Abstract:
A food coating apparatus includes a drum assembly with an input end for receiving coating material and food product, a hollow body for mixing the coating material and the food product to form coated food product and used coating material, and an output end for allowing coated food product and used coating material to exit the drum assembly. A basket is arranged adjacent to the output end of the drum assembly to retain the coated food product and pass the used coating material that exit the drum assembly. A funnel pan collects and funnels the used coating material passed by the basket into a sifter which separates the used coating material into refuse and reusable coating material. A reclamation receptacle receives the reusable coating material from the sifter and is removable from the food coating apparatus to enable pouring the reusable coating material from the receptacle into the drum assembly.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    This invention relates generally to the field of food processing and more particularly to the field of an apparatus to apply coatings or breadings to food products. 
         [0002]    Many food products are covered with a coating or breading to enhance the flavor and facilitate cooking of the product. Where preparation time is not of great concern, the food product, such as a chicken breast, can be manually coated by rolling the chicken breast in the coating material and patting or massaging the coating material directly on the chicken. Manual breading or coating is well-known to provide the most complete and uniform coverage for a particular food item. 
         [0003]    However, in commercial settings where preparation time is of the essence, manual breading has given way to machines that automatically coat a food product. Food product coating machines come in different varieties that are often dependent upon the type of food being breaded. Many commercial and fast-food restaurants use a drum type breader to coat food, such as parts of chicken, with a breading or fine flour mixture. Some traditional breaders include a tilted rotatable drum with an apertured interior wall that is configured to tumble the food product as it is gravity fed to the output end of the drum. In some breaders, elements are affixed to the interior wall of the rotating drum to help tumble the food product as it progresses along the length of the drum. One exemplary breader is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,001,920 for an Automatic Food Product Breading Apparatus, the description of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0004]    In traditional breaders, coated food product exits the drum via an opening in the output end of the drum. Whether the food product is gravity fed or pushed out of the drum, some amount of used coating material exits the drum along with the coated food product. Generally, this used coating material is collected in some receptacle and is either discarded or is reused. If the used coating material is discarded, inefficiency exists in the breading process as some of the product resources are wasted. If the used coating material is reused, inefficiency exists in the breading process as some of the time and labor resources are spent collecting and sifting the used coating material to be reused. 
         [0005]    There is a need for an automatic coating or breading apparatus that can reclaim used coating material from the drum and prepare it to be reused. Optimally, the apparatus would automatically collect and sift the used coating material, while doing so in a high production, quick turn-around setting. There is a further need for a breading apparatus that minimizes the product resources wasted and/or the time and labor resources spent to coat food product. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    A food coating apparatus includes a drum assembly, a basket, a funnel pan, a sifter, a reclamation receptacle, and a refuse receptacle supported by a table assembly. The drum assembly has an input end for receiving coating material and food product, a hollow body for mixing the coating material and the food product to form coated food product and used coating material, and an output end for allowing coated food product and used coating material to exit the drum assembly. The basket is arranged adjacent to the output end of the drum assembly to retain the coated food product and pass the used coating material that exit the drum assembly. The funnel pan collects and funnels the used coating material passed by the basket into the sifter which separates the used coating material into refuse and reusable coating material. The refuse receptacle receives the refuse coating material and the reclamation receptacle receives the reusable coating material from the sifter. The reclamation receptacle is removable from the food coating apparatus to enable pouring the reusable coating material from the receptacle into the drum assembly. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a food coating apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a perspective exploded view of a drum assembly of the food coating apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a perspective exploded view of a table assembly of the food coating apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the food coating apparatus of  FIG. 1  including a sifter screen, a sifter cover, and a sifter screen. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the sifter screen of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a side plan view of the sifter cover of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a top perspective view of the sifter screen of  FIG. 4 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the apparatus disclosed herein, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and described in the following written specification. It is understood that no limitation to the scope of the disclosed apparatus is thereby intended. It is further understood that the present apparatus includes any alterations and modifications to the illustrated embodiments and includes further applications of the principles of the apparatus as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which this apparatus pertains. 
         [0015]    A food coating apparatus  10  in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure is depicted in  FIG. 1 . The apparatus  10  may be used in a commercial setting, such as at a fast-food restaurant, for high-volume coating of food product such as chicken parts, fish parts, vegetables, and the like. The coating material could be any of a number of coating types such as bread crumbs, flour, corn meal, etc. As explained in more detail below, the food coating apparatus  10  is configured to divert used coating material into a sifter and then into either a refuse receptacle, if it is unable to be reused, or a reclaimed coating material receptacle, if it is able to be reused to coat additional food product. 
         [0016]    The apparatus  10  includes a drum assembly  12 , a basket  13 , a sifter  14 , a reclaimed coating receptacle  16 , and a refuse receptacle  18  that are coupled to a table assembly  20 . The drum assembly  12  may be similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,001,920. The drum assembly  12  is rotatably mounted to the table assembly  20  such that a longitudinal axis  22  of the drum assembly  12  is generally parallel to a work surface  24  of the table assembly  20 . The basket  13  is removably supported by the work surface  24  of the table assembly  20 , the sifter  14  is coupled to the table assembly  20  below the work surface  24 , and the reclaimed coating receptacle  16  and refuse receptacle  18  are coupled to the table assembly  20  below the sifter  14 . 
         [0017]    Turning now to  FIG. 2 , the drum assembly  12  includes a stand  26  configured to support a drum  28  and a rotation device  30  which is coupled to the drum  28  and operates to rotate the drum  28  about the longitudinal axis  22  of the drum assembly  12 . The drum assembly  12  also includes a loading chute  32  coupled to an input end  34  of the drum  28  to introduce food product and coating material into the drum  28  and an exit ramp  36  coupled to an output end  38  of the drum  28  to accept coated food product and used coating material from the drum  28 . The loading chute  32  and the exit ramp  36  are made of any material suitable for food preparation such as, for example, stainless steel. 
         [0018]    The drum  28  is substantially shaped as a hollow cylinder with an interior wall  40  and an exterior wall  42  extending from the input end  34  to the output end  38 . The interior wall  40  is made of any material suitable for food preparation such as, for example, stainless steel. The drum  28  also includes end caps  44  and a spiral grate  46 . One end cap  44  is arranged at the input end  34  of the drum  28  to assist in guiding food product and coating material from the loading chute  32  into the drum  28 , and one end cap  44  is arranged at the output end  38  of the drum  28  to assist in guiding coated food product and used coating material from the drum  28  to the exit ramp  36 . The end caps  44  are sized and configured to snugly fit within the ends of the drum  28  to form a seal. In at least one embodiment, an annular gasket (not shown) is arranged between each end cap  44  and the drum  28  to prevent infiltration to or leakage from the drum  28 . The spiral grate  46  extends from the interior wall  40  and spans the interior of the drum  28  to tumble and guide the food product and the coating material from the input end  34  to the output end  38  so that the coating material covers the food product thoroughly and evenly. 
         [0019]    The rotation device  30  is in contact with the exterior wall  42  of the drum  28  to rotate the drum  28  in the following manner. The rotation device  30  includes a motor  48  which operates to rotate a motor shaft  50 . The motor shaft  50  in turn rotates a drive shaft  52  and two drive wheels  54  which are fixedly coupled to the ends of the drive shaft  52 . The drive wheels  54  are in frictional contact with the exterior wall  42  of the drum  28  so that when the motor  48  operates to rotate the motor shaft  50 , which rotates the drive shaft  52 , the drive wheels  54  rotate and turn the drum  28 . The drive wheels  54  are made out of any material which increases the friction imparted on the exterior wall  42  of the drum  28  to reduce slippage such as, for example, silicone. 
         [0020]    The rotation device  30  also includes two casters  56  which are rotatably coupled to the stand  26 . The casters  56  are mounted so that they are always in frictional and rotational contact with the exterior wall  42  of the drum  28  and support the drum  28  while the drum  28  rotates under the force applied by the drive wheels  54 . In alternative embodiments, the casters  56  can be differently arranged and configured in any way that allows the casters  56  to enable rotation of the drum  28  while supporting the drum  28 . 
         [0021]    Returning now to  FIG. 1 , the stand  26  and the motor  48  of the drum assembly  12  are fixedly coupled to the work surface  24  of the table assembly  20  so that the drum assembly  12  remains in a fixed location relative to the table assembly  20  during operation of the rotation device  30  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) and rotation of the drum  28 . The basket  13  is removably supported by the work surface  24  of the table assembly  20  and is positioned to receive the coated food product and the used coating material from the output end  38  of the drum  28 . The basket  13  is made out of a mesh that is fine enough to retain coated food product within the basket  13  and coarse enough to allow the used coating material to pass through the basket  13 . In at least one embodiment, the basket  13  has a handle  15  to enable a user to remove the basket  13  from the work surface  24  to transport coated food product from the food coating apparatus  10 . 
         [0022]    Turning now to  FIG. 3 , the table assembly  20  further includes legs  58  and a frame  60  coupled to the work surface  24  to support the food coating apparatus  10  (shown in  FIG. 1 ). The work surface  24  is made of any material suitable for food preparation such as, for example, stainless steel. The frame  60  includes an upper portion  64  having an opening  66  and a lower portion  72  having openings  73 A and  73 B (shown in  FIG. 4 ). 
         [0023]    The table assembly  20  includes an opening  25  formed in the work surface  24  in alignment with the opening  66  formed in the upper portion  64  of the frame  60 . The opening  25  and the opening  66  are formed in alignment with a funnel pan  62  extending from the upper portion  64  of the frame  60  in a direction away from the work surface  24 . The opening  25  and the opening  66  are sized and positioned to receive and retain the basket  13  so that the basket  13  passes at least partially through the work surface  24  and the upper portion  64  of the frame  60  and the handle  15  remains above the work surface  24  when the basket  13  is removably supported by the table assembly  20 . Accordingly, the basket  13  is positioned over and extends at least partially into the funnel pan  62  when the basket  13  is removably supported by the table assembly  20 . 
         [0024]    The table assembly  20  also includes a reclaimed coating receptacle ledge  68  and a refuse receptacle ledge  70  extending from a lower portion  72  of the frame  60 . The reclaimed coating receptacle ledge  68  is sized and arranged to slidably receive and retain the reclaimed coating receptacle  16  and the refuse receptacle ledge  70  is sized and arranged to slidably receive and retain the refuse receptacle  18 . 
         [0025]    The funnel pan  62  is substantially shaped as a truncated rectangular pyramid oriented with its base located generally at the upper portion  64  and its tapered portion extending downwardly from the upper portion  64  toward the lower portion  72  of the frame  60 . The funnel pan  62  is made of any material suitable for food preparation such as, for example, stainless steel. The funnel pan  62  includes a wider opening  74  at the base and a narrower opening  76  at the tapered portion so that anything within the funnel pan  62  is gravity fed toward the narrower opening  76 . In one embodiment, the truncated rectangular pyramid is irregularly shaped so that the tapered portion does not extend below but is off-center relative to a centerpoint of the rectangular base. Such an irregular shape assists in guiding anything within the funnel pan  62  into the sifter  14  as it is gravity fed. 
         [0026]    The sifter  14  is coupled to the table assembly  20  and is supported by the lower portion  72  of the frame  60 . As shown more clearly in  FIG. 4 , the sifter  14  includes a movement device  78  coupled to and configured to rotate a sifter brush  80 . The sifter brush  80  and a sifter cover  82  are positioned within a sifter screen  84 , and the sifter screen  84  and the sifter movement device  78  are positioned within a sifter housing  86  that is fixed in position relative to the lower portion  72  of the frame. The sifter  14  is positioned such that the narrower opening  76  of the funnel pan  62  is aligned with an opening  104  of the sifter cover  82 . The sifter  14  is further positioned so that a screen portion  106  of the sifter screen  84  is aligned with the opening  73 A in the frame and a refuse opening  108  of the sifter screen  84  is aligned with a ramp  110  which is angled downwardly toward the opening  73 B in the frame. The opening  73 A is located above and aligned with the reclaimed coating receptacle  16  and the opening  73 B is located above and aligned with the refuse receptacle  18  so that the sifter  14  is positioned above and aligned with the reclaimed coating receptacle  16  and the refuse receptacle  18 . 
         [0027]    Turning now to  FIG. 5 , the sifter screen  84  is shown in more detail. As shown, the sifter screen  84  has an open top  112  and a rounded bottom  114  that is concave toward the open top  112 . The open top  112  is rectangularly shaped having two short sides  111  and two long sides  113  and includes flanges  115  extending outwardly from the long sides  113  in the same plane as the rectangular shape. The sifter screen  84  has two ends  116  extending from the short sides  111  of the open top  112  to the rounded bottom  114  and has two sides  118  extending from the long sides  113  of the open top  112  to the rounded bottom  114 . The sides  118  and the rounded bottom  114  of the sifter screen  84  include sifter openings  120  that are small and are arranged close together such that the sides  118  and the rounded bottom  114  form the screen portion  106  of the sifter screen  84 . The sifter openings  120  are small enough to retain used coating material that has formed into lumps and clumps and balls within the sifter screen  84  yet large enough to allow loose used coating material to pass through the screen portion  106  and into the reclaimed coating receptacle  16  below. The sifter screen  84  also includes the refuse opening  108  formed within the rounded bottom  114  and one end  116 . The refuse opening  108  is large enough to allow used coating material that has formed into lumps and clumps and balls to pass out of the sifter screen  84  and into the refuse receptacle  18  below. 
         [0028]    Turning now to  FIG. 6 , the sifter cover  82  is shown in more detail. As shown, the sifter cover  82  includes a top portion  122 , fold-down tabs  123  extending downwardly from the top portion  122  and a rod  124  connected to the fold-down tabs  123 . The top portion  122  is substantially rectangularly shaped having two shorter sides  126  and two longer sides  128  and is sized and configured such that, when the sifter cover  82  is positioned on the sifter screen  84  as shown in  FIG. 4 , the longer sides  128  of the sifter cover  82  rest on the flanges  115  of the sifter screen  84  and the shorter sides  126  of the sifter cover  82  are positioned just within the short sides  111  of the sifter screen  84 . Accordingly, the sifter cover  82  is sized and configured to cover the open top  112  of the sifter screen  84  and extend downwardly into the sifter screen  84 . The top portion  122  also includes the opening  104  which, as mentioned above, is sized and arranged to receive the narrower opening  76  of the funnel pan  62  therein. The fold-down tabs  123  extend downwardly from the shorter sides  126  of the top portion  122  and are sized and arranged to fit within the short sides  111  of the sifter screen  84  when the sifter cover  82  is positioned as shown in  FIG. 4 . The rod  124  is coupled to both fold-down tabs  123  at a position spaced apart from the top portion  122  so that the rod  124  has substantially the same length as the longer sides  128  of the top portion  122  and spans the sifter cover  82 . 
         [0029]    Turning to  FIG. 7 , the sifter brush  80  is shown in more detail. The sifter brush  80  includes a core  130  and a plurality of bristles  132  extending outwardly from the core  130 . The core  130  has a length L and the bristles  132  are arranged along substantially an entirety of the length L. The bristles  132  extend from the core  130  in a helical pattern and are made out of a flexible material such as, for example, nylon. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the sifter brush  80  is coupled to the movement device  78  such that the movement device  78  can rotate the core  130  thereby moving the bristles  132  within the sifter screen  84 . The sifter brush  80  is sized and configured to move within the sifter screen  84  such that as the bristles  132  brush along the screen portion  106  (shown in  FIG. 5 ) of the sifter screen  84  when the sifter brush  80  is rotated so that the bristles  132  are oriented downwardly and such that the bristles  132  brush against the rod  124  of the sifter cover  82  when the sifter brush  80  is rotated so that the bristles  132  are oriented upwardly. In at least one embodiment, the sifter cover  82 , the sifter brush  80 , and the sifter screen  84  are removable from the sifter  14  for cleaning and replacement. 
         [0030]    Returning to  FIG. 3 , the movement device  78  is fixedly coupled to the housing  86  and is operatively coupled to the sifter brush  80  to rotate the sifter brush  80  within the sifter screen  84 . The movement device  78  includes a motor  88  and electrical controls  90  coupled to the motor  88  to selectively operate the motor  88  to rotate the sifter brush  80 . In at least one embodiment, the electrical controls  90  include a user interface  92  to allow a user to selectively operate the motor  88 . In at least one embodiment, the electrical controls  90  include a timer  94  to selectively operate the motor  88  for a predetermined period of time. In at least one embodiment, the electrical controls  90  are coupled to the rotation device  30  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) of the drum assembly  12  to selectively operate the motor  88  in conjunction with the drum assembly  12 . 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the reclaimed coating receptacle  16  includes a flange  96  extending around a top perimeter  98  so that the reclaimed coating receptacle  16  can be grasped and removed from the food coating apparatus  10  and so that the reclaimed coating receptacle  16  can slide along the reclaimed coating receptacle ledge  68  to be received and retained within the food coating apparatus  10  Likewise, the refuse receptacle  18  includes a flange  100  extending around a top perimeter  102  so that the refuse receptacle  18  can be grasped and removed from the food coating apparatus  10  and so that the refuse receptacle  18  can slide along the refuse receptacle ledge  70  to be received and retained within the food coating apparatus  10 . 
         [0032]    In operation, referring to  FIG. 1 , food product and coating material are loaded onto the loading chute  32  and are gravity fed into the drum  28  via the end cap  44  at the input end  34 . The rotation device  30  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) is operated to rotate the drum  28  so that the food product and the coating material are tumbled together in the drum  28 . The spiral grate  46  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) assists in agitating and intermixing the food product and coating material to facilitate sufficient and even coating of the food product with the coating material. Coated food product and used coating material then exit the drum  28  via the end cap  44  at the output end  38  of the drum  28  and are gravity fed down the exit ramp  36  into the basket  13 . The basket  13  retains the coated food product within the basket  13  and allows the used coating material to pass through the basket  13 . 
         [0033]    The used coating material that passes through the basket  13  then passes through the opening  25  in the work surface  24 , through the opening  66  in the upper portion  64  of the frame  60  (shown in  FIG. 3 ), and through the wider opening  74  of the funnel pan  62  (shown in  FIG. 3 ). Turning now to  FIG. 3 , once inside the funnel pan  62 , the used coating material is collected by the pyramid shape of the funnel pan  62  and is gravity fed toward, and eventually through, the narrower opening  76  positioned within the opening  104  of the sifter cover  82 . Turning now to  FIG. 4 , the used coating material is thus gravity fed through the sifter cover  82  into the sifter screen  84 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the used coating material enters the sifter screen  84  away from the movement device  78  and above screen portion  106  of the sifter screen  84  and the reclaimed coating receptacle  16 . As mentioned above, the screen portion  106  is formed with sifter openings  120  that are fine enough to retain used coating material that has formed into lumps and clumps and balls yet coarse enough to allow loose used coating material to pass through the screen portion  106 . 
         [0034]    The movement device  78  is operated to rotate the sifter brush  80  in the sifter screen  84  to urge the used coating material along the screen portion  106  of the sifter screen  84 . Urging the used coating material along the screen portion  106  with the sifter brush  80  facilitates separating loose used coating material from the lumps, clumps, and balls of used coating material so that the loose used coating material is free to pass through the sifter openings  120  of the screen portion  106 . Urging the used coating material along the screen portion  106  additionally facilitates migration of the lump, clumps, and balls of used coating material along the sifter screen  84  toward the refuse opening  108  and the ramp  110 . As the sifter brush  80  rotates, the bristles  132  brush along the screen portion  106  to facilitate movement of loose used coating material through the sifter openings  120 . Additionally, as the sifter brush  80  rotates, the bristles  132  brush against the rod  124  of the sifter cover  82  to loosen used coating material that accumulates in and on the bristles  132  during operation of the sifter  14 . 
         [0035]    Because the refuse opening  108  of the sifter screen  84  is positioned over the ramp  100  which is angled toward the refuse receptacle  18 , when the lump, clumps, and balls of used coating material have migrated to the refuse opening  108  of the sifter screen  84 , they are urged off the screen portion  106 , are gravity fed through the refuse opening  108  of the sifter screen  84 , down the ramp  110 , through the opening  73 B in the lower portion  72  of the frame  60 , and into the refuse receptacle  18 . The loose used coating material that passes through the sifter openings  120  is gravity fed through the screen portion  106  of the sifter screen  84 , through the opening  73 A in the lower portion  72  of the frame  60 , and into the reclaimed coating receptacle  16 . 
         [0036]    When the reclaimed coating receptacle  16  has accumulated loose used coating material, the flange  96  or the reclaimed coating receptacle  16  is grasped and the flange  96  of the reclaimed coating receptacle  16  is slid along the refuse receptacle ledge  70  of the table assembly  20  to remove the reclaimed coating receptacle  16  from the apparatus  10 . The reclaimed coating receptacle  16  is then raised above the loading chute  32  and the loose used coating material is poured onto the loading chute  32  to be reused in the drum assembly  12 . Accordingly, the food coating apparatus  10  is used to collect used coating material, sift the used coating material to separate refuse material from reusable material, and divert the refuse material and the reusable material into different receptacles so that the reusable material can be reinserted into the apparatus. 
         [0037]    While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same should be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character. It is understood that only the preferred embodiments have been presented and that all changes, modifications and further applications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.