A DEVICE FOR COLOR APPLICATION

Abstract: A device for applying a color pattern on a food product (1). The device comprises a stand (2), a member for applying a color with said pattern on the product arranged on the stand, and a member (4) for keeping the product in at least one position intended for color application.

Description: A DEVICE FOR COLOR APPLICATION FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART The present invention relates to a device for applying a color pattern on a food product. With food product is primarily meant a pastry or a part for a pastry. Such a pastry part could, for example, be composed of a top layer, such as a marzipan layer, for a cake. Also, smaller pastries, such as mazarins and other food products such as cakes, etc., are comprised in the concept food product. With color patterns is referred to signs, such as figures and letters, combinations and special designs thereof, figures, reproductions, etc. According to prior art a baker or a decorator applies a pattern on a top surface of a cake by squeezing out an edible color or sauce, such as chocolate sauce, from an opening of a flexible container. That usually gives the cake an artistic and/or per- sonal appearance. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a device which creates conditions for obtain a color pattern, such as a company trademark, on a food product, which color pattern with high accuracy corresponds to the desired pattern. In other words, what is meant is that it shall be possible to identically reproduce a specific color pattern a plurality of times. Further, the object of the invention is to provide a device which provides conditions for applying a color pattern in a cost effective way. This object is achieved by a device comprising a stand, a member for applying a color with said pattern on the product arranged on the stand and a member for keeping the product in at least one position intended for color application. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the keeping member comprises means for feeding the product to said position intended for color application. By a suitable, construc- tive design of the color application device and the feeding member, it is possible, in relation to prior art, to provide a considerably larger number of food products with a color pattern per time unit. The feeding member is preferably arranged to feed the product to said position intended for color application without touching the product from above. Thus, the risk for deformation of or damages to the product during the feeding is reduced. The feeding member is preferably adapted to feed the product essentially along a plane. Thereby, the risk for bending of the product is eliminated and thus deformation of yielding products, such as a marzipan layer, is effectively counteracted, . According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the keeping member is adjustable in at least two different vertical positions in relation to the color application device. Hence, products with different vertical elongations could be provided with said pattern with a high degree of accuracy. According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the device comprises a computer unit connected to the color appli- cation member by the assistance of which the color application member, through control signals, can be provided with information about the pattern. Hence, it is possible to feed information about the pattern into a processor of the computer unit through a keyboard or at least to be processed in the processor, and thereafter the pattern can be applied on the product in a similar way as with a conventional printing technique. According to a further development of the previous embodiment, the computer unit is connected to a net, through which a person set up to the network can provide the computer unit with information about the pattern. Hence, orderings of food products with a specific pattern could be received from a customer through the network, for example Internet. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Below a detailed description of one example of a preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing follows. Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of the device according to the invention according to the preferred embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In figure 1 a device for applying a color pattern, such as a trademark, on a food product in the form of a marzipan layer 1 is shown. The device comprises a stand 2, a member 3 for applying a color with said pattern on the marzipan layer 1 , which member is arranged on the stand, and a member 4 for keeping the marzipan layer 1 in the intended position during the color application. The keeping device 4 comprises means 5 for feeding of the product 1 to said position intended for the color application. The feeding means 5 comprises an elongated flexible element 6 in the form of a band, which runs along two deflecting means 7 which are arranged on each side of said position intended for color application. In this application, the deflecting means 7 is constituted by rollers. The keeping member 4 is arranged on the stand 2. The stand 2 comprises one leg 8 arranged on each side of the feeding means 5, which leg is intended to rest on a ground with its lower end. The color application member 3 is connected to the legs 8 and is arranged between those above the keeping member 4. The stand 2 comprises a member 18 for adjustment of the distance between the color application member 3, and a top surface 9 of the feeding member 5. In this application, the top surface 9 refers to the surface on which the product is intended to bear on at the color application. Hence, the keeping member 4 is adjustable in at least two different ver- tical positions in relation to the color application member 3. Preferably, the keeping member is adjustable in a large number of vertical positions in relation to the color application member 3. The distance between a color application means 10 of the color application member 3 and a surface of the product 1 in- tended for said color pattern should be within a specific rather narrow interval to obtain an optimal result at the application of the color pattern . Thanks to said adjustability of the keeping member 4 relative to the color application member 3, a color pattern with high accuracy and sharpness could be applied on products of different heights. The adjustment member 18 comprises, according to the illustrated embodiment, a rack 19 and a gear (not shown) engaging therewith. The adjustment member 18 also comprises an adjustment wheel 20 which is coupled to the gear to accomplish said adjustment. The rack 19 is fixedly attached to and extending along the leg 8. The gear is mounted at the keeping member 4. The color application means 10 is adapted to eject the color downward against a product situated below the color application member 3. The color application means 10 is arranged displaceable on an elongated support element 1 1 , such as a beam or a bar, of the color application member 3. The support element 1 1 extends transverse a feeding path for the product 1 which is defined by the band 6. In the shown embodiment, the support element 1 1 extends essentially per- pendicularly to the feeding path. The color application path 10 comprises a number of color cartridges 12 and is adapted to be displaced to and fro along the support element 1 1 during the color application. A driving member 13, such as an electric motor, is connected to the color application means 10 for the purpose of moving it to and fro along the support element 1 1 . The device comprises a sensor 14 for sensing the attendance of products 1 in the vicinity of the color application member 3. The sensor 14 may, for example, be of an optical type and which sensor advantageously comprises a transmitter as well as a receiver of a light- beam. It is, of course, within the frame of the claims according to the invention that the sensor may be designed in a number of different ways. The feeding member 5 is adapted to feed the product 1 to said posi- tion intended for color application without touching the product from above. Hence, the risk of deformation of a top surface of the product during the color application procedure is reduced . This is important from an esthetic point of view for food products in the form of pastries or a part for a pastry, such as a marzipan layer. According to the preferred design of the feeding member 5, at which the product bears on and is fed by the band 6. The product 1 is supported merely from underneath. Since the feeding member 5 is adapted to feed the product 1 in a path extending along a plane, the product is not bent, and the risk for deformation of the product during the color applica- tion procedure is low. According to the preferred example, the product is fed along a straight line. The device as a whole is adapted not to touch the top surface of the product 1 , which surface is adapted for color application, during any part of the feeding and color application. The support member 4 comprises a driving member 15, such as an electric motor which is connected to at least one of the deflecting means 7 for the purpose of rotating it and thus moving the band 6 along the deflecting means 7. Thereby, the movement of the product 1 is achieved. The driving members 13, 15 are suitably connected to each other for the purpose of synchronizing the movement of the product 1 and the movement of the color application means 10. The device comprises a computer unit 16, which comprises means for feeding information, such as a keyboard, a memory unit, and a processor. The computer unit 16 is further connected to the color application member 3 and more specifically to a control unit 19 thereof for the purpose of providing it with information about the desired pattern. The control unit 19 is adapted to control the movement along the support element 1 1 of the color application means 10 and the color application. Hence, the computer unit comprises software adapted to deliver control signals to the color application member 3 for control thereof in such a way that it forms said pattern on the product. The software, or the program code, is adapted to deliver control signals for forming different types of patterns. The computer unit 16 is further connected to a network, through which a person set up to the net could provide the computer unit 16 with information about the desired pattern. The above mentioned color is of course of an edible kind. Said flexible element 6 does not necessarily have to be composed of an endless belt transverse the feeding direction of the extension of the product 1 in said transverse direction, but could , at least for certain kinds of products, be composed of two or a plurality of thinner means, such as a chain or a rope. Said deflection means 7 can also be varied and may, for example, be composed of a gear or a wheel. In the figure, the pattern is illustrated by a combination of letters ABC. This is, of course, only an example. The color application is, for example, carried out in stages, during which the product is arranged in a plurality of positions. In other words, the product is fed forward stepwise during the color applica- tion procedure to said positions, and the color application means 10 is moved at least once for each step over the product and applies color. It is, of course, within the frame of the claims according to the invention that the product is merely adapted in one exclusive position during the color application procedure. It is also possible to apply the color pattern during continuous feeding of the band 6. It is stressed that the above discussed and on the drawing illustrated embodiment is only an example. The invention could thus be prac- ticed in other ways keeping the primary idea of the invention. In particular, it is pointed out that a person skilled in the art after having acquired knowledge of the solution according to the invention, of course is capable of making different re-shapings of the embodiment without leaving the scope of the patent protection.

Claims: CLAIMS 1 . A device for applying a color pattern on a food product (1 ), characterized in that the device comprises a stand (2), a mem- ber for applying a color with said pattern on the product arranged on the stand, and a member (4) for keeping the product in at least one position intended for color application. 2. A device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the keeping member (4) comprises means (5) for feeding the product (1 ) to said position intended for color application. 3. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that said feeding means (5) is adapted to feed the product (1 ) to said po- sition intended for color application without in touching the product from above. 4. A device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the feeding means (5) is adapted to support the product (1 ) from beneath. 5. A device according to any of the claims 2-4, characterized in that the feeding means (5) is adapted to feed the product (1 ) essentially along a plane. 6. A device according to any of the claims 2-5, characterized in that the feeding means comprises an elongated flexible element (6) intended to support the product from underneath, which element runs around two deflection means (7), which are ar- ranged on each side of said position intended for color application. 7. A device according to claim 6, characterized in that said flexible element (6) has the character of a band. 8. A device according to any of the claims 2-7, characterized in that the keeping member (4) is adjustable in at least two different vertical positions in relation to the color application device (3). 9. A device according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the keeping member (4) is arranged on the stand (2). 10. A device according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the color application member (3) is arranged on a level above said position intended for color application for the purpose of applying the color on an upwardly facing surface of the product (1 ). 1 1 . A device according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the color application member (3) is adapted to apply the color on the product (1 ) without, except for with said color, touching the product. 12. A device according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the color application member (10) of the color application member (3) is displaceably arranged across a feeding path for the product (1 ). 13. A device according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the device comprises a computer unit (16) connected to the color application member (3), whereby the color application member (3) by the assistance of which the color ap- plication member (3) could be provided with information about the pattern through control signals. 14. A device according to claim 13, characterized in that the computer unit (16) is connected to a net (17), through which a person set up to the network could provide the computer unit with information about the pattern. 15. A device according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the color is of an edible kind.

Inventors: KEIJSER LARS, LAG GUNNAR, KEIJSER, LARS, LAG, GUNNAR
Applicants: KEIJSER LARS, LAG GUNNAR, KEIJSER, LARS, LAG, GUNNAR
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A21C15
IPC codes: A21C15, A23G3