# US 2023/0263172 A1 · Returning unit for flat food product like pancakes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0263172 A1 - Document ID: US20230263172A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/017,615 - Filed: 2021-07-20 - Published: 2023-08-24 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-21 - Assignees: Acemal International - Applicants: Acemal International - Inventors: Pierre DE LONGRÉE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230263172A1 ## CPC - A21B 3/07: Charging or discharging ovens (A21B3/18 takes precedence) - A21C 9/08: Depositing, arranging and conveying apparatus for handling pieces, e.g. sheets of dough {(for handling liquid or semi-liquid dough, e.g. batter A21C5/006)} - A21B: BAKERS' OVENS; MACHINES OR EQUIPMENT FOR BAKING (domestic baking equipment A47J37/00) - A21C: MACHINES OR EQUIPMENT FOR MAKING OR PROCESSING DOUGHS; HANDLING BAKED ARTICLES MADE FROM DOUGH ## Abstract A unit for returning one or several flat food products, comprising a returning element configured for rotating around a rotating axis and provided with at least one outer face for receiving the one or several flat food products to be returned; wherein the at least one outer face is provided with air aspiration holes for maintaining by depression the one or several flat food products on the outer face when the returning element is rotated with the outer face oriented downwardly. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 -23. (canceled) ### Claim 24 A unit for returning one or more flat food products, said unit comprising: a returning element configured for rotating around a rotating axis and provided with at least one outer face for receiving the one or more flat food products to be returned; wherein the at least one outer face is provided with air aspiration holes for maintaining by depression the one or more flat food products on the outer face when the returning element is rotated with the outer face oriented downwardly; and a loading conveyor configured for loading the one or more flat food products on one of the at least one outer face of the returning element; wherein the loading conveyor is a belt conveyor with a retractable end configured for selectively extending from the belt to bring the one or more flat food products from the belt to one of the at least one outer face of the returning element, and retracting to the belt away from the outer face. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The unit according to claim 24, wherein each of the at least one outer face is flat. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The unit according to claim 24, wherein the at least one outer face comprises a first outer face and a second outer face opposed to the first outer surface. ### Claim 27 (depends on 24) The unit according to claim 24, wherein the at least one outer face comprises more than two outer faces distributed around the rotating axis. ### Claim 28 (depends on 24) The unit according to claim 24, wherein the returning element is elongate along the rotating axis and each of the at least one outer face is subdivided in several areas each for receiving one of the several flat food products. ### Claim 29 (depends on 24) The unit according to claim 24, wherein the returning element comprises a specific vacuum chamber in fluid connection with the air aspiration holes for each of the at least one outer face. ### Claim 30 (depends on 24) The unit according to claim 24, wherein the returning element forms a hollow profile extending along the rotation axis and showing a cross-section with at least one outer wall forming the at least one outer face. ### Claim 31 (depends on 24) The unit according to claim 24, further comprising an unloading conveyor located below the returning element and configured for receiving the one or more flat food products in a returned state. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The unit according to claim 31, wherein the unloading conveyor forms a main conveyor extending on an entry side of the unit, the loading conveyor being configured for collecting the one or more flat food products from the main conveyor. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The unit according to claim 32, wherein the main conveyor comprises cooking plates attached to each other along a main direction of the main conveyor and configured for receiving along the main direction, each one of the one or more flat food products. ### Claim 34 (depends on 24) The unit according to claim 24, wherein the air aspiration holes on each of the at least one outer face comprise several of the air aspiration holes distributed in a direction perpendicular to the rotating axis for each of the one or more flat food products. ### Claim 35 (depends on 24) The unit according to claim 24, further comprising at least one vacuum pump fluidly connected to the air aspiration holes of the at least one outer face of the returning element. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The unit according to claim 35, wherein the fluid connection of the at least one vacuum pump is angularly fixed relative to the returning element, the returning element being actuated for rotating in a reciprocal manner. ### Claim 37 (depends on 35) The unit according to claim 35, wherein the fluid connection of the at least one vacuum pump is angularly rotatable relative to the returning element, the returning element being actuated for rotating in a same rotational direction. ### Claim 38 (depends on 35) The unit according to claim 35, wherein the fluid connection of the at least one vacuum pump is located at one or two ends of the returning element along the rotation axis. ### Claim 39 (depends on 24) The unit according to claim 24, further comprising a control unit configured for, successively and iteratively, bringing one or more of the one or more flat food products on one of the at least one outer face of the returning element, applying a depression to the one or more of the one or more flat food products through the air aspiration holes of the outer face, rotating the returning element so as to return the one or more of the one ore more flat food products, and releasing the depression so that the one or more of the one or more flat food products separate from the returning element by gravity. ### Claim 40 A process of returning one or more flat food products, said process comprising the steps of: (a) loading one or more flat food products on an outer surface of a returning element; (b) rotating the returning element so as to return the one or more flat food products; and (c) unloading the one or more flat food products from the returning element; wherein step (b) comprises maintaining the one or more flat food products on the outer face by applying a depression on a lower face of the one or more flat food products via air aspiration holes provided on the outer face; and wherein step (c) comprises releasing the depression on the one or more flat food products. ### Claim 41 (depends on 40) The process according to claim 40, wherein step (c) further comprises applying compressed air to the air aspiration holes for facilitating releasing of the one or more flat food products from the outer face. ### Claim 42 (depends on 40) The process according to claim 40, wherein the returning element comprises a vacuum chamber in fluid connection with the air aspiration holes on the outer face, and in step (b), a vacuum of not more than 50 mbar below atmospheric pressure is applied in the vacuum chamber for applying the depression. ### Claim 43 (depends on 40) The process according to claim 40, wherein in step (b) the one or more flat food products are maintained on the outer face by the depression only.