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Title:
A DEVICE FOR PRODUCING A SPHERICAL GEL PRODUCT
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2017/059525
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
The present invention provides a hand-held device for producing a spherical gel food product from a mixture of liquid food and gelling agent, the device comprising a housing, a reservoir adapted to fit within the housing for holding the mixture of liquid food and gelling agent, a conduit attached to the end of the reservoir, a pumping element associated with the conduit for conveying the liquid food and gelling agent mixture from the reservoir to be dispensed through a dispensing nozzle located in a dispensing cap located at the dispensing end of the housing.

Inventors:
COHEN NAOR (CA)
Application Number:
PCT/CA2016/050792
Publication Date:
April 13, 2017
Filing Date:
July 07, 2016
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
COHEN NAOR (CA)
International Classes:
A23P30/00; A23L29/20; A23L29/256; A47J43/00
Foreign References:
US5211980A1993-05-18
EP2537420A12012-12-26
CA2906513A12014-10-02
Other References:
"Spherificator - Turn Any Food Into Pearls/Caviar", Retrieved from the Internet
"Kelp Caviar - How It's Made", 14 June 2015 (2015-06-14), Retrieved from the Internet [retrieved on 20161007]
ALIBABA: "Popping boba making machine.", Retrieved from the Internet [retrieved on 20161006]
"Making Spherification Caviar the Easy Way", MOLECULARRECIPES.COM, 9 July 2012 (2012-07-09), Retrieved from the Internet [retrieved on 20161006]
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
MBM INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW LLP (CA)
Download PDF:
Claims:
WE CLAIM:

1 . A device for producing a spherical gel product from a mixture of a liquid and a gelling agent, the device comprising: a housing having a first input end portion and a second dispensing end portion; a reservoir adapted to fit within the first input end portion of the housing, the reservoir having an outlet end; a conduit attached to the outlet end of the reservoir; a pumping element associated with the conduit and configured to pump the liquid food and gelling agent mixture from the reservoir to be dispensed at the second dispensing end portion of the housing; a dispensing cap located at the second dispensing end portion of the housing; a dispensing nozzle located in the dispensing cap, wherein the dispensing nozzle is in fluid communication with the conduit; and an actuator element configured to actuate the pumping element.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pumping element is a peristaltic pump.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pumping element is a metering pump.

4. The device of claim 2 or 3, wherein the pumping element further comprises a rate control element.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir is generally funnel shaped.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the housing is formed of two pieces, wherein the two pieces together form a generally cylindrical shape.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising one or more resilient bands provided to hold the two pieces together.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the reservoir has a flange located around the circumference of the reservoir, and the housing has a circumferential slot on its inner surface adapted to receive said flange.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the housing further comprises an opening adapted to fit the actuator element.

10. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a cap adapted to fit over the first input end of the housing.

1 1 . The device of claim 4, wherein the housing further comprises an opening adapted to accommodate the rate control element.

12. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a base cap at the dispensing end of the housing.

13. A kit for producing a spherical gel product comprising: the device according to claim 1 ; powdered gelling agent; one or more dispensing nozzles; and instructions for use.

Description:
A DEVICE FOR PRODUCING A SPHERICAL GEL PRODUCT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention pertains to the field of foodstuff preparation and in particular to processes for forming spherical gel food products.

BACKGROUND

[0002] "Spherification" is a culinary process by which a liquid is shaped into a sphere having a thin gel membrane and/or having gelled throughout.

[0003] Using this process, a caviar-like spherical product is produced when a gel membrane is formed around a liquid drop through the chemical reaction of a gelling agent such as sodium alginate or by way of a thermal reaction such as agar agar.

[0004] Standard methods of spherification typically involve the use of a syringe to form individual drops, one at a time. The success of such methods requires a steady hand of the syringe holder. These methods also require a long time to generate a large number of spheres.

[0005] Therefore there is a need for a device which conveniently and efficiently produces a large number of spheres in a short period of time.

[0006] This background information is provided to reveal information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a device for producing a spherical gel product. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for producing a spherical gel product (of uniform size) from a mixture of liquid and gelling agent, the device comprising: a housing having a first input end portion and a second dispensing end portion; a reservoir adapted to fit within the first input end portion of the housing, the reservoir having an outlet end; a conduit attached to the outlet end of the reservoir; a pumping element associated with the conduit and configured to convey the liquid food and gelling agent mixture from the reservoir to be dispensed at the second dispensing end portion of the housing; and an actuator element configured to actuate the pumping element.

[0007] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kit for producing a spherical gel product comprising a device, powdered gelling agent, one or more dispensing nozzles, and instructions for use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0008] Figure 1 illustrates a side view of a device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view along line A-A of Figure 1 .

[0010] Figure 3 illustrates a side view of a reservoir in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[0011 ] Figure 4 illustrates an end view of a reservoir in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view along line B-B of Figure 3.

[0013] Figure 6 illustrates a perspective view of a reservoir in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 7 illustrates an exploded view of a device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Definitions

[0015] The term "gelling agent" is used to define any reagent that forms a gel product through a chemical or thermal reaction. In accordance with the present invention, the term "gelling agent" is intended to include, but is not limited to, sodium alginate (brown seaweed extract) or Agar Agar (red seaweed extract).

[0016] As used herein, the term "about" refers to a +/-10% variation from the nominal value. It is to be understood that such a variation is always included in a given value provided herein, whether or not it is specifically referred to.

[0017] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.

[0018] The present invention provides a device for producing a spherical gel food product.

[0019] The present invention therefore provides a device which can be used to facilitate formation of uniformly sized droplets of a mixture of a liquid (or liquefied food) and a suitable gelling agent in a quick and efficient manner.

[0020] The gelling agent is preferably selected according to the acidity of the liquefied food product. Suitable gelling agents include, but are not limited to, sodium alginate and Agar Agar. Sodium alginate is suitable for use with less acidic food products and Agar Agar is suitable for use with foods with a high acidic value, such as, but not limited to, vinegars, oils, citrus, etc. Gelling agents may also be selected based on the final texture wanted. Sodium alginate provides a generally softer gel, while Agar Agar provides a harder gel.

[0021] The gelling process when sodium alginate is employed involves a chemical reaction with a calcium salt to form the gel membrane. Suitable calcium salts include, but are not limited to calcium chloride, calcium lactate, calcium sulphate and calcium gluconate lactate.

[0022] The gelling process when Agar Agar is employed requires a thermal reaction to form the gel membrane, where the mixture of gelling agent and liquid (or liquefied) food is first heated to a temperature of up to about 80 degrees Celsius, and the gel is obtained when the temperature is lowered to below 40 degrees Celsius, for example, using a chilled oil bath.

[0023] The device of the present invention comprises a housing having a reservoir disposed therein in which the mixture of gelling agent and liquid food is retained until the device is activated and the droplets are formed and dispensed.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the housing is of a suitable size to fit within the hand of a user.

[0025] In one embodiment, the housing is formed of two pieces, wherein the two pieces together form a generally cylindrical shape. In one embodiment, one or more resilient bands are provided to hold the two pieces together to form the intact housing. The resilient bands may be made of any suitable material, including, but not limited to, silicone polymers or synthetic or natural rubbers. In one embodiment, the two body pieces are also held together by a clip system located along contacting edges of the respective housing pieces. The housing has an interior space adapted to receive the reservoir, as well as the electrical components required to control a pumping mechanism.

[0026] The housing has a first input end through which the liquid food and gelling agent mixture is introduced into the reservoir. The reservoir is generally funnel shaped, and is located within the housing at the input end of the device.

[0027] In one embodiment, the reservoir has a flange located around the circumference of the reservoir, and the housing has a circumferential slot on its inner surface adapted to receive the flange of the reservoir, thereby providing a secure fit of the reservoir within the housing when the device is fully assembled. It is understood that the mechanism for providing secure fit of the reservoir within the housing is not limited to the flange and circumferential slot design described in the accompanying figures, but can include any arrangement that provides cooperative engagement of the reservoir in the housing, such as tab and slot, or any suitable male/female cooperative configuration.

[0028] A removable cap is placed over the input end of the housing to contain the mixture before and during activation of the device, and optionally to hold the reservoir in place during use. [0029] The reservoir has a second outlet end adapted to engage a tubular conduit. In one embodiment, the second outlet end engages the conduit through the use of a male slip fit connector, although any suitable connecting elements may be used.

[0030] The conduit is fitted with a pump element, which, when activated, pumps the mixture through the conduit at a controlled rate to be dispensed as droplets of uniform size through a dispensing nozzle located at the second dispensing end of the housing.

[0031] The housing has a dispensing end through which the liquid food and gelling agent mixture is dispensed. Located at the dispensing end is a generally disk shaped dispensing cap. In one embodiment, the dispensing cap has an opening adapted to receive a fitting component which is connected at one end to the pump element via the conduit and at the other end is configured to receive a dispensing nozzle. In one embodiment, the dispensing nozzle located at the dispensing end of the device is removable. In such an embodiment, different sizes of dispensing nozzles may be selected according to the size of the spherical product that is desired. In one embodiment, the device is provided with a plurality of dispensing caps, each with an opening of suitable size to accommodate dispensing nozzles of different sizes.

[0032] In one embodiment, the dispensing cap has a flange located around the circumference of the dispensing cap, and the housing has a circumferential slot on its inner surface adapted to receive the flange of the dispensing cap, thereby providing a secure fit of the dispensing cap within the housing when the device is fully assembled. It is understood that the mechanism for providing secure fit of the dispensing cap within the housing is not limited to the flange and circumferential slot design described in the accompanying figures, but can include any arrangement that provides cooperative engagement of the dispensing cap in the housing, such as tab and slot, or any suitable male/female cooperative configuration.

[0033] The device is optionally provided with a base cap configured for frictional fit over the dispensing cap.

[0034] The device is further provided with an actuator element configured to actuate the pump element. The actuator element is located on the housing in any convenient location suitable for easy manual activation. In one embodiment, the actuator element is an on/off button. In one embodiment, the actuator element is an on/off switch. [0035] Any pumping element which can provide consistent movement of the liquid food and gelling agent mixture through the conduit is suitable for use in the present invention. In one embodiment, the pumping element is a peristaltic pump. In another embodiment, the pumping element is a metering pump.

[0036] In one embodiment, the pumping element further comprises an adjustable rate control element to control the rate at which the mixture is delivered as droplets. A suitable rate is selected according to the viscosity of the mixture, to ensure optimum performance and formation of the droplets. In one embodiment, the rate control element is adjusted using as a rotatable knob. In one embodiment, the rate control element is adjusted using a movable dial.

[0037] The invention will now be described with reference to specific examples. It will be understood that the following examples are intended to describe embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention in any way.

EXAMPLES

[0038] Device - All components of one embodiment of device 1 (except the electrical components) are depicted in the exploded view of Figure 7. Housing 2 is formed of two pieces 2A,2B, which together form an interior space adapted to receive reservoir 5, as well as the electrical components required to control a pumping mechanism (not shown). Silicon bands 11 are provided to hold pieces 2A,2B together to form the intact housing.

[0039] The liquid food and gelling agent mixture is introduced into reservoir 5 located within housing 2 at the input end of the device. Reservoir 5 has a flange 13 located around the circumference of the reservoir, and housing 2 has a circumferential slot 20 on its inner surface adapted to receive flange 13, thereby providing a secure fit of the reservoir within the housing when the device is fully assembled. Removable cap 3 is placed over the input end of housing.

[0040] The mixture is pumped out of outlet end 6 of reservoir 5 through a conduit (not shown) by action of a pumping element (not shown) at a constant rate to form droplets dispensed through dispensing nozzle 15 located in dispensing cap 9 of housing 2. The pumping element is activated by an actuator (not shown), which is located within opening 14 in housing 2.

[0041] Also located at the dispensing end of the housing is base cap 8. The conduit is connected by slip fit connector 12 to outlet end 6 of reservoir 5. Dispensing cap 9 has a flange 18 located around its circumference, and housing 2 has a circumferential slot 21 on its inner surface at the dispensing end adapted to receive flange 18. Base cap 8 is provided over dispensing cap 9.

[0042] Alginate Process - Place any liquid or liquefied food product in a bowl. Add sodium alginate powder, and thoroughly dissolve in liquid food product using a blending device. In a separate bowl, dissolve calcium chloride in water to form a solution comprising about 5% calcium chloride by weight. Pour the liquefied food and alginate mixture into the reservoir of the device. Turn on the pumping element to start producing droplets of the mixture directly into the calcium chloride water bath, where the droplets are converted into the spherical gel food product. Collect the spheres into a strainer and rinse thoroughly to remove the excess calcium chloride.

[0043] Agar Agar Process - Place any liquid or liquified food product in a bowl. Add Agar Agar powder, and thoroughly dissolve in liquid food product by heating mixture to 80 degrees Celsius. In a separate bowl, place chilled vegetable oil with no additives. Pour the liquefied food and Agar Agar mixture into the reservoir of the device. Turn on the pumping element to start producing droplets of the mixture directly into the chilled vegetable oil, where the droplets are converted into the spherical gel food product. Collect the spheres into a strainer and rinse thoroughly to remove the excess oil.

[0044] It is obvious that the foregoing embodiments of the invention are examples and can be varied in many ways. Such present or future variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.