Food preparation process using bulk density feedback
AssigneeSpee-Dee Packaging Machinery, Inc.
InventorsJames P. Navin, Ronald L. Fojtik
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for food preparation and processing that determines the bulk density of food particulate matter input into particulate packaging machinery and performs bulk density feedback of packaged food particulate matter. The feedback mechanism inputs bulk density values into a controller that are referred against acceptable values. Where the input values of bulk density are outside the acceptable range the controller automatically alters the food preparation and packaging process to obtain acceptable bulk density values. The method system are applicable to any food manufacturing process, although they are particularly well suited to the manufacture of food in flake, chip, puffed or extruded form.
Claims21
A system for manufacturing particulate food matter and changing the bulk density thereof, comprising:
- a cup filler including;
- a plurality of cups each having a variable volumetric capacity and fixed to rotate about a common rotational axis, each cup defining a volumetrically metered portion of particulate food matter;
- a planar bottom plate disposed to support a lower portion of each of the cups and configured to change the volume of the cups;
- a top plate disposed to support an upper portion of each of the cups;
- a position sensor disposed to sense changes in the volume of each cup and to generate an electrical signal indicative of such volumetric changes;
- a weight sensing device for determining a weight measurement of the volumetrically metered portions of particulate food matter;
- a first electronic controller coupled to the position sensor and to the weight sensing device to generate a series of electrical signals indicative of the bulk density of the volumetrically metered portions;
- a second electronic controller coupled to the first electronic controller over first communications lines to receive the series of electrical signals indicative of bulk density;
- and
- at least one food processing device selected from the group consisting of a mixer-agitator, a pre-conditioner, a cooling extruder, a batch steam cooker, a forming and cooking extruder, a pelletizing extruder, a microwave oven, a tempering oven, flaking rolls, shredding rolls, a deep-fat fryer, a gun puffer, a toasting oven, a baking oven and an enrober, the device having at least one electrically controllable actuator configured to regulate at least one machine operating parameter;
- wherein the second electronic controller is configured to change the operating parameter based upon at least one signal in the series of electrical signals indicative of bulk density by electrically signaling the at least one electrically controllable actuator, and further wherein the change in that electrically controllable actuator varies the bulk density of the particulate food matter.
A control system for controlling food processing machinery using a signal indicative of bulk density, comprising:
- a cup filler including a plurality of cups that rotate about a common rotational axis, a motor that drives the cups about their axis, a weight sensor that measures the weight of the contents of the cups, and a volume sensor to provide a signal indicating the volume of the cups;
- a first controller coupled to the weight and volume sensors to receive weight and volume signals from the weight and volume sensors and to generate at least one signal indicative of the bulk density of contents contained within the cups;
- and
- a second controller in electrical communication with the first controller to receive the at least one signal indicative of the bulk density of the cups and to generate a machine control signal for the food processing machinery selected from the group consisting of a mixer-agitator, a pre-conditioner, a forming and cooking extruder, a cooking extruder, a batch steam cooker, a pelletizing extruder, a microwave oven, a tempering oven, flaking rolls, shredding rolls, a deep-fat fryer, a gun puffer, a toasting oven, a baking oven and an extruder.
A method of controlling the bulk density of particulate food matter, comprising the steps of:
- processing raw materials in a plurality of food processing devices, having respective operational parameters, into a continuous stream of particulate food matter;
- volumetrically metering the continuous stream of particulate food matter into a series of individual portions of particulate food matter;
- sequentially weighing each individual portion in the series of individual portions;
- generating an electrical signal indicative of the bulk density of the series of individual portions;
- and
- varying at least one of the operational parameters of the food processing devices in response to the signal indicative of bulk density.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.