Frozen Confection Coating Using Brix Binder Sheets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Frozen confections, such as ice cream, are messy and lack convenience for on-the-go consumption due to their tendency to melt and be squashed by hand pressure, despite existing coatings that fail to provide rigidity and are often high in fat.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the formation of two sheets of coating material with a binder of 70 to 90° Brix, comprising sweeteners, fat, emulsifiers, and stabilizers, which are combined with particles to create a flexible, cohesive, and non-sticky coating that encases frozen confections, providing rigidity and improved nutritional value.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If frozen confections are coated with dry particles using conventional methods, then a barrier between consumer's fingers and ice cream is provided, but the coating remains as individual particles that are liable to fall off and does not provide rigidity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a binder as an intermediary substance that bonds dry particles to each other and to the frozen confection surface. This binder creates a continuous coating matrix that holds particles together, preventing them from falling off individually while providing the needed rigidity and structural integrity to the coating.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite coating material by combining dry particles with a binder substance. This composite structure integrates the functional properties of both components: the dry particles provide the barrier function while the binder provides cohesion and rigidity, resulting in a coating that is both structurally sound and functionally effective.
2Strength
If a fatty material coating is applied to provide a continuous rigid coating with embedded cereal flakes, then structural integrity is improved, but the chocolate is still susceptible to melting and the amount of fat required is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the coating by replacing high-fat materials with a binder having specific functional properties (adhesion, cohesion, flexibility). This parameter change allows achieving the same structural integrity with significantly reduced fat content, addressing both the rigidity requirement and the health consciousness of consumers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different materials to different functional requirements: the binder provides adhesion to the frozen confection surface and cohesion among particles, while the dry particles provide the barrier function. This local differentiation of material functions allows minimizing fat content while maintaining coating integrity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional particle coatings are applied to frozen confections, then some barrier protection is provided, but the coating does not provide rigidity and the product is still liable to be squashed by consumer's fingers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite coating where dry particles are bound together by a binder material. This composite structure distributes mechanical stress across the entire coating rather than relying on individual particle strength, providing the necessary rigidity and resistance to squashing while maintaining the barrier protection function.
Solution Approach 2:
The binder acts as an intermediary that transfers and distributes mechanical loads across the particle network. When force is applied to the coating, the binder distributes this force throughout the structure, preventing localized failure and providing overall structural strength and rigidity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution results in a robust, non-messy, and nutritionally improved coated frozen confection that maintains structural integrity when handled, offering enhanced convenience and reduced fat content.
Implementation Method 1
the binder comprising an aqueous solution of sweeteners of from 70 to 90° Brix; placing one or more frozen confection pieces onto the first sheet of coating material; placing the second sheet of coating material on top of the frozen confection and first sheet; shaping the second sheet around the frozen confection and pressing the second sheet onto the first sheet so that they are welded together to form a continuous coating
Data Source
AI summary
A process for making a coated frozen confection is provided, the process comprising: forming two sheets of coating material comprising particles and a binder, the binder comprising an aqueous solution of sweeteners of from 70 to 90° Brix; placing one or more frozen confection pieces onto the first sheet of coating material; then placing the second sheet of coating material on top of the frozen confection and first sheet; and shaping the second sheet around the frozen confection and pressing the second sheet onto the first sheet so that they are welded together to form a continuous coating. A coated frozen confection is also provided.