Selective Mould Cooling During Rotation for Uniform Hollow Chocolate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods struggle to produce hollow food products, particularly chocolate, with complex shapes, as the distribution of chocolate over the mould surface is often non-homogeneous, leading to thin and potentially breakable areas, and using excess chocolate increases production costs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a mould rotation with selected portions of the mould surface subjected to heat exchange with a cooling fluid, such as air or water, to control the thickness of chocolate distribution, ensuring uniformity and preventing thin areas by accelerating solidification on critical portions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If a pre-set amount of foodstuff material is dispensed into the mould cavity and the mould is rotated to distribute the material, then the production cost is reduced by avoiding excess material, but the distribution of material over the mould surface becomes non-homogeneous resulting in thin and breakable areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the thermal treatment of the mould surface into cooled portions and non-cooled portions. The cooled portions accelerate solidification to prevent material depletion and thin wall formation, while non-cooled portions allow complete material distribution. This localized thermal differentiation enables homogeneous thickness distribution without requiring excess material.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of selected mould surface portions by introducing a cooling fluid. This parameter change (lowering temperature in specific areas) modifies the solidification behavior of the foodstuff material locally, enabling precise control over material distribution and thickness uniformity during the rotation process.
2Manufacturing precision
If excess foodstuff material is used to ensure complete coverage of the mould surface, then the thickness uniformity is improved, but the production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly increasing material quantity, the patent applies local quality by cooling only the portions of the mould surface where material might be depleted. This targeted approach maintains thickness uniformity without requiring excess material across the entire surface, thus avoiding increased production costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical approach of adding more material with a thermal approach (cooling). Instead of increasing the quantity of foodstuff material to ensure coverage, the system uses thermal conditioning to control solidification and material distribution, achieving the same result more efficiently.
3Productivity
If the mould is rotated at high speed to quickly distribute the material, then the productivity is improved, but the material distribution becomes non-homogeneous due to centrifugal forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by introducing spatially differentiated thermal conditions during rotation. The cooling fluid is directed at specific portions of the mould surface to counteract centrifugal effects locally, ensuring homogeneous material distribution even at high rotation speeds that improve productivity.
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 method ensures thicker, more uniform chocolate walls, preventing breakage and reducing production costs by optimizing chocolate distribution on complex mould surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
selected portions of the mould surface are set in a condition of heat exchange with a cooling fluid, preferably an air or water flow
Implementation Method 2
setting the selected portions of the mould surface in a condition of heat exchange with a cooling fluid, preferably an air or water flow, so that said selected portions of the mould surface are at a temperature different from, and lower than, the remaining portions of the surface itself
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for producing hollow products made of a foodstuff material that can be formed in a mould, preferably chocolate, comprising the steps of: - providing a mould (40) comprising a mould cavity (44) delimited by a mould surface (42); - dispensing into said mould cavity (44) a pre-set amount of said foodstuff material; - subjecting said mould (40), in the mould cavity (44) of which said pre-set amount of material is contained, to at least one movement of rotation about an axis of rotation (I1, I2) for distributing said foodstuff material over the entire mould surface (42); and - during the step where said mould (40) is subjected to the movement of rotation, setting selected portions (43) of said mould surface (42) in a condition of heat exchange with a thermal-conditioning fluid so as to maintain said selected portions (43) of said mould surface (42) at a temperature different from, preferably lower than, that of the other portions of said mould surface (42).