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Title:
APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR STICK-BASED PRODUCTS
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2013/149895
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
The present invention provides a mold for a stick-based confection, the mold comprising: a first part having a first cavity corresponding to the shape of one part of the confection and a further recess in communication with the first cavity, the recess corresponding to the shape of the end of the stick; and a second part having a second cavity corresponding to the shape of the other part of the confection wherein the first and second parts may be sealably connected thereby to form a mold having: a cavity corresponding to the shape of the confection; a recess corresponding to the shape of the end of the stick at one end of the mold and an opening at the other end of the mold for inserting the stick and filling the mold. The invention also provides a method for the production of a stick-based confection comprising the steps of: forming a mold from a first part having a first cavity corresponding to the shape of one part of the confection and a further recess in communication with the first cavity, the recess corresponding to the shape of the end of the stick; and a second part having a second cavity corresponding to the shape of the other part of the confection; sealably connecting the two parts to form a mold corresponding to the shape of the confection; inserting a stick into the recess, the stick partially protruding into the mold; filling the mold with a jelly mixture; and then allowing the mixture to form around the stick.

Inventors:
UNALI GIOVANNI FRANCESCO (GB)
Application Number:
PCT/EP2013/056436
Publication Date:
October 10, 2013
Filing Date:
March 26, 2013
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
UNILEVER PLC (GB)
UNILEVER NV (NL)
CONOPCO INC DBA UNILEVER (US)
International Classes:
A23G3/12; A23G3/56; A23G9/26; A23G9/50
Domestic Patent References:
WO2010049903A12010-05-06
Foreign References:
US4548573A1985-10-22
DE20217520U12003-02-06
DE10251678A12004-05-19
US5738895A1998-04-14
GB2135437A1984-08-30
GB2219725A1989-12-20
Other References:
None
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
WARNER, Guy Jonathan (Unilever Patent GroupColworth House, Sharnbrook, Bedford Bedfordshire MK44 1LQ, GB)
Download PDF:
Claims:
A mold for a stick-based confection, the mold comprising

- a first part having a first cavity corresponding to the shape of one part of the confection and a further recess in communication with the first cavity, the recess corresponding to the shape of the end of the stick; and

- a second part having a second cavity corresponding to the shape of the other part of the confection

wherein the first and second parts may be sealably connected thereby to form a mold having

- a cavity corresponding to the shape of the confection;

- a recess corresponding to the shape of the end of the stick at one end of the mold and

- an opening at the other end of the mold for inserting the stick and filling the mold.

A mold according to claim 1 wherein the first and second parts are hingedly connected.

A mold according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the mold also comprises a third part forming a cover for covering the open end of the mold.

A mold according to any of the preceding claims wherein the first and second parts each have an outer edge

A mold according to claim 4 wherein one part has a ridge running around the outer edge and the other part has a groove running around the outer edge.

A method for the production of a stick-based confection comprising the steps of:

a) forming a mold from a first part having a first cavity corresponding to the shape of one part of the confection and a further recess in communication with the first cavity, the recess corresponding to the shape of the end of the stick; and a second part having a second cavity corresponding to the shape of the other part of the confection;

b) sealably connecting the two parts to form a mold corresponding to the shape of the confection;

c) inserting a stick into the recess, the stick partially protruding into the mold; d) filling the mold with a mixture; and then

allowing the mixture to form around the stick.

Preferably the confection is a jelly confection.

Description:
APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR STICK-BASED PRODUCTS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus and process for providing stick- based food products, in particular stick-based jelly confections.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Stick-based products such as ice lollies are very popular product formats with consumers, In addition, gelled products such as fruit-flavoured jellies are well known and are popular products with consumers. Jelly-based products are increasingly being perceived as a healthy alternative to more traditional snacks and desserts. Their interesting textural properties also makes them particularly appealing to children. A further advantage of these products is that additional constituents such as real fruit pieces may be readily incorporated into the jelly simply by adding them to the product mix before the jelly has set.

Jelly products are typically eaten with spoons, for example from containers. New product formats also provide jelly "shots" in which the jelly is provided in a flexible sachet which consumers tear open and then squeeze the contents directly into their mouth. It would be desirable to provide an alternative format for jelly products that is both a departure from the traditional spoon-based approaches but that is more convenient and acceptable than the sachet-based formats that are emerging.

It is known that consumers are comfortable with stick-based products as exemplified by ice lollies and the like and so a stick-based jelly product would provide a combination of the convenience and acceptability of a stick-based product with the exciting organoleptic properties of jelly products. Stick-based ice lollies are straightforward to make and consume because the ingredients of the ice lolly are combined to form an aqueous mix into which a stick is inserted and the mix is then frozen solid. In this form a solid matrix forms around the stick, firmly binding the product to the stick.

However, it is not a simple task to provide a stick-based jelly product. Firstly, the jelly is a much more flexible matrix and does not readily form a strong bond with the stick. Furthermore, it is often necessary to make jelly products in a mold that doubles as the final packaging jelly products and the jelly cannot easily be removed from the mold. Critically, if stick-based jelly products are made in a similar manner to ice lollies then a stick must be inserted in to the jelly mixture and held in a vertical position while the jelly is allowed to set around the stick. It is important that the stick is held in a vertical position, relative to the jelly product in order for it to be acceptable to consumers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

We have now found that a particular apparatus and process are capable of addressing at least the issue of orientating the stick within the product during manufacture. This apparatus and process also provide products that are more easily removable from the mold/packaging. Therefore, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a mold for a stick-based confection, the mold comprising

- a first part having a first cavity corresponding to the shape of one part of the confection and a further recess in communication with the first cavity, the recess corresponding to the shape of the end of the stick; and

- a second part having a second cavity corresponding to the shape of the other part of the confection

wherein the first and second parts may be sealably connected thereby to form a mold having

- a cavity corresponding to the shape of the confection;

- a recess corresponding to the shape of the end of the stick at one end of the mold and

- an opening at the other end of the mold for inserting the stick and filling the mold. Preferably the confection is a jelly confection.

Preferably the first and second parts are hingedly connected.

Preferably the mold also comprises a third part forming a cover for covering the open end of the mold.

Preferably the first and second parts each have outer edges which can interface to seal the parts together. In a preferred embodiment, one part has a ridge running around the outer edge and the other part has a groove running around the outer edge thereby to allow clamping between the two parts.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method for the production of a stick-based confection comprising the steps of:

a) forming a mold from a first part having a first cavity corresponding to the shape of one part of the confection and a further recess in communication with the first cavity, the recess corresponding to the shape of the end of the stick; and a second part having a second cavity corresponding to the shape of the other part of the confection;

b) sealably connecting the two parts to form a mold corresponding to the shape of the confection;

c) inserting a stick into the recess, the stick partially protruding into the mold; d) filling the mold with a mixture; and then

e) allowing the mixture to form around the stick.

Preferably the confection is a jelly confection.

These and other aspects, features and advantages will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the following detailed description and the appended claims. For the avoidance of doubt, any feature of one aspect of the present invention may be utilised in any other aspect of the invention. The word "comprising" is intended to mean "including" but not necessarily "consisting of or "composed of." In other words, the listed steps or options need not be exhaustive. It is noted that the examples given in the description below are intended to clarify the invention and are not intended to limit the invention to those examples per se. Similarly, all percentages are weight/weight percentages unless otherwise indicated. Except in the operating and comparative examples, or where otherwise explicitly indicated, all numbers in this description indicating amounts of material or conditions of reaction, physical properties of materials and/or use are to be understood as modified by the word "about". Numerical ranges expressed in the format "from x to y" are understood to include x and y. When for a specific feature multiple preferred ranges are described in the format "from x to y", it is understood that all ranges combining the different endpoints are also contemplated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As discussed above it is important to ensure that, when a stick-based product is formed, the stick is held in the vertical position. Typically, stick-based products are formed by providing a mold having a cavity that corresponds to the shape of the desired product. The mold is provided in an inverted configuration, that is to say that the mold is provided in an orientation whereby the top of the final product is lowermost and the open end of the mold us uppermost. The product mixture is then poured into the inverted mold via the open end, the stick is introduced and the mix is then allowed to solidify around the stick. However, the stick must somehow be held in the vertical position until the jelly has set around the stick. Furthermore, once the product has been formed, the stick-based products suffer from failure because the product is very well seated in the packaging and so the consumer needs to pull hard on the stick in an attempt to remove the product. This is especially the case with jelly based products where the increased forces that the consumer is obliged to apply when pulling the stick very often exceeds the ability of the jelly to bind to the stick and so the bond between them breaks.

We have now found that a particular apparatus and process are able to address both these issues. The present invention therefore provides a new mold for a stick-based confection. The mold according to the invention has two parts. When placed together these parts form a mold cavity which corresponds to the overall shape of the desired product. They also provide a further recess that the stick can be inserted into as described below. The first part of the mold has a cavity which corresponds to one part of the confection and the second part has a cavity corresponding to the shape of the other part of the confection. Importantly, the first part also has a recess that corresponds to the shape of the end of the stick that the product will be formed around. This recess is in communication with the cavity of the first part. As a consequence, when these two parts are connected together a mold is formed that has a cavity that corresponds to the overall shape of the confection. At one end of the cavity will be the recess that corresponds to the shape of the end of the stick. The other end of the mold is open. This opening allows the stick to be inserted into the mold, specifically into the recess formed. The opening also allows the mold to be filled with the product mixture.

Uniquely, the mold of the present invention is used in the upright orientation, that is to say that the recess for the stick is lowermost and the opening is uppermost. In use, the stick is first inserted into the recess and is thereby held in an upright, vertical position by the recess. The recess is only long enough to house a part of the end of the stick so that the rest of the stick protrudes into the mold cavity. After the stick has been placed in the mold, the initial product mixture (e.g. an unset jelly mix or an unfrozen frozen confection mix) is then poured into the mold via the opening. The mix is then allowed to form around the stick to form the final product. While the two parts of the mold can be provided separately from each other, it is preferred that they are connected together, for example by a hinge, which allows a controlled closure of the mold such that the cavities of the two parts will align appropriately with each other when closed. The mold may also have a further part, also optionally connected to one of the other parts by a hinge, which serves to close the open end of the mold once the stick and jelly mix have been introduced. The sealing together of the first and second parts can be facilitated by providing each part with an outer edge. The outer edges of the two parts will then interface when the parts are brought together and therefore facilitate sealing the parts together. One edge may have a ridge running around this outer edge and the other part has a groove running around the outer edge. The ridge will align to and engage with the groove to ensure a well aligned and tightly sealed union between the two parts.

As mentioned, in use the stick is first inserted into the recess and held in an upright, vertical position and protruding into the mold cavity. Product mixture is then poured into the mold via the opening and is allowed to form around the stick to form the final product (e.g. an unset jelly mix is allowed to set or an frozen confection mix is aloowed to freeze). In this way a product is formed using a single mold which has integral means for supporting the stick in a vertical position. There is no need for other components that would normally be used to orientate the stick in the mold and to hold it in position until the final product has formed.

Furthermore, upon consumption, the consumer will open the packaging by separating the two parts from one another. In this way the consumer is presented with the product resting in one of the parts of the mold with the stick readily accessible. The product can then be lifted by the stick and consumed. It is apparent that the mold of the present invention does not require the consumer to pull on the stick in an attempt to remove the product from the mold as would be the case using more traditional molds. The consumer is therefore not obliged to apply significant force when removing the product from the mold and so the bond between the product and the stick will be maintained and failure of the products will be greatly reduced.