SYSTEMS FOR PRODUCING FOOD ADDITIVES FROM FOOD ELEMENTS AND RELATED METHODS.

Abstract

Techniques are described that include methods, systems, products, devices, and / or apparatus related to food processing systems, related methods, and foods produced using them. For example, the food processing system can be configured to produce food additives from multiple food items. The food processing system includes a first press body and a second press body. The second press body is positioned and oriented opposite the first press body and is reconfigurable from a first configuration to a second non-flat configuration. The second non-flat configuration of the press body differs from the first configuration. At least one of the first or second press bodies is movable in such a way as to decrease the space between the first and second press bodies, thereby compressing the food items and forming the food additive.A food supply system is positioned and configured to supply food between the first and second press bodies.

Description

SYSTEMS FOR PRODUCING FOOD ADDITIVES FROM FOOD INGREDIENTS AND RELATED METHODS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for producing a food additive from food items, for example, a press system shaped to join food items under pressure.

[0002] Various food elements can be combined or added together to form a single combined or added food. For example, oat flour, nuts, seeds, grains, berries, etc., can be placed adjacent to each other in such a way that the food elements are held together as a single food unit. These food elements or units can be in the form of bars for convenient consumption by users.

[0003] In general, the amount of binding agent(s) used to form food additives can be reduced by applying pressure. The pressure applied during bar forming increases the bonding strength between the food elements by increasing surface contact, interfacial forces, and mechanical interlocking. By increasing surface contact, the food elements are forced closer together, and smaller amounts of binding agents are required to promote bonding. Furthermore, by increasing interfacial forces, more liquid bridges of binding agents can easily form and promote mechanical interlocking.

[0004] However, pressure is not always a viable technique for increasing the binding of food additives. The use of a mold or a flat press 25 to combine whole ingredients* (e.g., nuts, grains). Seeds, dried fruits, etc.) result in concentrations of force in the larger components (i.e., the highest ones). Combining these "whole" ingredients with the shapes and pressures of existing presses results in pieces of crushed or broken food additives that appear damaged or destroyed. (0005] Consequently, users and manufacturers of processed foods, made from multiple food elements, continue to seek improvements for silo. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0006] In general, techniques are described that include methods, systems, products, devices, and / or apparatus generally related to food processing systems, related methods, and foods produced using them. For example, the food processing system may be configured to produce food additives from multiple food elements. In general, the system may compress multiple food elements together in such a way that a single food or added food unit is formed (for example, in such a way that the food elements are held together). Furthermore, in some examples, the system may minimize compression or damage to other food elements included in the food. (0007) The examples include a system for producing food additives from food items. The system includes a first pressing surface and a second pressing surface positioned and oriented opposite the first pressing surface. In some examples, the second pressing surface is reconfigurable from a first configuration to a second non-planar configuration; furthermore, the second non-planar configuration of the pressing surface may be different from the first configuration, and at least one of the first or second pressing surfaces is movable, in such a way as to decrease the space between the first and second pressing surfaces, to compress the food items and form the food additive.Furthermore, the system includes a food supplier, trained and configured to supply food items between the first pressing surface and the second pressing surface.

[0008] The examples also include a system for producing food additives from food elements. The system includes a plurality of compression cells comprising a plurality of walls that partially define a plurality of compression spaces, and one or more first pressing surfaces positioned within at least one compression space of the plurality of compression spaces. Furthermore, the system includes one or more second pressing surfaces positioned and oriented opposite at least one first pressing surface of the first pressing surface(s). The second pressing surfaces are movable toward the corresponding surfaces of the first pressing surface(s).At least one of the first pressing surfaces or one of the second pressing surfaces is reconfigurable from a first configuration to a second non-planar configuration that is different from the first configuration. Furthermore, in at least one non-limiting embodiment, the system includes a feeder for the food elements, positioned and configured to feed the food elements into at least one compression space of the plurality of compression spaces.

[0009] : Examples include a method for producing food additives: a. from food items of one or more shapes. The method involves placing food items between a first pressing surface and a second pressing surface, pressing the central pressing surfaces onto the food items, in a manner such that at least one of the pressing surfaces is reconfigured to contour (e.g., shape) one or more shapes of the food items that come into contact with the pressing surface, optionally increasing the rigidity of the pressing surface, and compressing the food items to produce the food additive.

[0010] In some embodiments, a system for producing a food additive from food elements includes a first press body and a second press body positioned and oriented opposite the first press body. In some embodiments, the second press body is reconfigurable from a first configuration to a second non-planar configuration. In some embodiments, the second non-planar configuration of the second press body is different from the first configuration. In some embodiments, at least one of the first press body and the second press body is configured to compress the food elements and form the food additive. [QQT1] In some embodiments, the system further includes a feeder, positioned and configured to supply the feed elements between the first press body and the second press body. In some embodiments, the second press body is reconfigurable from the first configuration to the second flat configuration in response to the pressure applied to it by the feed elements. In some embodiments, the system further includes at least one wall defining a compression space, and at least one part of the first and second press bodies is movable within the compression space. In some embodiments, the first and second press bodies define, at least partially, the compression space. In some embodiments, the feeder is positioned and configured to supply the feed elements in the compression space.

[0012] In some embodiments, the system further includes a container having an external surface and a pressure regulator operably coupled to the container and configured to selectively reduce or increase the pressure in the container. In some embodiments, at least one portion of the container's external surface defines the second press body. In some embodiments, the system further includes a vacuum source operably coupled to the pressure regulator. In some embodiments, the system further includes a particulate medium disposed in the container. In some embodiments, the container includes at least one flexible wall defining at least the second press body.In some embodiments, the system also includes a piston operably connected to the first press body or the second press body, and movable in such a way as to decrease the space between the first press body and the second press body.

[0013] In some embodiments, the system further includes a controller 20 operably coupled to the piston and pressure regulator. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to direct the piston movement in such a way as to decrease the separation between the first press body and the second press body, thereby reconfigures the second press body from the first configuration to the second non-flat configuration, in response to a first pressure applied by the second press body and the first press body on the food items between them. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to, after the piston movement, direct the pressure regulator to reduce the pressure in the container.In some versions, the controller is configured to direct the piston to produce a second pressure applied by the first press body and the second press body on the food items between them, where the second pressure is greater than the first pressure.

[0014] In some embodiments, the second non-flat configuration is complementary to the food elements. In some embodiments, the first press body is reconfigurable from a first configuration to a second non-flat configuration, and the second non-flat configuration of the press body is different from the first configuration.

[0015] In some embodiments, a system for producing a food additive from food items includes a plurality of compression cells including a plurality of walls partially defining a plurality of compression spaces, one or more first press bodies positioned within at least one compression space of the plurality of compression spaces, and one or more second press bodies positioned and oriented opposite at least one first press body or of three first press bodies; In some embodiments, the second press body or bodies are configured to compress the food items and form the food additive. In some embodiments, at least one of the first press bodies and of the second press bodies is reconfigurable from a first configuration to a second non-planar configuration that is different from the first configuration.

[0016] In some embodiments, the system further includes a feeder for the food items, positioned and configured to supply the food items in at least one compression space of the plurality of compression spaces. In some embodiments, the compression cells have a radial arrangement relative to one another. In some embodiments, the compression cells have a linear arrangement relative to one another. In some embodiments, the second press body is reconfigurable from the first configuration to the second non-planar configuration in response to the pressure applied on the same pair of food items. In some embodiments, the second non-planar configuration is complementary to the food items. In some embodiments, the feeder is positioned and configured to supply the food items in two or more compression spaces.

[0017] In some embodiments, the system further includes one or more containers, each of which includes an external surface, at least a portion of which defines at least one of the first or second press bodies, and one or more pressure regulators operably coupled to the container(s) and configured to selectively reduce or increase the pressure in the container(s). In some embodiments, the system further includes one or more vacuum sources 20 operably coupled to one or more pressure regulators. In some embodiments, the system further includes a particulate medium disposed in the container(s). In some embodiments, each container of the plurality of containers includes at least a flexible surface that defines at least one of the first or second press bodies. In some versions, the system also includes a piston connected in an operable manner to the first press body, and moved in a way that reduces the space between the first press body and the second press body. [Q01S] In some embodiments, the system further includes a controller operably coupled to the piston and the pressure regulator. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to direct the piston movement in such a way as to decrease the space between at least one of the first press bodies and at least one of the second press bodies to a first distance, thereby reconfigures one or more of the first press bodies and the second press bodies from the first configuration to the second non-flat configuration, in response to a first pressure applied by the first press bodies and the second press bodies on the feeding elements between them, and, after the piston movement, to direct the pressure regulators to reduce the pressure in at least one container of the containers.In some 15 modes, the first press body is configurable from a first configuration to a second non-flat configuration, and the second non-flat configuration of the press body is different from the first configuration.

[0019] In some embodiments, a method for producing a food additive from food items of one or more shapes includes placing 20 food items between a first press body and a second press body, pressing the first press body against the food items in a manner such that the first press body is reconfigured to conform to one or more shapes of the food items that come into contact with the first press body, increasing the rigidity of the first press body, and compressing the 25 food items to produce the food additive.

[0020] In some embodiments, the pressure of the first press body against the food elements, in such a manner that the first press body is reconfigured to conform to one or more shapes of the food elements, includes bringing the first press body into contact to produce a first pressure on the food elements. In some embodiments, the compression of the food elements to produce the food additive includes pressing the reconfigured press body against the food elements to produce a second pressure on the food elements. In some embodiments, the second pressure is greater than the first pressure. In some embodiments, the first press body is defined by a container that includes a particulate medium. In some embodiments, the increase in the rigidity of the first press body includes reducing the pressure in the container.

[0021] In some embodiments, the method further includes pressing the second press body against the food items in such a way that the second press body is reconfigured to conform to the shapes of the food items that come into contact with the second press body, and increasing the rigidity of the second press body. In some embodiments, the pressure of the first press body against the food items, in such a way that the first press body is reconfigured to conform to the shapes of the food items that come into contact with the first press body, includes moving at least one of the first and second press bodies in such a way as to reduce the distance between them. In some embodiments, the method further includes decreasing the rigidity of the first press body after compressing the food items to produce the food additive.[00221 In some embodiments, the method may include compressing the food items by applying a pressure of approximately 100 kPa to approximately 800 kPa to produce the food additive. In some embodiments, the pressure is approximately 500 kPa to approximately 700 kPa. In some embodiments, the method may further include adding a binder that is approximately 5% by weight to approximately 25% by weight to the food items to produce the food additive. In some embodiments, the binder may be approximately 10% by weight to approximately 15% by weight. In some embodiments, the food additive has a maximum flexural strength of approximately 50 kPa to approximately 200 kPa. In some embodiments, the food additive has a maximum flexural strength of approximately 120 kPa to approximately <80 kPa.In some forms, the food additive has a maximum flexural stress of approximately 140 kPa to approximately T60 kPa.

[0023] In some embodiments, the second press body includes a material having a density gradient. In some embodiments, the material is foam rubber. In some embodiments, the second press body includes a first layer having a first density and a second layer having a second density. In some embodiments, the first layer is arranged between the: Food elements and the second layer. In some embodiments, the second density is greater than the first density. In some embodiments, the second press body includes a third layer that has a third density. In some embodiments, the second layer is positioned between the first and third layers. In some embodiments, the second density is greater than the first density and the third density is greater than the second density.

[0024] In some embodiments, the first press body(ies) or the second press body(ies) include a material having a density gradient. In some embodiments, the density increases along a substantially perpendicular axis that extends away from the food elements.

[0025] The features of any of the disclosed modes may be used in combination with each other without limitation. Furthermore, other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art through consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. [00261 The preceding summary is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. In addition to the illustrative aspects, modalities and features described above, other aspects, modalities and features will become evident from reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.]

[0027] Other features and advantages of the modes described in this document, as well as the structure and operation of various modes, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the modes are not limited to the specific modes described in this document. These modes are presented here for illustrative purposes only. Other modes will be evident to those skilled in the relevant technique or techniques based on the teachings contained in this document. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The foregoing, and other features of the present disclosure, will become more fully apparent from the following description and 25 appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Since these drawings represent only a few examples in accordance with the disclosure and, therefore, should not be considered as limiting its scope, the disclosure will be described with greater specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form part of the specification, illustrate the embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the embodiments and to enable a person skilled in the relevant art or techniques to perform and use the embodiments. The embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which: [QQ2Q] Figure 1A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a food processing cell with pressing surfaces at a first distance between them, according to a modality.

[0030] Figure IB is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the food processing cell of Figure tA cbh pressing surfaces at a second distance between them, and an upper surface reconfigured to conform, at least partially, to one or more food items located in the food processing cell.

[0031] Figure 1G is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the food processing cell, from Figure 1A with pressing surfaces at a third distance between them, and the food items being compressed in the food processing cell,

[0032] Figure 2 is a schematic side view of a food produced by the food processing cell of Figure 1A, according to a mod and ad, (0033] Figure 3A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a food processing cell with pressing surfaces at a first distance between them, according to a modality. (0034] Figure 3B is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the food processing cell of Figure 3A with pressing surfaces at a second distance between them, and a first pressing surface and a second pressing surface reconfigured to conform, at least partially, to one or more food items located in the food processing cell, (0035] Figure 3C is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the food processing cell of Figure 3A with pressing surfaces at a third distance between them, and food items being pressed in the food processing cell. (0036] Figure 4 is a schematic side view of a food produced by the food processing cell of Figure 3A, according to a modality.

[0037] Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a food processing system that includes multiple cells, illustrating that, in some examples, a continuous surface can be used to provide a 20 pressing surface for multiple cells, according to a modality. (0038] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computing device that is disposed to control, at least partially, any of the systems or perform any of the methods disclosed in this document, according to a modality.

[0039] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computer program product arranged to store instructions for controlling any of the systems disclosed herein, according to a modality. [004Q] Figure 8 illustrates a graph of 1.a initial food element 5 fracture pressure between a flat pressing surface and a shaped pressing surface.

[0041] Figure 9 illustrates a graph of the maximum flexural stress as a function of the compressive pressure of a food additive for various percentages of binder by weight).

[0042] Figure 10 illustrates a graph of the maximum flexural strength between a food additive produced by a flat pressing surface and a food additive produced by a shaped pressing surface.

[0043] Figure 11A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a food processing cell pressing surfaces at a first distance of 15 between them, according to a modality,

[0044] Figure 118 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the food processing cell of Figure TIA with pressing surfaces at a second distance between them, and a first pressing surface and a second pressing surface reconfigured to conform, at least partially, to one or more food items located in the food processing area.

[0045] Figure 11C is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the food processing cell of Figure 11A with pressing surfaces at a third distance between them, and the food items being compressed in the food processing cell.

[0046] The features and advantages of the present modalities will become more evident from the detailed description set forth below, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which similar reference numbers identify the corresponding elements throughout. In the drawings, similar reference numbers generally indicate identical elements, or elements that are similar and / or structurally similar. Furthermore, the leftmost digit or digits of a reference number generally identify the drawing in which the reference number first appears. Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings provided throughout this disclosure should not be interpreted as scale drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0047] The modality or modalities described and the references in the specification to “a modality,” “an exemplary modality,” etc., indicate that the modality or modalities described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every modality may necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in relation to a modality, it shall be understood that, to the knowledge of an expert in the field, the materialization of this feature, structure, or characteristic in relation to other modalities, whether or not explicitly stated, is found.

[0048] Space-related terms such as “below,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “over,” “superior,” and the like may be used herein for ease of description to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature or features, as illustrated in the figures. Space-related terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation, in addition to the orientation shown in the figures. The apparatus and / or system may be oriented in another way (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the space-related descriptors used herein may be interpreted accordingly. (0049) The term 'approximately', as used herein, indicates the value of a given quantity that may vary depending on a particular technology. Based on the particular technology, the term 'approximately' may indicate a value for a given quantity that varies within, for example, 10 to 30% of the value (e.g., ±10%, ±20%, or ±30¾ of the value). (0050) The term sustandaimenfe, as used in this document, indicates the value of a given quantity that may vary depending on a particular technology. Based on the particular technology, the term 15 “sustandaimenfe” may indicate a value of a given quantity that varies within, for example, 0 to 10% of the value (e.g., ±1%, ±2% or 10% of the value).

[0051] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this document. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless the context dictates otherwise. The illustrative examples described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not intended to be limiting. Other examples may be used, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein and illustrated in the figures, may be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are implicitly contemplated herein.

[0052] In general, techniques are described that include methods, systems, products, devices, and / or apparatus related to food processing systems, related methods, and foods produced using them. For example, the food processing system may be configured to produce food additives from multiple food elements. In general, the system may compress multiple food elements together in such a way that a single food or added food unit is formed (e.g., in such a way that the food elements are held together). Furthermore, in some examples, the system may minimize compression or other damage to the food elements included in the food. 100531 In at least one example, the food processing system may include two opposing pressing surfaces that can compress the food items together. The system may bring the pressing surfaces closer together (for example, by advancing one of the pressing surfaces towards the other), thereby compressing the food items accordingly. Furthermore, at least one of the pressing surfaces may be, at least partially, conformable to at least one or some of the food items in contact with it (for example, in a manner where the surface molds a shape or shapes complementary to the food item or items in contact).For example, the shape of the pressing surface, or the food item(s), can provide a more uniformly distributed pressure over it during compression of the food items (e.g., compared to a pressing surface that is not shaped or has shapes complementary to the food item(s). Furthermore, producing a more uniformly distributed pressure can reduce damage or destruction of the food items during compression. (0054) In general, the food processing system can be operated continuously, such as to produce a new food item from multiple food items. That is, after producing one food item, a new batch of food items can be introduced between opposing pressing surfaces to produce a new food item (for example, after processing or compressing a first batch together, a second new batch can be introduced for compression to form another food item). The conformable pressing surface can be shaped to the forms of the food items in each batch (for example, in such a way that at least parts of the pressing surface contour or complement the forms of the food item in contact with it).For example, the pressing surface can be shaped to at least some of the food items in the first batch, and can be subsequently reconfigured to conform to the shapes of at least some of the food items in the second batch, and so on.

[0065] For example, the conformable pressing surface may be included in a press body that can be reshaped in such a way that the conformable pressing surface conforms to the shapes of the food items. In some examples, at least a portion of the press body may be reconfigured to be generally flexible, in such a way that, by pressing the conformable pressing surface against the food items, the pressing surface is reconfigured to conform at least partially or substantially to the shapes of one or more food items. Furthermore, after the conformable pressing surface is reconfigured and conforms, at least partially, to the shapes of the food items, the press body including it...The reconfigured pressing surface can be reconfigured to a rigid state, such that the conformable pressing surface retains its shape during the subsequent compression of the food items. As mentioned above, the food processing system can process the food items continuously or intermittently. For example, the press body can be reconfigured to a flexible state after processing the first batch of food items (and producing a food item), in which the conformable pressing surface can be reconfigured to conform to the food items in a subsequent batch. [00561 Various food elements can be combined or added together to form a single combined or added food. For example, oat flour, nuts, seeds, grains, berries, etc., can be placed adjacent to each other in such a way that the food elements are held together as a single food unit. These food elements or units can be in the form of bars for convenient consumption by users.]

[0057] Typical nutrition bars or snack groups are held together with a binding agent (e.g., syrup, sugar, etc.!) that adheres the individual ingredients into a bar group. Usually, the bars are formed by low-pressure rolling, which provides adequate compression for forming at high binder concentrations (e.g., more than 30% by weight), but is insufficient for low binder concentrations (e.g., less than 30% by weight).

[0058] The amount of binding agent(s) used to form food additives can be reduced by applying pressure. The pressure applied during bar formation increases the bonding strength between the food elements by increasing surface contact, interfacial forces, and mechanical interlocking. By increasing surface contact, the food elements are forced closer together, and smaller amounts of binding agent(s) are required to promote bonding. Furthermore, by increasing interfacial forces, more liquid bridges of binding agents can easily form and promote mechanical interlocking. The increase in bonding strength due to compression requires a smaller quantity and / or quality of binder to achieve adequate bar cohesion.The high pressures 15 required to take advantage of these binding effects will damage or destroy large food items (e.g., nuts) when using a rigid flat press.

[0059] Pressure is not always a viable technique for increasing the bonding of food additives. The use of a mold that combines a flat press to combine “whole” ingredients (e.g., nuts, grains, seeds, dried fruit, etc.) results in concentrations of forces in the larger (i.e., tallest) components. Bonding these “whole” ingredients with the shapes and pressures of existing presses results in chunks of crushed or broken food additives that appear damaged or destroyed and are thus unattractive to the consumer. A solution is needed that allows pressure-induced bonding of food additives to reduce the requirements for binding agents without compromising the external appearance of the food additives (e.g., the “homemade” look).A dynamically shaped compression surface can be used to increase the forming pressure of 5 food elements, while at the same time reducing the content of binding agents.

[0060] As described in this document, vacuum jamming or granulation of ingredients uses a flexible outer shell placed around various small (i.e., granular) particles. The flexible shell 10 is placed against an object, and when negative pressure is applied to the shell, the confined particles jam together and form a rigid surface that matches the shape of the object's contour. The vacuum jamming effect allows a pressing surface to transition from soft to flexible and then rigid after initial low-force contact with the food items. As 15 is discovered below, a conformal surface can be applied at higher pressures (e.g., 680 kPa) compared to a traditional flat pressing surface (e.g., 160 kPa). Conformal pressing preserves the "homemade" appearance of the food items in the formed food additive.Furthermore, the binding strength between food elements can be increased in such a way that a smaller quantity and / or quality of binding agent can be used (for example, the sugar content can be reduced). [QOSI] The use of shaped compression surfaces allows for greater pressure to be applied during the formation and bonding of food elements in a food additive than with a non-shaped compression surface (i.e., flat and rigid). Non-shaped compression surfaces, applied at similar high pressures, result in fracture or breakage of the food additive. High-pressure compression increases the bonding strength of food additives at all binder proportions, for example, low binder content compositions (e.g., less than 30% by weight). A rigid piston head or pineapple crushes and flattens the food elements and requires the use of more binding agents (e.g., sugar, syrup, etc.) to retain a textured bar surface in the formed food additive.A dynamically shaped pressing surface can flex at low pressure to conform to the shape and contour of food items. With the application of negative pressure (e.g., vacuum), the dynamically shaped pressing surface becomes rigid, and a greater force (i.e., high pressure) can be applied to the food items to form a food additive with fewer binding agents and a lower concentration of binders (e.g., sugar content), while protecting the ingredients contained in the formed food additive to obtain a shell-like appearance. [C062i Figure 1A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a food item processing system 100, according to at least one example. As mentioned above, the food item processing system 100 can process or compress multiple food items 20 together to produce a single food unit or food from them. In general, the food item processing system 100 can include any number of food processing cells that can compress the food items in the manner illustrated; the food item processing system 100 includes one food processing cell 110. In some modalities, the food item processing cell 110 can be a compression cell, which can be configured to compress one or more objects, for example, a batch of multiple food items 10.

[0063] Specifically, in the example shown in Figure 1A, the food processing cell 110 includes a first press body 120 comprising a first pressing surface 12'1, and a second press body 130 comprising a second pressing surface 131. As described herein, it is understood that the first press body 120 can be disposed above the multiple food item batch 10, and the second press body 130 can be disposed below the multiple food item batch 10. 10, or vice versa. Furthermore, the food processing cell 110 may include one or more side walls, such as side walls 140, 145, which confine the perimeter or periphery of the first pressing surface 121 and second pressing surface 131. In the illustrated example, the first pressing surface 121, the second pressing surface 131, and side walls 140, 145 define a compression space 150 of the food processing cell 110. For example, a batch of multiple food items 10 can be placed within the compression space 150 and the food items of the same quantity can be compressed together by the first press body 120 and the second press body 130 (for example, between the first pressing surface 121 and the second surface de- pressed 131 p (0064) The multiple food item batch 10 may include any number of suitable food items that may vary from example to example. Furthermore, the food items included in the multiple food item batch may have various shapes, sizes, strength or hardness, flavors, colors, etc., or combinations thereof. Suitable food items include, but are not limited to, oats, berries, nuts, seeds, grains, fruits, etc. Furthermore, the food item batch 10 may include one or more binders or binding agents that can collectively ensure the various food items in the multiple food item batch 10 to produce a food or food unit from them. The binder may vary from example to example.Suitable binders include, but are not limited to, liquids and / or semi-liquids containing sugar, such as: honey, syrup, sugar water, glucose syrup, agave, sap, etc.

[0065] In general, placing adjacent food items closer together can reduce the amount of food binder suitable or necessary to connect or secure the food items of the multiple food item batch 10 together to produce the food. Pressing the food items together with a greater amount of force applied to them can place adjacent food items closer together. Furthermore, for example, applying a greater amount of force without crushing, damaging, or otherwise compromising the integrity of the visible food ingredients can maintain the overall aesthetic appearance of the food (for example, after the food items of the multiple food item batch 10 are compressed together to form the food).

[0066] Reducing the amount of binder and / or reducing the crushing of the various food items, which may be supplied in the multiple food item batch 10, may facilitate the production of a more natural-looking bar (e.g., the bar may have uncrushed and identifiable food items such as nuts, cereals, berries, etc.). For example, the food item processing system 100 may produce one or more cereal or granola bars, which may have large inclusions or large food items included therein, which remain identifiable (e.g., large dried fruits, small nuts, cookie crumbs, granola, rice such as puffed rice, dehydrated fruit, chocolate chips, etc.).) and / or without crushing after the multiple food item batch 10 is compressed, which can be facilitated by shaping one or more pressing surfaces of the food item processing system 100 to the food items of the multiple food item batch 10.

[0067] In general, the side walls 140 and / or 145 of the food processing cell 10 110 can have and / or define any number of suitable shapes of the compression space 150. For example, compressing together the food items of the multi-food item batch 10 can form a food item that can have any number of suitable shapes and / or sizes that can be defined, at least in part, by the side walls 140 and / or 145 (for example, by the shape and / or size of the compression space 150 formed in part by the side walls 140, 145). Similarly, the first pressing surface 121 and / or the second pressing surface 131 can define the shape and / or size of the food or foods formed by compressing together the food items of the multiple food item bundle 20 in the food processing cell 110,

[0068] To produce the added food or foodstuffs, the distance between the first pressing surface 121 and the second pressing surface 131 can be reduced in such a way that the batch of multiple food items 10 is compressed together. For example, the first press body 120 can be advanced towards the second press body 130. Alternatively, the second press body 130 can be advanced towards the first press body 120. In either case, the reduction of the space or distance between the first pressing surface 121 and the second pressing surface 131 can compress together the food items of the batch of 5 multiple food items 10.

[0060] In general, a batch of multiple food items 10 may include any number of suitable food items that may have any number of suitable shapes and / or sizes. Furthermore, the shapes and / or sizes of the food items in the batch of multiple food items 10 may vary. For example, food items of different sizes and shapes in the batch of multiple food items 10 may define or form the top and bottom sides of the batch of multiple food items 10, which may generally be non-flat and / or have irregular shapes.

[0070] As described above, at least one of the pressing surfaces of the food item processing system 100 can be conformed to at least one side or at least a portion of a multi-item batch 10. For example, the first pressing surface 121 can be at least partially conformable to the top face 11 of the multi-item batch T0. Therefore, for example, the first pressing surface 121 can be suitably flexible, in such a way that, by pressing the first pressing surface 121 against the top side 11, it can at least partially conform the first pressing surface 121 to the shapes of the food items that define the top side 11.

[0071] For example, the first press body 120 can be configured as a container, and the first pressing surface 121 can form or define the outer surface of the container. The first pressing surface 121 and one or more walls operably connected to the first pressing surface 121 can collectively define or form the interior space 122 of the first press body 120. For example, the interior space 122 can be conveniently reconfigurable to facilitate or allow the first pressing surface 121 to be reconfigured in a way such that the first pressing surface 121 molds complementary shapes with at least some of the food items from the multiple food item batch 10 (for example, at least some of the food items that define the top side 11 of the multiple food item batch 1Q).

[0072] In at least one example, the first press body 120 includes a suitable medium (e.g., a surface medium) placed in the interior space 122, which can be reconfigured in such a way as to allow the first pressing surface 121 to conform to the shapes of the food items. The suitable media may generally vary from example to example and / or may depend on the size or sizes of the food items, the material of the first pressing surface 121, etc. For example, the first press body 120 may contain fine sand or other particulate media such as silica, talc or similar powder, metal powder, mill powder (e.g., corn mill, flour, tablets, coffee beans or ground coffee, rice grains, spherical items such as rubber spheres and plastic spheres, pebbles, etc.), among other types of suitable media.The media may also have any number of suitable sizes, which may vary from one example to another (for example, based on the size of the food items, in such a way that the sizes of the media are smaller than some of the food items in the total of multiple food items). For example, the media may include elements or particles that have cross-sectional sizes in one or more of the following ranges: 100 µm to 200 µm; 150 µm to 500 µm; 400 µm to 1.5 mm; or 1 mm to 3 mm. However, it will be appreciated that the media may include particles with cross-sectional sizes outside the ranges described above. [Q073] In general, the first press body 120 can include any number of suitable materials. For example, the first pressing surface 121 can include rubber, silicone, neoprene, nitrile, latex, vitreous, vinyl, or other suitably flexible or deformable and / or non-porous materials. Furthermore, the thickness of the first pressing surface 121 can be suitable for conforming the first pressing surface 121 to the food items of the multiple food item batch (for example, in such a way that the first pressing surface 121 can be bent, deformed, and / or folded so that it at least conforms to and / or at least partially surrounds the food items in contact with it). As described in more detail below, the first pressing surface 121 can include compressible material or compression-deformable material.which can be softer than the food items of the multiple food item batch 20 10 (e.g., the material of the first pressing surface 121 can be compressed by a selected amount or percentage that responds to the forces between the first pressing surface 121 and the food items of the batch, of Multiple Food Cements 1Q, without extensively damaging or substantially damaging the food items).

[0074] When the first press body 120 is in a deformable or flexible state, the medium particles located in the interior space 122 of the first press body 120 can generally be movable relative to one another. For example, by pressing the first pressing surface 121 against the upper side 11 of the multiple food item batch 1Q (for example, with a suitable pressure or a first pressure), the interior space 122 can be deformed (for example, by moving the particles within the interior space 122 relative to one another) in such a way that the first pressing surface 121 conforms, at least partially, to the food items of the multiple food item batch 10 and / or molds one or more shapes that are complementary to the shapes of the food items of the multiple food item batch 10.

[0075] For example, the food item processing system 100 may include and / or be operably coupled to a controller 200 that can direct or control the operation of one or more elements or components of the food item processing system 100. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the space between the first press body 120 and the second press body 130 can be reduced by advancing the first press body 120 towards the second press body 130 and / or by advancing the second press body 130 towards the first press body 120, with any number of suitable mechanisms.For example, a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder can be operationally coupled to the first press body 120, in such a way that it moves the first press body 120 towards and / or away from the second press body 130 (for example, to compress together the food elements of the latte of multiple food elements 10 and / or to release the food formed in it).

[0076] Furthermore, the controller 200 can control or direct the operation of the mechanism or mechanisms that can advance the first press body 120 towards the second press body 130. For example, the food processing system 100 may include a regulating valve (for example, a solenoid valve) that can be operated to direct the flow of fluid to a cylinder that moves the first press body 120.In one example, the controller 200 can operate the valve in such a way as to allow fluid to flow into the cylinder, which consequently advances the first press body 120 toward the second press body 130 (to compress together the feed elements of the multi-feed element tote 10), and away from the cylinder, which consequently increases the space between the second press body 130 and the first press body 120 (for example, by moving the first press body 120 away from the second press body 130), to release and / or supply the feed element to the food processing cell 110. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that other suitable mechanisms, such as cams, screw mechanisms, etc., can be operated by one or more electric motors; in some examples, the electric motor or motors can be operably coupled to the controller 200, which can operate or direct the operation thereof.

[0077] Figure 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the food item processing system 100, with the first press body 120 in a deformed state that can be produced by interconnecting the first press body 120 with the batch of multiple food items 10, according to an example. For example, the space between the first pressing surface 121 and the second press body 130 (Figure 1B) can be appropriately reduced to contact and / or press the first pressing surface 121 against the upper side 11 of the batch of multiple food items 1Q, as shown in the Figure 1S. Under certain operating conditions, a suitable force can be applied to the first pressing surface 121 (Figure 1A) and to the upper side 11 of the multiple food item batch 10 in such a way that it deforms, and the first pressing surface 121 (Figure 1A) in such a way that it forms a first conformed pressing surface 121a, as shown in Figure 1B. For example, the interior space 122 (Figure 1A) can be deformed in such a way as to facilitate the formation of the first conformed pressing surface 121a. In some examples, the first pressing surface 121 (Figure 1 A) may generally be flat, and the first shaped pressing surface 121a may have a non-flat configuration (e.g., irregular, multi-curved, etc.) that generally follows or contours the shapes of the food items on the top side.

[0078] In one example, the deformed inner space 122a can have the same volume as the inner space 122 (Figure 1A). For example, particles 15 within the lower space 122 (Figure 1A) can move in such a way that the inner space 122 (Figure 1A) maintains the same overall volume as the volume of the deformed inner space 122a, but changes the shape of the volume. However, the volume of the deformed inner space 122a can be different from the volume of the inner space 122 (Figure 1A). For example, as the particles within the interior space 122 (Figure 1A) are compressed in response to the forces exerted on the first pressing surface 121 (Figure 1A), the particles can be rearranged and / or pushed closer together, thus reducing the amount of air or other fluid (e.g., liquid, semi-liquid, gel).or combinations of different fluids) located between the particles, 25 to form the first pressing surface shaped 121 a. [007S] As described above, to compress the first pressing surface 121 (Figure IA) to the first shaped pressing surface 121a, the first pressing surface 121 and / or the lower space 122 (Figure IA) can generally be deformable when pressed against the batch of multiple food items 10. To compress the food items of the batch of multiple food items 10, the rigidity of the first shaped pressing surface 121a and / or the deformed inner space 122a can be suitably increased, in such a way as to substantially avoid further deformation of the same.In one example, the particles within the deformed interior space 10 122a can become jammed against each other, in such a way that the deformed interior space 122a is stiffened and further deformation of it is prevented or hindered, thus at least partially preventing or hindering further deformation of the deformed interior space 122a. 10080] For example, particles within the deformed interior space 122a can become stuck if the pressure in the deformed interior space is reduced T22a< such as below atmospheric pressure (for example, forming at least a partial void in the deformed inner space 122a). In one example, the IDO food processing system may include a pump 160 (for example, a vacuum pump) that can be operably coupled and / or in fluid communication with the lower deformed space 122a. For example, the pump 160 can be operated to remove fluid that may be located in the deformed inner space 122a.

[0081] In some examples, the deformed inner space 122a may include air or another similar gaseous fluid that can be removed from it by pump 180 (e.g., after the inner space 122 (Figure 1A) is reconfigured to the deformed inner space Agonal). Alternatively, the deformed inner space 122a may include any other suitable fluid (e.g., one or more liquids, semi-liquids, and gases, such as water, polypropylene glycol, etc.). For example, fluids can be removed from the lower deformed space 122a by pump 160 to increase the stiffness of the deformed inner space 122a, which consequently increases the stiffness of the first formed pressing surface 121a.

[0082] Figure 1C is a schematic cross-sectional view of the food item processing system 100 with the compressed batch of multiple food items 10 and the food processing cell 110 thereof, according to at least one example. In at least one example, after increasing the rigidity of the deformed interior space 122a and / or the first shaped pressing surface 12a (for example, by removing one or more fluids from the deformed interior space 122a), the space between the first shaped pressing surface 121a and the second pressing surface 131 of the second press body 130 can be further decreased, and / or the pressure applied on the first press body 120 can be increased, to compress together the food items of the batch of multiple food items 10, as described herein.The shaping of the interior space 20 deformed 122 to the shapes and / or themes of the food items of the multiple food tote 10 (for example, on the top side 11 of the multiple food tote 10) can better distribute the pressure applied by the first press body 120 over the food items (for example, compared to a generally flat or subformed pressing surface).

[0083] In some examples, the second pressing surface 131 of the second press body 130 may generally be rigid or non-deformable and may have any number of suitable shapes (for example, the second pressing surface 131 may be substantially flat). For example, the food items on one underside of the batch of multiple food items 5 10, which come into contact with the second pressing surface 131, may be at least partially flattened and / or compressed in such a way that the food is formed with a lower surface that is formed by food items that have been deformed to lie along a surface that is generally flat or otherwise complementary to the surface of the second pressing surface 131.

[0084] As described in more detail below, the food processing cell 110 can be operated to compress the batch of multiple food items 10 (Figure 1A) to form food item 20, to release or supply food item 20, to receive additional food items 15 that define the batch of multiple food items 10, and repeat the cycle, as described above. Thus, for example, after supplying food 20 and receiving new or additional food items, the first shaped pressing surface 121a can be reconfigured to have a generally uniform or continuous surface (for example, as the first pressing surface 121 (Figure 1A)) and can be subsequently reconfigured to have complementary shapes after coming into contact with food items, as described above.For example, the first press body 120 may include a valve 161 that can be operated in such a way as to increase the pressure inside the first press body 120 (for example, to at least atmospheric pressure). 161 can be operated manually or (0085] For example, the automatic valve^ to allow outside or atmospheric air to enter the deformed inner space 122a of the first press body 120, to reconfigure the deformed inner space 122a to a generally inner space 122 (Figure 1A), In some examples, other suitable fluids may be allowed to enter the deformed interior space 122a, in a manner in which the deformed interior space 122a is reconfigured to be generally deformable, as described above. Additionally or alternatively, the pump 160 may be configured to reverse the fluid flow, such that the pump 160 operates as a compressor or pump to draw and / or force the fluid into the deformed interior space 122a (e.g., to produce a suitable pressure therein), so that the deformed interior space 122a is reconfigured to interior space 122 (Figure 1A), which is deformable and / or reconfigurable in such a way as to allow the pressing surface to be reconfigured and / or shaped according to the feed elements.

[0086] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example of food 20 produced by compressing the mass of multiple food elements 10 in food processing cell 1TO (Figures 1A to 1C), as described above. Specifically, for example, food 20 may include an upper side 21 defined by one or more food elements 22, and a lower side 23. In the illustrated example, the upper side 21 has a generally non-planar surface formed by the outer surfaces of the generally undeformed feed elements 22. In contrast, the surface of the lower side 23 is generally a plane that corresponds to the shape of the second pressing surface 131 of the second press body 130 (Figures 1A and 1C).

[0087] As mentioned above, food 20 can be formed from any number of suitable food elements. For example, one or more elements, usually incompressible and / or shapeless (e.g., consumers may not associate the food element with any particular shape), can form or define one or more portions of food 20. For example, the bottom face 23 can be formed from a layer or block, such as a layer of chocolate, peanut butter, etc. Furthermore, in some examples, the food processing cell can include at least two conformable surfaces that can be deformed (e.g., reversibly deformed) or otherwise reshaped to conform to food elements in a batch of multiple food elements contained within the compression space at least partially defined by itself.

[0088] In some embodiments, the food item processing system may include two or more conformable pressing surfaces, such as to reduce or eliminate damage or breakage of the food items on the external surface of the batch of multiple food items compressed by the food item processing system. Figures 3A to 3C are schematic cross-sectional views of a food item processing system100b that includes at least one food processing cell: TWb,: according to one or more examples. Specifically, Figure 3A illustrates the food item processing system 100b having a batch of multiple food items 10b placed in the food processing cell 110b (before modification of the pressing surfaces). Figure 3B illustrates the food item processing system 100b with two of the pressing surfaces reconfigured to conform, at least 0 / partially, to the respective outer sides of the multiple food item batch 1Ób, and Figure 3C illustrates: the food item processing system 100b by compressing together the food items of the multiple food item batch 10b (to produce a food from the multiple food item batch: TOb, as described below in more detail).

[0089] In general, except as described herein, the food item processing system 100b and its elements and components may be similar or identical to those of the food item processing system 100 (Figures 1A to 1C) and their respective elements and components. For example, as shown in Figure 3A, the food item processing system 100b may include a first press body 120b, a second press body 130b, and toral walls 14Qb, 14§b, which collectively define a compression space 150b. In the illustrated example, the first press body 120b includes a first pressing surface 121b. Furthermore, the first pressing surface 121b, in conjunction with one or more walls of the first press body 120b, may define an interior space 122b. In some examples, the inner spade 122b and the first pressing surface 121.b may be conveniently reformatable or conformable, to conform to the food items that define the top face 11 of the multiple 'batch of food items' 10b. For example, the interior space 122b may include a suitable filling that can support the first pressing surface 12 ib of the first press body: 120b (for example, in the manner described above).

[0090] Additionally or alternatively, the second press body 130b may include a second conformable pressing surface 131b that can be conformed, at least partially, to one or more shapes and / or sizes of the food ingredients that define a lower side of the multiple food item batch 10b. The second press body 130b may have a configuration similar to that of the first press body 120 (Figures 1A to 1C). For example, the second pressing surface 131b, together with one or more walls and / or a portion of the base of the second press body 130b, may define or form an interior space 132b (for example, which may be similar to or the same as the interior space 122 (Figures 1A to 1C)j). In some examples, the second press body 130b may include a suitable medium, such as a particulate medium (for example, sand, talc powder, metallic powder, etc.) located in the interior space 132b,

[0091] Furthermore, the second pressing body 130b may include a suitable fluid located in the inner space 132b, in a manner such that it can facilitate relative movement or displacement between the medium particles located in the inner space 132b. As mentioned above, in some examples, the removal of at least a portion of the fluid located within the inner space 132b may reduce displacement capacity and may cause the adjacent particles to become stuck, as well as to reduce or prevent the inner space 132b, and / or the second pressing surface 131b, from deforming in response to the pressure of contact with the feed elements of the multiple feed element batch 10b.

[0092] As mentioned above, the conformable pressing surfaces of the food processing cell can be pressed against the food items in such a way that the conformable pressing surfaces deform over the food items. For example, the first pressing surface 121b and the second pressing surface 131b (and the corresponding inner space 122b and inner space 132b) can be reconfigured to conform, at least partially, to the respective upper and lower sides of the batch of multiple food items 10b, to form the respective first conformable pressing surface 121o and the second conformable pressing surface 131c (and the inner spaces 122c and 132c), as shown in Figure 3B. In some examples, the first pressing body 120b can be advanced into the second pressing body 130b.Additionally or alternatively, the second press body 130b can be advanced towards the first press body 12Gb. At each step, the distance between the first press body 120b and the second press body 130b can be reduced in such a way that it presses the first pressing surface 121b and the second pressing surface 131b (Figure 3A) to form the first shaped pressing surface 121c and the second shaped pressing surface 131c.

[0093] In following examples, the food processing cell 110b includes the side walls 140b, 145b. Therefore, as the distance between the first press body 120b and the second press body 130 decreases, the food items of the multiple food item batch 10b are restricted by the side walls 140b, 145b (e.g., to prevent them from pushing outwards), in such a way that the advance of the first press body 120b and / or the second press body 130b forms the first shaped pressing surface 121c and the second shaped pressing surface 131c (e.g., as shown in Figure 3B). It will also be appreciated that the: side walls 140b and / or 145b can have configurations similar to those of the first press body 120b and / or second press body 130b (for example, the side walls 140b and / or 145b can be shaped to the food items of the multiple food item batch 10b).Furthermore, the space or volume defined by the first press body 120b, the second press body 130b and by the side walls 140b and 145b can have any number of suitable shapes and / or sizes, which can vary from one modality to another (for example, such as to form any number of suitable shapes of the food item, which can have any number of sides formed or defined by undeformed food items). [Θ094] In one example, the first shaped pressing surface 121c and / or the second shaped pressing surface 131c can be stiffened after suitable deformation (e.g., to conform to the shapes of the food items in the batch of multiple food items 10b). For example, a pump 160b can be operationally coupled to the first press body 120b and can reduce the pressure in the interior space 122c (e.g., to produce a jamming between the particles inside the first press body 120b, thereby stiffening the interior space 122c and the first shaped pressing surface 121c).Similarly, the first press body 120b can be operably coupled to a vacuum pump 161b which can reduce the pressure in the inner space 132c (e.g., 20) to produce jamming between the particles located within the second press body 130b, thereby stiffening the inner space 132c and the shaped surface of the first press body 121o. It will be appreciated that, in some examples, a single vacuum pump can be operably coupled to the first press body 120b and the second press body 130b, and can reduce the pressure in the respective lower spaces 122c and 132c of the same (e.g., usually simultaneously, regulated by a valve, etc.).

[0095] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3C, after the first shaped pressing surface 121c and / or the second shaped pressing surface 131c have been adequately stiffened, the first press body 120b and the second press body 130b can further compress the feed elements to produce feed 20b (Figure 4). After producing feed 20b (e.g., after the feed elements are adequately compressed to join together, in such a way that they form a single unit or feed 20b (Figure 4)), feed 20b (Figure 4) can be released or supplied from the processing cell, feed 110b. For example, feed 20b (Figure 4) can be released onto a conveyor belt or supplied in another way for further processing (e.g., packaging, etc.).As described above, the compression of the iota of multiple food elements 10b and the production of food 20b (Figure 4) can be performed repeatedly or immediately, in such a way that the food processing cell 110b is operated to receive new batches of elements after producing food 20b (Figure 4). (0096] Again, the food 20b (Figure 4) can have any number of suitable shapes and / or sizes. Figure 4 is a side view of the food 20b according to at least one example. As shown in Figure 4, the food 20b can have substantially undamaged or uncrushed food elements that define the respective upper and lower sides of the same 21b, 22b (e.g., sides that are compressed by conformable pressing surfaces).

[0097] In general, food processing systems can include any number of food processing cells (e.g., to increase production or the yield of the food processing system). Figure 5 is a schematic side view of a 100d food processing system that includes multiple processing cells. S food, according to one or more examples. In general, any of the food processing systems described in this document may be similar or the same as any of the food processing systems described below.

[0098] In the example illustrated in Figure 5, the food item processing system 100d includes multiple cavities 102d that can receive food items and can be selectively and / or cyclically positioned in alignment with one or more pistons and / or pressing surfaces, such that the pressing surface or surfaces can compress the food items together within the cavities 102d. For example, the cavities 102d can be defined by one or more side walls and by second pressing surfaces 13Td (for example, one, some, or each of the cavities 102d can have respective second press bodies 130d positioned at the bottom thereof, in such a way that the respective second pressing surfaces 1310 define the corresponding shapes and sizes of the cavities 13Td). [009S] In general, the food processing cell 110d can be included in and / or defined by a suitable carrier, such as the carrier 101d. In the illustrated embodiment, the carrier W1d is cylindrical and can rotate about an axis of rotation (as indicated by the arrow). Alternatively, the carrier 101d can have any number of suitable shapes and / or sizes, such as rectangular, spherical, etc., and can be conveniently advanced (for example, linearly, rotaryly, or combinations thereof) in a manner that properly aligns or positions the cavities L02d with the corresponding pistons (for example, as described below).

[0100] As shown in Figure 5, the food item processing system 100d may include a food item feeder SOOd. In the illustrated example, the feeder 300 is configured as a discharge chute; the food items can be placed inside the feeder 30Qd and can slide down (under gravity), into and into the cavities 102d, while the carrier 1 Dld rotates and aligns the cavities 102d with the feeder 300d.For example, the food items located in cavities 102d can collectively form or define a batch of multiple food items lOd that can be compressed to produce food 2(M). It will be appreciated that any number of suitable food item suppliers, which can have any number of suitable configurations, can be positioned and configured to supply food items to cavities 1D2d of the food item processing system lOGd (for example, suitable food item suppliers can include a vacuum-driven supplier, a gravity-fed supplier with a sequentially opening shutter, etc.).

[0101] As described above, the multiple food item lot 1Qd may include one or more food binders, such as honey, sugar water, etc. Specifically, the food binder(s) may be configured to bind the food items of the multi-food item batch 1Qd. In some examples, the food items may be pre-coated with one or more binders (e.g., the food items may include a binder coating before entering cavities W2d and / or before entering feeder 300d). Additionally or alternatively, one or more food binders may be added to the food items after their placement in cavities 1Qd. For example, the food binders. They can be injected or supplied into the batch of multiple food elements from a food binder supplier that can be placed downstream in the processing workflow.

[0102] In some embodiments, after receiving the food items in the cavities 102d, the food item processing system 100d can be configured to position the cavities 1Q2d in alignment with the first press bodies 120d, in such a way that the first press body 120d can enter the cavities 102d and compress together the food items from the batch of multiple food items Wd located therein. In general, the food item processing system 1QSd can include any number of first press bodies 120d that can be positioned and / or arranged in any number of suitable ways to enter the respective cavities 102d. Furthermore, as the first press bodies 120d enter the cavities 102d, the walls of the cavities 102d, together with the second press bodies 130d and the first press bodies 120d.can define a food processing cell 11 Dd. within which the batch of multiple food items iOd can be compressed to produce food 20d.

[0103] In general, the first press bodies 120d and / or the second press bodies 130d, and their respective elements and components, may be similar or equal to any of the press bodies described herein. For example, the first press bodies 120d and / or the second press bodies 130d may have conformable pressing surfaces that can be shaped, at least partially, to the shapes of the food items located in the corresponding food processing cells 5 IIQd. Specifically, for example, the first press bodies 120d may advance towards the second press bodies 130d to contact (and lightly compress) the food items in the multiple food item batch Wd.As described above, the pressure of the conformable pressing surfaces of the first press bodies 120d and / or the second press bodies 130d, against the food items of the batch of multiple food items 10d, can adequately deform these pressing surfaces to at least partially shape the food items and / or to mold complementary shapes with them. In some embodiments, the food processing cell IWd can be a compression cell. For example, the food processing cell 1 lOd can be a plurality of compression cells.

[0104] Therefore, for example, as shown in Figure 5, as the first press bodies 120d enter the corresponding cavities 102d, the respective food processing cell 11 Od may have a compression space 150d defined by the respective first press body 120d, the second press body 130d, and one or more walls of the cavity 102d. The compression space 150d may have a first shape, in a manner in which the pressing surfaces of the first press body 120d and the second press body 130d (which define the compression space 102d) are placed at a first distance from each other.Subsequently, the compression space 150d can be reconfigured by pressing the first press body 120d and / or the second press body 130d against the batch of multiple food items 10d, to form a compression space T50d. Specifically, the compression space 150d can be defined by the deformed to shaped pressing surfaces of the first press body 120d and the second press body 130d. Subsequently, the pressing surfaces of the first press body 120d and / or the second press body 13Qd can be stiffened to reduce the pressure in the respective interior spaces thereof (defined respectively by the pressing surfaces and one or more walls of the respective first press body 10 120d and of the second press body 130d). [OIOS] For example, the first press body 120d and / or the second press body 130d can be connected to a pump (for example, a vacuum pump) that can selectively reduce the pressure inside (for example, when the food processing cell 110d defines the compression space 15ud'). In some examples, the second press bodies 130d can include fluid flow lines 133d that can be in fluid communication with the interior space of the second press bodies 130d and operably coupled to the pump, so that the pump can at least partially remove one or more fluids from the interior space of the second press bodies 130d, which consequently stiffens the shaped pressing surface of the second press bodies 130d (to maintain the shape of the same during the subsequent compression of the multiple food item 10d).Similarly, the first 120d press bodies can be operationally coupled to one or more pumps (for example, the same pump(s) as the second 25 í30d press bodies), which can selectively reduce and / or increase the pressure inside the first 120d press bodies to stiffen the pressing surfaces thereof, and increase the flexibility of the pressing surfaces, as described in this document.

[0106] As mentioned above, the WOd food processing system may include a controller 200d that can control the operation of one or more elements and / or components thereof. For example, the controller 200d may detect the proper placement of the first press bodies 1294 within the cavities 1924 to direct the activation of the pump and / or one or more valves to make the fluid flow from the interior spaces of the first press bodies T20d and / or the second press bodies 130d and consequently stiffen their respective pressing surfaces. For example, the controller 200d may receive one or more signals from one or more position sensors (for example, one or more encoders operably coupled to the actuator that is configured to move the first press bodies T204, such as linear encoders, rotary encoders, Hall sensors, etc.).), or more pressure sensors, etc. Therefore, for example, the controller 2904 can determine a suitable position of the first press bodies 1204, a suitable pressure experienced by the pressing surfaces of the first press bodies 1200 and / or the second press bodies 13Qd, etc., at which to stiffen the pressing surfaces of the first press bodies 120d and / or the second press bodies 130d.

[0107] After the pressing surfaces of the first press bodies 120d and / or the second press bodies 1304 have been adequately hardened (e.g., as described above), to maintain their respective shaped forms, the compression space I59d' can be reconfigured into the compression space ISOd, in which the first press bodies 120d and the second press bodies 130d are placed closer together. For example, the first press bodies 120d and the second press bodies 130d can together compress the food items of the batch of multiple food items 130d to produce the food items 20d. Furthermore, after the food elements of the multiple food element batch lOd are properly compressed, the first press bodies l20d can be removed from the cavities 102d to allow the food 2M to be supplied from the cavities 102d.

[0108] In the illustrated example in Figure 5, the carrier 101d can rotate, such that the cavities 102d, containing the food 20d, are tilted downwards, and the food 2Qd can fall from there by gravity. However, it will be appreciated that the food 20d can be extracted from the cavities 102d (e.g., by a robotic arm, suction, air pressure, modification of the press bodies, etc.) and placed in any number of suitable locations. Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the food element 10Qd processing system includes a conveyor belt. For example, the food 20d can be fed from the cavities 1Q2d onto the conveyor belt. In some examples, the conveyor belt can relocate the food 20d to a suitable location for further processing (e.g., packaging).

[0109] In general, the controller (for example, the 200 or 200d controller) may be or may include any number of suitable computing devices. Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computing device 400 arranged to control, at least partially, any of the systems or to perform any of the methods disclosed herein, arranged in accordance with at least some of the examples in this disclosure. In a configuration 401, the computing device 400 includes one or more processors 410 and a system memory 420. A memory bus 430 may be used for communication between the processor 410 and the system memory 420.

[0110] Depending on the desired configuration, the 410 processor can be of any type, including, but not limited to, a microprocessor (pP), a microcontroller (pC), a digital signal processor (DSP), or any combination thereof. The 410 processor can include one or more levels of cache, such as a level one cache 411 and a level two cache 412, a processor core 413, and registers 414. An example of a processor core 413 might include an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a floating-point unit (FPU), a digital signal processing core (DSP core), or any combination thereof. An example of a memory controller 415 might also be used 1S with the 410 processor or, in some implementations, the 415 memory controller may be an internal part of the 410 processor. In some examples, a plurality of microcontrollers and / or memory controllers may be used.

[0111] Depending on the desired configuration, system memory 420 may be of any type including, but not limited to, volatile memory (such as RAM), non-volatile memory (such as ROM, flash memory, etc.) or any combination thereof. System memory 420 may include an operating system 421, one or more applications 422 and program data 424. The application 422 may include at least one procedure with food processing commands / instructions 423, such as a procedure that controls the direction of one or more press bodies against the feed items, the direction of an increase in the stiffness of a pressing surface of one or more press bodies, and the direction of the three press bodies to advance and compress the feed items to produce a feed additive.For example, the procedure(s) 423 for controlling and directing any of the systems or methods disclosed in this document. The program data 424 may include information, data, etc., that are useful in the implementation of the application 422, such as the information 425 that can be used to control systems 100, 100b, 100d of Figures 1A to TC, 3A to 3G, or 5, etc. In some examples, the application 422 may be arranged to operate with the program data 424 on an operating system 421, such that any of the procedures described in this document may be performed. This basic configuration is illustrated in Figure 7 by those components within the dashed line of the basic configuration 401.

[0112] The computing device 400 may have additional features or functionalities, and additional interfaces to facilitate communication between the basic configuration 401 and any required device and interface. For example, a bus / interface controller 440 may be used to facilitate communication between the basic configuration 401 and one or more storage devices 450 via a storage interface bus 441. The storage devices 450 may be non-removable storage devices 451, non-removable storage devices 452, or a combination thereof.Examples of removable and non-removable storage devices include magnetic disk devices such as floppy disk drives and hard disk drives (HDDs), optical disk drives such as compact disc (CD) drives or digital versatile disc (DVD) drives, solid-state drives (SSDs), and tape drives, to name a few. Exemplary computer storage media can include volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media, implemented in any method or technology for storing information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data.

[0113] System memory 420, removable storage 451, and non-removable storage 452 are all examples of computer storage media. Computer storage media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile discs (DVDs) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired information and to which the computing device 400 can be attached. Any of these computer storage media may form part of the computing device 400.

[0114] The computing device 4S0 may also include an interface bus 442 to facilitate communication from various interface devices (for example, output interfaces, peripheral interfaces, and communication interfaces) to the basic configuration 401 via bus / interface controllers 440. Examples of output devices 460 include a graphics processing unit 461 and a unit of.Audio processing 462, which can be configured to communicate with various external devices, such as a display or speakers, through one or more A / V ports 463. Examples of peripheral interfaces 470 include a serial interface controller 471 or a parallel interface controller 472, which can be configured to communicate with external devices such as input devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse, pen, voice input device, touch input device, etc.) or other peripheral devices (e.g., printer, scanner, etc.) through one or more IZO ports 473. An exemplary communication device 480 includes a network controller 481, which can be arranged to facilitate communication with one or more computing devices 400 through a network communication link via one or more communication ports 482.

[0115] A network communication link can be an example of a communication medium. Communication media can typically be incorporated by computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data into a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and can include any means of information delivery. A “modulated data signal” can be a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a way that information is encoded in the signal.By way of example, and not as a limitation, communication media may include wired media, such as a cable network or a direct wired connection, and wireless media, such as acoustic, radio frequency (RF), microwave, infrared (IR) and other wireless media. The term computer-readable medium, as used in this document, may include both storage media and communication media. [011Θ] The Computing Device 400 can be implemented as a portion of a small form factor portable (or mobile) electronic device, such as a cell phone, personal data assistant (PDA), personal media playback device, wireless network watch device, personal headset device, application-specific device, or a hybrid device that includes any of the above functions. The Computing Device 400 can also be implemented as a personal computer, including laptop and non-laptop computer configurations.

[0117] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computer program product 500 arranged to store instructions for controlling any of the systems disclosed herein, arranged in accordance with at least some of the examples in this disclosure. The signal-carrying medium 502, which may be implemented as or include a computer-readable medium 506, a recordable medium 508, a communications medium 510, or combinations thereof, stores program instructions 504 that can configure the processing unit to perform all or some of the processes described above. For example, the instructions may include directing a feeder to supply feeders into one or more compression cavities (e.g., as described above).Furthermore, programming instructions 504 can configure the processing unit to control a press body such that the first pressing surface is pressed against the feed items in a way that reconfigures the first pressing surface to conform to one or more shapes of the feed items that come into contact with the first pressing surface (for example, to control one or more valves in a hydraulic system to advance the press body, to control one or more motors to advance the press body, etc.). Programming instructions 504 can also configure the processing unit to control the increase in the rigidity of the first pressing surface (for example, as described above, by applying a vacuum to one or more press bodies).Furthermore, programming instructions 504 can configure the processing unit to direct the press body to advance and compress the food elements to produce the food additive (e.g., as described above).

[0118] As those knowledgeable in metal will understand, flexural strength (i.e., modulus of rupture) is a material property defined as the stress in a material before it yields (i.e., fractures, deforms, or bends). The maximum flexural stress (σ) or strength is defined as: σ = 3EZ7(W) (i) where F is the maximum load supported before fracture, 1 is the length of the test section, b is the width of the specimen and d is the thickness of the specimen,

[0119] Figure 8 illustrates a graph of initial fracture pressure (i.e., maximum flexural stress) between a flat pressing surface and a shaped pressing surface (i.e., similar to the first press body 120, as shown in Figures 1A to 1C). Food additives (i.e., bars) of equal binder percentage (by weight), e.g., 25%, were pressed. The bond strength (i.e., the strength of the binder) was determined by a three-point flexural strength test over a 5-s span with a strain rate of 1 mm / s. The maximum flexural stress (fo) was calculated based on the above equation (1).

[0120] As shown in Figure 8, a bar formed by a shaped pressing surface has a higher initial fracture pressure (i.e., maximum flexural stress) than a bar formed by a surface of SC V-w' flat (i.e., rigid) pressing. For example, the average initial fracture pressure for a bar formed by a shaped pressing surface (i.e., the first press body 120, as shown in Figures 1A to 1C), with 25 wt% binder (e.g., glucose syrup mixture), is approximately 684 kPa. For example, the average initial fracture pressure for a bar formed by a flat pressing surface (i.e., steel plate), with 25 wt% binder (e.g., glucose syrup mixture), is approximately 161 kPa. In some embodiments, the first press body 120 can apply approximately 150 kPa to approximately 800 kPa of pressure to the batch of multiple feed elements 10 to form feed 20.In some embodiments, the first press body 120 can apply approximately 300 kPa to approximately 750 kPa of pressure to the batch of multiple food elements 10 to form the food 20. For example, the first press body 120 can apply approximately 6C>0 kPa to approximately. 700 kPa pressure.

[0121] Figure 9 illustrates a graph of the maximum flexural stress as a function of the compressive pressure of the food additives for various binder percentages (by weight) for a conformal pressing surface (i.e., similar to the first press body 1M as shown in Figures TA to 10). The food additives (i.e., the bars) of different binder percentages (by weight), for example, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%, were pressed at 40 kPa, 200 kPa, 400 kPa, and 600 kPa. Ten bars were pressed for each corresponding pressure and binder percentage. The bond strength (i.e., the bonding strength) was determined by a three-point flexural strength test over a 6 cm span with a strain rate of 1 mm / s. The maximum flexural stress (σ) was calculated based on the previous equation (i)

[0122] As shown in Figure 9, a shaped pressing surface can produce bars with high flexural strength, even with a lower percentage of binder (by weight). For example, the maximum flexural stress for a bar formed by a shaped pressing surface (i.e., the first press body 120, as shown in Figures 1A to 1TC) with 15% by weight of binder (e.g., glucose syrup mixture) is approximately 175 kPa. In some embodiments, the first press body 120 can apply approximately 150 kPa to approximately 640 kPa of pressure to a batch of multiple feed items 1Q with a binder percentage (by weight) of approximately 2Q% or less to form feed 20. For example.The first press body 120 can apply approximately 340 kPa to approximately 640 kPa of pressure to the batch of multiple feed elements TQ with a binder percentage (by weight) of approximately 10% or less to form feed 20.

[0123] Figure 10 illustrates a graph of the maximum flexural strength (i.e., tensile strength) between a food additive produced by a flat pressing surface and a food additive produced by a shaped pressing surface (i.e., similar to the first press body 120 as shown in Figures 1A to 10). Food additives (i.e., bars) were formed from a similar binder percentage (by weight), e.g., 10%, of traditional food additives (e.g., 14.5% by weight). Ten bars were pressed at 300 kPa using a shaped press and compared to ten bars of a traditional food additive product (i.e., a current commercial product). Bond strength (i.e., bonding force) was determined by a three-point flexural strength test over a 6 cm span with a strain rate of 1 mm / s. The maximum flexural stress (o) was calculated based on the previous equation (1),

[0124] As shown in Figure 10, bars formed by a shaped pressing surface have a higher average maximum bending stress than the traditional bar formed by a flat (i.e., rigid) pressing surface. For example, the average maximum bending stress for a bar formed by a shaped pressing surface (i.e., the first press body 120 as shown in Figures 1A to 1QJ) with a 10% by weight binder (e.g., glucose syrup mixture) is approximately 160 kPa. For example, the average final maximum bending stress for a traditional bar formed by a flat pressing surface (i.e., a steel plate) with a 14.5% by weight binder (e.g., a glucose syrup mixture) is approximately 146 kPa. In some embodiments, the first press body 120 can apply approximately 400 kPa to approximately 8QQ kPa of pressure if batched.Multiple food elements-10 to form food M. In some embodiments, the first press body 120 can apply approximately 500 kPa to approximately 700 kPa of pressure to the batch of multiple food elements 10 to form food 20. For example, the first press body 120 can apply approximately 600 kPa of pressure to the batch of multiple food elements 10 with a binder percentage (by weight) of approximately 10% to form food 20 with a maximum flexural strength of approximately 160 kPa.

[0125] Figure 11A is a schematic cross-sectional view of an alternative modality of the food processing system 100. The food processing system 1100b is similar to the food processing system 100 shown in Figures 1A to 1TC and the food processing system 10Gb shown in Figures 3A to 3C. In general, except as described herein, the food processing system 1100b, and its elements and components, may be similar or the same as those of the food processing system 100 (shown in Figures 1A to 1TC) and its respective elements and components or the food processing system 100b (shown in Figures 3A to 3C) and its respective elements and components. [Or 126] For example, as shown in Figure 11A, the food element compression system 1 TODb may include a first press body 1120b, a second press body 1130b, and side walls 1140b, 1145b, which collectively define a compression space Ti 50b. In the illustrated example, the first press body 1120b includes a first pressing surface 1121b. In certain embodiments, the first press body 1120b may include a density gradient 1122b. For example, the first press body 1120b may include a material having a density gradient 1122b. In certain embodiments, the first press body 1120b may include one or more layers. For example, the first T120b press body may include a first layer 1125, a second layer 1124 and a third layer 1123. In some embodiments, the first layer 1125, the second layer 1124 and the third layer 1123 may be made of different materials.As shown in Figure TIA, the first layer 1125 may have a first density and include the first pressing surface 1121b. The first layer 1125 may be disposed between the batch of multiple food elements TOb and the second layer 1124. The second layer 1124 may have a second density that is greater than the first density of the first layer 1126. The third layer 1123 may have a third density that is greater than the second density of the second layer 1124. The second layer 1124 may be disposed between the first layer 1125 and the third layer 1123. The first, second, and third layers 1125, 1124, and 1123 may be combined into a cohesive first pressing body 1120b having a density gradient 1122b. The density gradient TI22b can increase along a substantially perpendicular axis extending out of the multiple feed item batch 10b, for example, an axis parallel to the side walls 1140b, 1145b.

[0127] In some embodiments, the first pressing surface 1121b may be deformable ΰ conformable, to conform to the food items defining the top side 11 (as also shown in Figures 1A to 1C) of the multiple food item bundle 10b. For example, the first density of the first layer 1125 and the first pressing surface 1121b may be configured to deform or contour around the multiple food item bundle 10b when they come into contact with the multiple food item bundle 10b.

[0128] The first press body 1120b may include any number of suitable materials. For example, the first press body 1120b may include rubber, foam, foam rubber, silicone, neoprene, nitrile, latex, vitreous enamel, other suitably flexible or deformable materials and / or non-porous materials, or combinations thereof. Furthermore, the thickness of the first layer 1125, with the first pressing surface 1121b, may be suitable for shaping the first pressing surface 1121b to the food items of the batch of 25 multiple food items 10 (for example, in such a way that the first pressing surface 1121b / or the first layer 1125 can be bent, deformed and / or folded, so that they at least conform to and / or at least partially surround the food items in contact with it).As described below in greater detail, the first press body 112¾, including the first layer 1125, the second layer 1124, and the third layer 1123, may include compressible material or compression-deformable material that may be softer than the food items of the multiple food item batch 1Q (e.g., the material of the first pressing surface 121b may be compressed by a selected amount or percentage in response to the forces between the first pressing surface 1121b and the food items of the multiple food item batch 1Q, without extensively or substantially damaging the food items). In some embodiments, the first press body 1120b includes a support, e.g., a metal support (e.g., steel, aluminum). In some embodiments, a second press body. 1130b is a flat press. For example, the second press body 11.30b can be a metal press (e.g., steel, aluminum, etc.). [012$] Additionally or alternatively, a second press body 1130b, similar to the first press body 1120b, may include a press surface conformable to the second press surface 1131b which may be conformable, at least partially, to one or more shapes and / or sizes of the food ingredients that define a lower side of the multiple food item batch 10b. In some embodiments, the second press body 1130b may have a configuration similar to the second press body 130 (shown in Figures 1A to 1C).

[0130] In the illustrated example, the second press body 1130b includes a second pressing surface 1131b. Furthermore, the second press body 1130b may include a density gradient 1132b. For example, the second press body 1130b may include a material having a density gradient 1132b. In some embodiments, the second press body 1130b may include one or more layers. For example, the second press body 1130b may include a first layer 1135, a second layer 1134, and a third layer 1133. In some embodiments, the first layer 1135, the second layer 1134, and the third layer 1133 may be of different materials.As shown in Figure 11A, the first layer 1135 may have a first density and include the second pressing surface 1131b. The first layer 1135 may be disposed between the multiple feed element batch 10b and the second layer 1134. The second layer 1134 may have a second density, which is greater than the first density of the first layer 1135. The third layer 1133 may have a third density that is greater than the second density of the second layer 1134. The second layer 1134 may be disposed between the first layer 1135 and the third layer 1133. The first, second, and third layers 1135, 1134, and 1133 may be combined into a second cohesive press body 1130b having a density gradient 1132b. The density gradient 1132b can increase along a substantially perpendicular axis and extending out of the multiple food item batch. 10b, for example, an axis parallel to the side walls 1140b, 1145b. [01311 In some embodiments, the second pressing surface 1131b may be deformable or conformable to conform to the food items that define the underside of the multi-food item batch 10b. For example, the first density of the first layer 1135 and the second pressing surface 1131b may be configured p <ua deformarse o conformarse alrededor del lote de elementos alimenticios múltiples 10b.

[0132] The second press body 1130b may include any number of suitable materials. For example, the second press body 1130b may include rubber, foam, foam rubber, silicone, neoprene, nitrile, latex, vitreous, vinyl, other suitably flexible and / or non-porous materials, or combinations thereof. Furthermore, the thickness of the first layer 1135, with the second pressing surface 1131b, can be suitable for shaping the second pressing surface 1131b to the food items, or a batch of multiple food items (for example, in such a way that the second pressing surface 1131b and / or the first layer 1135 can be bent, deformed and / or folded in such a way that they at least conform to and / or at least partially surround the food items in contact with it).As described in more detail below, the second press body 1130b, including the first layer 1135, the second layer 1134, and the third layer 1133, may include compressible or compression-deformable material that may be softer than the food items of the multiple food item batch 10 (for example, the material of the second pressing surface 1131b may be compressed by a selected amount or degree that responds to the forces between the second pressing surface TI 31b and the food items of the multiple food item batch T0 without extensively or substantially damaging the food items). In some embodiments, the second press body 1130b includes a support, for example, a metal support (for example, steel, aluminum). In some embodiments, the second press body 1130b is a flat press.For example, the second press body 1130b can be a metal press (e.g., steel, aluminum, etc.).

[0133] As set out above, the conformable pressing surfaces of the food processing die can be pressed against the food items, in such a manner that the conformable pressing surfaces are deformed over the food items. For example, the first pressing surface 1121b and the second pressing surface 1131b (with corresponding density gradient 1122b and density gradient 1132b) can be reconfigured to conform, at least partially, to the respective upper and lower sides of the multi-food item batch 10b, to form the respective first conformable pressing surface 1121c and the second conformable pressing surface 1131c (and the first layer 1123 and the first layer 1135), as shown in Figure 11B. In some examples, the first 112Gb press body can be advanced to the second 1130b press body.Additionally or alternatively, the second press body 1130b can be advanced towards the first press body 1120b. In each case, a distance between the first press body 1120b and the second press body 1130b can be reduced in such a way that it presses the first pressing surface 1121b of the first layer 1125 and the second pressing surface 1131b of the first layer 1135 to form the first shaped pressing surface 1121c and the second shaped pressing surface 1131c (as shown in Figure 11A).

[0134] In some examples, the food processing cell 1110b includes the side walls 1140b, 1145b. Therefore, as the distance between the first press body 1120b and the second press body 1130b decreases, the food items of the multi-food item tote 1110b are restricted by the side walls 1140b, 1145b (e.g., to prevent them from pushing outwards), in such a way that the advance of the first press body 1120b and the second press body 1130b forms the first shaped pressing surface 1121c and the second shaped pressing surface 1131c (e.g., as shown in Figure 118).It will also be appreciated that the side walls 1140b and / or 1145b can have configurations similar to those of the first press body 1120b and / or the second press body 1130b (for example, the side walls 1140b and / or 1145b can be formed from the feed elements of the multiple feed element batch 10b). Furthermore, the space or volume defined by the first press body 1120b, the second press body 1130b, and by the side walls 1140b and 1145b can have any number of suitable shapes and / or sizes, which can vary from one modality to another (for example, such as to form any number of suitable feed shapes, which can have any number of iadcs formed or defined by undeformed feed elements). [0'35[ In some examples, the first shaped pressing surface 15 1121c and / or the second shaped pressing surface 11.31c may be made of a low-density material. For example, the first layer 1T25 and the first layer 1135 may be made of a soft, low-density foam rubber configured to conform to the shapes of the food items in the multiple food item batch 10b,

[0136] Moreover, as shown in Figure 11C, for example, after the first shaped pressing surface 1121c and / or the second shaped pressing surface 1131c have adequately hardened as a result of the pressure, the first press body 1120b and the second press body 1130b can further compress the food items 25 together to produce food 20b (for example, as shown in the Figure 4). After producing feed 20b (e.g., after the feed elements are properly compressed to join together, in such a way that they form a single feed unit or feed 20b (e.g., as shown in Figure 4)), feed 20b can be released or supplied from feed processing cell 1110b. For example, feed 20b can be released onto a conveyor belt or supplied in another way for further processing (e.g., packaging, etc.). As described above, the compression of the batch of multiple elements 10b and the production of feed 20b can be performed repeatedly or cyclically, in such a way that feed processing cell 1110b is operated to receive a new batch of multiple elements 10b after producing feed 20b.

[0137] This disclosure should not be limited to the particular examples described in this application, which are intended to illustrate various aspects. Many modifications and examples may be made without departing from its spirit and scope, as will be evident to those skilled in the art. Functionally equivalent methods and apparatus within the scope of this disclosure, in addition to those listed herein, will be evident to those skilled in the art from the descriptions above. These modifications and examples are intended to be within the scope of the appended claims. This disclosure should not be limited solely by the terms of the appended claims, in conjunction with the full scope of equivalents to which these claims are entitled. It is understood that this disclosure is not limited to particular methods, reagents, compound compositions, or biological systems, which may, of course, vary.It will also be understood that the terminology used in this document is intended to describe particular examples only, and is not intended to be limiting.

[0138] With respect to the use of any term in the plural and / or singular in this document, those skilled in the art may translate from plural to singular and / or from singular to plural as appropriate for the context and / or application. The various singular / plural permutations may be expressly stated in this document for the purposes of clarity.

[0139] It shall be generally understood by those skilled in the art that the terms used in this document, and especially in the appended claims (for example, the bodies of the appended claims) are generally understood as “indefinite” terms (for example, the term “including” should be construed as “including, but not limited to”, the term “having” should be construed as “having at least”, the term “includes” should be construed as “includes, but is not limited to”, etc.).

[0140] It shall further be understood by those skilled in the art that if a specific claim number is intended, such intention shall be explicitly stated in the claim, and in the absence of such statement, no such intention exists. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain the use of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce the claims. However, the use of these phrases should not be interpreted as implying the introduction of a claim by means of indefinite articles “a” or “one”; it limits any particular claim containing this presented claim to examples containing only one of these claims, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “one” (for example, “a” and / or “one” should be interpreted as “at least one” or “one more”); the same applies to the use of definite articles used to introduce the indications of the claims.Furthermore, even if a specific number of a filed claim is expressly indicated, those skilled in the art will recognize that this indication must be interpreted to mean at least the number indicated (for example, the simple indication of “two Indications”, without any other modifiers, means at least two indications, or two or more indications).

[0141] Moreover, in those cases where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, S and C, etc.” is used, in general this construction is understood in the sense in which an expert in the field would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B and Q” would include, but not be limited to, systems having AB alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and G together, and / or A, B and C together, etc.). In those cases where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general, this construction is considered in the sense in which a person skilled in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include, but not be limited to, systems having A alone, B alone, G alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.).It will also be understood by experts in the field that practically any disjunctive word and / or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, will be understood to include the possibility of including one of the terms, any of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A c B” will be understood to include the possibilities of A or “B” or “A and B”. 2S |0'42] Moreover, when the characteristics or aspects of disclosure are described in terms of Markush groups, experts in the field will recognize that disclosure is also described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group,

[0143] Such a nomo. As will be understood by a person skilled in the art, for all purposes, insofar as it is concerned to provide a written description, all the intervals made known in this document also encompass each and every possible subinterval and combination of subintervals thereof. Any interval enumerated may be readily recognized as sufficiently descriptive and permit the same interval to be broken down into at least halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, equals, etc. As a non-limiting example, each interval herein may be readily divided into a lower third, a middle third, and an upper third, etc. As will also be understood by a person skilled in the art, all language such as “up to,” “at least,” “greater than,” “less than,” and the like include the indicated number and refer to intervals that may be subsequently broken down into subintervals as set forth above.Finally, as someone skilled in the technique will understand, an interval includes each individual member. Therefore, for example, a group that has 1 to 3 elements refers to groups that have 1, 2, or 3 elements. Similarly, a group that has 1 to 5 elements refers to groups that have 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 elements, and so on.

[0144] While the detailed description above has set forth several examples of devices and / or processes by means of block diagrams, flowcharts, and / or examples, these block diagrams, flowcharts, and / or examples contain one or more functions and / or operations. It shall be understood by those skilled in the art that each function and / or operation within these block diagrams, flowcharts, or examples may be implemented, individually and / or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, or virtually any combination thereof. For example, several parts of the subject matter described in this document may be implemented through application-specific integrated circuits (ASIO), field-programmable gate arrays (FFGA), digital signal processors (OSR), or other embedded formats.However, those skilled in the art will recognize that some aspects of the examples disclosed herein, in whole or in part, may be equivalently implemented in integrated circuits, such as one or more computer programs running on one or more computers (e.g., one or more programs running on one or more computer systems), such as one or more programs running on one or more processors (e.g., one or more programs running on one or more microprocessors), as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof, and that the circuit design and / or the writing of code for the software and / or the finish may well be within the skill of a person skilled in the art by virtue of this disclosure.For example, if a user determines that rate and accuracy are paramount, the user may opt for a primarily hardware and / or firmware vehicle; if flexibility is paramount, the user may opt for a primarily software-based implementation; or, alternatively, the user may opt for some combination of hardware, software and / or firmware. [01451 Moreover, experts in the field will appreciate that the mechanisms of the subject matter described herein are capable of being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that an illustrative example of the subject matter described herein is independent of the particular type of signal-carrying medium used to carry out the distribution. Examples of a signal-carrying medium include, but are not limited to, the following: a recordable-type medium such as a floppy disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), a compact disc (CD), a digital video disc (DVD), a digital tape, a computer memory, etc.; and a transmission-type medium such as a digital and / or analog communication medium (e.g., a fiber optic cable, a waveguide, a wired communication link, a wireless communication link, etc.).]

[0146] Those skilled in the art will recognize that within the technique it is common to describe devices and / or processes in the manner set forth in this document, and subsequently use engineering practices to integrate these described devices and / or processes into data processing systems. That is, at least a portion of the devices and / or processes described in this document can be integrated into a data processing system through a reasonable amount of experimentation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that a typical data processing system generally includes one or more of the following elements: a system unit enclosure, a video display device, memory such as volatile and non-volatile memory, and processors such as microprocessors and digital signal processors. Computational entities such as operating systems, drivers, graphical user interfaces and application programs, one or more interaction devices, such as a touch panel or screen, and control systems including feedback loops and control motors (e.g., feedback to detect position and / or rate; control motors to move and / or shape components and / or quantities). A typical data processing system can be implemented using any suitable components available on the market, such as those typically found in computer / data communication and / or computer / network communication systems.

[0147] The subject matter described in this document occasionally illustrates different components contained within, or connected to, other different components. It is understood that such represented architectures are merely examples and that, in fact, many other architectures can be implemented that achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” in such a way as to achieve the desired functionality. Therefore, any two components combined here to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated” with each other in such a way as to achieve the desired functionality, regardless of the architectures or intermediate components.Similarly, any two components associated in this way can be considered "operably connected" or "operably coupled" to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components capable of being associated in this way can be considered "operably coupled" to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of operably coupled components include, but are not limited to, physically coupleable and / or physically interacting components and / or wirelessly interacting components and / or logically interacting components. [0-148] Although various aspects and examples have been presented here, other aspects and examples will be evident to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and examples presented in this document are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to be exhaustive, the true scope and spirit being those indicated by the following claims. [014S] The phraseology or terminology of this specification shall be understood to be for the purposes of description and not limitation, so that the terminology or phraseology of this specification should be interpreted by experts in the relevant subject matter or subjects in light of the teachings in this document.

[0150] The preceding examples are illustrative, but not limiting, of the modalities of this disclosure. Other appropriate modifications and adaptations, given the diversity of conditions and parameters normally encountered in the field, and which would be evident to experts in the relevant subject matter, are within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0151] Although specific methods of disclosure have been described above, it will be appreciated that disclosure may be practiced in ways other than those described. The foregoing descriptions are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Therefore, it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that modifications to the disclosure as described may be made without departing from the scope of the claims set forth below. It will be appreciated that the Detailed Description section, and not the Summary and Abstract sections, is intended to be used to interpret the 20 claims. The Summary and Abstract sections may set forth one or more, but not all, of the exemplary embodiments contemplated by the inventor or inventors and, therefore, are not intended to limit the embodiments and appended claims in any way.

[0153] The present disclosure has been described above with the help of 25 functional blocks that illustrate the implementation of specified functions and their relationships. The boundaries of these functional blocks have been defined arbitrarily for ease of description. Alternative boundaries may be defined provided that the specified functions and relationships are properly realized.

[0154] The preceding description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others may, by applying knowledge within the field, readily modify and / or adapt such specific embodiments for various applications, without excessive experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the present disclosure. Therefore, these adaptations and modifications are intended to fall within the meaning and range of equivalents of the embodiments disclosed, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein.

[0155] The breadth and scope of this disclosure shall not be limited by any of the exemplary modalities described above, but shall be defined solely in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A system for producing a food additive from food items, wherein the system comprises: 5 a first press body; and a second press body positioned and oriented opposite to the first press body, wherein the second press body is reconfigurable from a first configuration, s, to a second non-planar configuration; wherein: 10 the second non-planar configuration of the second press body is different from the first configuration; and at least one of the first press body and the second press body is configured to compress the food items and form the food additive. 15 2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a food element supplier, positioned and configured to supply the food elements between the first press body and the second press body.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the 20 supplyer is positioned and configured to supply the food items in the compression space.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second press body is reconfigurable from the first configuration to the second non-flat configuration in response to the pressure applied thereto by the 25 food elements.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one wall defining a compression space, and at least one of the first press body and one of the second press body being movable within the compression space.

6. The s-stema ds in accordance with claim 5, wherein the first press body and the second press body define, at least partially, the compression space.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system further comprises: 10 a container with an external surface, wherein at least a portion of the external surface of the container defines the second press body, and a pressure regulator operatively coupled to the container and configured to selectively reduce or increase the pressure in the container; 15 8. The system according to claim 7, further comprising a vacuum source operable to the pressure regulator.

9. The system according to claim 7, further comprising a particulate medium disposed in the container: 20 10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the container includes at least one flexible wall defining at least the second press body.

11. The system according to claim 7, further comprising a piston connected in a manner operable to the first press body and to the second press body, and movable in a manner that reduces the space between the first press body and the second press body.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising a controller operably coupled to the piston and the pressure regulator and configured to: 5 direct the movement of the piston in such a manner as to decrease the separation between the first press body and the second press body, thereby reconfigures the second press body from the first configuration to the second non-flat configuration, in response to a first pressure applied by the second press body and the first press body on the feed elements between them; and after the movement of the piston, direct the pressure regulator to reduce the pressure in the container.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to direct the piston to produce a second pressure 15 applied by the first press body and the second press body on the food elements between them, wherein the second pressure is greater than the first pressure.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the second non-planar configuration is complementary to the food elements.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first press body is reconfigurable from a first configuration to a second non-planar configuration, and the second non-planar configuration of the press body is different from the first configuration.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second press body comprises a material having a density gradient.

17. The system is in accordance with claim 16, wherein the material is foam rubber.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second press body comprises a first layer with a first density and a second layer with a second density, wherein the first layer is disposed between the food elements, and the second layer...

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the second density is greater than the first density.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein the second press body comprises a third layer, having a third density, wherein the second layer is disposed between the first layer and the third layer.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the second density is greater than the first density and the third density is greater than the second density. 15 22. A system for producing a food additive from food elements, wherein the system comprises: a plurality of compression cells including a plurality of walls partially defining a plurality of compression spaces; one or more first press bodies positioned within at least one compression space of the plurality of compression spaces; and one or more second press bodies shaped and oriented opposite at least one first press body of one or more first press bodies, wherein the second press body(ies) is configured to compress the food elements and form the food additive, wherein at least one of the first press bodies or one of the second press bodies is reconfigurable from a first configuration to a second non-planar configuration that is different from the first configuration.

23. The system according to claim 22, further comprising a food element supplier, positioned and configured 5 to supply the food elements in at least one compression space of the plurality of compression spaces.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein the feeder is positioned and configured to supply the food items in two or more compression spaces, 10 25. The system according to claim 22, wherein the compression cells have a radial arrangement with respect to each other.

26. The system according to claim 22, wherein the compression cells are arranged linearly with respect to each other.

27. , The system in conformity with claim 22^^ second i 5 press body is reconfigurable from the first configuration to the second non-flat configuration in response to the pressure applied to it by the food elements.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the second flat river configuration is complementary to the food elements, 20 29. The system according to claim 22, further comprising: one or more containers, each of which includes an external surface, at least a portion of which defines at least one of the first press bodies or of the second press bodies; and 25 one or more pressure regulators operably coupled to one or more containers and configured to selectively reduce or increase the pressure in the container or containers, 30. The system according to claim 29, further comprising one or more vacuum sources operably coupled to one or more pressure regulators.

31. The system according to claim 29, further comprising a particulate medium disposed in the container(s).

32. The system according to claim 29, wherein each container of the plurality of containers includes at least one flexible wall 10 defining at least one of the first press bodies, or one of the second press bodies, 33. The system according to claim 29, further comprising a piston operably connected to the first press body, and movable in such a manner as to decrease the space between the first press body and the second press body.

34. The system according to claim 33, further comprising a controller operably coupled to the piston and the pressure regulator and configured to: direct the movement of the piston in such a manner as to decrease the space between at least one of the first press bodies and at least one of the second press bodies to a first distance, thereby reconfiguring one or more of the first press bodies and the second press bodies from the first configuration to the second non-flat configuration, in response to a first pressure applied by the first press bodies and by the second press bodies on the feeding elements between them; and after the movement of the piston, direct the pressure regulator(s) to reduce the pressure in at least one container of the containers.

35. The system according to claim 22, wherein the first press body is reconfigurable from a first configuration to a second non-flat configuration, and the second non-flat configuration of the press body is different from the first configuration.

36. The system according to claim 22, wherein the first press bodies or the second press bodies comprise a material having a density gradient.

37. The system according to claim 36, wherein the density is increased along a substantially perpendicular axis extending outside the food elements, 15 38. A method for producing a food additive from food items of one or more shapes, wherein the method comprises: placing the food items between a first press body and a second press body; pressing the first press body against the food items in such a manner that the first press body is reconfigured to conform to one or more shapes of the food items that come into contact with the first press body; increasing the rigidity of the first press body; and compressing the food items to produce the food additive.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein: pressing the first press body against the food items, in such a manner that the first press body is reconfigured to conform to one or more shapes of the food items, comprises contacting the first press body to produce a first pressure on the food items; and compressing the food items to produce the food additive comprises pressing the reconfigured press body against the food items to produce a second pressure on the food items, wherein the second pressure is greater than the first pressure.

40. The method according to claim 38, wherein: the first press body is defined by a container that encloses a particulate medium; and the increase in the rigidity of the first press body comprises reducing the pressure in the container.

41. The method according to claim 38, further comprising: pressing the second press body against the food items in such a manner that the second press body is reconfigured to conform to one or more shapes of the food items that come into contact with the second press body; and increasing the rigidity of the second press body.

42. The method according to claim 38, wherein the pressure of the first press body against the food items, in such a manner that the first press body is reconfigured to conform to one or more shapes of the food items that come into contact with the first press body, comprises moving at least one of the first press body and the second press body in such a manner that a distance between them is reduced.

43. The method according to claim 38, further comprising reducing the rigidity of the first press body after compressing the food items to produce the food additive.

44. The method according to claim 38, wherein the compression of the food items comprises applying a pressure of approximately 150 kPa to approximately 800 kPa to produce the food additive.

45. The method according to claim 44> wherein the pressure is from approximately 500 kPa to approximately 700 kPa.

46. ​​The method according to claim 38, further comprising adding a binder comprising approximately 5% to approximately 25% by weight to the food elements to produce the food additive.

47. The method according to claim 46, wherein the binder comprises approximately 10% to approximately 15% by weight. 20 48. ES: method according to claim 38, wherein the food additive has a maximum flexural stress of approximately 50 kPa to approximately 200 kPa 49. The method according to claim 38, wherein the food additive has a maximum flexural stress of approximately 120 kPa to approximately 180 kPa.

50. The method according to claim 38, wherein the food additive has a maximum flexural stress of approximately 140 kPa to approximately 160 kPa.

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