Abstract:
An apparatus for forming an extruded ice cream bar with variegated inclusions. The apparatus includes a main die having a section with sidewalls extending between upper and lower end portions and defining a cavity. In the preferred embodiment, a plurality of intermediate dies for insertion of the inclusions are positioned within the cavity and spaced from the sidewalls of the main die. The intermediate dies gradually and progressively change in cross-sectional shape from being round at the top to the desired shape of the inclusion at the bottom. As the ice cream flows through the cavity of the main die, it passes along and about the intermediate dies through which the inclusions are flowing. Each intermediate die is preferably fed by two tubes so that the final shape of the inclusion at the bottom of the intermediate die is fully and evenly filed. The intermediate dies are preferably made of heat conductive, metallic material wherein the surrounding ice cream in the main die will gradually and progressively cool the hotter inclusions in the intermediate dies before they reach the insertion locations.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to the field of extruded ice cream desserts and more particularly to the field of such extruded desserts with inclusions or variegated ingredients in them. 
     2. Discussion of the Background 
     Ice cream bars and similar desserts with additions or inclusions (e.g., fudge, caramel, chocolate, syrup, and dough) are becoming more popular. Such bars essentially consist of a primary ingredient such as ice cream into which distinct segments of a variegate or second ingredient have been inserted. The additional ingredient or inclusion can be a second kind/color of ice cream or a completely different material such as those mentioned above. The inclusions are preferably not mixed with the ice cream but rather inserted into it in distinct patterns such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,840,311; 5,378,483; and 5,425,958. U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,311 in this regard inserts a second ice cream to form the shape of the eyes and mouth of a face (see its FIG.  2 ). The other two patents add a hotter, thicker dough as distinct, side segments in their FIG.  3 . 
     The process to add the second ingredient or inclusion into the ice cream can actually be quite involved, particularly if the inclusion has different properties (e.g., viscosity, temperature) from those of the primary ice cream. In doing so, it is important that the delivery of the inclusion or inclusions into the main flow of the ice cream be carefully coordinated. It is also important that the inclusions evenly and fully fill up the desired shapes of the inserting nozzles or dies (e.g., see again the eyes and mouth of FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,311). Otherwise the inclusions will not have a neat appearance (e.g., the face in U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,311). Additionally, if there are any voids in the inserted inclusions, the extrusion may be difficult to cut in a smooth and neat manner. Further, the outer ice cream may collapse into the voids giving the outer, overall shape of the bar or other dessert an undesirable appearance. 
     With this and other problems in mind, the present invention was developed. With it, an apparatus is provided that fully and evenly inserts the inclusions into the ice cream. Additionally, the apparatus serves to gradually and progressively cool the inclusions (which normally are handled and delivered at a higher temperature than the ice cream) to substantially the same temperature as the ice cream for a neater insertion and a subsequent neater cut. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention involves an apparatus for making an ice cream bar or similar extrusion with variegated inclusions in it. The apparatus includes a main die having a section with sidewalls extending between upper and lower end portions and defining a cavity. In the preferred embodiment, a plurality of intermediate dies for insertion of the inclusions are positioned within the cavity of the main die spaced from the sidewalls thereof. 
     In use, ice cream or other primary ingredient is delivered into the cavity of the main die to flow along an axis from its upper end portion to its lower end portion. The ice cream is then extruded through the exit of the lower end portion and cut into bars. As the ice cream flows through the cavity of the main die, it passes along and about the intermediate dies through which the inclusions are flowing. The intermediate dies gradually and progressively change in cross-sectional shape from being round at the top to the desired shape of the inclusion at the bottom (e.g., narrow and elongated). 
     The gradual and progressive change in the shape of the intermediate dies allows the ice cream flowing past them to fully conform to the desired shape of the inclusion. Additionally, each intermediate die is preferably fed by two tubes so that the final shape of the inclusion (e.g., narrow and elongated) at the bottom of the intermediate die is fully and evenly filed. Further, the intermediate dies are preferably made of heat conductive, metallic material (e.g., stainless steel). In this manner, the inclusions (which are normally handled and delivered at a higher temperature than the ice cream) are gradually and progressively cooled to substantially the same temperature as the ice cream at the insertion location. The result is then a neater insertion and a subsequent neater cut of the extrusion. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a dessert bar made with the apparatus of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the dessert bar taken along line  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the apparatus of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a view taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the main die and intermediate dies of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a view of the main die taken along line  6 — 6  of FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 7 is a view of the intermediate dies taken along line  7 — 7  of FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 8 is a top plan view combining the views of FIGS. 6 and 7. 
     FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view taken along line  9 — 9  of FIG. 5 showing the relative positioning of the assembled dies of the present invention. 
     FIG. 10 is a view taken along line  10 — 10  of FIG.  5  and generally along lines  10 — 10  of FIG.  7 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIGS. 1-2 illustrate a dessert bar  1  made with the apparatus of the present invention. As shown, the dessert bar  1  is mounted on a stick  3  and has a distinctive peripheral shape  5 . Additionally, the dessert bar  1  has inclusions or variegates  7 ,  9 , and  11  in the ice cream  13  or similar ingredient making up the primary content or material of the dessert bar  1 . The inclusions  7 ,  9 , and  11  can be ice cream of a different color or texture but are preferably additions like fudge or caramel. Normally, such inclusions as fudge and caramel have sufficiently different viscosities and other properties from those of the ice cream  13  that they have to be handled and delivered to the assembling apparatus at higher temperatures (e.g., 45° F.) than the ice cream (e.g., 20° F.-25° F.). This creates unique problems as wide diversions in the temperatures of the inclusions and ice cream at the point of insertion into each other can detract from the overall appearance and quality of the dessert bar  1 . 
     For example, the hotter inclusion may undesirably melt the surrounding ice cream and cause the distinct lines and shapes of the inclusions  7 ,  9 , and  11  in FIG. 1 to smear and run into the ice cream  13 . Voids may also appear in the shapes of the inclusions  7 ,  9 , and  11  and the overall strength of the dessert bar  1  may be reduced. Such voids or non-uniform filling of the shapes of the inclusions  7 ,  9 , and  11  (particularly if the shapes are somewhat narrow or elaborate) can also occur simply because the shape of the die inserting the inclusion is not completely and evenly filled. With the present invention, these and other problems are addressed. 
     Referring to FIG.  3  and with the apparatus  2  of the present invention, the dessert bar  1  of FIGS. 1-2 can be easily and efficiently created. As shown in FIG. 3, the ice cream is fed from a supply source  4  through a pump  6  (e.g., positive displacement pump) and distributor  8  to one or more feed lines  10  and into the main die  12 . Similarly but separately, the inclusion ingredient (e.g., fudge or caramel) is fed from a second supply source  14  through a pump  16  and distributor  18  to feed lines  22  and into the intermediate dies  24  and  26  positioned in the cavity  30  of the main die  12 . The semi-frozen ice cream then flows from the upper or first end portion  32  of the main die  12  past and about the intermediate dies  24  and  26 . The inclusions  7  and  9  from intermediate dies  24  and  26  are inserted into the flowing ice cream  13  at insertion locations  7 ′ and  9 ′. The ice cream with the inserted inclusions  7  and  9  then flows to the lower or second end portion  34  of the main die  12  where it is extruded out of the lower end portion  34  at exit  12 ′. If desired, a stick such as  3  can be inserted into the extrusion by plunger  36  or other means as schematically shown in FIG.  3 . The extrusion can also be cut at  38  as schematically shown in FIG. 3 to create the individual dessert bars  1 . The cut dessert bars  1  can then be conveyed if desired to additional processing stages to be frozen and subsequently coated (e.g., with chocolate layer  40  of FIGS.  1 - 2 ). 
     The entire operation of the extrusion apparatus  2  is preferably timed to run continuously (e.g., producing 120-150 dessert bars  1  a minute). In this regard, the upper sections of the feed lines  10  and  22  in FIG. 3 are preferably flexible wherein their flow rates and volumes can be set and controlled by simple mechanisms such as the pinch valve  42  illustrated in FIG.  4 . At the lower sections adjacent the main die  12  and intermediate dies  24  and  26 , the feed lines  10  and  22  are preferably rigid and metallic. 
     Referring again to FIG.  3  and also to FIG. 5, the main die  12  has a section of sidewalls  44  (see FIG. 5) extending along and about the axis  46  between the upper and lower end portions  32  and  34  thereof. The sidewalls  44  can form any cross-sectional shape but preferably form a substantially rectangular shape at the upper end portion  32  (see also FIG.  6 ). The sidewalls  44  then taper down at  48  (see FIG. 5) to the lower end portion  34 . The lower end portion  34  along the entire length thereof from  48  to the exit  12 ′ preferably has the desired peripheral shape  5  (see FIG. 6) of the dessert bar  1 . The upper end portion  32  of the main die  12  is preferably closed by the end member or plate  32 ′ (see FIGS. 3 and 5) and sealed about the end portion  32  by gasket  50 . The feed lines  22  preferably pass through the end member  32 ′ to feed the top sections  52  of the respective intermediate dies  24  and  26  within the cavity  30  of the main die  12  (see FIG.  3 ). 
     The intermediate dies  24  and  26  are positioned as shown in FIG. 3 within the cavity  30  of the main die  12  and spaced from the sidewalls  44  of the main die  12 . In this manner, the ice cream will flow not only along but also completely about each intermediate die  24  and  26 . In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the intermediate dies  24  and  26  are actually part of and suspended from the plate  32 ′ into the cavity  30  of the main die  12  (see also FIG.  5 ). In the illustrated embodiment, the ice cream is fed through three of the four side walls  44  of the main die  12  by three, separate lines  10  (see FIGS.  3  and  6 ). It is noted there is also a third intermediate die behind and substantially identical to  24  illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5. This third intermediate die then fills the shape of the third inclusion  11  of the dessert bar  1  in FIG.  1 . 
     Both of the intermediate dies  24  and the intermediate die  26  have substantially the same shape. However, the intermediate die  26  is approximately half the size of the other intermediate dies  24  as the intermediate die  26  fills the smaller inclusion shape  9  (see FIG.  1 ). As best seen in FIG.  3  and referring to the illustrated intermediate die  24 , the inclusion ingredient is first fed into the two, top sections  52  of the intermediate die  24  positioned within the cavity  30  of the main die  12 . Top sections  52  preferably have substantially round, inner and outer cross sections and are substantially cylindrical. The top sections  52  receive the inclusion ingredient preferably in a direction substantially parallel to the axis  46  of the main die  12 . Each of the top sections  52  in FIG. 3 then feeds into a middle section  54  at a first location or confluence  56  upstream of the insertion location  7 ′. Each middle section  54  in turn feeds into approximately half of the cross-sectional shape of the common bottom section  62  at a second location  64  upstream of but closer to the exit  7 ′. As shown and explained in more detail below, each middle section  54  has a first pair of diverging sidewalls  58  from the first location  56  to the second location  64  giving each of the joining pair of sidewalls  60  an overall fan or truncated triangular shape. 
     The twin arrangements in FIGS. 3 and 5 of the two, spaced-apart, top sections  52  and two, spaced-apart, middle sections  54  of the intermediate die  24  have been found to have multiple advantages. First, the twin or plural delivery of the inclusion ingredient through the top sections  52  and the fanning middle sections  54  greatly aids in spreading the inclusion ingredient to fully and evenly fill the narrow, elongated shape of the bottom section  62 . As discussed above, if there are voids in the fill of the inclusion ingredient such as  7  or the fill is not uniform, the appearance and strength of the resulting dessert bar  1  may be compromised. A second advantage is that the gradual and progressive conversion of the shape of the intermediate die  24  from the round, outer cross sections of the top sections  52  (see FIGS. 5 and 7) to the narrow, elongated shape  7  at the insertion location  7 ′ of the bottom section  62  permits the ice cream passing along and about the intermediate die  24  to be neatly cavitated. That is, the substantially laminar flow of the ice cream through the main die  12  of FIG. 3 can easily pass by and conform to the final shape of the intermediate die  24  at the insertion location  7 ′. A very neat cavity with a fairly clean perimeter is then presented to be filled by the inclusion ingredient  7  in the intermediate die  24 . 
     A third advantage of the gradual and progressive conversion of the shape of the intermediate die  24  is derived from the intermediate die  24  preferably being made of a heat conductive, metallic material such as stainless steel. In this regard, inclusions such as fudge and caramel typically have higher viscosities than the semi-frozen ice cream and are easier to handle and deliver to the intermediate die  24  if the temperature of the inclusion is elevated, thereby lowering its viscosity. With the cooling feature of the present invention, this is possible as the inclusion can be handled and delivered to the top sections  52  of the intermediate die  24  at temperatures (e.g., 35° F.-45° F. for fudge or caramel) higher than those of the ice cream (e.g., 20° F.-25° F.). Thereafter, the gradual and progressive changing of the outer shape of the intermediate die  24  in the cavity  30  of the main die  12  serves to present more surface area to the cooler ice cream passing along and about the intermediate die  24 . The inclusion initially fed to the top sections  52  of the intermediate die  24  at an elevated temperature for ease of handling can then be efficiently and gradually cooled to or at least close to the temperature of the ice cream before being inserted into the ice cream at the insertion location  7 ′. In this regard, the closer the two temperatures can be at insertion, the less likely the inclusion ingredient will melt the surrounding ice cream and cause the distinct lines and shapes of the inclusions to smear and run into the ice cream. 
     The flow rate and volume of inclusion ingredient  7  through each of the top sections  52  of the intermediate die  24  are preferably the same. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the width of each middle section  54  at the confluence  64  with the respective half of the bottom section  62  is about twice that of the width of each top section  52  and middle section  54  at confluence  56 . Similarly, the width of the intermediate die at the insertion location  7 ′ is then about four times the width of the confluence  56  between each top section  52  and middle section  54 . These last relative dimensions of the widths of the top sections  52  and bottom section  62  at the insertion location  7 ′ can also be seen in the top plan view of FIG.  7 . These widths in the reference of FIG. 3 are taken in directions substantially perpendicular to the axis  46  of the main die  12 . 
     The total length of the main die  12  in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3 is about 12 inches with the tapering portion  48  being about 2 inches of this total and the substantially straight end portion  34  being about 3.5 inches. The width of the main die  24  at the upper end portion  32  is about 5 inches tapering at 48 down to about 4.5 inches at the lower end portion  34  and exit  12 ′. To effectively and efficiently accomplish the gradual and progressive cooling of the inclusion ingredient in the intermediate die  24  in the scale of FIG. 3, each top section  52  extends about 6 inches down from the end plate  32 ′ with the respective middle sections  54  and bottom section  62  each extending about the same distance of 2 inches. The outer, cross-sectional shape of the exit  7 ′ for the inclusion  7  (see FIG. 7) is approximately 3.25 inches long and 0.25 inches wide. The inner, cross-sectional shape of the inclusion  7  itself is about 3 inches long and 0.125 inches wide. The wall thicknesses are then about 0.0625 inches each, which wall thickness is substantially maintained throughout the entire length of the intermediate die  24  from the top sections  52  to the exit  7 ′. 
     The sidewalls  58  of each middle section  54  in the intermediate die  24  in FIG. 5 extend away from the common, central axis  70  at about 10 degrees but can be anywhere between about 5 and 20 degrees or slightly more. It is also noted as best seen in FIG. 10 which is taken along line  10 — 10  of FIG. 5 that the other pair of sidewalls  60  of the middle section  54  joined to the sidewalls  58  preferably taper toward each other and toward the common, central axis  70  at about 5 degrees. The intermediate die  26  for the inclusion  9  in this regard has sidewalls corresponding to sidewalls  58  of the intermediate die  24  but extending away from a common axis at about 5 degrees. Similarly, the sidewalls of intermediate die  26  corresponding to sidewalls  60  taper toward the common axis at about 5 degrees as the widths of the inclusions  7 ,  9 , and  11  in the illustrated embodiments are substantially the same. 
     Referring again to FIGS. 6 and 7, these are top plan views of the main die  12  of FIG.  5  and the intermediate dies  24  and  26 . The assembled dies  12 ,  24 , and  26  are then shown in FIG. 8 taken along line  8 — 8  of FIG.  3  and combining the views of FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view taken along line  9 — 9  of FIG. 5 also showing the relative positioning of the assembled dies  12 ,  24 , and  26 . 
     While several embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail, it to be understood that various changes and modifications could be made without departing from the scope of the invention.