Patent Description:
In the manufacturing of certain food products, it is sometimes desired to provide a coating on the food products. For instance, topical coatings are quite common on a wide range of food products. The overall coating process can significantly vary, particularly depending on the coating material being employed and the food product surfaces to be coated. For instance, in the case of topical coatings, whether in particulate or liquid form, it is common to provide a feed hopper or other dispenser above the food product as the product moves along a conveyor. In such an arrangement, the conveyor belt is generally formed of interconnected metal wires or links which enables most of the excess coating material to fall or flow through the conveyor belt and collected for reuse. If it is desired to coat the entire food product, the food product can be directed through an enrober, wherein coating material is basically poured on the product, with excess coating material flowing through an open mesh conveyor.

Specific problems exist in connection with attempting to commercially manufacture food products requiring the coating of sticky food cores or bases. In particular, special provisions must be made to prevent the food cores from sticking directly to the conveyor. Certainly, parchment paper has been used in the food industry to convey sticky and other products along a production line. However, parchment paper cannot be used in connection with supporting a product through an enrobing process as excess coating material would be prevented from flowing through the conveyor. For at least this reason, in coating of sticky products, the industry has been led to initially applying a layer of the coating material on a solid surface, such as at least partially upon a plate as set forth in <CIT> or a solid belt as set forth in <CIT>, and then dispensing the sticky material on the coating material. In this way, the layer of coating material functions to space the sticky core material from the conveyor. Of course, this assumes that the coating material is not sticky. Even further issues arise when the core material is soft, e.g., having the consistency of yogurt or pudding. Under these circumstances, the core material, when dispensed, will inherently tend to collapse. Even more problematic is retaining the core material as a coherent body as the food product is conveyed between multiple different conveyors as is typically a requirement in connection with the production of food products between processing stations in a commercial manufacturing setting. With the above in mind, there is considered still exist a need in the art for an efficient and effective system for continuously producing food products including a soft and sticky food core enrobed in a coating material in a commercial environment wherein at least the core must be transported intact between multiple conveyors during the overall process.

<CIT> discloses a device for transporting chocolate-based confectionary. <CIT> discloses a method of producing a multi-layered confectionary product with a pasty core.

The invention is directed to a system and method for producing food products including an enrobed a soft and sticky food core. The system employs at least first and second, sequentially arranged open conveyor belts, wherein the soft and sticky food core is dispensed on the first conveyor belt, thereby requiring the transfer of the soft and sticky food core to at least the second conveyor belt during the overall production process. More specifically, initially a carrier sheet, which is constituted by parchment paper in a preferred embodiment, is provided atop the first conveyor belt and then a thin base layer of a coating material is deposited in a liquid state as a sheet or web across the parchment paper. Prior to thin layer solidifying, the soft and sticky food core material is extruded, preferably just downstream of the location of coating deposition, as strips or ropes onto the thin layer of coating material, with the soft and sticky food core settling into the thin layer, effectively supporting the soft and sticky core material and enabling the soft and sticky core material to maintain its structural integrity and shape.

In the next phase of the production process, the thin layer of coating material solidifies. This solidifying phase can be accomplished through natural heat transfer as the soft and sticky food core travels along the first conveyor belt upon the thin layer of coating material and the parchment paper for a requisite time period or the combination of core, thin base coating and parchment paper can be directed through or across a cooling unit to more rapidly solidify the coating material. In either case, in accordance with the invention, the entire web of thin base coating is solidified prior to transfer of the set soft and sticky food core to the next, second conveyor belt. Once the web is solid, it has been found that, in combination with the parchment paper, it is safe to transfer the soft and sticky core material set in the thin coating material off the first conveyor belt and onto the second conveyor belt, and even beyond to another conveyor belt, without tearing or otherwise deforming the still soft core material.

In connection with the overall production process, an enrober is provided on the second or a subsequent conveyor belt, herein referred to as the enrober belt which is an open conveyor belt such as a mesh metal belt. Just prior to the enrober belt, the parchment paper is deflected so that the soft and sticky core material is directly supported on the enrober belt by the solid web of thin coating material. Either prior to or in conjunction with the enrobing process, a cutter separates the core material into individual pieces (bars or strips) for coating. In the enrober, additional coating material is deposited in a heated liquid or molten state over the individual pieces of soft and sticky core material. Importantly some of the heat associated with the enrobing process also functions to melt the web of thin coating material between the soft and sticky core material. As this conveyor belt is open, the excess coating material, including the excess enrobing material and the coating material from the web which is not directly bottom coating the soft and sticky core material, flows through the mesh conveyor belt and is preferably collected, filtered and recycled back to, for example, a coating distribution manifold.

In accordance with a particular embodiment of the invention, the core material constitutes a yogurt or pudding, although other soft and sticky food materials could be employed, and the coating material is chocolate. The thickness of the thin coating web layer depends on the desired coating weight and is preferably about <NUM>-<NUM> for initially bottom coating the soft and sticky food core. Upon reaching a downstream end of the enrober belt, the coated bars are cooled under a predetermined cooling temperature environment and residence time prior to the resulting food product being wrapped or otherwise packaged.

Overall the invention provides a reliable and effective arrangement for producing a variety of coated food products having soft and sticky cores, employing coating materials which can be heated and cooled to alter viscous characteristics thereof, can be sheeted and conveyed. In any case, additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views.

With initial reference to <FIG>, a food coating and conveying system constructed in accordance with the present invention is schematically illustrated and generally indicated at <NUM>. System <NUM> includes a first conveyor unit <NUM> which employs an open conveyor belt <NUM>. As will be discussed further below, conveyor unit <NUM> is only limited to have a minimum length and conveyor belt <NUM> is a driven, endless belt which extends around a roller <NUM> at one end of conveyor unit <NUM> and another roller (not shown) at another end of conveyor unit <NUM>. Extending laterally across a substantial portion of conveyor belt <NUM> for concurrent movement is a flexible carrier sheet <NUM>. In a particularly preferred form of the invention, carrier sheet <NUM> is constituted by parchment paper, however other non-edible carrier sheet materials could be employed. Deposited across carrier sheet <NUM> is a base coating or web <NUM> from a dispenser <NUM>. In a preferred embodiment, web <NUM> is constituted by a thin, e.g., approximately <NUM> thick, coating layer of chocolate. However, other edible, preferably fat-based or compound, coating materials which meet the various criteria set forth further below could be employed.

Just downstream of dispenser <NUM> are arranged one or more extruders <NUM>, <NUM> for depositing a series of laterally spaced ropes, two of which are shown at <NUM> and <NUM>. At this point it should be noted that, important to the invention, ropes <NUM> and <NUM> define soft and sticky edible cores for the products being made. By way of example, the core material can be constituted by yogurt, pudding or other creamy substance. Basically, the core material has the consistency and inherent characteristics of these exemplary foods so as to be incapable of being extruded directly onto conveyor belt <NUM> without structurally deforming and actually sticking to open conveyor belt <NUM>. However, due to the presence of carrier sheet <NUM> and web <NUM>, which at this point is somewhat thick so it does not tend to run off carrier sheet <NUM> but is still in a liquid state, ropes <NUM> and <NUM> substantially maintain their extrusion shape. At best, ropes <NUM> and <NUM> flatten slightly from a circular cross-section as will become more fully evident below. However, importantly, ropes <NUM> and <NUM> do not break apart or deform laterally, but rather remain as continuous, spaced, substantially parallel ropes. In fact, the soft and sticky edible ropes <NUM> and <NUM> actually settle into the thin coating layer established by web <NUM>, effectively supporting the soft and sticky core material and enabling the soft and sticky core material to maintain its structural integrity and shape.

Carrier sheet <NUM>, web <NUM> and ropes <NUM> and <NUM> are concurrently directed toward a second conveyor unit <NUM>. As depicted, first conveyor unit <NUM> can be of indeterminant length. However, it is important in connection with the present invention that the coating material of web <NUM> solidifies prior to a transfer onto second conveyor unit <NUM>. If this cooling of the coating material of web <NUM> is preformed naturally, the environment in which food coating and conveying system <NUM> is located will determine the requisite length, which actually could be over <NUM> meters. However, if a shorter length is desired, a cooling unit or other measures could be readily employed. Second conveyor unit <NUM> is also shown to employ a driven endless, open conveyor belt <NUM> of indeterminate length. At this point, it is only important to note that the presence of carrier sheet <NUM> and the solidification of the thin coating web <NUM> has been found to provide for an effective and efficient transfer between successive conveyors, specifically without disrupting the integrity (breaking) of ropes <NUM> and <NUM>. On second conveyor unit <NUM>, ropes <NUM> and <NUM> are directed through a cutter unit, generically referenced at <NUM>, and formed into food pieces, generally from bite-size to bar-length pieces, one of which is indicated at <NUM>.

In the next phase of the production, bars <NUM> atop web <NUM> are transferred onto a third conveyor unit <NUM>. At this point, it is important to note that carrier sheet <NUM> does not make this transfer but rather is directed around a roller <NUM> of second conveyor unit <NUM> and down between second and third conveyor units <NUM> and <NUM> as clearly shown in <FIG>. Although still having some flexibility, web <NUM> is quite solid and enables this transfer of the now laterally and longitudinally spaced pieces <NUM>. At this point, it should be recognized that, although conveyor belts <NUM> and <NUM> were referenced as open belts, conveyor belts <NUM> and <NUM> could be constituted by solid belts. However, third conveyor unit <NUM> includes a driven conveyor belt <NUM> which importantly is open, such as a wire rod, mesh or other type of open conveyor belt arrangement known in the art, as web <NUM> and pieces <NUM> are directed on conveyor belt <NUM> through an enrober depicted at <NUM>. At enrober <NUM>, a curtain of heated coating material <NUM>, which is preferably but not necessarily the same material employed for web <NUM> (e.g., chocolate), is poured or otherwise deposited over each piece <NUM>, as well as web <NUM>. This process creates a further coating about the soft and sticky core material of ropes <NUM> and <NUM>. At the same time, the heat associated with enrober <NUM> advantageously melts the portions of web <NUM> between pieces <NUM>, with melted portions of the web <NUM> flowing through the open conveyor belt <NUM> and being recycled for later use. This operation results in only fully coated (coating encapsulated) food products <NUM> emerging. Food products <NUM> are then cooled, such as passing through a cooling unit indicated at <NUM> before proceeding on to a packaging phase (not shown) of the overall manufacturing process.

<FIG> illustrate food products <NUM>, generally in the form of a finished bar, produced in accordance with the invention. As seen from the cross-section of <FIG>, food product <NUM> has a somewhat flattened, internal core of the soft, sticky food material and an outer shell of the encapsulating coating food material. Clearly, the thickness of the coating material is quite small compared to the diameter of the core of food product <NUM>. In practice, the actual coating layer thickness depends on the desired coating weight. However, by way of example with a bar-type food piece, the coating can be in the order of about <NUM>-<NUM> thick, the core has crosswise dimensions ranging between about <NUM>-<NUM>, and a total length of <NUM>-<NUM>.

Claim 1:
A method of producing coated food products (<NUM>) comprising:
applying a carrier sheet (<NUM>) upon a first conveyor unit (<NUM>);
dispensing a web (<NUM>) of coating material laterally across a portion of the carrier sheet (<NUM>), with the coating material being in liquid form;
delivering a plurality of laterally spaced ropes (<NUM>, <NUM>) upon the web (<NUM>), with the ropes (<NUM>, <NUM>) being made of a soft and sticky material;
solidifying the coating material to form a solid web (<NUM>);
transferring the soft and sticky material upon the carrier sheet (<NUM>) and solid web (<NUM>) onto a second conveyor unit (<NUM>);
cutting the plurality of laterally spaced ropes (<NUM>, <NUM>) into food pieces (<NUM>);
removing the carrier sheet (<NUM>) from beneath the solid web (<NUM>);
transferring the soft and sticky material upon the solid web (<NUM>), without the carrier sheet (<NUM>), onto a third conveyor unit (<NUM>); and
enrobing the food pieces (<NUM>) while removing portions of the solid web (<NUM>) between the food pieces (<NUM>) in forming the coated food products (<NUM>) having cores of the soft and sticky material.