Laser cut edible decorating sheet and methods of manufacture
OwnerRichard Ellison, Ulrike M. Kogl +1inventors
InventorsRichard Ellison, Ulrike M. Kogl, Megan Leifson
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Abstract
An edible decoration is laser kiss cut from an edible decorating sheet by optically sensing at least one printed edible design on the edible decorating sheet relative to a laser cutting tool coordinate system and driving a laser along a circuit of cutting locations defined in the laser cutting tool coordinate system. The laser beam forms a separation channel by laser ablation of at least a portion of the edible decorating sheet at the cutting locations while leaving intact the non-adhesive releasable backing upon which the edible decorating sheet rests.
Claims19
A method for cutting an edible design from an edible decorating sheet supported on a non-adhesive releasable backing, the edible decorating sheet including an edible base layer with the edible design printed thereon and an edible moisture barrier cap layer overlaying the edible design, using a laser beam included in a laser cutting tool, the method comprising:
- sensing the printed edible design on the edible decorating sheet;
- determining a spatial position for the printed edible design;
- transforming the spatial position of the printed edible design into a corresponding coordinate system for the laser cutting tool to define a cutting design;
- and
- forming a separation channel by laser ablation of at least a portion of the edible base layer and the edible moisture barrier cap layer while leaving the non-adhesive releasable backing intact, wherein the laser beam of the laser cutting tool first removes a portion of the edible moisture barrier cap layer and thereafter removes a portion of the edible base layer as the laser beam travels along a circuit of cutting locations defined by the cutting design, the separation channel thereby defining an edge of the edible design that may be separated from the edible decorating sheet.
A method for cutting an edible decoration from an edible decorating sheet supported on a non-adhesive releasable backing, the edible decorating sheet including an edible base layer with the edible design printed thereon and an edible moisture barrier cap layer overlaying the edible design, using a laser beam included in a laser cutting tool, the method comprising:
- sensing positioning data from a portion of the edible decorating sheet containing a portion of the printed edible design overlaid with the edible moisture barrier cap layer;
- determining from the positioning data a spatial position for the printed edible design on the edible base layer relative to a coordinate system for the laser cutting tool to define a cutting design;
- and
- forming a separation channel by laser ablation of at least a portion of the edible base layer and the edible moisture barrier cap layer while leaving the non-adhesive releasable backing intact, wherein the laser beam of the laser cutting tool first removes a portion of the edible moisture barrier cap layer and thereafter removes a portion of the edible base layer as the laser beam travels along a circuit of cutting locations defined by the cutting design, the separation channel thereby defining an edge of the edible design that may be separated from the edible decorating sheet.
A method for producing and cutting edible decorations from edible decorating sheets supported by a web of non-adhesive releasable backing sheets using a laser beam included in a laser cutting tool, the method comprising:
- scoring each non-adhesive releasable backing sheet from the web to create a plurality of traction marks on each of the non-adhesive releasable backing sheets to facilitate feeding processes;
- engaging one or more of the plurality of traction marks via a decorating sheet deposition module to transport the non-adhesive releasable backing sheet;
- depositing one or more base layers of edible material on the non-adhesive releasable backing sheet to form an edible decorating sheet;
- feeding the non-adhesive releasable backing sheet with the edible decorating sheet to a cutting chamber of the laser cutting tool so that, during laser ablation of the edible decorating sheet, the edible decorating sheet is positioned to be exposed to the laser beam during laser ablation;
- obtaining spatial positions for several datums contained on the selected edible decorating sheet within the cutting chamber;
- transforming the spatial positions into corresponding positions within the laser cutting tool coordinate system to thereby align the laser cutting tool with the edible decorating sheet;
- steering the laser beam along a circuit of cutting locations defined in the laser cutting tool coordinate system to form, by laser ablation of the edible decorating sheet, a separation channel therein, thereby cutting the edible decoration from the edible decorating sheet while leaving the non-adhesive releasable backing intact;
- and
- after cutting the edible decoration from the edible decorating sheet, cutting the portion of the releasable backing supporting the edible decorating sheet from the web to form a freestanding sheet of non-adhesive releasable backing carrying the edible decoration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.