Patent ID: 7771765

Claim:
A method for assisting a dough product to release from a metal product-receiving surface of a feeding segment of a bottom entrance conveyor in a single mold form fryer containing a frying oil, wherein said product-receiving surface is partially submerged in said frying oil and positioned below a top conveyor belt of said single mold form fryer, said method including the steps of: a) introducing said dough product into said form fryer containing said frying oil on said metal product-receiving surface of said feeding segment on said bottom entrance conveyor such that the product is mated with the metal product-receiving surface as said product is introduced into said frying oil, wherein said product is submerged in said frying oil prior to contact with said top conveyor belt of said form fryer; b) frying said dough product in said frying oil, wherein said product rises upwards as it is released from said product-receiving surface of said feeding segment and is fried beneath said top conveyor belt of said single mold form fryer, thereby producing a form-fried, molded product; and c) removing said form-fried, molded product from said frying oil on a bottom exit conveyor; wherein said method further comprises the step of reducing the interfacial tension forces between the dough product and the product-receiving surface, said reducing step being performed prior to the introducing of step a); and further wherein said step of reducing interfacial tension comprises physically limiting the amount of surface area of the product-receiving surface available for mating with said dough product, such that the area of contact between said product-receiving surface of said feeding segment and the mating surfaces of said product is less than the total area available on the mating surfaces of said product.