Patent EA-000816-B1 (EA)
Title: Seamless capsules
Inventor: KIEFER JESSE J
IPC: B01J2/06
Filed: 1996-01-24
Abstract: 1. A method for making a seamless capsule comprising a shell material which is carbohydrate in a glassy state and encapsulating a center-filled core material comprising the steps of: forming a jet of the core material; forming a jet of carbohydrate in a melted state is as the shell material, wherein said jet of the shell material is coaxial to the jet of the core material and surrounding it; introducing said coaxial jet into a flow of a heated carrier liquid or air, having a temperature within limits not allowing the shell material to solidify, thereby allowing the shell material to encapsulate the core material to form capsules; introducing the capsules into a flow of a cooled carrier liquid, thereby allowing the capsules to solidify and the carbohydrate transforms into a glassy state. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the core material is medium chain triglyceride oil. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fluid volumetric flux of the shell material formed during a span of time is essentially equal to the fluid volumetric flux of the core material during same span of time. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one jet of the intermediate shell is formed between the jet of the core material and the jet of the shell material. 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the fluid volumetric flux of the shell material, the fluid volumetric flux of the core material and the fluid volumetric flux of the intermediate shell material during same span of time are essentially equal. 6. An apparatus for making a seamless capsule comprising a shell material encapsulating a center-filled core material comprising: a concentrically aligned multiple nozzle system having at least an outer nozzle and an inner nozzle for simultaneously extruding a shell material, being in a melted state, through the outer nozzle and a core material through an inner nozzle, thereby forming a coaxial jets of the shell material and the core material wherein the jet of the shell material surrounding the jet of the core material; means for supplying the shell material to the outer nozzle; means for supplying the core material to the inner nozzle; a first duct located beneath the multiple nozzle system for receiving the coaxial jet; means for delivering a heated carrier liquid surrounding the coaxial jets to the first duct thereby allowing the shell material to encapsulate the core material to form capsules. a second duct, at least a part of which is located beneath the first duct, for receiving the flow of the heated carrier liquid carrying the capsules from the first duct; means for delivering a cooled carrier liquid into the second duct to form a flow of the cooled carrier liquid surrounding the capsules, thereby allowing the capsules to solidify and the carbohydrate transforms into a glassy state. 7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the upper part of the first duct is surrounded by a heating cylinder in a concentric alignment. 8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first heating cylinder has an overflow over the top of the first duct. 9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the lower end of the first duct extends into the second duct. 10. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the upper part of the second duct is surrounded by a second cooling cylinder in a concentric alignment. 11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second cooling cylinder has an overflow over the top of the second duct. 12. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second duct is connected to a recovery pipe. 13. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said multiple nozzle system further comprises at least one intermediate nozzle positioned between the inner and outer nozzles. 14. A seamless capsule comprising a shell and a core, wherein the shell material encapsulating a center-filled core material, thereby the shell material is a carbohydrate in glassy state. 15. The seamless capsule according to claim 14, wherein the carbohydrate is selected from sucrose, glucose, fructose, isomalt, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, maltitol, lactitol, xylitol, sorbitol, erythritol, mannitol, and mixtures thereof. 16. The seamless capsule according to claim 14, wherein the core material is selected from coconut oil, peppermint oil, cinnamon oil, fennel oil, clove oil, wheat-germ oil, vegetable oil, vitamins, pharmaceutical solutions, natural and artificial sweeteners, fruit flavors, menthol, and mixtures thereof. 17. The seamless capsule according to claim 14, wherein the shell material encapsulates at least one intermediate shell material which encapsulates the core material. Eurasian patent is valid in all Contracting states except for AM and MD.