# US 2011/0318475 A1 · Methods and apparatus for forming contoured edible pieces

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- Number: US 2011/0318475 A1
- Document ID: US20110318475A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/226,551
- Filed: 2011-09-07
- Published: 2011-12-29
- Earliest claimed: 2005-02-11
- Assignees: Mars, Incorporated
- Inventors: Thomas M. Collins; Jennifer Tomasso
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20110318475A1

## CPC

- A23G 1/205: {Apparatus in which the material is shaped at least partially in a mould, in the hollows of a surface, a drum or an endless band, or by drop-by-drop casting or dispensing of the material on a surface, e.g. injection moulding or transfer moulding}
- A23G 1/0063: {Processes in which the material is shaped at least partially in a mould, in the hollows of a surface, a drum or an endless band, or by drop-by-drop casting or dispensing of the material on a surface, e.g. injection moulding or transfer moulding}
- A23G 1/0069: {Compression moulding of paste, optionally in the form of a ball, a rope or other preforms, powders or granules}
- A23G 1/206: {Apparatus for laying down material in moulds or drop-by-drop on a surface, optionally with associated heating, cooling, portioning, cutting cast-tail or anti-drip device}
- A23G 1/207: {Compression moulding of paste, optionally in the form of a ball, a rope or other preforms, powders or granules}
- A23G 1/30: Cocoa products, e.g. chocolate; Substitutes therefor
- A23G 1/50: characterised by shape, structure or physical form, e.g. products with an inedible support (liquid products or solid products in the form of powders, flakes or granules for making liquid products A23G1/56)
- A23G 3/0025: {Processes in which the material is shaped at least partially in a mould in the hollows of a surface, a drum, an endless band, or by a drop-by-drop casting or dispensing of the material on a surface, e.g. injection moulding, transfer moulding}
- A23G 3/0027: {Processes for laying down material in moulds or drum or a surface, optionally with the associated heating, cooling, portioning, cutting cast-tail, anti-drip process}
- A23G 3/0031: {Moulds processing (A23G3/0029 takes precedence)}
- A23G 3/0036: {Mould conveying, e.g. with the associated manipulation}
- A23G 3/0038: {Removing articles from the mould; associated manipulation}
- A23G 3/0252: {Apparatus in which the material is shaped at least partially in a mould, in the hollows of a surface, a drum, an endless band, or by a drop-by-drop casting or dispensing of the material on a surface, e.g. injection moulding, transfer moulding}
- A23P 20/25: Filling or stuffing cored food pieces, e.g. combined with coring or making cavities
- B30B 11/14: co-operating with moulds on a movable carrier other than a turntable or a rotating drum
- A23G: COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF
- A23P: SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS
- B30B: PRESSES IN GENERAL (producing ultra-high pressure or ultra-high pressure and high temperature to effect modifications of a substance, e.g. for making artificial diamonds B01J3/00 ){(compressing means for refuse receptacles B65F1/1405)}

## Abstract

A method for forming thin edible pieces uses two continuous belts that cooperate to form a fill cavity. An edible mass, such as chocolate, is flowed into the fill cavity where it forms an edible blank which is transported on a belt path with the two belts moving in tandem. After the edible blank is released from the first or second continuous belt, a three-dimensional shape may be imparted to the edible blank at a forming station using one or more stamping dies or a forming drum. Using the techniques and apparatus described herein, novel edible products, and particularly novel chocolate products, can be made having shape characteristics that cannot be obtained using known molding or forming techniques.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-64. (canceled)

### Claim 65

A very thin chocolate product having a contoured shape characterized by:
(a) having a thickness dimension of less than about 2.0 mm;
(b) having a substantially uniform thickness over the entire area of the product;
(c) having a smooth and unbroken surface finish;
(d) having at least one curve along at least one axis of curvature; and
(e) having a moisture content of less than 2.0%.

### Claim 66 (depends on 65)

The chocolate product according to claim 65, having a moisture content less than 1.5%.

### Claim 67 (depends on 65)

The chocolate product according to claim 65 with at least two curves along a single axis of curvature.

### Claim 68 (depends on 65)

The chocolate product according to claim 65,with at least one curve along two axes of curvature.

### Claim 69 (depends on 65)

The contoured chocolate product of claim 65 with at least two curves along one axis of curvature and at least one curve along a second axis of curvature.

### Claim 70 (depends on 65)

The contoured chocolate product of claim 65 wherein the contoured shape of the chocolate product can be defined in three-dimensional space by sets of polynomial equations of the form
yk=ak,0+ak,1x+ak,2x2+ . . . +ak,nxn
zk=bk,0+bk,1x+bk,2x2+ . . . +bk,nxn
where x varies between 0 and L where L equals the length of the contoured chocolate product.

### Claim 71 (depends on 70)

The contoured product of claim 70 where at least two equations are used to define the contoured shape in terms of x and y, and where said equations defining the shape in terms of x and y are of the form
y1=a1,0+a1,1x+a1,2x2+ . . . +a1,nxn
y2=a2,0+a2,1x+a2,2x2+ . . . +a2,nxn

### Claim 72 (depends on 71)

The contoured product of claim 71 where the at least two equations define the edges of the product.

### Claim 73 (depends on 70)

The contoured product of claim 70, wherein at least two equations are used to define the contoured shape in terms of x and z, and, where the equations are of the form
z1=b1,0+b1,1x+b1,2x2+ . . . +b1,nxn
z2=b2,0+b2,1x+b2,2x2+ . . . +b2,nxn

### Claim 74 (depends on 73)

The contoured product of claim 73 wherein the at least two equations defining the contoured shape in terms of x and z define the edges of the product.

### Claim 74 (depends on 65)

The contoured chocolate product of claim 65, where the contoured shape can be defined in three dimensional space by a polynomial equation of the form
z=a0+a1,0x+a0,1y+a1,1xy+a2,1x2y+a1,2xy2+a2,2x2y2+ . . . +an,mxnym
where x varies between 0 and L, where L is equal to the length of the product and y varies between f1(x) and f2(x),
where f1 is a function that describes the dependence between y and x for a first edge of the product, and f2 is a function that describes the dependence between y and x for a second edge of the surface.