Food forming system with a static mixer

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for forming a product from a food mass, comprising a mould member and a food supply means, that supplies the food mass to the mould member. The present invention also relates to a method to mould a food mass.

Description

[0001] Food forming system with a static mixer

[0002] The present invention relates to a system for forming a product from a food mass, comprising a mould member and a food supply means, that supplies the food mass to the mould member. The present invention also relates to a method to mould a food mass.

[0003] Such systems are well known and are utilized to form a food mass into a desired shape, for example a patty. This food mass is often very sensitive to high pressures, so that there is a constant need to keep the pressure to which the food mass is exposed during its forming as low as possible.

[0004] The objective of the present invention is therefore to keep the pressure need to supply the food mass from food supply means to the mould member as low as possible.

[0005] The problem is attained with a system for forming a product from a food mass, comprising a mould member and a food supply means, that supplies the food mass to the mould member, wherein the food supply means comprises a static mixer.

[0006] The disclosure made for this embodiment of the present invention also applies to the other embodiment of the present invention and vice versa.

[0007] The present relates to a system to form a food mass into products such as patties. The food mass can be any edible substance for humans and / or animals such as meat, fish, vegetables, such as potatoes or meat replacement products but also dough.

[0008] The system comprises a food supply means, for example a hopper and is transported from the food supply means to a mould member, for example by means of a pump, for example a positive displacement pump. The mould member forms the food mass into discrete products, such as patties.

[0009] The system may comprise a food mass transportation means which connect the food supply means and the mould member. This food mass transportation means is preferably a pipe. A pump may be part of the food mass supply means and / or the food mass transportation means. The food mass transportation means may comprise a food mass splitter, which separates the food mass flow into multiple branch-flows and / or a distributor, which distributes the food mass over one extension of the mould member, for example its width.

[0010] According to one preferred embodiment, the mould member is a rotting drum with multiple mould cavities at its circumference. The drum rotates from a filling position in which its cavities are filled with the food mass to a discharge position in which the formed products are removed from the cavities. The mould drum and / or the mould cavities can be, at least partially, made from a porous material, for example made from a sintered metal material. Each porous cavity is connected to a fluid passage, which more preferably extends in the longitudinal direction of the drum. During rotation of the drum from the discharge position to the fill position the cavities can preferably be filled with air. During filling of product in the product cavities, this air within the cavities will preferably be discharged through the porous walls of the at least partially porous cavities.

[0011] Alternatively, the mould member is a plate, with multiple cavities, which reciprocates from a filling- to discharge position.

[0012] Inventively, the system further comprises a static mixer, wherein the food mass to be formed is passed through the static mixer. Preferably, the static mixer is provided in a pipe through which the food mass is transported.

[0013] Surprisingly, it has been found that food mass which is stiff / and / or sticky and therefore difficult to pump from a food mass supply system towards the mould member can be transported with a relatively low pressure. Due to the static mixer, for example provided in a pipe, the meat fibers are oriented and / or the pressure to fill the cavities of the mould member is reduced which results in an easier filling the cavities and / or a better food quality.

[0014] Preferably, the static mixer is provided at the exit of the food supply means, for example the hopper.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment, the food supply means comprises a food mass transport means, that transports food mass from the food supply means to the mould member and the static mixer is provided in the food mass transportation means.

[0016] The food supply means may comprise a divider that splits the food mass flow transported in the food mass transportation means into multiple sub-branches. According to a preferred embodiment, this divider is Y-shaped. The static mixer is provided upstream from the divider. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the system comprises multiple static mixers, which are preferably separated from each other. For example, one static mixer may be provided at the exit of the food supply means and another one in the food mass transportation means.

[0017] The static mixer changes the flow direction of the food mass, preferably numerous times. Additionally or alternately, the food mass is locally accelerated and decelerated.

[0018] Preferably, the static mixer comprises blade like elements, which are more preferably angled relative to the longitudinal direction of the static mixer. The longitudinal direction is preferably the axis parallel to the center axis of the of a pipe in which the static mixer is located. At least one of these blades split the food mass flow and / or change their flow direction within the pipe. Due to the static mixer, the food mass may be subjected to pressure changes and / or a local return current.

[0019] Alternatively or additionally, the static mixer may comprise at least one spiral element, preferably multiple spiral elements, which are preferably staggered.

[0020] The problem is also solved with a method to mould a food mass with a mould member, wherein the food mass may comprise fibers and wherein the food mass is provided by a food supply means, characterized in, that the at the exit and / or downstream from the exit of the food supply means the food mass is processed in a static mixer.

[0021] The disclosure made for this embodiment of the present invention also applies to the other embodiment of the present invention and vice versa.

[0022] This subject matter of the present invention relates to a method to form a food mass into a desired form, such as patties. The food mass can be any known food mass. The food mass may comprise fibers such as meat, fish and vegetables. But also, meat substitute product comprises fibers, for example fibers which imitate the fibers of meat.

[0023] According to the invention, the food mass is processed in a static mixer. Preferably, this static mixer orients the fibers of the food mass. The inventions are now explained in more detail according to the Figures. These explanations apply to all embodiments of the present invention likewise and do not limit the scope of protection.

[0024] Figure 1 shows the inventive system.

[0025] Figures 2a - c shows a food mass transportation and a first embodiment of a static mixer.

[0026] Figures 3a - c shows different embodiments of static mixers.

[0027] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the inventive system for forming a food mass. The inventive system comprises a food forming apparatus 1, with a mould member, which is in the present case a rotating food forming drum with a multitude of mould cavities at its circumference, which are filled with food mass when the mould cavities are in their filling position, here the 12 o-clock position, and emptied in their discharge position, which may be the 6 o-clock position. The food mass is formed into individual products, its shape depending on the shape of the cavities. A potential form for a food mass product is for example a patty. The food forming apparatus preferably comprises a feed channel 11. The feed channel 11 feeds the food mass towards the mould cavities in which it is formed.

[0028] The food mass to be formed is supplied by a food supply means, here a hopper. The food supply means may comprise a mixer to mix the food mass and / or a pump to transport the food mass towards food forming apparatus. Between the food mass supply means 2 and the food forming apparatus, a food mass transportation means 10 may be provided, for example in form of a pipe. The food mass transportation means 10 may comprise a divider 9 which divides the food mass flow into multiple sub-channels. The divider may also be part of the feed channel.

[0029] During production, the food mass exits the food mass supply means and is pumped towards the food forming apparatus 1. It enters the food forming apparatus via the feed channel 11 and is distributed over the entire width and pressed towards the mould member, here the rotating, preferably continuously rotating, mould drum. The mould drum rotates past the feed channel and its cavities are each filled with food mass. The mould drum keeps rotating until the filled cavities reach their discharge position, in which they are discharged. The person skilled in the art understands that the mould member can be also be a reciprocating plate with embedded mould cavities.

[0030] Since food mass is a sensitive material, it is important that it subjected to as little pressure as possible.

[0031] Figures 2 a - c show one embodiment of a food mass transportation means 10 and a static mixer 62. In the present case, the food mass transportation means is a tube that comprises a divider 9, which divides the incoming food mass flow, depicted by arrow 3 into two substreams, which can be seen from Figure 2a. The person skilled in the art understands that the food mass transportation means can also be a straight pipe. Within the pipe 10 and here at the inflow side of the divider 9, a static mixer 62 is provided, as can be seen from Figure 2b. The static mixer 62 may subject the food mass to flow direction changes, splits and reunites the food mass and / or subjects the food mass to local pressure changes. In case there are fibers in the food mass, they are oriented, preferably in the flow direction of the food mass, so that they are more aligned relative to each other than upstream from the static mixer 62. Figure 2c shows a potential embodiment of a static mixer. In the present case, the static mixer 62 comprises a multitude of blades 4 which split the food mass flow temporarily and locally change the flow direction of the food mass. Further, the blades may accelerate or decelerate the food mass. There may be multiple static mixers in the food mass supply means, which are preferably separated from each other.

[0032] Alternatively or additionally, a static mixer is provided at the exit of the food supply means, preferably downstream from a pump.

[0033] Figures 3 a - c depict different embodiments of a static mixer. In the embodiment according to Figure 3a, the static mixer comprises spiral shaped elements, here four elements, which are preferably connected to each other are staggered relative to each other. Figure 3b shows an embodiment of the static mixer with multiple blades, wherein each blade has the shape of a semi-circle. The semi circles are tilted and staggered relative to each other. In the embodiment according to Figure 3c, the static mixer comprises multiple elements, here four, which are made from strips, which are tilted and staggered relative to each other.

[0034] Each of the static mixers depicted in Figures 3a - c is provided inside a pipe. The food mass flows through the pipe and through the static mixer. Reference signs:

[0035] 1 food forming apparatus

[0036] 2 food mass supply means

[0037] 3 flow direction

[0038] 4 blade

[0039] 9 divider

[0040] 10 food mass transportation means 11 feed channel

[0041] 12 seal

[0042] 28 mould member

[0043] 62 static mixer

Claims

Patent claims:

1. System for forming a product from a food mass, comprising a mould member (28) and a food supply means (2), that supplies the food mass to the mould member (28), characterized in, that the food supply means (2) comprises a static mixer (62).

2. System according to claim 1, characterized in, that the static mixer (62) is provided at the exit of the food supply means (2).

3. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in, that food supply means (2) comprises a food mass transport means (10), that transports food mass from the food supply means (2) to the mould member (28) and that the static mixer is provided food mass transportation means.

4. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in, that the food supply means (10) comprises a divider (9) that splits a food mass flow.

5. System according to claim 4, characterized in, that the static mixer (62) is provided upstream from the divider (9).

6. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in, that comprises multiple static mixers (62), which are preferably separated from each other.

7. Method to mould a food mass with a mould member (28), wherein the food mass may comprise fibers and wherein the food mass is provided by a food supply means (2), characterized in, that the at the exit and / or downstream from the exit of the food supply means (2) the food mass is processed in a static mixer.

8. Method according to claim 8, characterized in, that the fibers are oriented by the static mixer.

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