Device for subjecting dough pieces and baking products to more than one dough treatment.

Abstract: The device (1) has a number of dough treatment rooms (2,3,4) placed above one another. From a supply side (5) dough pieces are supplied to the device, and from a discharge side (6) dough pieces that have been subjected to all dough treatments are discharged from the device. A first leverage apparatus (7) is placed at the supply side (5) and a second leverage apparatus (8) is placed at the discharge side (6). Each dough treatment room (2,3,4) is provided with an introduction opening (2',3',4') for introducing dough pieces in the dough treatment room (2,3,4) and with a take-out opening (2'',3'',4'') for taking dough pieces out of it. A conveyor (9a,9b,10,11) conveys the dough pieces from the introduction opening (2',3',4') to the take-out opening (2'',3'',4''). The introduction opening (2',3',4') and the take-out opening (2'',3'',4'') of each of the dough treatment rooms (2,3,4) are placed near the respective supply side (5) and the respective discharge side of the device (1).

Description: The present invention relates to a device for subjecting dough pieces to more than one dough treatment. A device as described in the preamble of claim 1 is known from FR-A-2 223 945. In another known device (GB-A-250.128), a chamber is divided into superposed horizontal compartments for rising and baking, respectively, the pieces of dough being conveyed in line through subsequent compartments by means of respective conveyors from a supplying or charging location through the rising chamber and the baking chamber to a discharging location located on the opposite side of the device. The charging location and the discharging location are connected to one compartment only, the entrance end and the exit end of the other compartments being shielded off by the end walls of the housing of the device. A stationary transfer mechanism is placed between the exit opening of the rising chamber and the entrance opening of the baking chamber. It is an objective of the present invention to provide an improved, versatile device for subjecting dough pieces to more than one dough treatment, which only takes up limited space. To that end the invention provides a device as described in claim 1. Preferred embodiments are described in the sub-claims. Because the dough treatment rooms are placed above one another, and the first and the second leverage apparatus are able to bring the dough pieces to the respective introduction openings and from the respective take-out openings, a very compact device is obtained. Moreover according to the device according to the invention the advantage is provided that only one discharger and one loader, for instance formed by the leverage apparatus or separate loading and discharging units which place dough pieces in the first leverage apparatus or take them from the second leverage apparatus, are needed for the entire device. This in contrast to the known device in which per dough treatment room one loader and discharger are needed, which renders the device according to the present application relatively cheap. Some embodiments of the present invention will by way of example be described on the basis of the drawing, in which: Figure 1 schematically shows a top view of the device according to the invention, and Figure 2 schematically shows a side view of the device according to figure 1. In figures 1 and 2 a top view and a side view, respectively, of a device 1 according to the present invention are schematically shown. The device 1 is used for subjecting dough pieces (not shown) to more than one dough treatment. The number of desired dough treatments can be chosen, and the present invention will by way of example be described on the basis of three dough treatments, namely rising, baking and cooling. It will be clear however, that any other combination of dough treatments in the device is possible. For instance it will be possible to let dough pieces rise in the device, and the have the dough pieces baked into bread, after which the bread is transported to a separate cooling device. Furthermore the dough pieces can be placed separately in the dough treatment rooms or for instance in so called dough pans or dough couples. After baking the dough pieces into bread, the bread can be taken out of the dough pans or dough couples, for instance by tilting the dough pans or dough couples. The device 1 contains three dough treatment rooms 2, 3, 4 that are placed above one another. The rising of the dough pieces for instance takes place in the lowermost dough treatment room 2 shown in figure 2. In the dough treatment room 3 placed above it the baking of the risen dough pieces into bread takes place, and in the uppermost dough treatment room 4 the cooling of the dough pieces baked into bread takes place. It will be clear to an expert that amongst others because of the various temperature conditions under which the various dough treatments have to be carried out, the dough treatment rooms are isolated one from the other. Furthermore the invention is not limited to the order of placement of the dough treatment rooms as shown in the figures, but for instance the baking treatment room could be the uppermost or lowermost dough treatment room, as a result of which also the other dough treatment rooms could vary in place. Each dough treatment room 2, 3, 4 has an introduction opening 2', 3', 4' for introducing dough pieces in the dough treatment room 2, 3, 4, and a take-out opening 2", 3", 4" for taking out dough pieces from the dough treatment room 2, 3, 4. Each dough treatment room also has a conveyor 9a, 9b; 10; 11 for conveying the dough pieces from the introduction opening 2', 3', 4' to the take-out opening 2", 3", 4". The conveyor 9a, 9b here is designed double for the rising treatment. In figure 2 an example is indicated by arrows of the transport directions in the dough treatment room concerned. The device 1 has a supply side 5 from which dough pieces are supplied to the device 1, and a discharge side from which dough pieces that have been subjected to all dough treatments are discharged from the device 1. Furthermore a first leverage apparatus 7 is placed at the supply side 5 of the device 1, and a second leverage apparatus 8 is placed at the discharge side 6 of the device 1. The introduction opening 2', 3', 4' and the take-out opening 2", 3", 4" of each of the dough treatment rooms 2, 3, 4 are placed near a respective supply side 5 and the discharge side of the device 1. As a result the first leverage apparatus 7 is able to introduce dough pieces in the introduction opening 2' of the rising treatment room 2. After going through said rising treatment room the second leverage apparatus 8 takes the dough pieces out of said rising treatment room 2 and the dough pieces are moved upwards and supplied to the introduction opening 3' of the baking room 3. After going through the baking room 3 the first leverage apparatus 7 takes the dough pieces that are baked into bread out of the discharge opening 3" and moves them to the introduction opening 4' of the cooling room 4. Finally the second leverage apparatus 8 takes the dough pieces baked into bread out of the discharge opening 4" of the cooling room, and the dough pieces baked into bread can be conveyed further for further treatment, such as wrapping. It will be clear however that the conveyor devices as shown in figure 2 can be altered as desired. For instance the conveying direction of the conveyor 9a can be reversed, so that the supply side and the discharge side are formed by the same side, and the introduction opening and the discharge opening are formed by the same opening. Moreover the leverage apparatus now also function as discharger and loader of the device. Alternatively however, it is possible that a separate loader 12 and discharger 13 are present, which are used to supply the dough pieces to and discharge them from the leverage apparatus concerned. Depending on the capacity of the device the loader and discharger can for instance also be designed double. Preferably the respective introduction openings 2', 3', 4' and discharge openings 2", 3", 4" are at least situated almost above one another, so that the leverage apparatus only need to make a vertical displacement movement. It is noted here that such leverage apparatus are known per se, and that such leverage apparatus have means to move the dough pieces laterally, for instance by a conveyor. Further it should be understood that above only the measures and parts that are relevant to the invention have been discussed, and that for the sake of clarity elaborate descriptions of the dough treatments and the like have been left out, as these are known per se to the expert. For instance it is known to an expert to choose suitable conveyors for the dough treatment rooms concerned. Furthermore it is possible to carry out the various dough treatments in one dough treatment room, naturally when the conditions in a dough treatment room allow this. On the other hand a dough treatment could if so desired take place in several dough treatment rooms. Many different embodiments are therefore possible which are alternative forms of the embodiment described above, in which, however, according to the invention at least two different dough treatments have to take place in the dough treatment rooms placed above each other.

Claims: Device (1) for subjecting dough pieces to more than one dough treatment, comprising a number of dough treatment rooms (2, 3, 4) for different kind of treatment of the dough pieces, a supply side (5) from which dough pieces are supplied to the device (1), a discharge side (6) from which dough pieces that have been subjected to all dough treatments are discharged from the device (1), each dough treatment room (2, 3, 4) being provided with an introduction opening (2', 3', 4') for introducing dough pieces in the dough treatment room (2, 3, 4), with a take-out opening (2", 3", 4") for taking out dough pieces from the dough treatment room (2, 3, 4), and with a conveyor (9a, 9b; 10; 11) for conveying the dough pieces from the introduction opening (2', 3', 4') to the take-out opening (2", 3", 4"), a first leverage apparatus (7) placed at an introduction opening of one of the treatment rooms and a second leverage apparatus (8) placed at the opposite side (6) of said one of the treatment rooms, so as to supply the dough pieces to said treatment room and to receive the dough pieces from said treatment room, respectively, characterized in that the treatment rooms for different treatment of the dough pieces are placed one above the other and isolated from each other, wherein the first leverage apparatus (7) is placed at the supply side (5) of the device (1) and the second leverage apparatus (8) is placed at the opposite side (6) of the device (1), wherein the introduction opening (2', 3', 4') and the take-out opening (2", 3", 4") of each of the superpositioned dough treatment rooms (2, 3, 4) is placed near the respective supply side (5) and the respective opposite side of the device (1), so that the first leverage apparatus (7) and the second leverage apparatus (8) are able to move the dough pieces upwardly or downwardly to an introduction opening of a selected treatment room and to move them upwardly or downwardly from the take-out opening of a selected treatment room to another level for being discharged from the device or to the introduction opening of another treatment room and are able to introduce the dough pieces into the introduction opening of a selected treatment room (2, 3, 4) and to take out the dough pieces from the take-out opening of a selected treatment room (2, 3, 4). Device (1) according to claim 1, wherein respective introduction openings (2', 3', 4') and take-out openings (2", 3", 4") are situated at least almost vertically above each other. Device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the number of dough treatment rooms (2, 3, 4) is at least two. Device according to claim 3, wherein the dough treatment rooms placed above one another are intended for rising (2) and baking (3). Device (1) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the number of dough treatment rooms (2, 3, 4) is three. Device according to claim 5, wherein the dough treatment rooms placed one above another are intended for rising (2), baking (3) and cooling (4), respectively, the baking room being placed between the rising room and the cooling room, the rising room being preferably the lowest room. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyors (9a,9b; 10; 11) in the treatment rooms have opposite conveying directions. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the opposite side (6) is the discharge side.

Inventors: PASCH LOTHAR, PASCH, LOTHAR
Applicants: KAAK JOHAN H B, KAAK, JOHAN HENDRIK BERNARD
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A21C13
IPC codes: A21C13, A21C9