Patent Publication Number: US-2005129824-A1

Title: Biscotti manufacturing system

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      I hereby claim benefit under Title 35, United States Code, Section 119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. Nos. 60/287,815 (filed on May 2, 2001) and 60/287,816 (filed on May 2, 2001). Both provisional patent applications are now abandoned. The 60/287,815 application and the 60/287,816 are both hereby incorporated by reference into this application.  
      I hereby claim benefit under Title 35, United States Code, Section 120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/135,904 filed Apr. 29, 2002. This application is a continuation of the Ser. No. 10/135,904 application. The Ser. No. 10/135,904 application is currently pending. The Ser. No. 10/135,904 application is hereby incorporated by reference into this application. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
      Not applicable to this application.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates generally to biscotti baking systems and more specifically it relates to a biscotti manufacturing system for easily and efficiently producing biscotti cookies.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Biscotti cookies and related baking methods have been in use for years. A conventional biscotti cookie is produced by (1) preparing the biscotti dough, (2) forming the biscotti dough into a loaf structure, (3) positioning the loaf of biscotti dough upon a flat pan, (4) baking the loaf of biscotti dough within an oven, (5) removing the baked biscotti loaf from the oven, (6) carefully slicing the loaf into a plurality of crescent shaped biscotti cookies (i.e. the familiar biscotti cookie shape), (7) placing the plurality of biscotti cookies upon a flat pan, (8) baking the plurality of biscotti cookies until fully toasted within the oven, and (9) removing the plurality of biscotti cookies from the oven. The flat pan used in steps (3) through (5) may alternatively be replaced with pan having a rectangular shaped cavity structure.  
      The main problem with conventional biscotti baking systems is that they are time consuming and labor intensive to utilize. Another problem with conventional biscotti baking systems is that they require the user to be extremely careful in handling and cutting the first baked biscotti loaf because of the fragile structure of the biscotti loaf. A further problem with conventional biscotti baking systems is that they typically do not provide a consistent biscotti cookie because the loaf is often times over-baked and under-baked in certain sections with the over-baked sections crumbling during cutting and the under-baked sections distorting during cutting of the loaf. Another problem with conventional biscotti baking systems is that they require the user to cut the biscotti cookies and then toast the cookies a second time. A further problem with conventional biscotti baking systems is that they typically do not produce a uniform shaped biscotti cookie because of the inherent variation in shape of the loaf.  
      While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for easily and efficiently producing biscotti cookies. Conventional biscotti baking systems are inefficient, difficult to utilize and do not produce a uniform biscotti cookie.  
      In these respects, the biscotti manufacturing system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of easily and efficiently producing biscotti cookies.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of biscotti manufacturing systems now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new biscotti manufacturing system construction wherein the same can be utilized for easily and efficiently producing biscotti cookies.  
      The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new biscotti manufacturing system that has many of the advantages of the biscotti systems mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new biscotti manufacturing system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art biscotti systems, either alone or in any combination thereof.  
      To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a baking pan having a base, a first wall, a second wall, a plurality of partitions between the walls, and a plurality of channels within for receiving the biscotti dough. The user prepares the desired amount of biscotti dough and then utilizing an applicator creates the biscotti cookies within the channels of the baking pan. The baking pan with the biscotti dough is then baked whereby the dough rises to fill the channels creating a crescent shaped structure. No pre-shaping of the dough is required. After the biscotti dough is fully cooked, the user then removes the biscotti cookies from the baking pan.  
      There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.  
      In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.  
      A primary object of the present invention is to provide a biscotti manufacturing system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.  
      A second object is to provide a biscotti manufacturing system for easily and efficiently producing biscotti cookies.  
      Another object is to provide a biscotti manufacturing system that may be utilized by the average consumer of biscotti cookies.  
      An additional object is to provide a biscotti manufacturing system that produces a uniform biscotti cookie.  
      A further object is to provide a biscotti manufacturing system that produces biscotti cookies with a single baking step.  
      Another object is to provide a biscotti manufacturing system that reduces the amount of time and labor required to produce biscotti cookies.  
      A further object is to provide a biscotti manufacturing system that produces evenly baked biscotti cookies.  
      Another object is to provide a biscotti manufacturing system that simultaneously bakes, slices and toasts a plurality of biscotti cookies within a single step.  
      Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.  
      To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is an upper perspective view of the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is an upper perspective view of the present invention with biscotti dough being inserted within the channels of the baking pan.  
       FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 .  
       FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2 .  
       FIG. 5  is an end view of the present invention.  
       FIG. 6  is a side view of the present invention.  
       FIG. 7  is a bottom view of the present invention.  
       FIG. 8  is a top view of the present invention.  
       FIG. 9  is a flowchart illustrating the process of producing biscotti cookies within the present invention.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views,  FIGS. 1 through 9  illustrate a biscotti manufacturing system, which comprises a baking pan  10  having a base  20 , a first wall  30 , a second wall  40 , a plurality of partitions between the walls, and a plurality of channels  60  within for receiving the biscotti dough. The user prepares the desired amount of biscotti dough and then utilizing an applicator  12  creates the biscotti cookies within the channels  60  of the baking pan  10 . The baking pan  10  with the biscotti dough is then baked whereby the dough rises to fill the channels creating a crescent shaped structure. No pre-shaping of the dough is required. After the biscotti dough is fully cooked, the user then removes the biscotti cookies  16  from the baking pan  10 .  
      As shown in  FIGS. 1 through 6  of the drawings, the baking pan  10  includes a base  20 , a first wall  30 , a second wall  40 , a plurality of partitions between the walls, and a plurality of channels  60  within for receiving the biscotti dough. The baking pan  10  may be constructed of various materials such as but not limited to aluminum, steel, stainless steel, brass, metals, non-metals, composite materials and other suitable materials capable of withstanding baking temperatures exceeding 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The material utilized to construct the baking pan  10  is preferably heat conductive for evenly transferring heat throughout the baking pan  10  and the biscotti cookies  16 .  
      The baking pan  10  may be produced by various manufacturing methods such as but not limited to extrusion or other processes. The baking pan  10  may further have a non-stick coating applied such as polytetrafluoroethylene (currently manufactured under the brand name TEFLON by DUPONT) to reduce sticking of the biscotti cookies  16  during cooking for easy removal thereof from the baking pan  10 .  
      As best shown in  FIG. 5  of the drawings, the base  20  preferably has a flat and straight structure with an upper surface and a lower surface. The base  20  preferably has a rectangular shape that has a longitudinal axis as best shown in  FIG. 7  of the drawings. The upper surface receives a lower portion of the biscotti dough during cooking with the lower surface positioned upon a rack within the baking unit (e.g. oven). The baking pan  10  has a first end  22  and a second end  24  as best shown in  FIGS. 1, 2  and  4  of the drawings.  
      As shown in  FIGS. 1, 2  and  5  of the drawings, a first wall  30  extends from the base  20  substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the base  20 . The first wall  30  preferably extends upwardly from the upper surface of the base  20  in an orthogonal manner as best shown in  FIG. 5  of the drawings. The first wall  30  preferably has a rectangular shape having a consistent height. The height of the first wall  30  preferably is between 0.75 to 1.5 inches, however greater or less height may be utilized to construct the first wall  30 .  
      As shown in  FIGS. 1, 2  and  5  of the drawings, a second wall  40  extends from the base  20  substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the base  20  and parallel to the first wall  30 . The second wall  40  is positioned upon the opposing side of the base  20  as the first wall  30  as shown in  FIGS. 1, 2  and  3  of the drawings. The second wall  40  preferably extends upwardly from the upper surface of the base  20  in an orthogonal manner as best shown in  FIG. 5  of the drawings.  
      The second wall  40  preferably has a rectangular shape having a consistent height similar to the first wall  30 . The height of the second wall  40  preferably is between 0.75 to 1.5 inches, however greater or less height may be utilized to construct the second wall  40 . The height of the first wall  30  and the second wall  40  is preferably sufficient for receiving the entire height of the biscotti dough as positioned within the channels  60 .  
      As shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  3 ,  5  and  8  of the drawings, a plurality of inner partitions  50  extend from the base  20  substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the base  20  and parallel to the first wall  30  and the second wall  40 . The inner partitions  50  are positioned between the first wall  30  and the second wall  40  as shown in  FIGS. 1, 2  and  3  of the drawings. The inner partitions  50  preferably extend upwardly from the upper surface of the base  20  in an orthogonal manner as best shown in  FIG. 5  of the drawings.  
      As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the drawings, the inner partitions  50  preferably have a rectangular shape having a consistent height similar to the first wall  30  and the second wall  40 . The height of each of the inner partitions  50  preferably is between 0.75 to 1.5 inches, however greater or less height may be utilized to construct the inner partitions  50  depending upon the size of biscotti cookies  16  desired to be produced. As best shown in  FIG. 5  of the drawings, the height of the first wall  30 , second wall  40  and inner partitions  50  are preferably equal to one another. The distal ends of the walls  30 ,  40  and inner partitions  50  are preferably open thereby allowing for the user to easily remove the baked biscotti cookies  16  by sliding the same outwardly from the channels  60 .  
      It can be appreciated that one or more inner partitions  50  may be utilized between the outer walls  30 ,  40  and alternatively no inner partitions  50  where the walls  30 ,  40  form a single channel  60 . However, the number of inner partitions  50  preferably is greater than four for creating five or more channels  60  within the baking pan  10 .  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  3  and  5  illustrate the usage of five inner partitions  50  thereby forming six channels  60  within the baking pan  10 . The number of channels  60  is calculated by increasing the total number of inner partitions  50  by one. For example, if three inner partitions  50  are utilized, then there are four channels  60 . If no inner partitions  50  are utilized, then there is only one channel  60  within the baking pan  10 .  
      The plurality of inner partitions  50  are preferably positioned equal distances apart from another and the outer walls  30 ,  40  thereby forming a plurality of channels  60  between thereof. The channels  60  each have an elongate rectangular structure extending between the walls and/or inner partitions  50  as best shown in  FIGS. 1 and 8  of the drawings. Each of the channels  60  preferably has the same width, however, the width may vary amongst the channels  60 . The width of each of the channels  60  is preferably between 0.5 to 1.0 inches, however a greater or less width may be utilized depending upon the size of biscotti cookies  16  desired to be produced.  
      Various biscotti recipes exist for producing the biscotti dough which may be utilized within the present invention. If an extrusion applicator  12  (e.g. pastry bag) is to be utilized for creating the biscotti cookies  16 , the user may “thin” the biscotti dough to facilitate dispersing of the biscotti dough from the applicator  12  such as but not limited to increasing the amount of milk and/or butter utilized within the recipe. A common recipe for biscotti dough includes the ingredients of flour, baking powder, salt, butter, sugar, eggs, milk and a flavoring such as almond extract or vanilla. Various other recipes may be utilized within the present invention to produce the biscotti dough, therefore the above discussion should not limit the present invention to a specific type of biscotti dough.  
      In use, the user may coat the baking pan  10  with a cooking spray prior to inserting the biscotti dough into the channels  60 . If the biscotti dough utilized has a thicker consistency, the user may divide the biscotti dough into equal sized portions which are then formed into any desired shape. The formed portions are then placed within the channels  60  of the baking pan  10 . If the biscotti dough utilized has a thinner consistency, the user may insert the biscotti dough within the applicator  12  and then dispense the biscotti dough directly within the channels  60  from the nozzle  14  of the applicator  12  to create individual biscotti cookies  16  as shown in  FIG. 2  of the drawings. It is important to leave sufficient space between each of the biscotti cookies  16  to ensure that they do not become in contact with one another during baking. The baking pan  10  is then positioned within a heated oven to bake the biscotti cookies  16  within the baking pan  10  whereby the dough rises to fill the channels creating a crescent shaped structure. No pre-shaping of the dough is required. The inner partitions  50  and walls  30 ,  40  evenly distribute the heat between the biscotti cookies  16  to ensure that the biscotti cookies  16  are uniformly and evenly baked. The portions of biscotti dough within the baking pan  10  during heating thereof naturally form a desired crescent shaped structure. After the biscotti cookies  16  are fully cooked, the user then removes the baking pan  10  from the oven and then removes the biscotti cookies  16  from the baking pan  10 . The biscotti cookie will typically have a middle portion  17 , a first portion  18  and a second portion  19  forming a crescent shaped structure similar to the conventional biscotti cookie shape commonly utilized. The removal of the baked biscotti cookies  16  by either grasping the biscotti cookies  16  individually, sliding the biscotti cookies  16  out the open ends of the baking pan  10 , or inverting the baking pan  10 . Additional processes may be applied to the biscotti cookies  16  after removal such as but not limited to glazing or the like. It can be appreciated that commercial settings may utilize a plurality of baking pans  10  in a continuous manner.  
      As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided.  
      With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed to be within the expertise of those skilled in the art, and all equivalent structural variations and relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.  
      Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.