Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to apparatus for forming food products. More particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus for forming food products from food materials by bonding and shaping the food materials together.

Background of the Invention

Food materials such as confections and health food products, such as popcorn balls, rice crisp balls, and healthy confections including granola based products are evergreen products that will forever remain popular, especially in places like cinemas, shopping malls, gymnasium and theme parks. The food products are conventionally mass produced in factories and distributed to businesses thereafter for onward sales to consumers. Some of the businesses maintain the traditional way of producing confections via manual approach such as manually bonding the raw materials together with syrups or sugars before hand-shaping the confections or health food products to desired shape with hand moulds.

In factories, confections and health food products are mass produced and preserved to ensure that the confections remain edible. However, the confections' freshness is often affected in the process of distribution to businesses, which may reduce quality of the products the businesses sell. Further, mass produced confections may be plagued with defects, such as the confections being extremely dense and compact that the confections are no longer edible. Moreover, quality and nutrition value of health food products are often affected by use of preservatives during mass production of the health food products. In general, quality of food products is often compromised by mass production in the factories.

In addition, machines in the factories are often expensive and utilize heavy duty machineries, which can be impractical for small-scale businesses to make use of. The machines usable to produce confections related food products often use high pressure and temperature in forming the food products, which may lead to overly compact food products. Traditional approaches of preparing confections on the other hand can be time consuming and often result in inconsistent products. Further, at times of high demand, the confections preparation process can be too laborious for small scale businesses to handle. Further, the traditional approaches may require open heating, which often lack safety features, particularly with the small scale businesses.

There exist several prior arts with the abovementioned issues.

US patent publication no. US 4,652,456 discloses a method of making popcorn balls. The method utilizes five stations for conducting various method of making popcorn balls, which include a station for loading popped corns coated with caramel, a cooling station for cooling the caramel, a heating station for heating the popped corns by blowing hot air into the mould, a compression station to shape the heated popcorn and an ejection station to eject the popcorn balls. The heating by means of blowing hot air in an open manner can be unsafe to the user of the machines and the surrounding. Further, the complexity of the apparatus utilized by the method may cause difficulties in maintaining the apparatus, on top of the size of the apparatus that is relatively large, causing it to be unsuitable for small businesses with limited spaces.

International patent publication no. WO 2016107652 A1 discloses an apparatus for manufacturing popcorn nougat comprises an intermittent conveyor with mobile compartments travelling through a loading station, a heating station, a compression station, an ejection station and a packing station. It may also include a cooking station and a refining station serving the loading station. The manufacturing process comprises a series of steps including dispensing popcorn, heating it to a temperature below toasting temperature, compressing it, discharging the corn-pressed products and packing it. The apparatus utilizes a conveyor with plurality of stations, which does not solve the abovementioned issues, including not being suitable for small scale businesses and focuses more on obtaining popped corn from corn kernels in caramelized sugar.

A need therefore exists for a mobile apparatus for forming food products that conducts measuring, heating, shaping and cooling in a closed air flow manner, providing consistent products, and suitable for small-scale businesses and large businesses, thereby overcoming the problems and shortcomings of the prior art. Although there are many apparatuses for the same in the prior art, for many practical purposes, there is still considerable room for improvements.

Summary of the Invention

The following presents a summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

Accordingly, an embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for forming a food product, comprising a first mould part for receiving food materials and a second mould part positioned spaced apart from the first mould part configured to be reversibly connectible with the first mould part to form a mould.

The apparatus can be characterized by an air supply means connected to the second mould part to provide air through the mould when the first mould part and the second mould part are connected. The air supply means is configured to provide either air having temperature capable of heating the food materials or cooling the food materials in the mould.

Preferably, the air supply means comprises an air suction means configured to provide air by drawing in, through the mould, air having temperature capable of heating or cooling the food materials.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a heating means for reversibly increasing temperature of the air in communication with the air supply means. It is preferable for the heating means to be selected from a group comprising, a heat gun, a burner, an electrical heater or a combination thereof.

Preferably, the apparatus also further comprises a switching means in communication with the air supply means adapted to switch temperature of the air provided by the air supply means. The switching means is connected to the heating means configured to either allow or disallow heating of the air provided by the air supply means. Preferably, the switching means comprises a valve surrounded by the switching means operatively associated with the switching means to allow or disallow the heating of the air.

Preferably, the first mould part further comprises a first receptacle that is positioned spaced apart from a second receptacle. The first receptacle and the second receptacle are adapted to be reversibly connectible to form a passage that surrounds the first mould part and the second mould part. The first mould part and the second mould part are adapted to telescopically and reversibly move within the passage to form the mould, thereby compressing the food materials therein.

Preferably, the passage formed by the first and second receptacles is airtight, thereby allowing the air provided by the air supply means that is flowing in the passage to only flow through the passage and the mould, therefore heating and cooling the food materials in the mould in an efficient manner without any hot air escaping to the surrounding.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the air supply means may also comprise an air blower in communication with the heating means and switching means adapted to blow, through the mould, pressurized air having temperature capable of heating or cooling the food materials in the mould when the passage is formed.

Preferably, the first mould part further comprises a means for receiving a handle. The means for receiving the handle comprises an actuator adapted to push the handle out of the first mould part.

The apparatus is preferably supported by a modular housing, which is preferred to be portable. The modular housing may be equipped with a means to allow portability of the apparatus, such as a wheel.

Preferably, the dimensions of the first mould part, the second mould part, first receptacle, and the second receptacle are adjustable.

Preferably, the first mould part is rotatable at a Y-axis relative to the apparatus. Preferably, the first mould part and the second mould part comprise a plurality of holes.

Preferably, the second mould part is connected to a counterweight adapted to dampen speed of motion of the second mould part. The counter weight is preferred to be a pneumatic cylinder counterweight.

Preferably, the dimensions of the first receptacle and the second receptacle are adjustable.

Preferably, the air supply means further comprises an air filter connected to the second mould part to filter the air provided by the air supply means.

Preferably, the apparatus comprises a programmable microcontroller operatively associated with the air supply means, receptacles, mould, switching means, and heating means. The programmable microcontroller is configured to automate the forming of the food products based on predetermined parameters suitable for desired food products, resulting in production of food products with optimal and consistent quality and efficiency. The programmable microcontroller may be programmed to conduct measurement of the food materials in the mould, as well as presetting and selecting various recipes of food products, automating suitable heating and cooling temperature, programming heating and cooling period, adjusting dimensions of the first mould part, second mould part, first receptacle, and the second receptacle, and any other programs suitable to produce desired food products.

In accordance to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of forming a food product. The method begins with subjecting food materials to a first mould part, connecting the first mould part and a second mould part to form a mould thereby enclosing the food materials in the mould and activating the air supply means to provide air through the mould. Then, the temperature of the air flowing through the mould will be increased in order to heat the food materials in the mould. After desired heating is accomplished, the temperature of the air flowing through the mould will be decreased to cool the heated food materials, thereby forming the food product from the food materials into a shape that correspond to the mould. The first mould part and the second mould are then disconnected to retrieve the food product. In addition to the above, a first receptacle and a second receptacle of the first mould and the second mould may be connected to form a passage prior to increasing temperature of the air flowing through the mould. The first mould part and the second mould part are then telescopically moved in the passage to connect the first mould part and the second mould part, thereby compressing the food materials to form food product that is attached to the handle, before subjecting the compressed food material to cool air provided by the air supply means.

Preferably, the steps further include subjecting a handle to the first mould part prior to subjecting the food materials thereto.

Preferably, the volume of the food materials that can be received by the mould, the first receptacle, and the second receptacle can be adjusted by raising or lowering the first mould part within the first receptacle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for forming food products that conducts heating in a closed air flow manner, thereby reducing release of heat to the surrounding. The airtight passage formed by the first receptacle and the second receptacle prior to heating of the food materials prevents hot air from escaping to the surrounding.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for forming food products with automated processes by programming sensitive parameters such as temperature, volume, and various recipes of desired food products to the microcontroller connected to the air supply means, receptacles, mould, switching means, and heating means to allow production of consistent food products in a time efficient manner suitable for small-scale businesses, as well as large scale businesses.

The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood from a careful reading of a detailed description provided herein below with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of Drawings Fig. 1 shows the front view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention in an initial food product formation phase.

Fig. 2 shows the front view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention in a second food product formation phase.

Fig. 3 shows the front view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention in a third food product formation phase.

Fig. 4 shows the front view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention in a fourth food product formation phase.

Fig. 5 shows the front view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention in a fifth food product formation phase.

Fig. 6 shows the front view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention in a sixth food product formation phase.

Fig. 7 shows the front view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention in a seventh food product formation phase.

It is noted that the drawings may not be to scale. The drawings are intended to depict only typical aspects of the invention, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention. In the drawings, like numberings represent like elements between the drawings.

Detailed Description of Embodiments

It should be noted that the following detailed description is directed to an apparatus (100) for forming a food product (11) that is not limited to any particular size or shape, but in fact may be presented in a multitude of sizes and shapes within the general scope of the following description.

The present invention relates to an apparatus (100) for forming a food product such as a traditional confections and healthy confections, comprises a first mould part (8) for receiving food materials (9); and a second mould part (6) positioned spaced apart from the first mould part (8) configured to be reversibly connectible (22) with the first mould part (6) to form a mould (16). The present invention further comprises an air supply means (2) connected to the second mould part (6) to provide air (20) through the mould (16) when the first mould part (8) and the second mould part (6) are connected for forming the mould (16). The air supply means (2) is configured to provide either air (20) having temperature capable of heating or cooling the food materials (9) in the mould (16). The air supply means preferably (2) includes an air filter (25) connected to the second mould part (6) to prevent any food materials (9) from being sucked along with air as well as ensuring cleanliness of the air being provided by the air supply means (2).

Preferably, the air supply means (2) comprises an air suction means (2) configured to provide air by drawing air in through the mould (16), whereby the air (20) may be heated or cooled to a temperature suitable for heating or cooling the food materials (9) in the mould (16).

The dimensions of the first mould part (8) and the second mould part (6) are preferred to be adjustable to allow creating food products from various volumes of food materials (9). The adjustable dimensions may include diameter and height of the first mould part (8) and the second mould part (6). The dimensions of the first mould part (8) and the second mould part (6) may be adjusted by manufacturing the first mould part (8) and the second mould part (6) in any configuration that allow adjustment of the dimensions. This feature consequently allows creation of food products with various densities and sizes. Further, in an embodiment, the first mould part (8) and the second mould part (6) comprises a plurality of holes (23) to facilitate air flowing through the mould (16) when the mould (16) is formed.

In order to increase temperature of the air (20), it is preferable for the apparatus (100) to be equipped with a heating means (10) for reversibly increasing temperature of the provided air (20) that is flowing through the mould (16). The heating means (10) is configured to be in communication with the air supply means (2). The heating means may come in a form of a heat gun, a combustion based burner, an electrical heater, or any other heat source suitable to increase temperature of the flowing air (20) to enable heating of the food materials (9) based on the desired resulting food products. The heating means (10) is operatively associated with a switching means (13), whereby the switching means (13) is adapted to be in communication with the air supply means (2) and configured to switch the temperature of the air (20) flowing (2) through the mould (16), preferably in an instantaneous manner. The switching means (13) is connected to the heating means (10) and configured to either allow or disallow heating of the air (20) flowing through the mould (16). The switching means (13) comprises a valve (15) surrounded by the switching means (13) operatively associated with the switching means (13) to allow or disallow the heating of the air (20).

In operation, as illustrated in Figure 4, the heating means (10) is preferably equipped with a connector (12) that connects the heating means (10) and the switching means (13). The connector (12) is adapted to be actuated to allow the heating means (10) to close the gap (17) (shown in Figure 1), thereby allowing contact between the air (20) flowing towards the mould (16) and the heating means (10), consequently heating the air and allowing the hot air to (20) to travel through the mould (16), consequently heating the food materials (9) in the mould (16). The valve (15) is preferably configured to be a stationary disc (15), which acts as a separator between the heating means (10) and the air (20) when heating of the air is not required. Additionally, the stationary disc (15) acts as a tray to collect crumb from the food materials (9) that may fall from the mould (16). The stationary disc (15) is preferably modular, i.e. easily and reversibly removable, to ease cleaning and maintaining of the switching means (13).

Although the switching means (13) is represented by the valve (15) in the embodiment herein described, the switching means (13) may also be represented by other means to instantaneously and reversibly increase temperature of the air, such as by means of a switch to commence heating of the air with an electric powered heating coil when heating of the food material is desired, on top of other possible temperature switching means.

It is preferable that the food materials (9) used to form the food products (11) are selected from a group comprising compressible and bondable food materials (9), such as popcorns, nuts, chocolate bits, rice crisp, granolas, cereals etc. The bonding between the food materials (9) can be formed by subjecting the food materials (9) to sugar, caramel, melted marshmallow or any other edible food adhesives that may act as a binder to bond the food materials (9) together in a shape that corresponds to the shape of the mould (16). Prior to subjecting the food materials (9) to the first mould part (8), it is preferable for the food materials (9) to be subjected to the food adhesives, which are adapted to coat and bond the food materials (9) positioned in the mould (16) upon receiving sufficient heat. As sufficient heat is received, the food adhesives will melt, causing the food materials (9) coated with the melted food adhesives to stick to each other as the food materials (9) are compressed by the mould (16) . The coated food materials (9) are then chilled by the cold air flowing through the mould (16) to secure the bonding, thereby retaining the shape of the food materials (9) in the shape of the mould (16), consequently preventing the food materials (9) from falling apart as the food product (11) is formed from the food materials (9).

The first mould part (8) is preferred to be rotatable relative to Y-axis of the apparatus (100) to improve bonding process among the food materials (9) when the mould (16) is formed during compression of the food materials (9). Preferably, in order to form the mould (16), the second mould part (6) moves towards the first mould part (8) in a smooth and soft manner, to reduce possibilities of injuries occurring to operator of the apparatus (100). In order to achieve the smooth and soft motion of the second mould part (8), the second mould part is preferably equipped with a counterweight (24) to dampen speed of motion of the second mould part (6). The counterweight (24) is preferably selected from a group comprising pneumatic cylinder counterweight (24). However, it is known that hydraulic counterweight and any other counterweight mechanism might work similarly. The counterweight (24) allows the second mould part (6) to fall gently by gravity, without requiring any substantial force.

In accordance to an embodiment of the present invention, the first mould part (8) comprises a first receptacle (5) that surrounds the first mould part (8). The first receptacle (5) is positioned spaced apart from a second receptacle (4), which surrounds the second mould part (6). The first receptacle (5) and the second receptacle (4) are configured to be reversibly connectible to form a passage (18) around both the first mould part (8) and the second mould part (6). The passage (18) allows the air (20) to flow through the passage (18) and the mould (16) to heat or cool the food materials (9) in a closed manner, therefore allows heating and cooling of the food materials (9) in the mould (16) in an efficient manner without any hot air escaping to the surrounding. The first receptacle (5), the second receptacle (4), the first mould part (8), and the second mould part (6) are preferably made of a polymer or any other materials that may insulate heat for further preventing heat from dispersing to the surrounding.

In the passage (18), the first mould part (8) and the second mould part (6) are adapted to telescopically move (22) in the passage (18) to reversibly connect the first mould part (8) and the second mould part (6), forming the mould (16), thereby compressing the food material (9) to correspond to the shape of the mould (16), as illustrated in Figure 6. Preferably, the movement of the first mould part (8) and the second mould part (6) towards each other are smooth and gradual to ensure safety of a user of the apparatus (100), which is achieved by incorporation of the counterweight (24) to the second mould part (6). The counterweight (24) may be also connected to the second receptacle (4), to allow formation of the passage (18) in a smooth and gentle manner to further improve safety feature of the apparatus (100) by reducing risk of a user having limbs clamped by the receptacles and the mould parts. The counterweight (24) is preferably deactivated for a brief period after lowering down the second mould part (6) to form the mould (16), thereby allowing the mould (16) to remain intact and reactivated to allow the mould (16) to be deformed by disconnecting the first mould part (8) and the second mould part (6) from each other, or deforming the passage (18) by disconnecting the first receptacle (5) and the second receptacle (4) from each other, in order to retrieve the food product (11) formed in the mould (16).

Preferably, the passage (18) is airtight to further decrease chances of air escaping to surrounding from the apparatus (100). The connecting edge of the first receptacle (5) and the second receptacle (6) may be equipped with a means to reversibly form a hermetic seal to the passage (16). The connecting edges may also be snuggly fitting in a female and male configuration, whereby the passage (18) formed will then be airtight. The first receptacle (5) and the second receptacle (4) are preferably dimensionally adjustable to accommodate various sizes and shapes of mould parts and food materials (9). The adjustable dimensions include height and diameter of the first receptacle (5) and the second receptacle (4). In an embodiment of the invention, the volume of the food materials (9) that can be received by the mould (16) can be adjusted by raising or lowering the first mould part (8) within the first receptacle (5), to allow more space between the first mould part (8) and the first receptacle (5), thereby allowing more food materials (9) to be placed in the first mould part (8). Advantageously, the first receptacle (5) and the second receptacle (4) allow replacement of the first mould part (8) and the second mould part (6) to other mould parts of various shapes and forms, therefore allowing the apparatus (100) to form a food product (11) in a plurality of shapes and configuration corresponding to the shape of the mould (16). In other words, the first receptacle (5) and the second receptacle (4) may act as a receiving means for moulds of various shapes and configurations, other than for forming the passage (18). For the purpose of describing the present invention, the food product (11) is shown to be formed in an approximately round shape, as can be seen in the Figure 7. This is due to the connected first mould part (8) and second mould part (6) that forms a round shape. If, for example, the first mould part (8) is configured in a shape of half a square and the second mould part (6) is configured in a shape of the other half of a square, the food product formed by the connected half square first mould part and the half square second mould part, which forms a square mould, will be in the shape of a full square.

In accordance to an embodiment of the present invention, the first mould part (8) comprises a means for receiving a handle (7). This allows forming of popular food products such as a popcorn ball confection that is equipped with a handle such as a stick (7), which is advantageous for businesses in cinemas or theme parks where customers enjoy conveniently eating popcorn ball confections (11) equipped with the stick (7). Preferably, the means for receiving the handle (7) comprises an actuator (26) connected to the first mould part (8), adapted to push the handle (7) out of the first mould part (8). The second mould part (6) on the other hand may be equipped with a means for providing toppings, such as molten chocolate, raisins, marshmallow, and nuts to the food materials (9) positioned in the first mould part (8). This configuration may allow the user of the apparatus (100) to conveniently provide food products with various flavors and toppings.

Preferably, the apparatus (100) is supported by a modular housing (14), which is preferred to be portable. The modular housing (14) may be equipped with a means to allow portability of the apparatus (100), such as a wheel. The modular housing (14) may further be equipped with a detachable tray to assist users with preparation of desired food products. It is preferable for the modular housing (14) to be in the form of a trolley or other conveniently movable housing, which therefore ease businesses in operating the apparatus (100) at a desired and strategic location. In accordance to an embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus (100) comprises a programmable microcontroller operatively associated with components of the present invention including air supply means (2), receptacles (5, 4), mould (6, 8, 16), switching means (13), and heating means (10). The programmable microcontroller is configured to automate formation process of the food product (11) based on predetermined parameters suitable for desired food products, resulting in production of food products (11) with optimal and consistent quality and efficiency. Preferably, the microcontroller is programmed with desired instructions and parameters to form a desired food product (11), which can vary depending on the desired food products (11). The microcontroller maybe installed with a module for measuring amount of food materials (9) in the mould (16), providing details of the end result of the food products (11) based on provided volumes of food materials (9), manipulating temperatures, time, movement of the components, controlling air flow parameters, and any other module deemed suitable to produce a food product (11).

In accordance to an embodiment of the present invention, the air supply means (2) comprises the air suction means (2). The air suction means (2) is connected to the second mould part (6) to draw air (20) through the mould (16) when the first mould part (8) and the second mould part (6) are connected to form the mould (16). The air suction means (2) is configured to draw in either air (20) having temperature capable of heating or cooling the food materials (9) in the mould (16). The air suction means (2) includes an air filter (25) connected to the second mould part (6) to prevent any food materials (9) from being drawn in along with the air. The air suction means (2) is operatively associated with the heating means (10) and switching means (13) in providing either hot air or cold air. In order to increase temperature of the drawn air (20), the switching means (13) is activated by actuating the connector (12) to close the gap (17) to allow the heating means (10) to connect with the passage (18) to transfer heat to the air (20) being drawn in by the air suction means (20). When cooling is required, the connector (12) is actuated to open the gap (17) between the switching means (13), thereby disconnecting the passage (18) from the heating means (10) to prevent contact between the heating means (10) and the air (20) being drawn in, consequently disallowing the heating means (10) to heat the air (20). The valve (15) of the switching means (13) separates the heating means (13) from the passage (18). In accordance to another embodiment of the present invention, the air supply means (2) comprises an air blower connected to one end of the passage (18), either the first receptacle (5) or the second receptacle (4), in communication with the heating means (10) and switching means (13) adapted to blow, through the mould (16), pressurized air having temperature capable of heating or cooling the food materials in the mould (16) when the passage (18) is formed. This allows blowing of air in a closed environment through the airtight passage (18), which reduces possibility of hot air being spread to the surrounding. It's preferable for the apparatus (100) to be equipped with an air channeling means (not shown) positioned at an opposing end of the position of the air blower connected to the passage (18) to allow the pressurized air to flow towards a safe area and consequently preventing the passage (18) from damages related to retaining high pressured air for a long period of time. The air blower is operatively associated with the heating means (10) and switching means (13) to allow blowing of either hot or cold pressurized air.

Alternatively, the air blower may comprise a channel that is equipped with an electrically powered wire coil to transfer heat from the electrically powered coil directly to the pressurized air being provided by the air blower upon activation of the switching means.

In accordance to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of forming the food product. The method can be initiated with positioning a handle (7) in the first mould part (8), as shown in Figure 1. In Figure 2, food materials (9) are subjected to the first mould part (8) surrounding the handle (7). With reference to Figure 3, the first mould part (8) and the second mould part (6) are then moved towards each other to reversibly form the mould (16), thereby enclosing the food materials in the mould (16). The air supply means (2) is then activated to provide air (20) through the mould (16), which is then heated by activating the heating means (10). The food materials (9) in the mould (16) are then cooled by providing unheated air (20) through the mould (16), which then forms the food product (11) in a shape that correspond to the shape of the mould (16). The first mould part (8) and the second mould part (6) are then disconnected to allow retrieval of the food product (11).

In an alternative embodiment, the first mould part (8) and the second mould part (6) are surrounded by the first receptacle (5) and second receptacle (4) respectively, which are then connected to form the passage (18) by moving the two receptacles towards each other (19), thereby enclosing the food materials (9) in the passage (18).

Next, as shown in Figure 4, the air supply means (2) is activated to provide air (20) through the passage (18), the first mould part (8), and the second mould part (6) . Subsequently, the temperature of the air flowing through the passage (18) to heat the food materials (9) are increased via the heating means (10). In an embodiment, the switching means (13) is reversibly actuated in the direction (21) by operating the connector (12), therefore allowing contact of the air flowing in the passage (18) with the heating means (10), which then heats the air (20), which consequently heats the food materials (9).

After desired heating is accomplished, the connector (12) is operated to open the valve (13) in the direction (24), which will then disallow the air (20) from being in contact with the heating means (10), consequently dropping temperature of the air (20) flowing through the passage (18). In an alternative embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the first mould part (8) and the second mould part (6) are moved (22) telescopically in the passage (18) to form the mould (16) consequently compressing the food materials (9), at the same time cooling the food materials (9) with the unheated air, resulting in formation of the food product (11) in a shape that corresponds to the shape of the mould (16). The first mould part (8) and the second mould part (6) are then disconnected to allow retrieval of the food product, as shown in Figure 7. It is preferable for the heating, compressing (shaping), and cooling of the food materials are performed when the mould (16) and the passage (18) are formed, i.e. in a closed environment. However, the cooling and the compressing of the food products (9) may be performed in an opened environment, i.e. without formation of the passage (18).

Preferably, prior to subjecting the food materials to the first mould part (8), the volume of the food materials that can be received by the mould (16), the first receptacle (5), and the second receptacle (4) are determined by the programmable microntroller by measuring the position of the first mould part (8) within the first receptacle (5), wherein the distance is then adjusted by raising or lowering the first mould part (8) within the first receptacle (5), depending on the volumes of food materials (9) to be positioned therein. In accordance to embodiment of the present invention, the method is programmed into the programmable microcontroller to automate the food products (11) making process. Preferably, the programmable controller is connected to a display and buttons to allow configuring of the module, thereby allowing automated production of various kinds of food products in a consistent manner.

A compliant embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings.

EXAMPLE 1 :

Preparing a popcorn ball confection with the apparatus of the present invention

First, with reference to Figure 1, a predetermined amount of popped corns are prepared by adding caramel, sugar, or any other food adhesives and mixing them at a tray connected to the modular housing (14). Next, a stick (7) and the popped corns are positioned in the first mould part (6), as shown in Figure 2. The position of the first mould part (6) is then adjusted within the first receptacle (5) according to desired volume of food material (9) to be used to form the popcorn ball confection. As shown in Figure 3, the first receptacle (5) and the second receptacle (4) are then connected to form the airtight passage (18). Next, as illustrated in Figure 4, the air suction means (2) is activated to draw air (20) through the passage (18), the first mould (8), and the second mould (6). The temperature of the air (20) is then increased by operating the switching means (13) in a direction (21) to allow the heating means (10) to be in contact with the air (20), thereby heating the sugary material of the popped corns in a closed environment, i.e. in the airtight passage (18). This then melt the sugary material which then coats the popped corns, which acts as food adhesive to bond the popped corns together.

Subsequently, as shown in Figure 5, the switching means (13) is operated in another direction (27) to disallow the heating means (10) from being in contact with the air (20), thereby allowing unheated air (20) to be drawn in through the passage (18). Simultaneously, as shown in Figure 6, the first mould part (8) and the second mould part (6) are telescopically moved towards each other to form the mould (16), which then compresses the popped corns into a shape that correspond to the mould (16) while bonding the popped corns together. The unheated air being drawn in through the passage (18) and the mould (16) then cools the molten sugary material that coated the compressed popcorns; thereby solidifying the sugary material coatings of the compressed popcorns, thus bonding the popped corns to together while retaining the shape of the popped corn in the shape of the mould (16). The passage (18) and the mould (16) are then disconnected after a prescribed cooling time has passed to enable retrieval of the popcorn ball that surrounds the stick, as shown in Figure 7.

The terms "a" and "an," as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term "plurality," as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term "another," as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms "including" and/or "having," as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). While this invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.