NON-EDIBLE INNER HOUSING

SPECIFICATION

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to egg-shaped chocolate products, and particularly relates to egg-formed chocolate food products with hollow non-edible housing named as "surprise" therein.

KNOWN STATE OF THE ART

Egg-formed edible chocolate food products with hollow inner housing are obtained by taking inspiration from "Easter Egg" and by transforming this Easter Egg into chocolate form. It is obtained by means of joining two half-shells, which are made of chocolate and which are cut in the longitudinal axis, along the peripheral edges in the longitudinal axis which has thin walls like egg and which is in hollow form. In the US patent US3961089, a hollow chocolate article such as an Easter egg is formed by inverting a molded chocolate shell upon another shell in respective molds, the lower shell having been previously formed with an inner coating layer e.g., of chocolate, while the inverted upper shell is provided with an inner coating layer which is still in a fluid state when the shells are superimposed, so that some of the material of the inverted inner layer flows on to and is joined to the peripheral surface of the previously formed inner layer of the lower shell, to form an internal seam without discoloration.

The mechanical resistance of the joined thin-walled shells is low. Particularly in the chocolate egg which is joined along the distance forming the peripherally longest line of the egg form, said joining shall be sealed and shall have resistance providing substantial holding of the half-shells. The consumer opens the package encircling the egg chocolate along the outer wall thereof, and he/she exerts pressure through the tapered top section and through the round base for reaching the housing encircled by the egg, and he/she provides formation of a breakage along the joining line which is the weakest section in the chocolate egg structure. Thus, the shell halves are opened and it becomes possible to reach the housing provided therein. In the patent publication EP1 1 10459A1 , the method enables food products to be manufactured which include two half-shells with their respective mouth portions coupled together. The products contain an accessory element occupying an inner volume enclosed in a wrapper. The method includes the steps of: coupling the said half-shells by arranging the said mouth portions in a condition of substantially free coupling, by establishing a temporary adhesive connection between the said accessory element and the said half-shells acting to hold them together, wrapping the thus coupled half-shells in a wrapper while the said half- shells are held together by the temporary adhesive connection to the said accessory. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide substantial mechanical resistance in case figurative items are added onto the thin-walled chocolate egg formed products. In order to reach said object, the present invention is an egg-shaped chocolate food product comprising a first half-shell and a corresponding second half-shell forming a chamber inside when coupled and which encircles a non-edible inner housing placed into the chamber. A preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a figurative section formed in the vicinity of the outer wall of the first half-shell in a manner staying inside a figurative area border defined at the section where the inner housing is supported from the rear section and provided on the first half-shell. The support provided by the inner housing forms resistance against mechanical deteriorations resulting from the figurative section on the first half-shell outer wall, and a food product is provided having figurative element thereon and which is resistant to the forces formed during transport.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first half-shell and the second half-shell are cut in the longitudinal axis. Thus, after the joining process, the user can easily open the half- shells. The figurative section is directly integrated to the outer wall of the first half-shell. In this case, the figurative section becomes permanent on the outer shell, and it is protected against being erased or damaged due to various reasons. The figurative section at least partially comprises a recess inside the figurative area border provided. The recess provides formation of the figure in a rapid manner with the help of a mold, by means of a laser process or a similar abrasion method. Moreover, in case the egg form is encircled by means of aluminum or a similar foil, the foil preserves the tension and covers the recess and a package deformation, which is going to deform the package integrity due to the recess, does not occur. In alternative embodiments, the figurative section may comprise recesses, protrusions or different colorized sections and the combination of these in a manner providing visual integrity. In a preferred application, the figurative section is obtained by means of molding with the first half-shell.

In a preferred application, the figurative section is provided in an intermediate section of the egg form. This forms the safest area where the inner housing provides support when the gaps, formed at the upper side and the lower side, are taken into consideration particularly when the inner housing sits on the egg form. In order to provide support, a lateral edge of the inner housing at least partially contacts the inner wall of the first half-shell. Thus, support is formed by exerting pressure from the inner wall against mechanical resistance deterioration formed on the outer wall of the egg and the figurative section. The figurative section has a face structure. This face may comprise eyes, mouth, tongue, hair, nose, eyebrows, eyelashes, eye lid, chin or the skin spots, accessories like hat, letters, numbers, geometric items and similar support figures. Moreover, the form of the face may be formed in a manner reflecting emotional conditions like smiling face, angry face, surprised face and similar emotional conditions. The form of the face creates tension areas which are substantially equally distributed in a manner substantially supported by the support element in the first half-shell. The figurative section is provided by means of the deformation of the first half- shell. The figurative area border is defined by the projection of the outer line of the inner housing onto the first half-shell. This area border provides a substantially supported operation area to a designer. The figurative area border is delimited by a predetermined distance in a manner providing a gap for an upper section and a lower section of the first half-shell. The figurative area border facilitates molding on the wide radial surfaces by means of being approached to the intermediate section. Moreover, the figurative area border provides facility in terms of molding on wide radial surfaces. The figurative section is extended between the upper section and the lower section in a distanced manner. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a joining line is provided which peripherally joins the first half-shell and the second half-shell. The inner housing is essentially made of plastic material. This plastic is suitable for the food standards. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In Figure 1 , the representative cross sectional view of the subject matter egg-formed chocolate product where the chocolate product is placed to an inner housing is given. In Figure 2, the frontal representative view of a first half-shell of the chocolate product, illustrated in Figure 1 , is given such that an imaginary line which is the projection of the inner housing is provided. In Figure 3, the frontal representative view of the chocolate product illustrated in Figure 1 is given.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In this detailed description, the subject matter improvement is explained with references to examples without forming any restrictive effect only in order to make the subject more understandable. In Figure 1 , the cross sectional view of an egg-formed food product which is made of thin- walled chocolate is given. A first half-shell (20) and a second half-shell (30) which is vertically symmetrical with respect to said first half-shell (20) are coupled such that their open mouths face each other, and thereby they create the egg form. The space, remaining at the inner sections of the first and second half-shells (20, 30), provides a chamber (60). An inner housing (10) sits inside the chamber (60). The inner housing (10) has a capsule-like structure and it is placed such that a gap remains between a lower base (14) and an upper ceiling (15) due to the egg-like structure of the chamber (60) which narrows towards the ends. The lateral edge (12) of the inner housing (20) contacts the first half-shell (20) and the second half-shell (30) from the inner wall, and it supports the egg form against the tensions which may be applied from outside. The inner housing (10) consists of an upper piece (16) and a similar lower piece (18) mounted to each other in an openable and engaged manner.

The first half-shell (20) and the second half-shell (30) are joined along a peripheral joining line (50) passing through the middle of the top section and the base. The joining line (50) forms the weakened line of the egg when compared with the other sections.

In Figure 2 and Figure 3, the frontal view of the egg product is given. A figurative section (24), which is smiley form, is centered on the outer wall of the first half-shell (20). The figurative section (24) is extended along the long axis of the first half-shell (20). The figurative section (24) is in the form of two eyes joined through the facing sections at the upper section, and it is in the form of a mouth placed under the eyes. The figurative section (24), consisting of the face, is placed in a manner staying inside a figurative area border (40) delimited by the projection of the inner housing (10) onto the first half-shell (20) in a manner supporting from the inner wall of the first half-shell (20). The figurative area border (40) is delimited in a distanced manner from the top by means of an upper section (21 ) extending downwardly from a tapered top section of the egg, and it is delimited in a distanced manner from the bottom by means of a lower section (26) extending upwardly from the round bottom. Thus, there is no figurative section (24) at the projection sections corresponding in the first half- shell (20) for the empty sections of the chamber (60) except the inner housing (10). However, for instance, there is visual integrity with a simple line or a figurative section (24), and besides, a little areal section may be provided outside of the figurative area border (40). The figurative area border (40) defines the section where the figurative section (24) is predominantly placed on the first half -shell (20).

The figurative section (24) is in the form of a recess formed by means of molding the first half-shell (20). Thus, the figurative section (24) has a form which is integrated to the outer wall of the first half-shell (20).

REFERENCE NUMBERS

10 inner housing 25 Recess

12 Lateral edge 26 Lower section

14 Base 30 Second half-shell

15 Ceiling 40 Figurative area border

16 Upper part 50 Joining line

18 Lower part 60 Chamber

20 First half-shell

21 Upper section

22 Intermediate section

24 Figurative section