A machine for producing a cheese, in particular of the "pasta filata" type

Abstract

The present invention relates to a machine (1) for producing a cheese (F), in particular of the "pasta filata" type, comprising at least one base frame (2) with which the following components are associated: a feeding system (10) configured to contain and feed said cheese (F); supporting means (20) configured to co-operate with said feeding system (10) to form a plurality of portions of cheese (F) and transport said portions to at least one forming station (30), in particular shaped substantially as a table, said at least one forming station (30) comprising a plurality of through holes (31), wherein each through hole (31) is configured to receive a respective portion of said cheese (F). The machine (1) according to the present invention further comprises: at least one carriage (40) comprising a number of cups (41) which is equal to the number of through holes (31) of said at least one forming station (30); first moving means (50) associated with said at least one carriage (40) and configured to move said carriage (40) vertically between a raised position, in which each cup (41) is arranged under a respective through hole (31) of said at least one forming station (30) for receiving a respective portion of cheese (F) passing through the through hole (31), and a lowered position, in which each cup (41) is spaced apart from the respective through hole (31) of said at least one forming station (30), and vice versa; second moving means (60) associated with said at least one carriage (40) and configured to move the carriage (40) horizontally on guiding means (70) from said lowered position or from said raised position to an extraction position, and vice versa, wherein in said extraction position the carriage (40) rests on a portion (71) of said guiding means (70) that protrudes in a cantilever fashion from the base frame (2), wherein said at least one carriage (40) comprises actuating means (42) operatively connected to each cup (41) and configured to actuate each cup (41), in particular in said extraction position of the carriage (40), so as to alternately assume: a first operating configuration, in which each cup (41) houses a respective portion of cheese (F); a second operating configuration, in which each cup (41) releases each portion of cheese (F) and lets said portion of cheese (F) fall by gravity, in particular into a respective container (C).

Description

[0001] A MACHINE FOR PRODUCING A CHEESE, IN PARTICULAR OF THE “PASTA FILATA” TYPE

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] The present invention relates to a machine for producing a cheese, in particular of the “pasta filata” type, according to claim 1.

[0004] It is known in the art that the process for producing a “pasta filata” (stretched-curd) cheese (such as mozzarella, fiordilatte cheese, pizza cheese, provolone, scamorza) is started by warming up milk and adding rennet, which coagulates the milk and transforms it into curd. After curdling, the curd is cut into pieces and immersed in hot water to soften it. At this point, the cheese is stretched and modelled by hand to obtain the desired shape.

[0005] In this context, stretched-curd cheese types also include burrata cheese, which comprises an envelope of mozzarella, generally pouch-shaped, which contains a filling of fresh cheese shreds and cream, also called stracciatella.

[0006] It is known in the art that stretched-curd cheeses are prevalently produced by artisans using procedures including a number of manual operations, wherein hot-stretched curd is initially processed in order to obtain a substantially spheroidal fresh cheese, called mozzarella.

[0007] In order to produce burrata cheese, the mozzarella is then subjected to an operation of filling it with a filling, in particular by injecting a filling through a portion of the mozzarella; the injection of the filling causes the mozzarella to deform and assume its characteristic pouchlike shape. Such portion is then closed manually to seal the filling within the mozzarella, after which the portion through which injection took place may optionally be removed from the burrata cheese, which is then cooled down and packaged for distribution.

[0008] In this regard, it should be noted that the procedures for manually producing “pasta filata” cheese must be carried out in such a way that the stretched-curd cheese (e.g. mozzarella) will remain at high temperature (usually ranging between 50°C and 70°C) in order to preserve the elasticity and deformability of the stretched curd (and, for burrata cheese, to allow feeding or injecting the filling).

[0009] It is therefore clear that such procedures, in addition to being particularly time-consuming, are also potentially harmful for an operator, in particular due to the high temperature of the stretched-curd cheese; moreover, mistakes may occur during manual operations, involving the risk of impairing the necessary elastic properties of the stretched-curd cheese. Some attempts have been made to produce “pasta filata” cheese (e.g. mozzarella and burrata cheese) industrially and in line with the requirements of the dairy industry, i.e. by enforcing automation to eliminate many of the manual operations that need to be carried out for artisan preparation of mozzarella and burrata cheese.

[0010] In this frame, patent document no. WO2021 / 094839A1 relates to an equipment for the production of stuffed cheese, in particular burrata cheese, wherein said equipment comprises supporting means for supporting a fresh stretched-curd cheese (i.e. mozzarella), gripping means for retaining a portion of said cheese, and filling means for injecting a filling into the cheese through the portion retained by the gripping means to obtain a stuffed cheese (i.e. a burrata cheese).

[0011] While it provides partially automated production of stuffed cheese, the equipment described in WO2021 / 094839A1 still suffers from many of the above-described problems, in that the stretched-curd cheese still has to be manually positioned on the supporting means by an operator.

[0012] In addition, in the equipment described in WO2021 / 094839A1 the stuffed cheese, just filled by the filling means, is made to fall onto the supporting means, which then transport said stuffed cheese to an unloading station comprising at least one cooling tub; at the unloading station, the supporting table lets the stuffed cheese fall into said cooling tub.

[0013] It is therefore apparent that the equipment described in WO2021 / 094839A1 still requires some operations to be carried out manually by an operator in order to collect the stuffed cheese from said cooling tub and transfer it to a downstream packaging station.

[0014] In this respect, it is also necessary to take into account the risk of contamination associated with the manual handling of fresh stretched-curd cheese; as is known, in fact, such contaminations considerably affect the quality and shelf life of the final product, and hence also the degree of satisfaction of the final customer.

[0015] In this context, it is the main object of the present invention to provide a machine for producing a cheese, in particular of the “pasta filata” type, so conceived as to overcome the drawbacks of prior-art solutions.

[0016] In particular, it is one object of the present invention to provide a machine for producing a cheese, in particular of the “pasta filata” type, so conceived as to allow for fully automated production of said cheese, thus eliminating all manual operations while also, advantageously, shortening the production times. It is another object of the present invention to provide a machine for producing a cheese, in particular of the “pasta filata” type, wherein said machine has been so conceived as to offer high productivity, while also considerably reducing the costs incurred for producing said cheese.

[0017] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a machine for producing a cheese, in particular of the “pasta filata” type, which has been so conceived as to produce a high-quality final product, said machine being also constructed in such a way as to prevent the final product from suffering any contamination that might be caused by manual handling.

[0018] Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in light of the following detailed description and of the annexed drawings, which are provided herein merely by way of non-limiting explanatory example, wherein:

[0019] - Fig, l is a front perspective view of a machine for producing a cheese, in particular of the “pasta filata” type, according to the present invention;

[0020] - Fig. 2 is a sectional front view of a portion of the machine of Fig. 1, wherein a component of said machine is in a first position;

[0021] - Fig. 3 is a front perspective view of a portion of the machine of Fig. 1, wherein the component of Fig. 2 is in a second position;

[0022] - Fig. 4 is a front perspective view of the component of Figures 2 and 3, wherein said component is in a third position;

[0023] - Figs. 5 A and 5B show the component in said third position of Fig. 4 in, respectively, a first operating condition (Fig. 5A) and a second operating condition (Fig. 5B);

[0024] - Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of one possible embodiment of the component shown in Figures 2 to 5B;

[0025] - Fig, 7 is a front perspective view of a variant of the machine for producing a cheese, in particular of the “pasta filata” type, according to the present invention.

[0026] Referring now to the annexed drawings, in Fig. 1 reference numeral 1 designates as a whole a machine for producing a cheese F, in particular of the “pasta filata” type, according to the present invention.

[0027] The machine 1 comprises a base frame 2, with which the following components are associated: a feeding system 10 configured to contain and feed said cheese F; supporting means (designated as a whole by reference numeral 20 in the accompanying drawings) configured to co-operate with said feeding system 10 to form a plurality of portions of cheese F, wherein said supporting means 20 are also configured to transport the portions of cheese F to at least one forming station 30, in particular shaped substantially as a table positioned under said supporting means 20, said at least one forming station 30 comprising a plurality of through holes 31 (see Fig. 2), wherein each through hole 31 is configured to receive a respective portion of said cheese F.

[0028] In accordance with a preferred embodiment, said supporting means 20 comprise a slide 21 provided with a plurality of sockets 22, in particular in the form of through holes, adapted to receive and be filled with said cheese F fed by said feeding system 10, so as to form in the sockets 22 of the slide 21 respective portions of said cheese F, wherein said at least one forming station 30, in particular shaped substantially as a table, is positioned under said slide 21 and comprises a number of through holes 31 which is equal to the number of sockets 22 of the slide 21, wherein each through hole 31 is configured to receive a respective portion of cheese F formed in a socket 22 of the slide 21, and wherein said slide 21 is configured to continuously move horizontally forwards and backwards, so as to alternately assume at least:

[0029] - a first operating position, in which the sockets 22 of the slide 21 are arranged in the area of the feeding system 10 to simultaneously receive and be filled with the cheese F fed by said feeding system 10;

[0030] - a second operating position (shown, in particular, in Figures 1 and 2), in which the sockets 22 of the slide 21 are arranged over the through holes 31 of the forming station 30 to allow the portions of cheese F formed in the sockets 22 of the slide 21 to pass through said through holes 31 of said at least one forming station 30.

[0031] It should be noted that said supporting means 20 preferably comprise also actuating means (not shown in the accompanying drawings) associated with the slide 21 for moving said slide 21 horizontally forwards and backwards.

[0032] Preferably, the machine 1 according to the present invention comprises stopping means 32 configured to allow the portions of cheese F to pass through said through holes 31 when the sockets 22 of the slide 21 are aligned with the respective through holes 31 of the forming station 30 (i.e. when the slide 21 is in the correct position relative to said at least one forming station 30). For example, said stopping means may comprise an iris or diaphragm valve 32 associated with each one of said through holes 31 of the forming station 30, wherein said iris or diaphragm valve 32 is configured to switch from a closed condition, in which said iris or diaphragm valve 32 prevents the portion of cheese F from passing through said through hole 31, to an open condition, in which said iris or diaphragm valve 32 allows the portion of cheese F to pass through said through hole 31. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, said iris or diaphragm valve 32 is positioned under the through hole 31 of the forming station 30; however, said iris or diaphragm valve 32 may also be positioned between the slide 21 and the forming station 30, particularly between a socket 22 of the slide 21 and the respective through hole 31 of the forming station 30.

[0033] In accordance with the present invention, the machine 1 comprises at least one carriage (designated as a whole by reference numeral 40), in particular associated with the base frame 2, comprising a number of cups 41 which is equal to the number of through holes 31 of said at least one forming station 30 (and hence also equal to the number of sockets 22 of the slide 21).

[0034] In this context, the machine 1 according to the present invention comprises:

[0035] - first moving means 50 associated with said at least one carriage 40 and configured to move said carriage 40 vertically between a raised position (shown in Fig. 2), in which each cup 41 is arranged under a respective through hole 31 of said at least one forming station 30 for receiving a respective portion of cheese F passing through the through hole 31, and a lowered position (shown in Fig. 3), in which each cup 41 is spaced apart from the respective through hole 31 of said at least one forming station 30, and vice versa (i.e. said first moving means 50 are also configured to move the carriage 40 from the lowered position to the raised position);

[0036] - second moving means 60 associated with said at least one carriage 40 and configured to move the carriage 40 horizontally on guiding means 70 from said lowered position or from said raised position to an extraction position, and vice versa (i.e. said second moving means 60 are also configured to move the carriage 40 from the extraction position to the lowered position or the raised position), wherein in said extraction position the carriage 40 rests on a portion 71 of said guiding means 70 that protrudes in a cantilever fashion from the base frame 2.

[0037] In substance, in said extraction position the carriage 40 is positioned at least partly outside a vertical projection PV (shown in Fig. 4 by means of dashed lines) of an outline or profile of said at least one forming station 30 in a substantially horizontal plane defined by said guiding means 70, or in which the latter lie. In this respect, the slide 21 is configured to move horizontally forwards and backwards along a first direction DI (shown in Fig. 3 by means of a double arrow), wherein said second moving means 60 are configured to move the carriage

[0038] 40 horizontally on the guiding means 70 along a second direction (indicated by a double arrow D2 in Fig. 3), which is substantially perpendicular to said first direction DI. In addition, said substantially horizontal plane defined by the guiding means 70 is substantially parallel to a plane along which the slide 21 moves horizontally forwards and backwards.

[0039] As clearly shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the carriage 40 comprises actuating means (designated as a whole by reference numeral 42 in Figures 4 to 6) operatively connected to each cup 41 and configured to actuate each cup 41, in particular in said extraction position of the carriage 40, so as to alternately assume:

[0040] - a first operating configuration (also referred to as “closed configuration”, shown in particular in Fig. 5A), in which each cup 41 houses a respective portion of cheese F;

[0041] - a second operating configuration (also referred to as “open configuration”, shown in Fig. 5B), in which each cup 41 releases each portion of cheese F and lets said portion of cheese F fall by gravity, in particular into a respective container C.

[0042] In this context, each container C may contain a governing liquid for preserving the cheese F; moreover, each container C may then be definitively sealed for marketing the cheese F contained in a container C. It should be noted that said container C may be positioned on a surface of an apparatus for packaging said cheese F (said surface and said apparatus are not shown in the annexed figures).

[0043] In particular, said actuating means 42 comprise at least one actuator 42A (which may comprise at least one cylinder, in particular a pneumatic or electric one) operatively connected (e.g. through a linkage 42C) to at least one substantially horizontal pin 42B whereto the cups

[0044] 41 of the carriage 40 are pivoted, wherein the activation of said actuator 42 A causes a rotation of said at least one pin 42B and of every cup 41 associated therewith, and wherein said rotation allows each cup 41 to switch from said first operating configuration to said second operating configuration, and vice versa.

[0045] In accordance with an embodiment shown in Figures 5 A to 6, each cup 41 comprises a pair of half-cups 41A pivoted to pins 42B substantially parallel to one another, wherein the activation of said actuator 42A causes a rotation of said pins 42B and of every half-cup 41 A associated therewith; in substance, the rotation of said pins 42B and of the two half-cups 41 A (rotation that happens in opposite directions) forming each cup 41 allows each cup 41 to switch from said first operating configuration to said second operating configuration, and vice versa.

[0046] Substantially, the rotation of said at least one pin 42B (and, hence, of every cup 41 or, in the embodiment shown in Figures 5A to 6, of every half-cup 41 A) for switching from the first to the second operating configuration (and vice versa) amounts to approximately 90°, i.e. such as to move each cup 41 (or each half-cup 41 A) from a substantially horizontal position in the first operating configuration to a substantially vertical position in the second operating configuration, and vice versa.

[0047] In Fig. 6 it can be observed that said at least one carriage 40 comprises:

[0048] - an upper portion 40A comprising said cups 41 and said actuating means 42;

[0049] - a lower portion 40B comprising movement means 40C (e.g. comprising a plurality of rollers or technically equivalent elements) configured to be coupled with said guiding means 70 in order to move the carriage 40 horizontally on said guiding means 70.

[0050] Preferably, said upper portion 40A and said lower portion 40B are made as two separate bodies mutually coupled, in particular by means of an interlocking coupling, to form the carriage 40.

[0051] In this regard, the first moving means 50 may be so implemented as to comprise an actuator element (not shown in the annexed drawings, and which may comprise a rack system or at least one cylinder, in particular of the pneumatic or electric type), associated with a fork system 51 for moving the upper portion 40A of said carriage 40 vertically from said raised position to said lowered position, and vice versa. For example, each fork 51 may be designed to engage with respective appendices 40D, in particular horizontal ones, of the upper portion 40A of the carriage 40 for moving said upper portion 40A vertically.

[0052] Also, the second moving means 60 may be so implemented as to comprise a further actuator element (not shown in detail in the annexed drawings, and which may comprise, for example, at least one pneumatic or electric cylinder) associated with the lower portion 40B of said carriage 40 for moving the carriage 40 horizontally on guiding means 70 between said lowered position (or starting from said raised position) and said extraction position, and vice versa.

[0053] When viewing Fig. 1, one will note that the machine 1 according to the present invention can be so constructed as to comprise two forming stations 30, in particular located on opposite sides relative to the feeding system 10, wherein each forming station 30 comprises through holes 31, wherein each through hole 31 of each forming station 30 is configured to receive a respective portion of said cheese F formed in a socket 22 of the slide 21, and wherein each forming station 30 comprises a carriage 40.

[0054] In such a context, the slide 21 comprises two groups of sockets 22 and is configured to continuously move horizontally forwards and backwards, so that:

[0055] - in the first operating position, a first group of sockets 22 of the slide 21 is arranged in the area of a first forming station 30 to allow the portions of cheese F formed in said first group of sockets 22 to pass through the through holes 31 of said first forming station 30, while a second group of sockets 22 of the slide 21 is arranged in the area of the feeding system 10 to receive and be filled with pasta filata fed by said feeding system 10, so as to form portions of cheese F in the sockets 22 of said second group; and

[0056] - in the second operating position, the second group of sockets 22 of the slide 21 is arranged in the area of a second forming station 30 to allow the portions of cheese F formed in said second group of sockets 22 of the slide 21 to pass through the through holes 31 of said second forming station 30, while the first group of sockets 22 of the slide 21 is arranged in the area of the feeding system 10 to simultaneously receive and be filled with pasta filata fed by said feeding system 10, so as to form portions of cheese F in the sockets 22 of said first group. wherein the machine 1 comprises a carriage 40 for each forming station 30, wherein each carriage 40 comprises a number of cups 41 which is equal to the number of through holes of said first forming station 30 and said second forming station 30, respectively, and wherein the machine 1 comprises first moving means 50 and second moving means 60 associated with each carriage 40 and respectively configured to move each carriage 40 horizontally and vertically (as already described above).

[0057] It is clear that, when the machine 1 according to the present invention includes two forming stations 30, the number of portions of cheese F produced by said machine 1 per time unit can be considerably increased, i.e. substantially doubled.

[0058] Fig. 7 shows one possible variant of the machine 1 according to the present invention, wherein said machine 1 comprises a number of pressing elements 81 which is equal to the number of through holes 31 of said at least one forming station 30 (and hence also equal to the number of sockets 22 of the slide 21 and to the number of cups 41 of the carriage 40), wherein each pressing element 81 is arranged above said through holes 31, and wherein said pressing elements 81 are configured to be lowered jointly, in order to push down the portions of cheese F formed in the sockets 22 of the slide 21, and then be raised jointly.

[0059] Preferably, said pressing elements 81 are mounted on a common support structure 82 associated with at least one moving unit (not shown in the annexed drawings) configured to move up and down (thus lowering and raising jointly) the pressing elements 81.

[0060] As previously explained with reference to Fig. 1, also the machine 1 according to the variant shown in Fig. 7 may be made to comprise two forming stations 30 and one respective carriage 40 for each forming station 30. In such a case, the machine 1 shown in Fig. 7 comprises two groups of pressing elements 81 and, in particular, one support structure 82 for each group of pressing elements 81, wherein each group comprises a number of pressing elements 81 which is equal to the number of through holes 31 of the respective forming station 30.

[0061] In accordance with one embodiment of the machine 1 according to the present invention, each pressing element 81 is so constructed as to comprise a dispensing portion 81 A associated with a dosing unit 8 IB, wherein said dispensing portion 81 A and said dosing unit 8 IB are configured to dispense or inject a filling into each portion of cheese F, as described in Italian patent application no. 102022000020916 (in the name of the present Applicant), the contents and teachings of which are to be considered incorporated in the present description.

[0062] Therefore, the machine 1 shown in Fig. 7 is configured to produce a stuffed cheese F like, for example, burrata cheese. In particular, the filling comprises one or more fresh dairy products, e.g. shreds of mozzarella and cream; however, the possibility of using other dairy products (e.g. ricotta, butter, etc.) and / or non-dairy ingredients for producing a different stuffed cheese should not be excluded.

[0063] In this context, the machine 1 comprises a plurality of iris or diaphragm valves (corresponding to or supplementing those shown in Fig. 2 and identified by reference numeral 32), wherein each iris valve 32 is arranged under a respective through hole 31 of said at least one forming station 30 and is configured to:

[0064] - retain a portion of cheese F in order to allow a respective dispensing portion 81 A to fill said portion of cheese F with a filling, for the purpose of obtaining a stuffed cheese F;

[0065] - release said portion of cheese F filled with the filling, so that said portion of stuffed cheese F can be received into a cup 41 of the carriage 40 (as shown, for example, in Fig. 2).

[0066] In particular, in the configuration in which it retains a portion of cheese F, each iris valve 32 is initially in a (totally) open condition to permit the passage of the portion of cheese F which has been formed in the sockets 22 of the slide 21 and which has gone through the through hole 31 of the forming station 30, said iris valve 32 being then driven to assume a partially open condition to retain said portion of cheese F. On the other hand, in the configuration in which it releases the portion of cheese F, each iris valve 32 can alternately be in a partially closed condition (to seal the portion of stuffed cheese F) or in a totally closed condition (to seal, cut and release the portion of cheese F from an excess residual upper part thereof, or knot, after the portion of cheese F has been filled by the dispensing portion 81 A).

[0067] The following will describe a method for producing a cheese F, in particular of the “pasta filata” type, by means of a machine 1 according to the present invention.

[0068] Said method comprises the following steps: a) activating a feeding system 10 for feeding said cheese F; b) activating supporting means 20, configured to co-operate with said feeding system 10, for forming a plurality of portions of cheese F, wherein the activation of said supporting means 20 permits transporting each portion of cheese F over a respective through hole 31 of at least one forming station 30 to allow each portion of cheese F to pass through a respective through hole 31 of said at least one forming station 30; c) actuating first moving means 50 associated with at least one carriage 40 comprising a number of cups 41 which is equal to the number of through holes 31 of said at least one forming station 30 in order to position it into a raised position, in which each cup 41 is arranged under a respective through hole 31 and receives a respective portion of cheese F passing through the through hole 31; d) actuating second moving means 60 associated with said at least one carriage 40 and configured to move the carriage 40 horizontally on guiding means 70 in order to position said at least one carriage 40 into an extraction position, in which the carriage 40 rests on a portion 71 of said guiding means 70 that protrudes in a cantilever fashion from a base frame 2 of the machine 1 ; e) activating actuating means 42, operatively connected to each cup 41 of the carriage 40, when said carriage (40) is in the extraction position, wherein the activation of said actuating means 42 causes each cup 41 to switch from a first operating configuration, in which each cup 41 houses a respective portion of cheese F, to a second operating configuration, in which each cup 41 releases the respective portion of cheese F and lets said portion of cheese F fall by gravity, in particular into a respective container C (positioned under each cup 41).

[0069] It should be noted that said steps b) and c) may be carried out substantially at the same time. As far as step a) is concerned, it is preferably carried out in such a way as to fill with said cheese F a plurality of sockets 22 of a slide 21 comprised in said supporting means 20, thus forming, in said sockets 22, respective portions of cheese F. In this respect, step b) is preferably carried out through a substantially horizontal movement of said slide 21, so as to arrange the sockets 22 of the slide 21, filled with a portion of cheese F, over a respective through hole 31 of said at least one forming station 30.

[0070] According to one embodiment, said step e) is carried out by activating at least one actuator 42A operatively connected to at least one substantially horizontal pin 42B whereto the cups 41 of the carriage 40 are pivoted, wherein the activation of said at least one actuator 42A causes a rotation of said at least one pin 42B and of every cup 41 associated therewith to cause each cup 41 to switch from said first operating configuration to said second operating configuration, and vice versa. In particular, according to an embodiment shown in Figures from 5 A to 6, the activation of said at least one actuator 42A results in a rotation of said pins 42B and of every half-cup 41 A associated therewith (as a consequence, said rotation will cause each cup 41 to switch from the first to the second operating configuration, and vice versa). In all cases, the rotation of said pins 42B (and also of each cup 41 or each half-cup 41 A) amount to approximately 90°.

[0071] In addition, step d) may be preceded by a step cl) of actuating the first moving means 50 in order to move said carriage 40 vertically from said raised position to a lowered position, in which each cup 41 is spaced apart from the respective through hole 31 of said at least one forming station 30. Subsequently, during said step d) the actuation of the second moving means 60 causes a horizontal movement of the carriage 40 from said lowered position to said extraction position.

[0072] With reference to step b), it may comprise a step bl) of activating a number of pressing elements 81 which is equal to the number of through holes 31 of said at least one forming station 30, wherein the activation of each pressing element 81 results in a respective portion of cheese F formed in a socket 22 of the slide 21 being pushed down through the through hole 31.

[0073] Furthermore, said step bl) may be followed by the following steps: b2) activating an iris valve 32 arranged under a respective through hole 31 to retain a portion of cheese F; b3) activating a dosing unit 81B associated with a dispensing portion 81A of each pressing element 81 to dispense or inject a filling into each portion of cheese F retained by each iris valve 32; b4) activating said iris valve 32 to release said portion of cheese F filled with the filling, so that said portion of stuffed cheese F will be received into a respective cup 41 of the carriage 40.

[0074] At the end of step e), the method according to the present invention provides for executing the above-described steps a) to e) in reverse order, so as to bring the various components back into the initial state.

[0075] In subtance, therefore, the method according to the present invention includes the following steps: f) activating the actuating means 42 to cause each cup 41 to switch from the second operating configuration to the first operating configuration and allow each cup 41 to receive a respective portion of cheese F; g) actuating the second moving means 60 to move the carriage 40 horizontally on the guiding means 70 and bring it back into the lowered position; h) actuating the first moving means 50 to move the carriage 40 vertically into the raised position, in which each cup 41 is arranged under a respective through hole 31 and is ready to receive a respective portion of cheese F; i) moving said slide 21 horizontally to dispose the empty sockets 22 of the slide 21 by the feeding system 10.

[0076] After step i), the method can then be started again from step a) and be repeated cyclically, i.e. such that steps a) to i) are repeated multiple times.

[0077] It should be noted that the machine 1 according to the present invention comprises a control unit (not shown in the accompanying drawings) configured to manage the operation of the various elements or components of said machine 1; in particular, the control unit is configured to control the feeding system 10, the slide 21, the first moving means 50, the second moving means 60, the actuating means 42, the iris or diaphragm valves 32, and the pressing elements 81. Said control unit comprises a memory in which a computer program product can be loaded which comprises a set of instructions adapted to implement the above-described method.

[0078] The advantages of the present invention are apparent from the above description. In particular, the machine 1 according to the present invention has been so conceived as to allow for fully automated production of said cheese, thus eliminating all manual operations and achieving the remarkable advantage of speeding up production. In fact, the feeding of the cheese F in the machine 1 occurs by means of the feeding system 10, while the transfer of the cheese to a downstream packaging station occurs through the carriage 40 of the present invention. It is therefore apparent that the machine 1 according to the present invention allows for fully automated production of said cheese F, in particular by eliminating all manual interventions, thus also achieving faster cheese production.

[0079] Another advantage of the machine 1 according to the present invention lies in the fact that it has been so conceived as to ensure high productivity while considerably reducing the time required and the costs incurred for the production of said cheese F.

[0080] A further advantage of the machine 1 according to the present invention lies in the fact that it can produce a high-quality final product, said machine 1 being also so designed as to prevent the final product from undergoing any contamination that might be caused by manual handling, resulting in a longer shelf life of the product.

[0081] Yet another advantage of the machine 1 according to the present invention lies in the fact that it makes it possible to package the cheese F without the latter having to be cooled with water, clearly providing significant water and energy savings.

[0082] The machine 1 described herein by way of example may be subject to many possible variations without departing from the novelty spirit of the inventive idea; it is also clear that in the practical implementation of the invention the illustrated details may have different shapes or be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

[0083] It can therefore be easily understood that the present invention is not limited to the abovedescribed machine 1, but may be subject to many modifications, improvements or replacements of equivalent parts and elements without departing from the novelty spirit of the inventive idea, as clearly specified in the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A machine (1) for producing a cheese (F), in particular of the “pasta filata” type, comprising at least one base frame (2) with which the following components are associated:- a feeding system (10) configured to contain and feed said cheese (F);- supporting means (20) configured to co-operate with said feeding system (10) to form a plurality of portions of cheese (F), wherein said supporting means (20) are configured to transport the portions of cheese (F) to at least one forming station (30), in particular shaped substantially as a table positioned under said supporting means (20), said at least one forming station (30) comprising a plurality of through holes (31), wherein each through hole (31) is configured to receive a respective portion of said cheese (F), wherein said machine (1) comprises:- at least one carriage (40) comprising a number of cups (41) which is equal to the number of through holes (31) of said at least one forming station (30);- first moving means (50) associated with said at least one carriage (40) and configured to move said carriage (40) vertically between a raised position, in which each cup (41) is arranged under a respective through hole (31) of said at least one forming station (30) for receiving a respective portion of cheese (F) passing through the through hole (31), and a lowered position, in which each cup (41) is spaced apart from the respective through hole (31) of said at least one forming station (30), and vice versa;- second moving means (60) associated with said at least one carriage (40) and configured to move the carriage (40) horizontally on guiding means (70) from said lowered position or from said raised position to an extraction position, and vice versa, wherein in said extraction position the carriage (40) rests on a portion (71) of said guiding means (70) that protrudes in a cantilever fashion from the base frame (2), wherein said at least one carriage (40) comprises actuating means (42) operatively connected to each cup (41) and configured to actuate each cup (41), in particular in said extraction position of the carriage (40), so as to alternately assume:- a first operating configuration, in which each cup (41) houses a respective portion of cheese (F);- a second operating configuration, in which each cup (41) releases each portion of cheese (F) and lets said portion of cheese (F) fall by gravity, in particular into a respective container (C).

2. Machine (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said actuating means (42) comprise at least one actuator (42A) operatively connected to at least one substantially horizontal pin (42B) whereto the cups (41) of the carriage (40) are pivoted, wherein the activation of said actuator (42A) causes a rotation of said at least one pin (42B) and of every cup (41) associated therewith, and wherein said rotation allows each cup (41) to switch from said first operating configuration to said second operating configuration, and vice versa.

3. Machine (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that each cup (41) comprises a pair of half-cups (41A) pivoted to pins (42B) substantially parallel to one another, wherein the activation of said actuator (42A) causes a rotation of said pins (42B) and of every half-cup (41 A) associated therewith, and wherein said rotation allows each cup (41) to switch from said first operating configuration to said second operating configuration, and vice versa.

4. Machine (1) according to one or more of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the rotation of said at least one pin (42B) amounts to approximately 90°, wherein said rotation results in each cup (41) or each half-cup (41A) moving from a substantially horizontal position in the first operating configuration to a substantially vertical position in the second operating configuration, and vice versa.

5. Machine (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting means (20) comprise a slide (21) provided with a plurality of sockets (22), in particular in the form of through holes, adapted to receive and be filled with said cheese (F) fed by said feeding system (10), so as to form in the sockets (22) of the slide (21) respective portions of said cheese (F), wherein said at least one forming station (30), in particular shaped substantially as a table, is positioned under said slide (21) and comprises a number of through holes (31) which is equal to the number of sockets (22) of the slide (21), and wherein each through hole (31) is configured to receive a respective portion of cheese (F) formed in a socket (22) of the slide (21).

6. Machine (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that said slide (21) is configured to continuously move horizontally forwards and backwards, so as to alternately assume at least:- a first operating position, in which the sockets (22) of the slide (21) are arranged in the area of the feeding system (10) to simultaneously receive and be filled with the cheese (F) fed by said feeding system (10);- a second operating position, in which the sockets (22) of the slide (21) are arranged over the through holes (31) of the forming station (30) to allow the portions of cheese (F) formedin the sockets (22) of the slide (21) to pass through said through holes (31) of said at least one forming station (30).

7. Machine (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one carriage (40) comprises:- an upper portion (40A) comprising said cups (41) and said actuating means (42);- a lower portion (40B) comprising movement means (40C), in particular comprising a plurality of rollers, configured to be coupled with said guiding means (70) in order to move the carriage (40) horizontally on said guiding means (70).

8. Machine (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that said upper portion (40A) and said lower portion (40B) are made as two separate bodies mutually coupled, in particular by means of an interlocking coupling, to form the carriage (40).

9. Machine (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that said first moving means (50) comprise an actuator element associated with a fork system (51) for moving the upper portion (40A) of said carriage (40) vertically from said raised position to said lowered position, and vice versa.

10. Machine (1) according to one or more of claims 8 and 9, characterized in that said second moving means (60) comprise a further actuator element associated with the lower portion (40B) of said carriage (40) to move the carriage (40) horizontally on guiding means (70) between said lowered / raised position and said extraction position, and vice versa.

11. Machine (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises stopping means, in particular comprising an iris valve (32) associated with each one of said through holes (31), wherein said stopping means are configured to allow the portions of cheese (F) to pass through said through holes (31) when the sockets (22) of the slide (21) are aligned with the respective through holes (31) of the forming station (30).

12. Machine (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a number of pressing elements (81) which is equal to the number of through holes (31) of the forming station (30), wherein each pressing element (81) is arranged above said through holes (31), and wherein said pressing elements (81) are configured to be lowered jointly, in order to push down the portions of cheese (F) formed in the sockets (22) of the slide (21), and then be raised jointly.

13. Machine (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that each pressing element (81) is so constructed as to comprise a dispensing portion (81 A) associated with a dosing unit (8 IB),wherein said dispensing portion (81 A) and said dosing unit (8 IB) are configured to dispense or inject a filling into each portion of cheese (F) in order to obtain a respective stuffed cheese (F) from each portion of cheese (F).

14. Machine (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of iris valves (32), wherein each iris valve (32) is arranged under a respective through hole (31) and is configured to:- retain a portion of cheese (F) in order to allow a respective dispensing portion (81 A) to fill said portion of cheese (F) with a filling, in particular for the purpose of obtaining a stuffed cheese (F);- release said portion of cheese (F) filled with the filling, so that said portion of stuffed cheese (F) will be received into a cup (41) of the carriage (40).

15. Method for producing a cheese (F), in particular of the “pasta filata” type, by means of a machine (1) according to one or more of claims 1 to 14, said method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) activating a feeding system (10) for feeding said cheese (F); b) activating supporting means (20), configured to co-operate with said feeding system (10), for forming a plurality of portions of cheese (F), wherein the activation of said supporting means (20) permits transporting each portion of cheese (F) over a respective through hole (31) of at least one forming station (30) to allow each portion of cheese (F) to pass through a respective through hole (31); c) actuating first moving means (50) associated with at least one carriage (40) comprising a number of cups (41) which is equal to the number of through holes (31) of said at least one forming station (30) in order to position said carriage (40) in a raised position, in which each cup (41) is arranged under a respective through hole (31) and receives a respective portion of cheese (F) passing through the through hole (31); d) actuating second moving means (60) associated with said at least one carriage (40) and configured to move the carriage (40) horizontally on guiding means (70) in order to position said at least one carriage (40) into an extraction position, in which the carriage (40) rests on a portion (71) of said guiding means (70), and wherein said portion (71) protrudes in a cantilever fashion from a base frame (2) of the machine (1); e) activating actuating means (42), operatively connected to each cup (41) of the carriage (40), when said carriage (40) is in the extraction position, wherein the activation of saidactuating means (42) causes each cup (41) to switch from a first operating configuration, in which each cup (41) houses a respective portion of cheese (F), to a second operating configuration, in which each cup (41) releases the respective portion of cheese (F) and lets said portion of cheese (F) fall by gravity, in particular into a respective container (C).

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