Mould board

Abstract

Subject-matter of the invention is a mould board for use in the starch bed process in a confectionery manufacturing with detachable stamps. The mould board comprises an upper and a lower surface and a height H which is the distance between upper and lower surface. One or more apertures extend from the upper to the lower surface having a diameter D. At the upper surface adjacent to and symmetrically arranged around each aperture two or more first magnets are located. The stamps have a base with a first surface adapted to abut the upper surface of the mould board and a top portion with a second surface adapted to abut the starch, two or more second magnets are attached to the first surface each of which second magnets is configured to magnetically attract one of the two or more first magnets.

Description

[0001] BHC 241040 - 2024-08-01

[0002] Mould Board

[0003] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention relates to a new design for a mould board for developing purposes for the confectionery production process.

[0005] In the confectionery production process a starch bed is used as a mold or shaping medium for various types of candies and other confectionery items such as jelly beans, gummy bears, marshmallows, and licorice. The mould boards are used to press indentations of a specific design into a bed of starch. Subsequently the indentations are filled with warm candy liquid or gummy mass, which after cooling down can be removed / screened from the starch bed.

[0006] Using starch as a molding material offers several benefits: Starch provides a non-stick surface, allowing for easy removal of the finished products. Starch absorbs excess moisture from the candy mixture, aiding in the drying and setting process. The dry starch holds the shape of the mold, ensuring the final product has a precise and uniform shape. After the candies have set, they are removed from the starch molds, and the starch is usually dried and reused for subsequent batches, making the process cost-effective and efficient. The starch serves primarily as a versatile and effective molding medium in the confectionery production process.

[0007] Mould boards for starch are essential components in the food manufacturing industry, contributing to the efficient production of high-quality starch-based products. The mould boards are used to shape and form the indentations in the starch bed during the manufacturing process. The mould boards are typically made from materials that can withstand high temperatures and moisture, such as stainless steel, Teflon-coated materials, or food-grade plastics. In the context of starch processing, mould boards are often part of a larger assembly line that includes steps like cooking, shaping, drying, and packaging. They play a critical role in ensuring the uniformity and consistency of the final product. Maintaining hygiene and preventing contamination is crucial, so mould boards are designed for easy cleaning. They need to be regularly sanitized to comply with food safety standards.

[0008] There are mould boards with integral moulds or those with detachable stamps. The mould boards with detachable stamps provide more flexibility in case new designs of products shall BHC 241040 - 2024-08-01 be manufactured. The mould board with detachable stamps holds a number of stamps in predetermined positions, often in columns and rows, so that they are pressed into the starch correctly. The design of the stamps can vary depending on the specific product being made. It can have various patterns and shapes.

[0009] STATE OF THE ART

[0010] In the art the stamps are glued to the board with a gluing template or screwed to the board. For example, the mould board assembly of the Company Deltavorm, Netherlands (see e.g. Company Deltavorm MOULD BOARD (deltavorm.com)) shown in Figs. 1, 2, 2a, 2b uses 432 screws to attach 216 stamps to the board. The stamps, screws and board need to be fully cleaned between batches, which is a time-consuming process. Fig. 1 shows the bottom side 12 of the metal mould board 10. The metal mould board 10 has an arrangement of rods for mounting the screws 16 at different positions throughout the mounting area for the stamps 20 which are fixed by the screws to the opposite top side 11 of the metal mould board 10. A handle 13 for holding the metal mould board 10 is provided. Fig. 2 shows the top side 11 of the metal mould board 10. On the top side the plurality of stamps 20 are shown being attached in rows and columns to the metal mould board 10. The enlarged views of a portion of the top side 11 in Figs. 2a and 2b show how the stamps 20 are attached to the metal mould board 10. In Fig. 2a the screws 16 and a stamp 20 from its bottom side are shown separated from the screw holes 18 in the arrangement of rods. In use two screws 16 for each mould 20 are mounted from the bottom side 12 through screw holes 18 in the arrangement of rods and in a washer 14 and are screwed into the stamp screw holes 22. To unscrew and screw the stamps 20 from the metal mould board 10 is a very time-consuming process. Further, in use in the confectionery production process or even in a test phase all the stamps 20, screws 16, washers 14 and the metal mould board 10 need to be fully cleaned between batches which is a timeconsuming process.

[0011] PROBLEM

[0012] During the development phase of a product, the batches are quite small and the stamps have to be changed frequently since there are many variables to changes between each batch (i.e., quantity, shape, weight). This results in a frequent cleaning process during which the screw- on stamps or glue-on stamps have to be disassembled from the board and reassembled after cleaning all items. This procedure is time-consuming and thus renders the development very in-effective. BHC 241040 - 2024-08-01

[0013] Therefore, there is a need for a mould board with detachable stamps which is more flexible and can be used more time efficiently in the developing phase of a product.

[0014] DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The technical solution for this problem is a mould board for use in the starch bed process in a confectionery manufacturing comprising an upper and a lower surface and a height H which is the distance between upper and lower surface. One or more apertures extend from the upper to the lower surface having a diameter D. At the upper surface adjacent to and symmetrically arranged around each aperture two or more first magnets are located. In one embodiment of the mould board four magnets are arranged symmetrically around each aperture. The two or more first magnets could be embedded into the material of the mould board.

[0016] In one embodiment the mould board comprises a mould portion in which the apertures, and first magnets are located and in addition it comprises on opposite sides of the mould portion two handle portions without apertures and magnets. These handle portion serve to allow grabbing the mould board by a user or by a robot arm or other technical device to perform the pressing action to press indentations into the starch.

[0017] In another embodiment the mould portion further comprises partition walls which separate at least two attachment areas from one another wherein in each attachment area one aperture and the adjacent two or more first magnets are located. The at least two attachment areas may have a square shape, but other shapes like triangular, hexagonal or rectangular shapes may also be implemented. If at least 4 attachment areas are arranged in the mould portion, they could be arranged in a regular pattern for example in columns and rows such as 2 x 2, 2 x 3, 3 x 3 or 3 x 4 or 4 x 4 or in this way up to for example 10 x 10 columns and rows.

[0018] In one embodiment the mould board is made from plastic material or from silicone. Preferably the plastic material is suitable for 3-D printing. The mould board can be made by 3 D printing.

[0019] Further a stamp is provided having a base with a first surface adapted to abut the upper surface of the mould board as described above. The stamp has a top portion with a second surface adapted to abut the starch in the starch bed process. Two or more second magnets are attached to the first surface. Each of the second magnets is configured to magnetically attract BHC 241040 - 2024-08-01 one of the two or more first magnets in the attachment area of the mould board. Therefore, the distribution of the second magnets in the first surface of the stamp mirrors the distribution of the first magnets in the attachment area of the mould board. In one embodiment of the stamp the second surface comprises four second magnets. In one embodiment the second magnets are embedded into the first surface of the stamp.

[0020] In other embodiments the first surface of each stamp is shaped to correspond to the shape of the one or more attachment areas of the mould board such that the base fits into such attachment area. Therefore, the base of the stamp may have a square-shaped, or any other shape which matches to the shape of an attachment area such as a triangular, hexagonal or rectangular shape.

[0021] In further embodiments the second surface is shaped as a hemisphere, but dependent on the product to be manufactured by the starch bed process it may have other shapes and structures.

[0022] In one embodiment the stamp is made from plastic material or from silicone. Preferably the plastic material is suitable for 3-D printing. The stamp can be made by 3 D printing.

[0023] In use one or more of the stamps are attached to the attachment areas of the mould board. Due to the magnetic attraction the stamps can be removed from the mould board with little effort once they shall be replaced by different stamps for example. Integrating the magnetic force to assemble the mould board is at least for this reason more time efficient compared to the prior art techniques of glueing or screwing the stamps to the mould boards. But further, it is also more effective for cleaning validation, since all the screw holes and small gaps between the stamps and the back board are eliminated.

[0024] To facilitate detaching the stamps from the attachment areas of the mould board against the magnetic force of the first and second magnets a detaching board for optional use with the mould board as described above is provided. The detaching board has a detaching surface from which at least on pin extends vertically. The length L of the pin is larger than the height H of the mould board and the diameter DPof the pin corresponds to the diameter D of the one or more apertures in the mould board, such that the at least one pin is configured to slide into the one or more apertures. BHC 241040 - 2024-08-01

[0025] For detaching a stamp from the mould board, the mould board is arranged on top of the detaching board such that the at least one pin extends into at least one of the apertures of an attachment area where a stamp is attached. The mould board is pushed down, the pin slides into the aperture and the stamp in the attachment area is pushed up by the pin and the stamp can be removed easily.

[0026] In one embodiment the mould detaching board has two or more pins which are arranged in the same pattern as the two or more apertures in the mould board.

[0027] In one embodiment the detaching board is made from plastic material or from silicone. Preferably the plastic material is suitable for 3-D printing. The detaching board can be made by 3 D printing.

[0028] Subject-matter of the invention is further a mould board system comprising the mould board described above in combination with the stamps described above. The mould board system may further comprise the detaching board described above.

[0029] DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The invention will now be described more in detail as a non-limiting exemplary embodiment, illustrated by the appended drawings, in which

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a bottom view of a mould board of the state of the art

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a top view of a mould board of the state of the art

[0033] FIG. 2a shows an enlarged portion of the top side of mould board of the state of the art

[0034] FIG. 2b shows an enlarged portion of the top view of mould board of the state of the art with a detached stamp

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a mould board and stamps

[0036] FIG. 4 shows a mould board and stamps attached in three attachment areas

[0037] FIG. 5 shows a mould board and stamps being removed from the attachment areas FIG. 6 shows a detaching board

[0038] REFERENCE SIGNS

[0039] 10 - mould board (state of the art)

[0040] 11 - top side

[0041] 12 - bottom side BHC 241040 - 2024-08-01

[0042] 13 - handle

[0043] 14 - washer

[0044] 16 - screw

[0045] 18 - screw hole

[0046] 20 - stamp

[0047] 22 - stamp screw hole

[0048] 50 - mould board

[0049] 51 - upper surface

[0050] 52 - lower surface

[0051] 53 - handle portion

[0052] 54 - mould portion

[0053] 58 - partition wall

[0054] 59 - attachment area

[0055] 60 - aperture

[0056] 62a, b, c, d - first magnets

[0057] 70 - stamp

[0058] 72 - top portion

[0059] 74 - base

[0060] 75 - first surface

[0061] 76a, b, c, d - second magnets

[0062] 80 - mould detaching board

[0063] 82 - detaching surface

[0064] 84 - pins

[0065] DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0066] FIGs. 3 to 5 show the mould board 50 according to one embodiment of the invention. The mould board 50 has an upper surface 51 and a lower surface 52. The height H (see Fig. 3) is defined by the distance between upper surface 51 and lower surface 52. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 to 5 the mould board 50 has a generally rectangular mould portion 54 and two opposite sides of the mould portion 54 two handle portions 53. The mould portion 54 has partition walls 58 which structure the upper surface 51 into twelve quadratic attachment areas BHC 241040 - 2024-08-01

[0067] 59. The attachment areas 59 are arranged in 4 columns and 3 rows. Each attachment area 59 has a central aperture 60 and symmetrically arranged around the aperture 60 four first magnets 62a, 62b, 62c, 62d. The four first magnets 62 a, 62b, 62c, 62d are embedded into the upper surface 51 of the mould board 50. The aperture 60 has a diameter D (see Fig. 4).

[0068] Also shown in Figs. 3 to 5 are stamps 70. Each stamp 70 has a base 74 which has a square first surface 75 and a top portion 72 forming a second surface of hemispherical shape. As can be seen in Fig. 3 four second magnets 76a, 76b, 76c, 76d are embedded into the first surface 75. The second magnets 76a, 76b, 76c, 76d have the same size and distribution as the first magnets 62 a, 62b, 62c, 62d embedded into the upper surface 51 in the mould board 50 in each attachment area 59. In Fig. 4 three stamps 70 are shown each sitting in one attachment area.

[0069] In Fig. 6 an exemplary detaching board 80 is shown. The detaching board 80 has a detaching surface 82 from twelve pins 84 extend vertically. The length L of the pins 84 is larger than the height H of the mould board 50 and the diameter Dp of the pins 84 corresponds to the diameter D of the apertures 60 in the mould board 50, such that the pins 84 are configured to slide into the apertures 60. The pins 84 are arranged in 4 columns and 3 rows on the detaching surface 82 and thus mirror the distribution of apertures 60 in the mould board 50.

[0070] In Fig. 5 it is shown how the stamps 70 are detached form the mould board 50: The mould board 50 is arranged on top of the detaching board 80 such that the pins 84 extend into the apertures 60. The mould board 50 is pushed down and the pins 84 slide into the apertures 60. The three stamps 70 which were attached to the mould board 50 are pushed up by the pins 84 and can now be removed easily from the attachment areas.

Claims

BHC 241040 - 2024-08-01CLAIMS1. A mould board for use in the starch bed process in a confectionery manufacturing comprising: a mould board having an upper and a lower surface and a height H being the distance between the upper and lower surface, one or more apertures having a diameter D extending from the upper to the lower surface and at the upper surface adjacent to and symmetrically arranged around each aperture two or more first magnets.

2. The mould board of claim 1, wherein the first magnets are embedded into the material of the board.

3. The mould board of claim 1, wherein four first magnets are arranged symmetrically around each aperture.

4. The mould board of claim 1, comprising a mould portion in which the apertures and first magnets are located and on opposite sides of the mould portion two handle portions without apertures and magnets.

5. The mould board of claim 4, wherein the mould portion further comprises partition walls which separate at least two attachment areas from one another wherein in each attachment area one aperture and the adjacent two or more first magnets are located.

6. The mould board of claim 5, wherein the at least two attachment areas have a square shape.

7. The mould board of claim 5, wherein more than two attachment areas are arranged in the mould portion in a regular pattern.

8. The mould board of claim 5, wherein at least four attachment areas are arranged in the mould portion in columns and rows.

9. The mould board of claim 1, wherein the mould board is made from plastic material or from silicone.

10. The mould board of claim 9, wherein the plastic material is suitable for 3-D printing.

11. The mould board of claim 10 wherein the mould board is made by 3 D printing.

12. A stamp having a base with a first surface adapted to abut the upper surface of the mould board according to claims 1 to 11 and a top portion with a second surface adapted to abut the starch, two or more second magnets being attached to the first surface each of which second magnets being configured to magnetically attract one of the two or more first magnets.BHC 241040 - 2024-08-0113. The stamp of claim 12, wherein the second magnets are embedded into the first surface of the stamp.

14. The stamp of claim 12, wherein the first surface of each stamp comprises four second magnets.

15. The stamp of claim 12, wherein the first surface of each stamp is shaped to correspond to the shape of the one or more attachment areas of the mould board such that the base fits into such attachment area.

16. The stamp of claim 12, wherein the base has a square-shaped first surface and a hemispherical shaped second surface.

17. The stamp of claim 12, wherein the stamp is made from plastic material or from silicone.

18. The stamp of claim 17, wherein the plastic material is suitable for 3-D printing.

19. The stamp of claim 18, wherein the stamp is made by 3 D printing.

20. A detaching board for use with the mould board according to claims 1 to 11 which has a detaching surface from which at least one pin extends vertically, wherein the length L of the pin is larger than the height H of the mould board and the diameter DPof the pin corresponds to the diameter D of the one or more apertures in the mould board, such that the at least one pin is configured to slide into the one or more apertures.

21. The detaching board of claim 20, wherein the detaching board has two or more pins which are arranged in the same pattern as the two or more apertures in the mould board.

22. The detaching board of claim 20, wherein the detaching board is made from plastic material or from silicone.

23. The detaching board of claim 22, wherein the plastic material is suitable for 3-D printing.

24. The detaching board of claim 23 wherein the mould detaching board is made by 3 D printing.

25. A mould board system comprising the mould board of claims 1 to 11 and one or more stamps of claims 12 to 19.

26. A mould board system of claim 25 further comprising the detaching board of claims 20 to 24.

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