CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims priority from Italian patent application no. 102020000030854 filed on December 15, 2020, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method and to a machine for the instant production of a food product, for example a chocolate-based confectionery product.

BACKGROUND ART

In the field of production of food and confectionery products, in general, and of chocolates, in particular, to which the following disclosure will explicitly refer without losing generality, the need to have fresh products has always been felt, that is, newly made so as to provide all the organoleptic characteristics initially envisaged.

For this reason, the chocolates after being removed from the moulds are packaged in boxes, bags, etc., or individually wrapped and then entered into a storage chain, transfer and distribution thereof and new storage before reaching the final consumer.

The time between production and consumption of the chocolates can therefore also be relatively long and, in some cases, long to the point that at the time of consumption the chocolates have lost part of their initial fragrance and/or their original organoleptic characteristics.

In addition to this, before being consumed, chocolates can soften and/or deform when stored in hot environments, such as, for example an office or a home, or they can harden when stored in cold environments.

As a result, at the time of consumption, the consumer remains unsatisfied and, at times, not pleased or disappointed with the available product.

In addition to this, once the chocolates have been extracted from their packaging they must be consumed in a relatively short time, after which the remaining chocolates have inevitably lost at least part of their characteristics.

Finally, the choice of the type of chocolate, for example, dark, milk, etc., is limited to the chocolates in the package available and therefore not an arbitrary choice and, above all, one that can be made at the time of consumption.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a machine for the instant production of food products, for example, a chocolate-based confectionery product, which allows to solve the above problems in a simple and inexpensive manner and, in particular, allows to make immediately available various food products comprising confectionery products, in general, and chocolate-based confectionery products, in particular.

According to the present invention, a machine is provided for the instant production of a food product, for example a chocolate-based confectionery product, as claimed in claim 1.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method which allows the instant production of food products, for example chocolate-based confectionery products having flavour, consistency and, in general, all those qualities or organoleptic characteristics typical of traditional confectionery products just made. According to the present invention a method for the instant production of a food product, for example chocolate-based confectionery is provided, as claimed in claim 14.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting embodiment thereof, wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates, schematically and in perspective view, a first preferred embodiment of a machine for the instant forming of a food product, for example a chocolate-based confectionery product;

Figures 2 to 9 illustrate, in side elevation and with parts removed for clarity, the machine of Figure 1 in different functional conditions for the implementation of the instant forming method according to the present invention;

Figure 10 is a figure similar to Figure 1 and illustrates the machine of Figure 1 in a further functional condition; and Figure 11 illustrates a second preferred embodiment of a machine for the instant forming of a food product, according to the dictates of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In Figure 1, 1 denotes, as a whole, a machine for the instant forming of food or edible products, for example confectionery products, in general, and chocolate-based confectionery products, such as common chocolates, in particular, to which the following disclosure will refer explicitly without losing generality.

The machine 1 allows to produce a single chocolate 2 at a time by using, for each chocolate 2, a respective pod or capsule 3 comprising a container 4 terminating at the top with a collar 5 and a removable wall 6 for hermetically closing the same container 4. Preferably, both the container 4 and the wall 6 are made of aluminium. In general, the materials for manufacturing the wall 6, of the container 4 and for their connection are selected from among the materials for food products and from among the materials which allow an easy removal of the wall 6 and an immediate form-release of the obtained chocolate 2.

The container 4 is partially filled with at least a first ingredient of a recipe for forming the chocolate 2 to be produced. Conveniently, the container houses one or more lean ingredients of the product, in the specific case cocoa powder.

The machine 1 comprises a support structure indicated by T and an external casing 7, which houses the structure T and, through which an inlet aperture 8 for the entire capsule 3 or at least the container 4 is obtained, as will be better explained in the following, and an outlet aperture 9 for the corresponding chocolate 2.

The inlet 8 and outlet 9 apertures extend through a side wall of the outer casing 7 and define the starting point and, respectively, the arrival point of a forming path P for the single chocolate 2.

Along the path P, the casing 7 then houses a support and handling unit 10 for the container 4.

With reference to Figure 2, the unit 10 is supported by the structure T and comprises, starting from the inlet aperture 8, an inlet channel 11 stably connected to the structure T and a robotic handling device 12 arranged downstream of the channel 11 and controlled by a command-and-control unit 13 for the machine 1.

The inlet channel 11 is conveniently, but not necessarily defined by a slide which communicates, on one side, with the inlet aperture 8 and terminates, on the other, on a fixed surface 14 supporting the container 4.

Alternatively, according to a variant not illustrated, the inlet channel 11 houses a motorized conveyor controlled by the unit 13 and a container retention device 4 is associated with a delivery branch thereof.

Regardless of how the inlet channel 11 is made, along the same channel 11 a reading head 15 is arranged for reading information 16 relative to the content of the capsule 3 or its expiration date, consisting, for example, of one or more phrases or codes, screen printed or engraved on the container 4 or as a symbol, for example a QR code.

The reading head 15 is electrically connected to the unit 13 for sending to the unit 13 itself an identification or recognition signal of the capsule 3 passing along the path P. The head 15 is also capable of detecting the origin of the capsule 3, its expiration etc.

Still with reference to Figure 2, the handling device 12 comprises a gripping head 18 and an articulated robotized arm 19. The head 18 is configured to couple, in a per se know manner, with the container 4, for example to the collar 5 of the same container 4 and is connected to a free end of the arm 19. The opposite end of the articulated arm 19 is, instead, stably connected to a motorized slide and guide assembly, denoted with 20.

The assembly 20 comprises a guide 21 having a vertical axis 21A stably connected to the structure T and a slide 22, which is coupled to the guide 21 and is vertically movable in opposite directions along the axis 21A under the thrust of a gearmotor 23 controlled by the unit 13. The slide 22 is then configured to rotate around the axis 21A in opposite directions under the thrust of a gearmotor 24, which is also controlled by the unit 13.

Likewise, along the path P and downstream of the device 12 a dispensing assembly 26 is provided configured to feed at least another ingredient of the chocolate recipe 2 inside the container 4. In the example described, the aforementioned other ingredient is dispensed in a liquid form. Again, in the example described, this other ingredient forms the fat mass of the chocolate 2 and is preferably cocoa butter. The dispensing assembly 26 is also controlled by the unit 13 and comprises a tank 27 designed to house a block or solid mass of the ingredient to be dispensed in liquid form, for example a cocoa butter bar 28, and a melting device 29 of the aforementioned block contained in the tank 27.

The dispensing assembly 26 then comprises a support member 30 for the container 4 in a dispensing position and a dispensing nozzle 31 and a motorized mixing member 32, schematically illustrated, for mixing the contents of the container 4.

Still along the path P and downstream of the dispensing assembly 26, the machine 1 comprises, furthermore, a solidification unit 33 of the mixture contained in the container 4. In the example described, the solidification unit 33 is a compressed air device. The solidification unit 33 comprises a cooling shell 35 provided with a seat 36 configured to house the container 4 and a device 37 for cooling the shell 35 and the container 4 housed therein.

The device 37 comprises a compressed air tank 38 and a compressor 39 for feeding compressed air into the tank 38.

Again, in the particular example described, the compressor 39 is a piston compressor and comprises a pair of pneumatic cylinders 41 arranged in parallel one with the other and an electric linear actuator 42 controlled by the unit 13 to move the rods of the pneumatic cylinders 41 with a reciprocating cyclic motion.

Between the tank 38 and the shell, the device 37 comprises, furthermore, a compressed air cooler, denoted as a whole with 43. Conveniently, the cooler 43 is a vortex cooler, for example of the type known with the trade name VR-100 SIMIAN and of the type described in the Italian patent No. 0001405120. The cooler 43 receives the compressed air from the tank 38 and generates a flow of cold air towards the shell 35. Experimentally, the applicant has been able to ascertain that a flow of cold air at a variable temperature between -10° C and - 20° C is sufficient to cause the mixture contained in the container 4 to solidify regardless of the ingredients forming this mass in a time varying between 30 and 55 seconds.

Still with reference to Figure 2, the unit 10 finally comprises a motorized or chute-like outlet conveyor 45, designed to receive, at the inlet, the container 4 coming out of the shell 35 and to move it towards the outlet 9.

The forming of the chocolate 2 takes place in the following manner: the consumer chooses the capsule 3 according to the flavour of the desired chocolate 2, for example, dark, milk, white, hazelnut, pistachio, fruit, etc. The capsule 3 is supplied hermetically sealed with its container 4 partially filled with at least a first ingredient in powder form of the recipe of the desired chocolate 2.

At this point, according to a first forming method, the consumer removes the wall 6 by opening the container 4, after which said consumer inserts the container 4 into the inlet channel 11 through the inlet 8. The container 4 by gravity or because it is mechanically advanced runs through the duct 11 towards the surface 14. During the advancement, the reading head 15 reads the information 16 (Figure 3), arranged conveniently, but not necessarily, on the base of the container 4 and communicates the reading to the unit 13, which is then informed about the flavour of the desired chocolate 2 and therefore of its recipe and then controls the various members connected to the same so as to obtain a chocolate of optimal quality. Conversely, the unit 13 discards the capsule 3 if expired or not recognized.

When the container 4 reaches the surface 14 (Figure 4), the unit 13 controls the gearmotors 23 and 24, first, so as to bring the head 18 into coupling with the container 4, as illustrated in Figure 5, and, subsequently, the container 4 resting on the support element 30, as illustrated in Figure 6. At this point, the unit 13 moves the gripping head 18 away and controls the dosing assembly 26 according to the recipe, so as to melt, if not yet melted, to dose and feed by means of the nozzle 31 a predefined amount of the liquid ingredient (Figure 7). The feeding is controlled by the unit 13 both to dose the liquid ingredient but also to introduce the liquid ingredient itself in order to create a mixing of the ingredients inside the container 4. The mixing is in any case ensured by the mixing member 32 which is also controlled by the unit 13 so as to form a fluid and homogeneous mixture regardless of the ingredients used.

If, the mixing carried out by the nozzle 31 is already sufficient to obtain an acceptable mixture of the ingredients, the mixer is no longer activated. The non-use of the mixer, especially if mechanical or of the contact type, avoids contamination of the mixture of ingredients in the passage from one chocolate to another, i.e., from one mixture to a different mixture as, inevitably, a small part of the mixture can remain on the mixer.

Once this operation is completed, the unit 13 again controls the gearmotors 23 and 24 and the container 4 is again withdrawn by the head 18 and moved into the seat 36 of the shell 35, as illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. After which, the unit 13 again activates the cooler 43 which draws compressed air from the tank 38 previously pressurized by the compressor 39 and generates a flow of cold air towards the shell 35 which cools the container 4 and solidifies the mixture contained in the container 4 thus forming the desired chocolate 2.

Once solidification is complete, the unit 13 again controls the gearmotors 23 and 24 and the conveyor 45 so as to move the container 4 with the chocolate 2 inside towards the outlet 9, as illustrated in Figure 10 and thus make it available to the consumer who extracts the chocolate 2 from the container 4 and consumes it.

According to a different forming method, the consumer inserts the entire capsule 3 into the channel 11 and the same capsule 3 follows the path P until it reaches the dosing device 26. During said path, the wall 6 is removed by a mechanical device, known per se, schematically illustrated and indicated with K and in Figure 6. The mechanical device K can be arranged along the path P and supported by the structure T or be carried or associated with the gripping head 18, which can act autonomously or cooperate with the support member 30.

According to a further embodiment, the consumer always inserts the entire capsule 3 into the channel 11 and the same capsule 3 follows the path P until it reaches the dosing device 26. In this position, one or more holes or openings are made in the wall 6, by means of punches or by partially removing the wall 6 and the liquid ingredient is inserted and mixed in the capsule 3 through these holes. The partial closure of the container 4 avoids generation of splashes and allows to obtain a fluid and homogeneous mixture in short times. In this case, the remaining part of the wall 6 is removed, again mechanically, for example with motorized gripping means, before inserting the container 4 into the shell 35 or by the consumer after the container 4 comes out of the aperture 9.

From the foregoing it is immediately evident that the described forming method allows the consumer not only to choose at the moment of consumption the flavour of the chocolate desired by simply choosing the corresponding capsule 3, but also to have the desired chocolate immediately available afterwards. Due to the fact that it was formed in extremely short times, within a few seconds, the chocolate 2 coming out of the machine 1 is a fresh chocolate that has the flavour and organoleptic properties typical of a newly formed chocolate in traditional production plants.

From the foregoing it is clear that modifications and variations can be made to the forming method just described without thereby departing from the scope defined by the claims.

In particular, the capsule 3 could comprise more than one ingredient of the recipe of the formed chocolate and these ingredients could be at least partially or totally in the liquid state. For example, the capsule could comprise granular elements in a liquid, fluid or solid mixture.

In the same manner, the dosing device 26 could dose simultaneously or in succession several ingredients provided by the specific recipe of the desired chocolate. At least some of these ingredients could be granular or powdered ingredients. In this case, the dosing device comprises several dispensers each controlled by the unit 13.

In the event that the dispensing device provides for a melting unit of a solid ingredient, this solid ingredient could also not be in the form of a bar and therefore may be used for several chocolates, but it could be of a mass such as to form a single chocolate. In this case, this solid ingredient is supplied together with the respective capsule 3 and must be introduced by the consumer into the dispensing device 26 at the same time as the introduction of the same capsule 3 or of the relative container 4 into the machine 1.

Finally, the ingredient or ingredients initially present in the capsule 3, i.e., with the capsule closed, and the ingredient or ingredients subsequently introduced inside the container 4 can be different from those indicated by way of example to make specific food products, for example also without sugar.

From the foregoing it is then clear that modifications and variations can also be made to the machine 1 described without thereby departing from the scope defined by the claims. In particular, different from that described by way of example, could be the support and handling unit 10 for the capsule 3 or only its container 4 along the path P, just as different from that indicated could be the device for cooling the mixture contained in the container at the end of the introduction of the ingredients.

The variation illustrated in Figure 11 relates to a machine 50 for forming chocolates 2, which differs from the machine 1 for some construction details and whose forming parts are marked, where possible, by the same reference numbers as the corresponding parts of the machine 1.

The machine 50 differs from the machine 1 in that it simultaneously produces a plurality of chocolates 2 each always starting from a relative capsule 3.

For this purpose, the machine 50 comprises, upstream of the inlet of the channel 11 an automatic loader 51 for a capsule 3, per se known, and designed to feed, into the channel 11, an ordered succession of capsules 3 equal to the number of chocolates 2 desired under the control of the unit 13. In particular, the automatic loader 51 comprises a capsule store 52 containing a plurality of capsules different one from the other and stacked, for example, by flavour to form a plurality of stacks 53 of capsules 3. The automatic loader 51 comprises, furthermore, a robotized withdrawing device 55, known per se and controlled by the unit 13 to withdraw the capsules 3 in succession from one or the other stack 53 and a capsule selection panel 56, which is connected to unit 13 and through which a user selects the desired number and type of capsules 3.

The machine 50 also differs from the machine 1, in that the solidification unit 33 of the machine 1 is replaced by a multicontainer solidification unit 58, i.e., capable of simultaneously solidifying the mixture contained in two or more containers 4 and of forming simultaneously a corresponding number of chocolates 2.

Again, with reference to Figure 11, the unit 58 comprises a cold store 59, which is able to house one or more trays 60 of containers 4 arranged in an orderly manner and in a fixed position on the relative tray 60 and to simultaneously lead to solidification of the content of each container 4.

Preferably, each tray 60 comprises a plurality of seats 61, each of which at least partially houses a respective container 4.

Downstream of the dispensing assembly 26, the machine 50 comprises a support surface 62 for one or more trays, in the example described one single tray 60.

The position of the tray or trays 60 resting on the surface 62 is stable so that each of the seats 61 can be reached by the gripping head 18 of the handling device 12.

In use, by means of the panel 56, a user chooses the flavour and the number of chocolates 2 to be formed. The choice is communicated to the unit 13, which controls the automatic loader 51 which, in a known manner, identifies the selected capsules 3 inside the store 52 and feeds them, in succession, into the channel 11. Each of the fed capsules 3 is advanced along the path P in the manner described above.

Once the liquid ingredient has been fed and the fluid mixture is formed, each container 4 is gripped by the gripping head 18 in the manner described and arranged inside one of the seats 61 of the tray 60 previously arranged on the surface 62.

When the tray 60 on the surface 62 is full or the last container 4 of the foreseen succession of capsules 3 has been moved onto the same tray 60, the tray 60 is pre-washed manually or by means of a further motorized gripping and handling member, schematically illustrated and in denoted with 65, and moved inside the cold store 58.

Once solidification is complete, each of the trays 60 provided in the cold store 58 is extracted from the cold store 58, an exit passage thereof defines the aperture 9 through which the formed chocolates are extracted, removed from the respective containers 4 and served.

As for the machine 1, modifications and variations can also be made to the machine 50 without thereby departing from the scope defined by the independent claims. In particular, the machine 50 could also not comprise the inlet duct 11 and the automatic loader 51 could therefore directly arrange each container 4 on the surface 14. In this case, the reading head 15 forms part of or is associated with the automatic loader.

According to a variation, the machine 50 does not have the reading head 15, and the position of the various capsules inside the store 52 is stored in a memory block M. On the basis of what is stored, and according to the instructions received from the panel 56, the unit 13 commands the withdrawal of the capsules from the same succession thereof.