43. The first background section 31 surrounds almost the entire circumference of the character section 20 and is configured to be the thinnest (see Figure 3). On the other hand, the second background section 32 is located below the character section 20 and has a configuration in which character information is written in a text information section 32a.

[0011] In this embodiment, the character part 20 is composed of multiple parts (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28), and its color scheme is also composed of multiple colors. For example, the head and the area around the head are composed of the first part 21, the second part 22, the third part 23, and the fourth part 24, and the chest and shoulders are composed of the fifth part 25, the sixth part 26, the seventh part 27, and the eighth part 28.

[0012] In this embodiment, the character portion 20 has a first type of groove 41 formed between it and the surrounding background portions 31 and 32 as part of its outline. Furthermore, a first type of groove 41 and a second type of groove 42 are provided between each part portion to separate them. As will be described later, these first type of groove 41 and second type of groove 42 have a depth such that the confectionery 1 also bites into the main body portion 10 from the surface side 1f.

[0013] The groove 40 comprises a first type groove 41 that separates parts with approximately the same width, a second type groove 42 formed with a wider width than the first type groove 41, and a third type groove 43 configured to have the smallest depth and width. In cases where the type of the first type groove 41, second type groove 42, and third type groove 43 is not specified, the grooves are collectively referred to as groove 40.

[0014] The second type of groove 42 is formed, for example, as a single region in the central part of the character part 20. This second type of groove 42 is formed between four parts, for example, the third part part 23, the fourth part part 24, the sixth part part 26, and the seventh part part 27, and is connected to four first type of grooves 41 as shown in the figure. Thus, the grooves 40 separating the parts are mostly formed as first type grooves 41, with only one second type of groove 42 formed.

[0015] Furthermore, since the first type of groove 41 is configured to mimic the outer edge between two parts, it includes curved and straight sections, and each section has a different length. As a result, the first type of groove 41 is formed to include sections where the groove width is always constant and sections where the width changes, for example, depending on the shape between adjacent parts.

[0016] In the first background section 31 shown in Figures 1 and 2, for example, its color is composed of brown tones (regular chocolate flavor), and the second background section 32 is composed of white tones (white chocolate flavor). On the other hand, in the character section 20, the first part section 21 (including some white tones), the second part section 22, the third part section 23, and the fourth part section 24 are composed of pink tones (strawberry flavor), the fifth part section 25, the sixth part section 26, and the seventh part section 27 are beige (caramel flavor), and the eighth part section 28 is composed of white tones (white chocolate flavor). Thus, in this embodiment, other colors such as blueberry and grape flavor are also provided, resulting in a total of 4 to 5 different colors, and the flavors and aromas are also 4 to 5 different for each color.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion taken along line A-A in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, each colored portion of the confectionery 1 is formed as a layer having a predetermined thickness, with layers for each color being formed. For example, the main body portion 10 has a multicolored pattern drawn on the front surface 10f, but the back surface 10r has a single-color configuration of the main body portion 10. For example, the character portion 20, the first background portion 31, and the second background portion 32 including the character information portion 32a are laminated on the front surface 10f side of the main body portion 10 as other materials (materials with different colors and flavors).

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3, the first type of groove 41 and the second type of groove 42 are configured to have the same depth, and the groove depth reaches the main body portion 10. That is, the positions of the bottoms of both grooves 41, 42 are deeper than the surface of the first background portion 31.

[0019] The character information portion 32a is formed as a recess on the surface of the second background portion 32 on the left side in the figure. The second background portion is configured such that the formed height (thickness t3) is the same as the height (thickness t2) of the character portion 20. Also, the thicknesses (t1, t2) of the second background portion 32 and the character portion 20 are configured to be smaller than the thickness (t1) of the main body portion 10. Note that the character information portion 32a has characters such as the name of the character that emphasize and characterize the character formed thereon. In this embodiment, the character information portion 32a is formed in a recess, but it may also be in a convex shape.

[0020] As shown in Figure 3, the main body 10 is made of chocolate containing puffs 60. Here, the first background 31 is made of the same color material as the main body 10. In this case, the flat portion 31a without a design in the first background 31 may be formed at the same time as the main body 10, or it may be formed thinly on top of the main body 10. For example, when forming the main body 10, the puffs 60 are solidified so that they are mostly included on the underside (bottom side) of the main body 10, and the bottom surface of the back side 10r (bottom side in the figure) of the main body 10 has a slightly uneven shape. However, on the front side 10f (top side in the figure) of the main body 10, the unevenness caused by the puffs 60 is hardly formed during the solidification process of the chocolate material, and a nearly flat surface made of chocolate is formed. The character part 20 is made without puffs 60.

[0021] For the pattern portion 31b of the first background portion 31, after forming the main body portion 10 containing the puff 60, a thin layer of chocolate material without the puff 60 is formed on top of it. The pattern portion 31b of the first background portion 31 is slightly higher (thicker) than the flat portion 31a, and the pattern portion is composed of a third type of groove 43. As shown in the figure, both the width and depth of this third type of groove 43 are smaller than those of the second type of groove 42, and it is provided around the character portion 20. Furthermore, the third type of groove 43 is connected to the second type of groove 42 (see Figure 1).

[0022] Thus, the character section 20, the text information section 32a, the first background section 31, and the second background section 32 are made of chocolate without puffs, while the main body section 10 is made of chocolate containing puffs 60. As a result, the confectionery 1 not only has different flavors depending on the part, but the proportion of puffs 60 relative to the total amount of chocolate differs depending on the part that is eaten, resulting in a significantly different texture.

[0023] Figure 4 is a plan view showing the state after the division and separation of the character part 20 of confectionery 1 has been successful. The segmentation shown in Figure 4 is an example of a successful segmentation of the character part 20. In this case, the first background part 31 is successfully separated at the location of the first type of groove 41 between the character part 20 and the first background part 31, that is, at the outer circumference that constitutes the outline of the character part 20. When segmentation is successful in this way, it can be done by breaking the confectionery 1 with both hands, but it can also be done by, for example, applying force by bringing the tip of an eating utensil such as a spoon or fork into contact with the first type of groove 41.

[0024] In the division operation of the confectionery 1, the first type of groove 41 is configured to have a large depth, which greatly contributes to determining the shape of the character part 20. In addition, since the third type of groove 43 is provided in the first background part 31, it makes it easier to start dividing the first background part 31 in the initial stages of division. When dividing the first background part 31, a number of background division lines 54 are formed along the third type of groove 43. For example, the background division lines 54 are formed to divide the first background part 31 into small sections and divide it so as to connect to the first type of groove 41 on the outer circumference of the character part 20.

[0025] Furthermore, when eating the broken candy 1, for example, if the first background part 31 and the second background part 32 are eaten first, the individual flavors and aromas of each candy can be enjoyed. On the other hand, when eating the character part 20 without dividing it with the first type of groove 41, the individual flavors or mixed flavors and aromas can be enjoyed depending on where the candy is eaten.

[0026] Figure 5 is a plan view showing the character section 20 shown in Figure 4 being further divided. When eating the broken candy 1, for example, as shown in Figure 5, the character part 20 can be divided into upper and lower sections approximately in the center, and then further divided into individual parts for eating. In this case, the character can be easily divided vertically first using the second type of groove 42 in the central region of the character, and then each part can be easily separated along the second type of groove 41 between each part. In other words, the character part 20 can be divided starting from the second type of groove 42, which is configured to be the easiest to break.

[0027] When consuming confectionery 1, in the state shown in Figure 5, one can enjoy a blend of multiple different flavors in the upper and lower parts of the character section 20 (character head and character shoulders). On the other hand, when the confectionery is separated into individual parts, it is possible to enjoy the individual flavors and aromas of each part.

[0028] Figure 6 is a plan view showing the state when the character part 20 division fails. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the division method when the failure state shown in Figure 6 occurs.

[0029] The division state shown in Figure 6 is what happens when the division operation is performed using both hands. For example, this is an example of when the initial division is started in order to separate the second background part 32 and the first background part 31. In this case, the confectionery 1 is divided into three parts, for example, by a first dividing line 51 extending to the left from the second type of groove 42 in the central area of ​​the character part 20, a second dividing line 52 extending to the right from the second type of groove 42, and a third dividing line 53 extending downward to the left from the second type of groove 42, resulting in the character part 20 being broken.

[0030] In this splitting operation, as shown in Figure 7, for example, the fingers of the left hand 61 grasp the front and back of the second background part 32, and the fingers of the right hand 62 grasp the front and back of the character part 20, and attempt to separate the second background part 32 along the first type groove 41 formed on the outer circumference of the second background part 32. In this splitting operation, when force (F1 on the left hand side and force F2 on the right hand side) is applied to split the confectionery 1 in the thickness direction at the gripping position of both hands 61 and 62, stress concentrates in the second type groove 42, which is formed as the thinnest region. As a result, cracking begins from the second type groove 42. The crack then spreads along a part of the first type groove 41 that is connected to the second type groove 42.

[0031] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, if the character part 20 is not properly separated and breaks in various places, the broken pieces of candy will contain a mixture of the character part 20, the second background part 32, and the first background part 31. As a result, the taste, aroma, and texture of the candy pieces will vary from piece to piece, allowing for enjoyment of these differences, and the resulting variations in taste, aroma, and texture can be enjoyed even if the separation and cutting of the character part 20 is unsuccessful.

[0032] As described above, in this embodiment of the confectionery 1, the character part 20 formed on the main body part 10 of the confectionery 1 has its outline portion composed of grooves 40, making it possible to separate the confectionery 1 into a character shape. Furthermore, since the character part 20 is composed of multiple parts via grooves 40, it is possible to make it difficult to cut out the character shape. In addition, the grooves 40 have parts with different widths (first type groove 41, second type groove 42), which further increases the difficulty of separating the confectionery.

[0033] In the present embodiment of the confectionery 1, the depths of the first type of groove 41 and the second type of groove 42 are set to be the same, which facilitates the formation of the grooves and improves the moldability of the confectionery 1, which is fluid during molding, such as chocolate.

[0034] In the present embodiment of the confectionery 1, even though the grooves 40 appear to be the same width at first glance, they include parts with slightly different widths and parts with only the same width, and furthermore, they include straight parts and curved parts, which subtly differs the amount of force required when breaking them, increasing the difficulty of breaking them along the grooves 40.

[0035] Furthermore, in the confectionery 1 of this embodiment, the second type of groove 42 is provided as a wide groove in the central part of the character part 20 between the parts, making it easy to break the character part 20 and making it difficult to cut out the character part 20.

[0036] In the confectionery 1 of this embodiment, the character part 20 is composed of multiple spaced-apart parts 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27, so that the character can be disassembled into its parts, and different flavors can be enjoyed by changing the color and taste of each part.

[0037] Furthermore, since the character part 20 is composed of multiple parts and multiple colors, it not only enhances the appearance but also adds variation to the taste, allowing the character part 20 to be emphasized and presented through its flavor.

[0038] In the confectionery 1 of this embodiment, the second type of groove 42 is connected to the first type of groove 41, so that the force applied when breaking the part of the first type of groove 41 is transmitted to the second type of groove 42, which may cause the second type of groove 42 to break, making it difficult to identify the character shape.

[0039] In the confectionery 1 of this embodiment, the third type of groove 43 provided in the first background part 31 surrounding the character part 20 is connected to the first type of groove 41, which makes it easier to cut the character part 20 from the main body part 10.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment of confectionery 1, the color scheme of the character part 20, the first background part 31, and the second background part 32 is changed, and the thickness is also varied, allowing consumers to enjoy the color and how to break the confectionery 1.

[0041] In the confectionery 1 of this embodiment, the second background portion 32, which includes a character information portion 32a that is thicker and has a different color than the first background portion 31 in the thinner areas, makes it possible to emphasize and decorate the characters.

[0042] In this embodiment of confectionery 1, the main body 10 contains puffs 60, allowing the consumer to enjoy both the taste and texture. Furthermore, the inclusion of puffs 60 not only creates a change in texture but also makes the main body 10 relatively easy to break, even if it is thick.

[0043] In this embodiment of confectionery 1, a first type of groove 41 is formed around the character part 20, making it easy to identify the outline shape of the character part 20. On the other hand, because the character part 20 is divided into multiple parts by the first type of groove 41, the character part 20 also has sides that are prone to breaking at the groove when identifying its shape, creating a sense of accomplishment when the character part 20 is neatly cut out. In particular, a second type of groove 42 is provided in the central part of the character part 20, making it more difficult to identify the character part 20.

[0044] Furthermore, a second type of groove 42, which is prone to cracking, is provided in the central part of the character section 20. When the character section 20 is successfully identified, the second type of groove 42 is used to facilitate the division of the character section 20 into parts.

[0045] Although one aspect of the present invention has been described above, the present invention can be modified as appropriate within the scope of its technical concept. For example, in the above embodiment, the depths of the first type groove 41 and the second type groove 42 are set to be the same, but the invention is not limited to this, and they may be configured to have different depths.

[0046] Furthermore, while the above embodiment describes a confectionery primarily made from chocolate, it is not limited to this composition; for example, any ingredient that hardens to a certain extent, such as cookies, is not particularly limited.

[0047] As explained above, this specification contains the following information:

[0048] (1) It is a confectionery, The main body and The character part formed on the main body, The character portion is surrounded by a background portion formed on the main body portion, The above character part is composed of multiple parts, The above-mentioned main body has either a first type of groove or a second type of groove of different widths formed between the above-mentioned parts, which is a confectionery.

[0049] (2) (1) The confectionery described above, The above-mentioned parts are formed on the main body in a manner that is separated from each other, in a confectionery.

[0050] (3) (1) or (2) Confectionery as described above, The above-mentioned first type of groove and the above-mentioned second type of groove are formed around the above-mentioned part, confectionery.

[0051] (4) A confectionery item described in any one of (1) to (3), The first type of groove described above is formed between the two parts described above. The second type of groove described above is formed between three or more of the above-mentioned parts of a confectionery.

[0052] (5) A confectionery item described in any one of (1) to (4), A confectionery in which the width of the first type of groove described above is narrower than the width of the second type of groove described above.

[0053] (6) A confectionery item described in any one of (1) to (5), A confectionery in which the first type of grooves described above are present in greater numbers than the second type of grooves described above.

[0054] (7) A confectionery item described in any one of (1) to (6), A confectionery in which the first type of groove described above is configured to have the same depth as the second type of groove described above.

[0055] (8) A confectionery item described in any one of (1) to (7), A confectionery in which the second type of groove described above is connected to the first type of groove described above.

[0056] (9) A confectionery item described in any one of (1) to (8), The first type of groove described above includes grooves formed with the same width only, and grooves formed with different widths, in this confectionery.

[0057] (10) A confectionery item described in any one of (1) to (9), The first type of groove described above is a confectionery containing grooves of different lengths.

[0058] (11) A confectionery described in any one of (1) to (10), The first type of groove described above includes both straight and curved grooves in the confectionery.

[0059] (12) A confectionery item described in any one of (1) to (11), The above-mentioned second type of groove is formed in the central part of the character section of the confectionery.

[0060] (13) A confectionery described in any one of (1) to (12), The main body part includes a third type of groove around the character part. The above-mentioned third type of groove is formed by connecting with the above-mentioned first type of groove.

[0061] (14) (13) Confectionery as described above, A confectionery in which the third type of groove described above is formed so as not to connect directly with the second type of groove described above.

[0062] (15) (13) or (14) Confectionery as described above, The third type of groove described above is provided in the area surrounding the character part of the confectionery.

[0063] (16) A confectionery described in any one of (13) to (15), The above-mentioned grooves of the first to third types are formed to contribute to the division of the main body portion, in a confectionery.

[0064] (17) A confectionery described in any one of (13) to (16), A confectionery in which the first type of groove described above is formed to contribute more to the division of the main body than the third type of groove described above.

[0065] (18) A confectionery item described in any one of (1) to (17), The character portion described above is thinner than the main body portion of the confectionery.

[0066] (19) A confectionery item described in any one of (1) to (18), The main body mentioned above includes the puff, The above character part is a confectionery product that is constructed without puffs.

[0067] (20) A confectionery described in any one of (1) to (19), The main body described above is composed of a single color. The character shown above is a confectionary made up of multiple colors.

[0068] (twenty one) A confectionery item described in any one of (1) to (20), The above background area includes an area containing text information. The above character section is designed so as not to contain any textual information; it is a type of confectionery.

[0069] (twenty two) A confectionery described in any one of (1) to (21), The above background portion includes a first background portion having a first thickness and a second background portion having a second thickness different from the above first thickness. A confectionery in which the first background section described above is larger in size than the second background section described above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0070] 1. Confectionery 10 Main body 20 Character Department Parts 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 31 1st background part (background part) 32 Second background part (background part) 32a Character information section 40 grooves 41. Type 1 groove (groove) 42. Second type of groove (groove) 43. Third type of groove (groove) 60 puffs

Claims

1. It is a confectionery, The main body and The character portion is formed by being laminated on one side of the main body portion, The device comprises a background portion formed by being laminated around the character portion and on one side of the main body portion, The character part is composed of multiple parts that are spaced apart from each other. A first type of groove is formed in the outline of the character portion, between it and the background portion, with a depth that reaches the main body portion. Between the aforementioned parts, either the first type of groove or the second type of groove having the same depth as the first type of groove but a different width is formed. The second type of groove is wider than the first type of groove and is formed as a single region in the central part of the character portion. The first type of groove is formed between two of the plurality of part portions, A confectionery in which the second type of groove is formed between three or more of the plurality of parts and is connected only to the first type of groove between two of the parts.

2. The confectionery according to Claim 1, A confectionery in which the number of grooves of the first type is greater than the number of grooves of the second type.

3. The confectionery according to Claim 1, The first type of groove is a confectionery containing grooves of different lengths.

4. The confectionery according to Claim 1, The first type of groove includes straight grooves and curved grooves in the confectionery.

5. The confectionery according to Claim 1, The character portion is constructed to be thinner than the thickness of the main body portion of the confectionery.

6. The confectionery according to Claim 1, The main body includes a puff, The aforementioned character portion is a confectionery item that does not contain puffs.

7. The confectionery according to Claim 1, The main body is composed of a single color. The aforementioned character part is made up of multiple colors and is a confectionery item.

8. The confectionery according to Claim 1, The background portion includes an area containing character information, The aforementioned character portion is constructed in such a way that it does not contain any textual information.

9. The confectionery according to claim 1, The background portion includes a first background portion having a first thickness and a second background portion having a second thickness different from the first thickness. A confectionery in which the first background portion is larger in size than the second background portion.

Images