Patent ID: 7536947

Claim:
An apparatus for filling a food material into a cavity of an object, comprising: a) a conduit having a conduit inlet port, a conduit outlet port, and an interior passageway extending between the conduit inlet port and the conduit outlet port, the conduit adapted to permit passage of a food material having a first moisture content through the interior passageway from the conduit inlet port to the conduit outlet port; b) a fluid injector fluidly connected to the conduit and to a fluid source, the fluid injector adapted to permit injection of a fluid into the interior passageway of the conduit for mixing with the food material passing therethrough to obtain a food material having a second moisture content greater than the first moisture content, the fluid injector has an annular ring surrounding the conduit outlet port, the conduit has a plurality of apertures positioned around its circumference adjacent the conduit outlet port, and the conduit outlet port is received in the fluid injector so that the plurality of apertures are located within the annular ring; and c) a nozzle having a nozzle inlet port, a nozzle outlet port, and an interior passageway extending between the nozzle inlet port and the nozzle outlet port, the nozzle being fluidly connected to the conduit and the fluid injector, the nozzle outlet port being adapted to fill the food material having the second moisture content into the cavity of the object.