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US 2013/0095223 A1Published application
Method and Apparatus for Producing Frozen Foam Products
AssigneePraxair Technology, Inc.
InventorsNari R. Nayini, Theodore H. Gasteyer, III, Gary D. Lang, Sameer H. Israni, Balazs Hunek
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for forming frozen foam products, including edible products, using air or gases or gas mixtures having an average molecular weight larger than that of air, wherein the products contain bubbles having a reduced average size preferably in a narrow size range.
Claims29
A method for forming a frozen foamed food product comprising the steps of:
- (A) introducing a selected gas or gas mixture which is air or is a gas or gas mixture which possesses a larger average molecular weight than air, into a product to be foamed under selected foaming conditions to form a foam product containing bubbles of said gas or gas mixture,
- (B) in a selected relationship of being concurrent with or subsequent to step (A), chilling said foam product under selected chilling conditions to form a partially frozen foam product;
- and then
- (C) increasing the viscosity of said partially frozen foam product by rapidly chilling it, thereby forming a further frozen foam product, and then
- (D) hardening the further frozen food product by further chilling it under selected further chilling conditions to freeze additional liquid therein, so that the temperature of the product is 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, thereby forming a frozen foamed food product,
- under conditions effective to establish bubbles in said frozen foamed food product having an average bubble size at least 15% smaller than the average bubble size in the hardened product that is formed by introducing solely air as the gas or gas mixture into the identical product to be foamed under the identical selected foaming conditions as in step (A) to form an air foamed product and chilling said air foamed product in the same selected, relationship to step (A) and under the identical selected chilling conditions as in step (B) to form a product which is then hardened under the identical selected further chilling conditions as in step (D).
3 more elements
A method for forming a frozen foamed food product comprising the steps of:
- (A) introducing a selected gas or gas mixture which is air or is a gas or gas mixture which possesses a larger average molecular weight than air, into a product to be foamed under selected foaming conditions to form a foam product containing bubbles of said gas or gas mixture, and then
- (B) increasing the viscosity of said foam product by rapidly chilling it, thereby forming a further frozen foam product, and then
- (C) hardening the further frozen food product by further chilling it under selected further chilling conditions to freeze additional liquid therein, so that the temperature of the product is 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, thereby forming a frozen foamed food product,
- under conditions effective to establish bubbles in said frozen foamed food product having an average bubble size at least 15% smaller than the average bubble size in the hardened product that is formed by introducing solely air as the gas or gas mixture into the identical product to be foamed under the identical selected foaming conditions as in step (A) to form an air foamed product which is then hardened under the identical selected further chilling conditions as in step (C).
1 more element
A system comprising
- (A) a source of a product to be foamed, which product contains liquid;
- (B) a source of air or of a gas or gas mixture which possesses a larger average molecular weight than air;
- (C) foaming apparatus, connected to said source of a product to be foamed and connected to said source of said gas or gas mixture, which is capable of introducing said gas or gas mixture into said product to be foamed, in a manner which forms bubbles of said gas or gas mixture in said product, thereby forming a foam product;
- (D) second apparatus, connected to said foaming apparatus to receive therefrom said foam product, which is capable of chilling or partially freezing said foam product while retaining said bubbles therein, to form a partially frozen foam product;
- and
- (E) viscosity increasing apparatus, connected to said second apparatus to receive therefrom said partially frozen foam product, which is capable of increasing the viscosity of said partially frozen foam product by rapidly chilling it.
3 more elements
A system comprising
- (A) a source of a product to be foamed, which product contains liquid;
- (B) a source of air or of a gas or gas mixture which possesses a larger average molecular size than air;
- (C) foaming apparatus, connected to said source of a product to be foamed and connected to said source of said gas or gas mixture, which is capable of introducing said gas or gas mixture into said product to be foamed, in a manner which forms bubbles of said gas or gas mixture in said product, thereby forming a foam product;
- and
- (D) viscosity increasing apparatus, connected to said foaming apparatus to receive therefrom said foam product, which is capable of increasing the viscosity of said foam product by rapidly chilling it.
2 more elements
An apparatus useful for creating super-cooled bits comprising
- an extruder with an exit section,
- a cutting device connected to said exit section of said extruder for cutting product extruded from said exit section into bits,
- a vessel located proximate said exit section to receive bits cut by said cutting device in said vessel,
- a source of liquid cryogen coupled to said vessel to controllably feed said liquid cryogen into said vessel, and a conveyor capable of carrying bits out of liquid cryogen in said vessel.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.