PROCESS FOR PRODUCING ICE CREAMS AND MACHINE FOR IMPLEMENTING SUCH PROCESS

Abstract: Prefabricated, rigid and planar sheets of wafer are deposited one by one on trays (3) of a conveyor belt (2). The conveyor belt conveys the trays through a tunnel (5) wherein the sheets are heated up to their softening point; whereafter the trays (3), with a tripartite structure, fold up the wafer sides with respect to their medial area thereby deforming the respective pieces of wafer conferring them a grooved, U-section configuration in order to give such conformation to the wafer, a ram mechanism (14) is used having a plurality of rams (17) which operate sequentially and unitaryly with respect to the trays, collaborating in the cooling of the wafers in order to maintain stable their deformation; an ice cream supplying mechanism (18) is provided immediately afterwards on the conveyor belt itself (2) in order to fill the grooved bodies defined by the wafers after their conformation.

Description: OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a procedure for manufacturing ices, specifically for the manufacture of ice creams with a wafer envelope, with which an end product is procured different to that habitually found with this type of ice creams, specifically based on a single piece of wafer, duly shaped to receive the ice cream in its inside. The invention also concerns the machine for implementing said procedure and, consequently, for obtaining the new ice cream. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Within the gamut of ice creams, served in origin partially enclosed in wafer, there are two basic presentations, one in which the wafer takes the form of a "cone" or cornet, which duly shaped is subsequently filled with the ice cream, and another in which the bulk ice cream is positioned between two wafer sheets constituting what is usually termed a "wafer". In this second group of ice creams the starting point is usually rectangular wafer sheets, so that the ice cream is formed with the assistance of two such sheets, in a parallel disposition and suitably spaced in accordance with the intended size of the ice cream. As a example of these we can cite some patents such as US 4 910 030, GB 2 168 233, US 4 247 567 or FR 2 577 760 in which are described different processes and machines used for obtaining wafers, some of them U-shaped, for frozen confectionary products. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The procedure which the invention proposes has the objective of achieving a result which is approximately that of the ices of the aforementioned second type, but with the particularity that a single piece of duly shaped wafer is employed. To this end and more specifically, the procedure which the invention proposes starts with the employment of a wafer, of appropriate shape and dimensions, initially flat, to which a thermal process is applied whereby its rigid constitution becomes pliable, which permits it to be reshaped. Immediately thereafter said wafer is subjected to a reshaping step until a fluted profile is formed, approximately U-shaped, with rounded vertices, by means of folding the marginal areas of the wafer piece towards the imaginary vertical and middle plane thereof, it being thereafter subjected to a cooling step for the wafer to recover its stiff constitution and, as a consequence, retain in a stable manner the reshaping it has undergone. The process concludes with the insertion into the trough of the fluted body shaped from the single piece of wafer, of the corresponding bulk ice cream which fills it inside, leaving the product ready to be packed for distribution. This product or bulk ice cream can be produced on site in the machine itself or be ready-shaped bulk ice cream which is introduced in this step of the process. The machine for implementing this procedure comes with a conveyor belt on which an alignment is formed of the receptacle trays for the respective wafers, each of said trays being made up of three parts, one central and fixed and two foldable sides, each of the latter having a roller which runs on the corresponding guide rail, so that the three constituent parts of each tray are maintained horizontal during the reception and thermal processing of the wafer and tilt, by means of suitable conforming of the guide rails mentioned, at the moment foreseen for the shaping of the wafer. On this conveyor belt, and after an initial open area for the positioning of the wafers, a tunnel oven is mounted in which the thermal processing is performed for the softening of the wafers, and at the exit from this tunnel oven a pressing mechanism is located with the twofold function of, on one hand steadying each already shaped wafer in position within the corresponding tray and, on the other cooling the wafer sufficiently for the latter to be fixed in shape. After the pressing mechanism mentioned, an ice-cream feeder mechanism is mounted, with which each piece of wafer is filled, in accordance with the quantity pre-established for this purpose, or on the other hand, the insertion step is located for inserting the previously prepared bulk ice cream. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To complement the description being made and with the object of assisting in a better understanding of the features of the invention, in accordance with a preferable example of a practical embodiment thereof, a set of drawings are attached, forming an integral part of said description, in which drawings in an illustrative and not restrictive manner, the following is shown: Figure 1.- Shows in schematic form a side elevation of a machine for implementing the procedure for manufacturing ices object of the present invention. Figure 2.- Shows a detail in cross section of said machine at the level of the thermal processing oven. Figure 3.- Shows a similar section to that of the preceding figure but prepared at the level of the pressing mechanism. Figure 4.- Shows another representation similar to those of figures 2 and 3 but in this case corresponding to the ice-cream feeder mechanism. Figure 5.- Shows an exploded cross-sectional detail drawing of the conveyor belt at the level of one of the wafer receptacle trays in the wafer receiving position. Figure 6.- Shows the same detail as the preceding figure but in the step corresponding to the final shaping of the wafer. Figure 7.- Shows, finally, a perspective of the finished ice, i.e. of the end product obtained with the procedure and the machine of the invention. PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In the light of these figures it can be seen how the machine for implementing the procedure of the invention is built on a frame (1), of suitable length, on which is installed a conveyor belt (2) fitted with a plurality of trays (3) receptacles of the pieces of wafer, ready-made, stiff and flat in shape, there being established on the horizontal, upper and operational area of said conveyor belt (2) and in correspondence with its starting end (4), an open area for positioning the wafers unitarily on the corresponding trays (3), and immediately following a tunnel oven (5), with its corresponding heater lamps (6), as is shown schematically in figure 2, the power of said lamps (6) and the length of the tunnel (5) being appropriate in the measure that, as a function of the operational speed planned for the machine, the pieces of wafer at the exit from the tunnel (5) are suitably softened, that is they acquire a pliable constitution, which permits them to be reshaped, said reshaping being achieved through a change in form of the trays (3) themselves and as can be seen in the figures 5 and 6. More specifically each tray (3) is a three-part structure, one central piece (7), rigidly joined to the belt (2), which permanently keeps its horizontal disposition, and two side pieces (8-8'), hinged to the belt through swivel shafts (9), so that said side pieces are capable of adopting a horizontal and coplanar disposition with respect to the central piece (7) shown in figure 5, in the wafer receiving and heating steps, while at the exit from the tunnel oven (5) and as is shown in figure 6, they are capable of being swivelled upwards symmetrically, in order to achieve the final shape of the wafer (10) shown in figure 7. To this end, each one of these hinged pieces (8-8') incorporates integrally on its outside face and with the help of a support (11), a roller (12), so that the two rollers (12-12') run on respective guide rails or tracks (13-13'), which also in the initial area (4) of the belt and in the area corresponding to the oven (5) are horizontal, but which at the exit from the oven undergo a change in form, concretely a turning movement which, as is shown in said figure 6, forces the pieces (8-8') to swivel and fold the marginal areas of the wafer (10). Immediately following on the conveyor belt (2) is mounted a pressing mechanism (14), as can be seen in figure 3, based on a rotating drum (15), which turns about a horizontal shaft (16), transversal to the belt itself and suitably synchronised with the forward motion of the latter, said drum (15) incorporating a plurality of radial arms each of which is terminated in a corresponding tamper (17), said tampers acting successively on the trays (3), and more specifically on the wafer formed in the trough of said trays, in order to assist in their shaping. Finally and beyond this pressing mechanism (14), the machine incorporates an ice-cream feeder mechanism (18), for example through the mouthpiece (19) shown in figure 4, which shall supply each wafer (10) with the pre-established quantity of ice cream for this purpose, in order to achieve the end result shown in figure 7, or otherwise it shall feed a ready-formed ice-cream portion into the wafer.

Claims: Procedure for manufacturing ices, especially ice creams provided with a wafer envelope, characterised in that in said procedure the starting point is a piece of wafer, flat and stiff, ready-made by whatever conventional means and of suitable dimensions, said wafer being subjected to a first step of thermal processing, at a temperature and for a time that are sufficient to achieve its softening, immediately thereafter it is subjected to a shaping step in which the flat piece mentioned takes on a fluted form, with a U-shaped section, having its vertices rounded, after which it is subjected to a cooling step in order that the wafer may recover its stiff constitution and keep its shape stable, and finally the fluted body is filled with the bulk ice cream in the pre-established measure for the purpose, said ice cream adopting a relatively flattened shape in which the bulk ice cream is covered by the wafer on its two largest sides and one of its edges. Machine for implementing the procedure for manufacturing ices of claim 1, characterised in that in said machine a conveyor belt (2) is mounted, fitted with a plurality of trays (3) receptacles of respective flat and stiff pieces of wafer, in longitudinal alignment, there being mounted on said conveyor belt (2) and beyond the initial open segment (4) for the positioning of the wafers, a tunnel oven (5), of appropriate length, as a function of its temperature and forward speed of the conveyor belt (2), in order that the wafers have become softened on discharge therefrom, there being installed immediately after the exit from the oven (5) a shaping mechanism in which the marginal parts of each tray (3) are folded in an upward direction transforming the piece of wafer into a fluted form, having a U-shaped section with its vertices rounded, assisting in the shaping of said pieces of wafer (10) a pressing mechanism (14) fitted with a plurality of tampers (17) which act unitarily on the respective trays (3), and more specifically on the upper face of the wafers (10) located inside said trays, there being beyond said pressing mechanism (14) and located on the conveyor belt (2) itself a feeder mechanism (18) for the ice cream (20) with which the fluted body configured by the wafer (10) is filled. Machine, according to claim 2, characterised in that each receptacle tray (3) is made up of three pieces, a central piece (7), fastened to the belt (2) and which retains a horizontal position permanently, and two side pieces (8-8'), capable of folding towards the vertical and central plane corresponding to the first piece, said side pieces (8-8') having applied to their outside face respective rollers (12-12') which, running along guide rails conveniently mounted on the frame (1) of the machine, determine the horizontal position for said foldable pieces (8-8') in the loading area (4) and thermal processing area (5) of the wafers, and their upward folding in the shaping area. Machine, according to claim 2, characterised in that the pressing mechanism (14) is equipped with a rotating drum (15) which, through a shaft (16) and a suitable transmission, receives the movement in synchronism with that of the forward motion of the conveyor belt (2), said drum (15) incorporating a plurality of radial arms terminated in the aforementioned tampers (17) operating on the respective trays (3). Machine, according to claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the bulk ice cream fed to the wafer, is a ready-shaped bulk which is inserted into the interior of the already produced wafer.

Inventors: CUNILLERA I ZARATE ANGEL, CUNILLERA I ZARATE, ANGEL
Applicants: BIG DRUM IBERICA, BIG DRUM IBERICA, S.A.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: A23G9
IPC codes: A23G9, A21D13, A21C15