Device to coat food products such as potato crisps

A device (10) to coat food products such as potato crisps or chips and biscuits. The device (10) includes a flavor dispenser 21 that delivers granular flavor material to the products (12) being coated. The device (10) further includes a conveyor (11) with conveyor surfaces (15 to 18) that are arranged in cascade so that the food products tumble from one surface to the next so that the granular flavor material is applied to the various surfaces of the food products.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to devices to coat articles that are relatively thin and have major surfaces that are to be coated with a granular material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Food products such as potato crisps or chips are frequently coated with a flavor. This flavor is applied to the major surfaces of the potato crisp in a tumbling machine. The machine consists merely of a drum into which the potato crisps are delivered together with the flavoring in granular form. The drum is rotated until it is considered that the potato crisps have their major surfaces coated to the degree required.

The above-described device and method for coating food products damages a certain proportion of the food products. Further disadvantages include down time for cleaning and flavoring changes.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There is disclosed herein a device to coat relatively thin articles with a granular material, the articles having opposite major faces, the device including:

a conveyor having a plurality of conveyor surfaces arranged in cascade and upon which the articles are deposited to be conveyed therefrom from an upstream portion of the conveyor to a downstream portion of the conveyor, each surface having an upstream end and a downstream end, with the downstream end of at least some of the surfaces being located above the next downstream surface so that the articles tumble fall to the next downstream surface, with alternate faces of the articles being exposed as the result of the tumbling; and

a granular material dispenser located to deliver the granular material to the major faces of the articles to coat the articles.

Preferably, the conveyor is a linear slip or vibratory conveyor, with the surfaces being joined so as to reciprocate in unison.

Preferably, the conveyor is adapted to coat food products such as potato crisps.

Preferably, the dispenser is located above the surfaces.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a device10to coat food products12that are relatively thin and have major faces, such as potato crisps and biscuits.

The device10includes a conveyor11that conveys the food products12from an upstream portion13of the conveyor11to a downstream portion14. The conveyor11may be a linear slip or vibratory conveyor.

The conveyor11includes a plurality of conveyor surfaces15to18, with each surface15to18having an upstream end19and a downstream end20.

The surfaces15to18are arranged in cascade so that the downstream end20of each conveyor surface15,16and17is located above the next downstream conveyor surface16,17or18.

More particularly as the food products12are transferred from each upstream surface15,16or17to the next adjacent downstream surface16,17or18, the food products12tumble fall so that alternative faces of the products12are exposed upwardly. For example, as is best seen inFIG. 2, the food products12are located on the surface15so that the upper surface is surface “A”. When the food products12tumble fall to the surface16, the other major face “B” is exposed upwardly. This process is repeated so that alternate faces “A” and “B” are exposed upwardly.

Located above the surfaces15to18is a flavor dispenser21having an outlet22that provides a plurality of curtains23of granular flavor material to be deposited on the upwardly exposed face of the food products12.

With respect to the above conveyor11, the conveyor11may consist of a number of discrete conveyor segments, each providing a respective one of the surfaces15to18. Each conveyor segment may include its own drive assembly.

With respect to the above-described preferred embodiment, the downstream end20of each surface15to18includes a transverse edge, that is an edge extending transverse of the longitudinal direction of extension of the conveyor10, so that each edge extends generally transverse of the direction of movement of the food products12.