US 2020/0359671 A1Published application

Multiple-Press, Multiple-Expansion Apparatus and Methods for Making Food Products

AssigneeIdeal Snacks Corporation

InventorSteven Van Poucke

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Abstract

Apparatus and methods for making puffed food products are disclosed. Embodiments of the innovative process may include two or more cycles of compression, baking, and expansion to convert raw ingredients into at least one intermediate food product before yielding a final food product. An exemplary apparatus for making such food products may include a control unit coupled to a driving system, a raw material supply system, and at least one heatable mold having at least one movable mold element connected to the driving system. The control unit may electronically control the raw material supply system to input ingredients into the heatable mold and cause the driving system to position the at least one moveable mold element to achieve the multiple cycles of compression, baking, and expansion.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for making a food product, comprising:

one or more pressure-molding apparatuses, each of the pressure-molding apparatuses including:
a driving system;
at least one heatable mold which defines a mold cavity and has at least one movable mold element connected to the driving system that moves the at least one mold element into and out of the mold cavity;
a raw material supply system that transports raw material into the mold cavity in the mold;
and
a control unit coupled to at least said driving system, said at least one heatable mold, and said raw material supply system, said control unit configured to:
(a) cause said raw material supply system to deposit a raw material into said mold cavity,
(b) actuate said driving system to position said at least one movable mold element with respect to said mold cavity to compress said raw material,
(c) heat at least a portion of said at least one heatable mold to bake said compressed raw material at a first temperature,
(d) actuate said driving system to at least partially retract said at least one movable mold element to allow said baked, compressed raw material to expand and take shape into a first intermediate food product,
(e) actuate said driving system to re-position said at least one movable mold element with respect to said mold cavity to compress said first intermediate food product,
(f) heat at least a portion of said at least one heatable mold to bake said first intermediate food product at a second temperature, and
(g) actuate said driving system to at least partially retract said at least one movable mold element to allow said baked, compressed first intermediate food product to expand and take shape into a second intermediate food product;
wherein said control unit dynamically and automatically adjusts a heating temperature of said at least one heatable mold, based on a feedback mechanism, to meet at least one of said first temperature and said second temperature.

11 more elements

A system for making a food product, comprising:

one or more pressure-molding apparatuses, each of the pressure-molding apparatuses including:
a driving system;
at least one heatable mold which defines a mold cavity and has at least one movable mold element connected to the driving system that moves the at least one mold element into and out of the mold cavity;
a raw material supply system that transports raw material into the mold cavity in the mold;
and
a control unit coupled to at least said driving system, said at least one heatable mold, and said raw material supply system, said control unit configured to:
(a) cause said raw material supply system to deposit a raw material into said mold cavity,
(b) actuate said driving system to position said at least one movable mold element with respect to said mold cavity to compress said raw material,
(c) heat at least a portion of said at least one heatable mold to bake said compressed raw material at a first temperature,
(d) actuate said driving system to at least partially retract said at least one movable mold element to allow said baked, compressed raw material to expand and take shape into a first intermediate food product,
(e) actuate said driving system to re-position said at least one movable mold element with respect to said mold cavity to compress said first intermediate food product,
(f) heat at least a portion of said at least one heatable mold to bake said first intermediate food product at a second temperature,
(g) actuate said driving system to at least partially retract said at least one movable mold element to allow said baked, compressed first intermediate food product to expand and take shape into a second intermediate food product, and
(h) actuate said driving system to re-position said at least one movable mold element with respect to said mold cavity to compress said second intermediate food product.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.