INCLUDING THE SAME

Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for making dough skin, and more specifically to a dough skin die head and a food processing machine to which the dough skin die head is applied.

Background of the Invention

Dumpling or wonton is a very important staple food in China, but a household food processing machine capable of producing dumpling skin or wonton skin is not commercially available as yet. At present, multi-functional noodle makers are used to produce dumpling skin or wonton skin, but the dumpling skin or wonton skin thus produced is of undesirable quality and has the disadvantage that the dough skin extruded from the die head seems to be an integral whole but in fact is not compact enough. The dumpling skin or wonton skin made of such dough skin may possibly crack when being boiled in boiling water, which seriously affects the taste and mouth feeling of the dumpling or wonton.

Similar problems occur when making pasta. Fig.1 through Fig.3 illustrate an integral dough skin (pasta) die head 10 according to the prior art, including five extrusion cavities, each extrusion cavity consisting of an extrusion space and a channel 3, wherein a first extrusion space 11 is located upstream of the channel 3, and a second extrusion space 13 is located downstream of the channel 3. An outlet 5 is formed at a distal end of the second extrusion space 13. As can be seen from Fig.2 and Fig.3, a connecting rib 7 is provided such that three channels 3 are formed on the die head 10, and the second extrusion space 13 is continuous up to the outlet 5 in both the axial direction and the circumferential direction. As shown in Fig.3, a draft angle is set to pull a die out of the die head 10.

Therefore, the second extrusion space 13 gradually increases in a direction towards the outlet 5. Besides, since an inlet of the second extrusion space 13 comprises three segments of channels 3, which are spaced apart from each other, and the outlet 5 is a complete ring, the inlet is obviously smaller than the outlet.

Furthermore, other commercially available integral dough skin die heads besides the dough skin die head shown in Figs.1-3, used for producing dumpling skin, wonton skin, pasta or the like, are sufficiently large to make the connecting rib 7 so as to be strong enough to withstand the large forces exerted during the dough extrusion procedure, and an inlet area of the second extrusion space 13 is certainly smaller than the outlet area and generally the ratio thereof is only about 0.8: 1. This structure directly causes the dough to be unable to withstand sufficient extruding force in the extrusion space after the channel so that the dough cannot be extruded as a compact whole . Therefore, although the produced dough skin seems to be an integral whole, it is not really fused together, and it will probably crack when it is placed in boiling water. Besides, the prior-art integral dough skin die head does not have a second extrusion space 13 between the channel and the outlet, or the second extrusion space 13 is too short in the axial direction of the die head, generally less than 5mm, which is also a factor responsible for the dough skin not being well-fused before it is extruded out. Summary of the Invention

Therefore, it is advantageous to provide a dough skin die head which can extrude a compact integral dough skin, and at the same time provide a food processing machine which can use this dough skin die head to produce said dough skin.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a dough skin die head is provided, which is adapted for a food processing machine having a screw extrusion system, the dough skin die head comprising: a housing adapted to be mounted on the food processing machine and having an inner cavity; an inner core mounted in the inner cavity of the housing, the inner core comprising a body mounting portion and an axially extending portion extending downstream from the body mounting portion so that an extrusion space for receiving and extruding the dough coming from the food processing machine and an extrusion port in communication with the extrusion space are formed between the housing and the inner core, and the body mounting portion being provided with a plurality of dough channels which are spaced apart from each other; wherein the extrusion port and at least a portion of the extrusion space are formed between the housing and the axially extending portion and located downstream of the plurality of dough channels, and the at least a portion of the extrusion space is configured in such a way that pieces of dough separated by the plurality of dough channels are extruded compactly into a whole through the at least a portion of the extrusion space.

According to this aspect of the present invention, since the at least a portion of the extrusion space is located downstream of the plurality of dough channels and the dough is sufficiently extruded, pieces of dough separated by the plurality of dough channels spaced apart from each other can be extruded compactly before delivery to the extrusion port. As such, the dough skin coming out of the extrusion port is an integral whole and will not crack into pieces when placed in boiling water.

Preferably, the extrusion space comprises a first extrusion space and a second extrusion space, wherein the first extrusion space is located upstream of the plurality of dough channels so that the dough coming from the food processing machine is extruded and then enters the second extrusion space via the plurality of dough channels, and the second extrusion space is the at least a portion of the extrusion space as stated in the previous solution and located downstream of the plurality of dough channels and adjacent to the extrusion port so that pieces of dough separated by the plurality of dough channels are extruded compactly into a whole and then conveyed to the extrusion port.

Preferably, an inlet area of the at least a portion of the extrusion space is larger than an outlet area of the extrusion port. This can more effectively ensure the dough to be completely fused into a whole in the at least a portion of the extrusion space, and make the dough more compact and internally elastic.

Preferably, a ratio of the inlet area of the at least a portion of the extrusion space to the outlet area of the extrusion port is in a range of 20: 1-40: 1, preferably about 28: 1. As such, it is easier to produce the dumpling skin with a dimension conforming to people's normal habits.

Preferably, the length of the at least a portion of the extrusion space in an axial direction is 5-15 mm, preferably about 12mm. This length enables the dough to be more effectively and completely fused together into a whole in the at least a portion of the extrusion space and makes the dough more compact and internally elastic.

Preferably, the at least a portion of the extrusion space is circumferentially continuous. This arrangement enables the dough skin extruded from the extrusion port to form an integral whole.

Preferably, the at least a portion of the extrusion space gradually narrows towards the extrusion port at least at a portion adjacent to the extrusion port. The narrowed arrangement enables the dough to be more compact and internally elastic when it is extruded.

Preferably, the at least a portion of the extrusion space has a tapered section at least at a portion adjacent to the extrusion port. Preferably, the inner cavity of the housing comprises an upstream inner cavity portion and a downstream inner cavity portion, the body mounting portion being mounted in the upstream inner cavity portion and adjoining the downstream inner cavity portion, the axially extending portion being received in the downstream inner cavity portion, the upstream inner cavity portion constituting the first extrusion space upstream of the body mounting portion, and the downstream inner cavity portion constituting the second extrusion space between the housing and the axially extending portion.

Preferably, the number of downstream inner cavity portions is one and the number of axially extending portions is one, and the plurality of dough channels are in communication with the first upstream extrusion space and in communication with the second downstream extrusion space. The arrangement enables the dough extruded out of the extrusion port to be an integral piece.

Preferably, the dough skin is a dumpling skin or a wonton skin.

Preferably, at least one cutting point is provided in the extrusion port so that cylindrical dough skin coming out of the extrusion port is cut into planar dough skin.

Preferably, the cutting point is provided on the inner core or the housing.

Preferably, the number of both downstream inner cavity portions and axially extending portions is more than one so that a plurality of second extrusion spaces and a plurality of extrusion ports are formed, and the plurality of dough channels are formed at positions of the body mounting portion corresponding to each axially extending portion. The formation of the plurality of second extrusion spaces and the plurality of extrusion ports cause the dough from the first extrusion space to be divided into several pieces which come out of respective extrusion ports. Such a structure can meet the need for making small-sized dough skin.

Preferably, the housing has an outer end wall, and the plurality of downstream inner cavity portions are through holes formed in the outer end wall. Preferably, the dough skin is pasta.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a food processing machine is provided, which comprises a screw extrusion system and the above-mentioned dough skin die head, the screw extrusion system extruding the dough to provide it to the extrusion port.

These and other aspects of the present invention will be made apparent with reference to the embodiments described hereinbelow.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The structure and operating procedure and further objectives and advantages of the present invention can be better understood by virtue of the following description with reference to the figures, wherein same or like reference numbers denote same or like elements:

Fig.1 is a perspective view of an integral dough skin (pasta) die head according to the prior art; Fig.2 is an end view of the integral dough skin (pasta) die head according to the prior art as shown in Fig.1;

Fig.3 is a sectional view taken along the line a-a in Fig.2;

Fig.4 is an exploded perspective view of a dough skin die head according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig.5 is an assembling view of the dough skin die head of Fig.4, wherein part of the die head is cut away to show the internal structure of the dough skin die head;

Fig.6 is an end view of the dough skin die head of Fig.5, wherein one cutting point is shown; Fig.7 is a sectional view of the dough skin die head of Fig.6 taken along the line A-A;

Fig.8 is a sectional view of the dough skin die head of Fig.6 taken along the line B-B, which also shows an extrusion screw cooperating position of a current noodle maker;

Fig.9 is an installation diagram of the dough skin die head of Fig.7 in the current noodle maker;

Fig.10 is an end view of a dough skin die head according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig.11 is a sectional view of the dough skin die head of Fig.10 taken along the line C-C;

Fig.12 is a partial, enlarged view of portion D of Fig.11;

Fig.13 is a perspective schematic view of an inner core of the dough skin die head of Fig.11 as viewed from an angle; and Fig.14 is a perspective schematic view of an inner core of the dough skin die head of Fig.11 as viewed from another angle.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

As required, specific embodiments of the present invention will be revealed here. However, it should be appreciated that the embodiments revealed here are only typical examples of the present invention and the present invention can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, details revealed here are not be construed in a limiting sense and only serve as a basis of claims and a typical basis for teaching those skilled in the art to differently apply the present invention in any suitable manner in practice, including the use of various features revealed herein and combinations of features that might not be explicitly revealed herein.

The term "extruded compactly" used in the text means that the dough is extruded very compactly in an extrusion space before the dough is outputted from the dough skin die head as dough skin and becomes really integral dough skin. Therefore, no matter whether the dough skin is cut into small pieces of dumpling skin or wonton skin or is used as an integral pasta, it will not scatter again during boiling in hot water. Besides, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" are defined according to the advancement direction of the dough: "upstream" refers to a position that the dough reaches first, and "downstream" refers to a position that the dough reaches later. Figs.4-9 illustrate a dough skin die head 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the application of the dough skin die head in a food processing machine such as a noodle maker 300 having a screw extrusion system.

As shown in Fig.4 and Fig.5, the dough skin die head 100 comprises a housing 110 and an inner core 130, wherein the housing 1 10 is adapted to be mounted on the noodle maker 300 (by way of example, the mounting manner will be described later) and has an inner cavity 111. The inner cavity 11 1 may be divided into an upstream inner cavity portion located upstream and a downstream inner cavity portion located downstream. The inner core 130 is mounted in the inner cavity 111 of the housing 110. As shown in Fig.4, in the present preferred embodiment, the inner core 130 comprises a body mounting portion 131 and an axially extending portion 133 extending downstream from the body mounting portion, and the body mounting portion 131 is provided with a plurality of dough channels 132 which are spaced apart from one another.

As shown in Fig.6 and Fig.7 and with reference to Fig.5 and Fig.8, in the present preferred embodiment, when the inner core 130 is mounted in position in the housing by means of positioning ribs 134 on the inner core 130 and positioning slots 112 formed in the housing 110, an extrusion space 120 and an extrusion port 140 are formed between the housing 110 and the inner core 130. The extrusion space 120 is used to receive the dough coming from the noodle maker 300 and cooperate with the screw extrusion system of the noodle maker to extrude the dough received in the extrusion space. The extrusion port 140 is in communication with the extrusion space 120 and configured to output the dough skin such as dumpling skin or wonton skin. The dough channels 132 on the body mounting portion 131 may enable the dough coming from the noodle maker 300 and entering the extrusion space 120 of the dough skin die head 100 to be outputted downstream to the extrusion port 140. Again, as shown in Fig.7 and Fig.8, due to the cooperation of the inner core 130 and the housing 110, i.e., since the body mounting portion 131 is mounted in the upstream inner cavity portion and adjoins the downstream inner cavity portion and the axially extending portion 133 is received in the downstream inner cavity portion, the extrusion space 120 is divided into a first extrusion space 122 and a second extrusion space 124. That is to say, in the present embodiment, the upstream inner cavity portion constitutes the first extrusion space 122 upstream of the body mounting portion 131, and the downstream inner cavity portion constitutes the second extrusion space 124 between the housing 110 and the axially extending portion 133. Certainly, a central position of the body mounting portion 131 may extend upstream (not shown) to form a partial side wall of the first extrusion space 122. As such, the first extrusion space 122 is located upstream of the plurality of dough channels 132 so that the dough coming from the noodle maker 300 is extruded in the first extrusion space 122 and then enters the second extrusion space 124 via these dough channels 132 for further extrusion, and the second extrusion space 124 is located downstream of these dough channels 132 and adjoins the extrusion port 140 so that several pieces of dough separated by the dough channels are extruded compactly into a whole, and then outputted to the extrusion port 140. In this way, the dough skin coming out of the extrusion port 140 is an integral whole, i.e., it will not scatter when being boiled in hot water. As can be clearly seen from Fig.7, in the present embodiment, the extrusion port 140 and the second extrusion space 124 are both formed between the housing 110 and the axially extending portion 133 of the inner core 130. It should be noted that the extrusion port 140 may be designed with different dimensions to form dough skin of different thicknesses. Again, referring to Fig.7 and Fig.8, it should be noted that in the present embodiment, there is only one downstream inner cavity portion of the housing 1 10 and only one axially extending portion 133 of the inner core 130, and the plurality of dough channels 132 are in communication with the first extrusion space 122 at the upstream part and in communication with the second extrusion space 124 at the downstream part. It should be noted that an inlet area of the second extrusion space 124 is advantageously larger than an outlet area of the extrusion port 140. Specifically, a ratio of the inlet area of the at least one portion of the extrusion space to the outlet area of the extrusion port may be in a range of 20: 1-40: 1, preferably 28: 1. The second extrusion space 124 is circumferentially continuous. These arrangements enable the dough coming out of the extrusion port 140 to be a whole piece, e.g., only one cutting point 150 is provided in the extrusion port to cut cylindrical dough skin coming out of the extrusion port into planar dough skin. Certainly, a plurality of cutting points may be provided on the extrusion port 140 to cut the cylindrical dough skin into a plurality of planar dough skins. The number of cutting points depends on the actual size of the dough skin die head and the size requirement of the dumpling skin/wonton skin. However, no matter how many pieces the cylindrical dough skin is cut into, each piece is a dense and compact whole. The cutting point 150 may be provided on the inner core 130 or housing 110, e.g., the cutting point may be integrally formed with the inner core or housing or mounted additionally.

In the present embodiment, preferably, the second extrusion space 124 gradually narrows towards the extrusion port at least at a portion adjacent to the extrusion port 140, e.g., in the form of a tapered section. The narrowed arrangement enables the dough to be extruded to be internally more compact and elastic. Besides, preferably, the length of the second extrusion space 124 in an axial direction ( i.e., from the dough channel to the extrusion port) is set to 5-15mm.This length suffices to enable the dough to be completely fused together into a whole in the extrusion space, making the dough internally more compact and elastic, and meanwhile minimizing the amount of residual dough in the extrusion space and avoiding an excessively large dimension of the dough skin die head. The above length is preferably 12mm.

It should be appreciated that although four dough channels 132 as shown in Fig.4 are provided on the housing 110 in the present embodiment, the number of dough channels may be set according to actual needs. It should be noted that the dough channels 132 are formed by the reinforcing ribs 135 in the structure of the body mounting portion 131.

Application of the dough skin die head 100 to the noodle maker 300 is described below with reference to Fig.9. The noodle maker 300 may be an existing noodle maker having a screw extrusion system and the dough skin die head 100 according to the present preferred embodiment simply replaces an original noodle die head in the noodle maker. The noodle maker 300 comprises a base 310, a feeding port 320, a flour barrel 330, a screw 340 and an extrusion chamber 350. The extrusion chamber 350, the flour barrel 330 and the screw 340 constitute the screw extrusion system. The dough skin die head 100 may be fixed to a downstream end of the extrusion chamber 350 by means of a front plate 400. The screw 340 is provided with a feeding scoop 341 which feeds the dough into the extrusion chamber through the feeding port when the screw rotates. The screw 340, driven by a motor 342, extrudes and advances the dough downstream, and finally, the dough is formed into a desired shape through the dough skin die head 100.

The structure of a dough skin die head 100' according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig.10 through Fig.14. The dough skin die head 100' differs from the dough skin die head 100 of the previous embodiment in the following way: a housing 110' of the dough skin die head 100' comprises a plurality of downstream inner cavity portions, an inner core 130 comprises a plurality of axially extending portions 133', and the number of axially extending portions 133' is the same as that of the downstream inner cavity portions, and each axially extending portion 133' extends through one downstream inner cavity portion so as to form a plurality of second extrusion spaces 124' and a plurality of extrusion ports 140' . Correspondingly, a plurality of dough channels 132' (see fig.14) are formed at positions of a body mounting portion 13 of the inner core 130' corresponding to each of the axially extending portions 133'. With the formation of the plurality of second extrusion spaces 124' and the plurality of extrusion ports 140', the dough coming from the first extrusion space 122 of the housing 110' is divided into several pieces through respective extrusion ports 140'. Such a structure can meet the need for making small-sized dough skin such as pasta. In the present embodiment, preferably, the housing 110' has an outer end wall 116', and each downstream inner cavity portion is a through hole 118' formed in the outer end wall. These through holes are preferably evenly distributed in the circumferential direction. Preferably, an edge of the through hole 1 18' is formed in a polygonal shape, such as a flower petal shape, wavy shape or hexagonal shape so that the produced pasta has various beautiful shapes. Although the present embodiment shows that the inner core 130' has seven axially extending portions 133' (see Fig.13), it should be appreciated that the number of axially extending portions 133' may be set according to actual needs; furthermore , although three dough channels 132' (see Fig.14) are provided on the housing 110' corresponding to each of the second extrusion spaces 124', the number of dough channels may also be set according to actual needs.

It should be noted that although many optional or preferable designs are presented hereinabove for the second extrusion space, this does not mean that the dough passing through the second extrusion space cannot be extruded as a compact whole unless the above limitations are imposed on the inlet area of the second extrusion space and the outlet area of the extrusion port and the axial length of the second extrusion space; for example, it is feasible to increase the extrusion force on the dough to extrude the dough as an integral whole. It should be appreciated that the dough skin die head according to the present invention is not only adapted for the noodle maker having the screw extrusion system, but also for a juice squeezer, a meat grinder or the like having the screw extrusion system, so that the dough skin die head of the present invention is adapted for a food processing machine having the screw extrusion system.

The technical content and technical features of the present invention have already been revealed hereinabove. However, it should be appreciated that, as guided by the creation idea of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements to the above structure and shape, including combinations of technical features individually revealed herein or sought for protection, obviously including other combinations of these features. These variations and/or combinations all fall within the technical field to which the present invention relates and fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention. It should be noted that according to practice, a single element used in claims should be understood to include one or more such elements. Besides, any reference numbers in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention.