# US 2017/0112162 A1 · An edible product

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- Number: US 2017/0112162 A1
- Document ID: US20170112162A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/301,936
- Filed: 2015-04-30
- Published: 2017-04-27
- Earliest claimed: 2014-05-02
- Assignees: Kraft Foods R & D, Inc.
- Applicants: Kraft Foods R & D, Inc.
- Inventors: Thorsten Gustav; Michael Schulz
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170112162A1

## CPC

- A23G 1/005: {Moulding, shaping, cutting or dispensing chocolate (A23G1/0076 - A23G1/0096 take precedence)}
- A23G 1/0059: {Cutting or modelling of a section of plate; Embossing; Punching}
- A23G 1/0076: {Processes for moulding hollow products, open shells or other articles having cavities, e.g. open cavities}
- A23G 1/203: {Devices for cutting or modelling of a section or plate; Embossing; Punching, e.g. stamping-tool}
- 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 3/2023: {the material being shaped at least partially in a mould, in the hollows of a surface, a drum, an endless band or by drop-by-drop casting or dispensing of the materials on a surface or an article being completed}
- A23G: COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF

## Abstract

Disclosed is an edible product comprising an outer shell and a filling, wherein the outer shell is provided with a predefined area of weakness on an interior surface thereof. Also disclosed is a corresponding method and apparatus.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An edible product comprising an outer shell and a filling, wherein the outer shell is provided with a predefined area of weakness on an interior surface thereof.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The edible product of claim 1 where in the predefined area of weakness is a region of shell which is thinner than other surrounding regions.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The edible product of claim 2 wherein the predefined area of weakness is in the range 30% to 85% of the thickness of the surrounding regions.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The edible product of claim 1 wherein the predefined area of weakness is one or more of: a line; a zig-zag; a circle; a square; a triangle; and a geometric shape.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The edible product of claim 2 wherein the predefined area of weakness has a generally triangular profile in cross-section.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The edible product of claim 1 wherein the outer shell is formed from chocolate.

### Claim 7

A method of manufacturing an edible product comprising the steps of:
providing a mould comprising a quantity of molten edible material;
introducing a chilled stamp into the mould, to solidify the material and so form a shell,
wherein the stamp comprises a projection arranged to produce a predefined area of weakness in the shell;
filling the shell with a relatively soft filling; closing the shell to seal in the filling.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7 wherein the projection is arranged to penetrate the material to a depth in the range of 30% to 85% of a thickness of a surrounding area.

### Claim 9

A stamp for use with a complementary mould in a cold-stamping apparatus for producing edible shells, comprising at least one projection on a major surface thereof, arranged such that said projection creates an area of weakness in a shell produced using the stamp.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

A stamp as claimed in claim 9 wherein the projection tapers from a relatively wide portion adjacent to the major surface, to a relatively narrow portion.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The stamp as claimed in claim 10, wherein the projection is substantially triangular in cross-section.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The stamp as claimed in claim 9, comprising a plurality of projections arranged to form a corresponding plurality of areas of weakness in the shell produced sing the stamp.