Abstract:
A method for producing clumped frozen food products includes the steps of forming a plurality of cryogenically manufactured ice cream units; conveying the units along a conveyor to a rotating container; disposing a liquid on the units while the units are within the rotating container, wherein the liquid hardens into a binder that facilitates fusion of individual units with one another to form a plurality of clumps, each of the clumps respectively comprising a plurality of fused units coupled with the binder. After forming into clumps, the clumps may be removed from the rotating container and stored in a frozen form.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an ice cream mechanism, and more particularly to a system and mechanism for creating clumps of particulate ice cream in a binding material. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Ice cream products are known to be popular and there is a wide variety of ice cream products on the market that include ice cream by itself and also combined with other ingredients. In particular, there is a market for combining ice cream shapes with various coatings. By adding such coatings to ice cream shapes, the variety of flavors and products can be greatly increased. However, many types of coatings have difficulty being uniformly applied at temperatures where the ice cream is solid or semi-solid. As a result, coated ice cream products may sometimes be unintentionally produced which are unappealing in either taste or appearance, or both. Consequently, an improved system for combining ice cream with coatings is desired. The need for such improvement is especially great with regards to ice-cream type food products formed using cryogenically cooled equipment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One aspect of the present invention relates to a method for producing clumped frozen food products that includes the steps of forming a plurality of cryogenically manufactured ice cream units; conveying the units along a conveyor to a rotating container; disposing a liquid on the units while the units are within the rotating container, wherein the liquid hardens into a binder that facilitates fusion of individual units with one another to form a plurality of clumps, each of the clumps respectively comprising a plurality of fused units coupled with the binder. After forming into clumps, the clumps may be removed from the rotating container and stored in a frozen form. 
     It is understood that other embodiments of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein it is shown and described only various embodiments of the invention by way of illustration. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional elevational view of a device for forming units of frozen food product in accordance with the principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  depicts various generally spherical shapes that are meant to be encompassed by the term “units” as used throughout the present description and claims. 
         FIG. 3  is a side cross sectional view of a mechanism for applying a liquid or semi-liquid to the various units in accordance with the principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic representation of a screening system for removing non-conforming clumps in accordance with the principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  depicts one of the various shapes that are meant to be encompassed by the term “clumps” as used throughout the present description and claims; and 
         FIG. 6  shows a flowchart of the steps for operating the manufacturing mechanism of  FIG. 3  and the screening system of  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various embodiments of the invention and is not intended to represent the only embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the invention. 
       FIG. 1  shows a cryogenic processor  10  constructed in accordance with the present invention to produce free-flowing units  56  or beads of frozen food product. The cryogenic processor  10  includes a freezing chamber  12  that is most preferably in the form of a conical tank that holds a liquid refrigerant  24 , preferably liquid nitrogen, therein. The freezing chamber  12  incorporates an inner shell  14  and an outer shell  16 . Insulation  18  is disposed between the inner shell  14  and outer shell  16  in order to increase the thermal efficiency of the freezing chamber  12 . Vents  20  are also provided to ventilate the insulated area formed between the shells  14 ,  16 . The freezing chamber  12  shown in  FIG. 1  is a free-standing unit supported by legs  22 , although the freezing chamber  12  may be included in an associated frame or other structure. 
     The liquid refrigerant  24  enters the freezing chamber  12  by means of refrigerant inlet  26  in order to maintain a predetermined level of liquid refrigerant  24  in the freezing chamber  12 , as some liquid refrigerant  24  can be lost by evaporation or by other means incidental to production. Gaseous refrigerant that has evaporated from the surface of the liquid refrigerant  24  in freezing chamber  12  primarily vents to the atmosphere through exit port  29 . 
     An ambient air inlet port  28  having adjustment doors  38  and an exit port  29  having adjustment doors  39  are provided to adjust the level of gaseous refrigerant which evaporates from the surface of the liquid refrigerant  24  so that excessive pressure is not built up within the processor  10  and freezing of the liquid composition in feed assembly  40  does not occur. The air inlet  28  and adjustment doors  38  cooperate with a vacuum assembly  30 , which may be in the form of a venturi nozzle, so that ambient air flows through the inlet  28  and around feed assembly  40  to ensure that no liquid composition freezes therein. This is accomplished by mounting the vacuum assembly  30  and the air inlet  28  on opposing sides of the gas diffusion chamber  46  such that the incoming ambient air drawn by the vacuum assembly  30  is aligned with the feed assembly  40 . In this configuration, ambient air flows around the feed assembly  40  warming it to a sufficient temperature to inhibit the formation of frozen liquid composition in the feed assembly flow channels. An air source  60 , typically in the form of an air compressor, is attached to the vacuum assembly  30  to provide appropriate suction to create the ambient air flow required. 
     A feed tray  48  receives liquid composition from a delivery source  50 . A pump (not shown) may be used to pump the liquid composition through a delivery tube  52  into the feed tray  48 . A premixing device  54  allows several ingredients, not all of which must be liquid (i.e. powdered flavorings or other additives of a size small enough not to cause clogging in the feed assembly  40 ) to be mixed in predetermined concentrations for delivery to the feed tray  48 . 
     In order to create generally uniformly sized units  56  of frozen product, substantially uniformly sized droplets  58  of liquid composition are required to be fed through gas diffusion chamber  46  to freezing chamber  12 . The feed tray  48  is designed with the feed assembly  40  that forms the droplets  58  of the desired character. The frozen product takes the form of the units  56  that are formed when the droplets  58  of liquid composition contact the refrigerant vapor in the gas diffusion chamber  46 , and subsequently the liquid refrigerant  24  in the freezing chamber  12 . After the units  56  are formed, they fall to the bottom of freezing chamber  12 . Extraction of the frozen units  56  occurs through a product outlet  32  formed at the base of the freezing chamber  12 . A transport system connects to the bottom of the freezing chamber  12  at the outlet  32  to transport the units  56  to a system  300 , which will be described in greater detail below. After having reached the outlet  32 , the units  56  are substantially free-flowing and do not stick together. From this point they can be conveyed to desired locations by, for example, a feed auger or a conveyor belt system. The conveyance mechanism is preferable cryogenically cooled so that the temperature of the units  56  remain cool enough that the units  56  retain their free-flowing characteristic. 
     The units  56  produced by the cryogenic processor  10  may be frozen confections, such as ice cream, ice milk, ices, frozen yogurt, sherbet, or sorbet, and ideally remain free-flowing during storage. It is contemplated that the units  56  comprise a generally spherical shape (unit  56 A), which is meant to include an oblong or elliptical shape (unit  56 B), a tubular shape (unit  56 C), or a slightly irregular shape (unit  56 D), all of which are depicted in  FIG. 2 . In addition, the surfaces of the units  56  may be smooth or irregular (i.e. bumpy, pocked, etc.). On average, the units  56  preferably have a diameter of about 5 mm or less, but the diameter may be larger, such as between about 6 and about 10 mm, for example. Units  56  having diameters outside these ranges are also contemplated. For the purposes of this application, for non-spherical shaped units  56  which do not have a conventional diameter, such as the unit  56 D illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the diameter is considered to be the diameter of the smallest sphere into which the unit  56  would fit. 
       FIG. 3  shows an exemplary mechanism  300  for manufacturing product clumps in accordance with the principles of the present invention from the various units  56  once they have been produced. The mechanism  300  includes a hopper  302  which may be generally cylindrical in shape with an opening  303  at one end and can be rotated about an axis at its center, such as, for example, by a motor coupled with gears on the outside of the hopper  302 . The mechanism  300  also includes an associated cryogenic cooling tray  301  that provides cooling to the hopper  302 . It is understood that other methods of cooling the hopper  302  could be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     An exemplary hopper  302  is depicted in  FIG. 3  that has a particular cross-sectional shape for its interior chamber. The interior side walls are angled at various portions to provide the shape as shown. Other hoppers are contemplated within the scope of the present invention that do not necessarily have the specific angled walls shown in  FIG. 3 . One of ordinary skill will recognize that different sized end-products, different ingredient feed rates, and different rotational speeds of the hopper  302  will all play a role in how the interior of the hopper  302  may be shaped so as to operate in accordance with the principles of the present invention. Thus, the inclusion of specific dimensions and angles in the description below is not intended to limit the present invention to only these specific measurements but is intended to provide one particular set of parameters that have been discovered to provide desirable results. 
     In the specific hopper  302  of  FIG. 3 , the angle  322  is about 100 degrees, the angle  324  is about 10 degrees and the angle  326  is about 125 degrees. The central axis of the hopper  302  can be angled  320  relative to a horizontal plane and with a hopper  302  having the cross-sectional shape shown in  FIG. 3 , an angle  320  of about 45 degrees provides beneficial results. One of ordinary skill will recognize that the values of these angles are approximate and can vary significantly while still maintaining the relative orientations of the various surfaces. 
     In the embodiment shown, units  56  are fed into the hopper  302  at a continuous rate via a unit supply passageway  305  that enters the hopper  302  through the front opening  303  which can be about 20 inches in diameter, and even larger, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. It is understood that the units  56  could be fed into the hopper  302  by other means and at other rates as desired. The supply passageway can include an auger that helps deliver the units  56  at a uniform rate. Furthermore, the passageway  305  is sized so as to allow units as well as previously manufactured non-conforming clumps to pass without constriction. The passageway  305  extends into the hopper  305  and preferably delivers the units  56  to about 1 to 2 inches from the rear of the rotating hopper  302 . In one exemplary embodiment, the hopper  302  rotates at about 25 RPMs but depending on the characteristics of the other components of the system, as well as the desired product sizes, this rotational speed can vary from about 10 RPMs to about 50 RPMs. 
     As the units  56  are fed into the hopper  302 , a liquid  308  is also dispensed within the hopper  302 . The delivery tube  304  for the liquid  308  has an end  306  from which the liquid exits into the hopper  302 . This end  306  is advantageously closer to the opening  303  than is the delivery point of the units  56  at the end of passageway  305 . In this way, the liquid  308  is continuously delivered onto newly arriving units  56  as well as smaller clumps that are in the process of forming. One exemplary distance for the end  306  is about 4 to 6 inches from the rear of the hopper  302 . 
     Potential liquid suitable for a frozen food product, includes, but is not limited to, candy, syrup, chocolate, butterscotch, and caramel. In one embodiment in which the liquid  308  is a blend of chocolate, the delivery pipe  304  is about ½ to ¾ inches in diameter and delivers the liquid chocolate via gravity feed. In other instances, the delivery pipe may be smaller or larger and the liquid  308  may even be delivered under pressure via the delivery pipe  304 . The fluid passageway  304  is in fluid communication with a reservoir  307  of the liquid  308  that supplies the liquid  308  to the hopper  302 . Inside the hopper  302 , the liquid  308  comes into contact with the units  56  and begins to harden thereby causing the individual units  56  to form clumps. In order to facilitate clumping and distribution of the liquid  308  and units  56 , the mechanism  300  operates to agitate the units  56  and clumps such as, for example, by rotating the hopper  302  so as to tumble the units  56  while applying the liquid  308 . One of ordinary skill will recognize that a liquid mixture or two different liquids delivered separately into the hopper  302  may be utilized to expand the possible flavor combinations achievable with embodiments of the present invention. Other inclusions such as nuts or cookie pieces may also be incorporated into the drum. 
     The fluid passageway  304  is maintained at a temperature sufficient to maintain the liquid  308  in liquid form while in the fluid passageway  304 . Moreover, the fluid passageway  304  is maintained at a temperature sufficient to maintain the liquid  308  in liquid form during initial contact with the units  56  to facilitate adhering to the units  56  and for a time shortly thereafter. The particular type of liquid  308  chosen will determine the temperature at which the fluid passageway  304  must be maintained in order to ensure the coating material remains free flowing. However, it has been found that a temperature between about 50° F. and about 75° F. is preferable. 
     Since the liquid  308  is maintained in liquid form for a period of time after adhering to the units  56 , the coating  308  causes multiple units  56  to fuse together, thus forming a plurality of clumps  310 . The clumps  310  comprise the fused units  56  and the portion of the liquid  308  facilitating the fusion, as shown in  FIG. 5 . Within  FIG. 5 , the liquid  308  is no longer in its liquid form but has hardened so as to fuse the units  56  into a clump  310  wherein the hardened liquid  308  acts as a binder holding the individual units  56  together as a clump  310 . As the liquid  308  is applied to the units  56  and the clumps  310  are being formed, the hopper  302  is rotated about an axis as shown in  FIG. 3 . The rotation of the hopper  302  causes a centrifugal force to be applied to the units  56  and the formed clumps  310 . The force exerted on each particle within the hopper  302  is dependent on the size of that particle. The newly-forming clumps tend to migrate towards the front of the hopper  302  as they increase in size. When a sufficient amount of centrifugal force is exerted on a clump, large clumps  310  are caused to move toward the opening  303  of the hopper  302 . With this movement toward the opening  303 , the large clumps  310  eventually exit the hopper  302 , while smaller clumps and the units  56  remain in the hopper  302  where they receive additional coating  308  and clumping. This process is continuously repeated during operation of the system  300  such that clumps  310  are continually produced and conveyed away for further processing. 
       FIG. 4  shows a representation of a screening system  400  comprising a conveyor  402  and a screener  404 . It is understood that while only the large clumps  310  are ideally caused to exit the hopper  302 , a portion of smaller clumps and/or units  56  (hereinafter collectively referred to as non-conforming clumps) may exit the hopper  302  along with the large clumps  310 . In a preferred embodiment, the non-conforming clumps are those that have a diameter of less that about 1 inch, although it is contemplated that other criteria can be used to categorize a clump  310  as a non-conforming clump, such as a weight of the clump  310 , for example. Other visual inspection techniques may also be used to automatically screen clumps into the two categories. 
     Once the large clumps  310  and the non-conforming clumps exit the hopper  302  they are transported by the conveyor  402  to the screener  404 . The screener  404  removes and transports the non-conforming clumps back to the system  300  via a non-confirming clump transport  408  which delivers the non conforming clumps to the passageway  305 . Alternatively, a separate delivery path into the hopper  302  can be provided for the non-conforming clumps. The conforming clumps are directed towards a packager  406  or similar manufacturing station where they can be packaged or further processed. 
       FIG. 6  shows a flowchart for operating the system  300  of  FIG. 3  and the screener system  400  of  FIG. 4 . In step  602 , the units (and possibly non-conforming clumps) are delivered to the hopper  302  where, in step  604 , the hopper  302  is rotated while a liquid  308  is applied to them to form clumps. In step  606 , the larger clumps migrate to the opening of the hopper  302  due to centrifugal forces where they are permitted to exit the hopper  302  where they are transported, in step  608 , to a screener. From the screener, the non-conforming clumps are returned, in step  610 , to the hopper  302  while the conforming clumps are transported to a packaging station, in step  612 . 
     Once at the packager  406 , the clumps  310  can be packaged in bulk bags, or placed directly in consumer-friendly packaging that is ready for shipping or ready for retail sales. Until that time, the clumps  310  are stored temporarily in frozen form. 
     The above processes produce clumps  310  which, due to the ice cream component provided by units  56 , can be stored at between about −40° F. and about 5° F., but preferably at temperatures between about between about −20° F. and about −40° F. The amount of the hardened liquid within the clump plays a role in determining the storage temperature as a larger amount, in general, provides more insulating effect than a lesser amount. The relative taste of each flavor along with the mouth-feel of the product all play a role in determining the desired relative proportions of the units portion and the liquid portion of a clump. The formulation of the cryogenically manufactured ice cream units may be modified so as to result in a clump that may be stored in a conventional freezer. Thus, the ice cream formulation, the type of liquid used, the relative proportions of liquid and ice cream, and the size of a clump are all factors that can be modified to manufacture various products having different desirable characteristics. 
     The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various embodiments described herein. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with each claim&#39;s language, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more.” All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for.”