[go: up one dir, main page]

WO1997001287A1 - Procede et dispositif de congelation de produits alimentaires liquides ou semi-liquides - Google Patents

Procede et dispositif de congelation de produits alimentaires liquides ou semi-liquides Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1997001287A1
WO1997001287A1 PCT/SE1996/000827 SE9600827W WO9701287A1 WO 1997001287 A1 WO1997001287 A1 WO 1997001287A1 SE 9600827 W SE9600827 W SE 9600827W WO 9701287 A1 WO9701287 A1 WO 9701287A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
conveyor belt
blades
cutter blade
food product
support
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/SE1996/000827
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Alvar Andersson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Linde Sverige AB
Original Assignee
AGA AB
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by AGA AB filed Critical AGA AB
Priority to AU63233/96A priority Critical patent/AU6323396A/en
Publication of WO1997001287A1 publication Critical patent/WO1997001287A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
    • F25C1/00—Producing ice
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23B—PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES
    • A23B2/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general
    • A23B2/80—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
    • A23B2/803—Materials being transported through or in the apparatus, with or without shaping, e.g. in the form of powders, granules or flakes
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23B—PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES
    • A23B2/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general
    • A23B2/80—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
    • A23B2/85—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling with addition of or treatment with chemicals
    • A23B2/88—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling with addition of or treatment with chemicals with direct contact between the food and the chemical, e.g. liquid N2 at cryogenic temperature
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
    • F25C5/00—Working or handling ice

Definitions

  • the subject invention relates generally to a method of freezing a semiliquid or liquid food product into discrete pieces, and to a device for performing the method. More specifically, the invention relates to a method and a device in accordance with the preamble of claims 1 and 2, respectively.
  • the method permits rapid freezing as well as rapid thawing, which is advan ⁇ tageous from a quality point of view.
  • the manufacturer benefits since separately frozen pieces makes it easy to use a variety of different package sizes and the user benefits, since he need use only a part of the separately frozen pieces in the package on each occasion.
  • Prior-art methods of freezing semiliquid or liquid food products in discrete pieces comprise freezing the food product in containers of the desired shape and volume, forming pellets by compressing already frozen smaller particles of the food product, rolling the food product after cooling thereof into manageable consis ⁇ tency, and division by cutting or sawing the food product after freezing thereof on a conveyor belt.
  • the prior-art methods suffer from several drawbacks, among them that they treat the food product in a less than careful manner, that they leave residues of the food product adhering to the manufacturing device, or that they are incapable of providing sufficient productivity.
  • US 5,156,008 it is known, however, to freeze a bottom layer of a food product by making use of an extremely cold support.
  • the invention is based on a two-step freezing method.
  • a first step preferably liquid nitrogen is used.
  • the purpose of this first step is to stabilise the food product pieces rapidly by freezing a thin layer or shell thereof, at least at the bottom of the product and on one side of the discrete pieces.
  • An additional purpose is to prevent the food product from freezing fast to the device designed to form the discrete pieces.
  • a second step the freezing of the products is completed in a more cost-efficient freezer, since, as a result of the first step, it becomes possible to transfer the food products to e.g. a conventional freezer using cool air to effect the freezing.
  • an impervious support and at least one cutter blade arranged to be moved essentially into con ⁇ tact with the support are chilled to a sufficiently low temperature to freeze the entire surface of contact of a food product, upon its contact with the support or the cutter blade or blades, without the product freezing fast thereto.
  • the support and the cutter blade or blades which are subsequently continuously maintained at the said low temperature are made use of in the following manner.
  • the semiliquid or liquid food product is initially discharged onto the support to a predetermined depth or a predetermined thickness. Subsequently, the cutter blade or blades are lowered so as to penetrate through the dis- charged food product and essentially into contact with the support. As a result, a layer of the food product closest to the support and to the cutter blade or blades freezes and in doing so it forms a supporting bottom as well as one or several side walls that are contiguous with the bottom, these serving as barriers against the yet unfrozen part of the food product, in at least a future discrete piece thereof.
  • the cutter blade or blades are removed from the product resting on the sup ⁇ port, whereafter at least one discrete piece of the food product is at least partly formed on the support.
  • the measures indicated above are repeated, as desired, to achieve the final shaping of discrete pieces of the initially semiliquid or liquid food product.
  • the completely shaped separate pieces are finally removed from the support to complete the freezing thereof in a second freezer.
  • the method may be performed in batches as well as continuously.
  • a device for continuous performance of the method comprises a chilled conveyor belt and a dispensing means for discharging the food product onto the moving conveyor belt so that a continuous string of the product is formed on said conveyor belt, which string is allowed to freeze, beginning in a layer closest to the surface of the con ⁇ veyor belt.
  • a cutter blade positioned downstream of the dispensing means in the direction of travel of the con- veyor belt is arranged to periodically be moved into con ⁇ tact with the conveyor belt in order to sever said string into a plurality of discrete pieces.
  • a plurality of radially directed cutter blades are mounted on a rotat- able roller. Devices of this nature are known per se, see e.g. US-A-4,060, 998.
  • this kind of device also comprises cooling means arranged to chill the conveyor belt, as well as the cutter blade or blades to a sufficiently low temperature to freeze a food product in contact with said cutter blade or blades with ⁇ out the product freezing fast thereto.
  • the duration of the conveyor belt move ⁇ ment, from the dispensing means to the cutter blade or roller is chosen to ensure that the cutter blade or each cutter blade cuts through the string before more than just a layer of said string closest to the conveyor belt freezes, and freezes a layer of said string adjacent the cutter blade or blades.
  • the cutter blade or blades In order to impart to said cutter blade or blades the required low temperature it/they preferably is/are hollow in accordance with the invention, such that a cavity is formed, through which a cooling medium, such as liquid nitrogen, is allowed to circulate.
  • a cooling medium such as liquid nitrogen
  • the cavities of several cutter blades are joined together to form one single cavity, common to all cutter blades, for instance in the roller interior.
  • Such a synchronous movement may be achieved by arranging the conveyor belt so as to directly or indi ⁇ rectly drivingly engage the roller, thus omitting the need to provide the roller with its separate drive unit.
  • the roller could be provided, at least at one end thereof, with teeth for engagement with corre ⁇ sponding apertures formed along the corresponding mar ⁇ ginal edge of the conveyor belt.
  • the cutter blade may be configured in such a manner that by cyclically repeating the pattern of movement of the cutter blade, viz.
  • roller cutting blades may be disposed in any pattern that produces the desired separate pieces.
  • the discrete pieces could, however, advantageously be produced by means of two rollers, each with its indi ⁇ vidual cutter blade pattern, which together produce the desired division of the food product into discrete pieces.
  • Fig. 1 is a schematic lateral view, which partly in cross-section illustrates one embodiment of a device in accordance with the invention
  • Fig. 2 is a lateral view, showing in closer detail one embodiment of a roller incorporated in the device in accordance with the invention
  • Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the roller of Fig. 2
  • Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a conveyor belt incorporated in the device in accord ⁇ ance with the invention
  • Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through a further embodiment of a roller for use in the device in accordance with the invention.
  • Fig. 6 is one example of a different divisional pattern for use in connection with the invention.
  • the device illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a hous ⁇ ing 1 in which an endless conveyor belt 2 moves in an upper path 3 from a pulley 4 to a pulley 5, and in a lower path 6 above an insulated bottom of the housing 1 from the pulley 5 back to the pulley 4.
  • a further pulley 7 guides the conveyor belt 2 into a trough 8 containing liquid nitrogen.
  • liq ⁇ uid nitrogen may be sprayed directly onto the belt 2, for instance on the lower face of the belt in path 3.
  • the conveyor belt 2 is driven so as to move in the direction indicated by arrow A by means of a motor 9 connected to pulley 5.
  • a very low temperature is obtained, in any case approxi ⁇ mately below -60°C, advantageously below approximately -100°C and preferably in the range from -150°C to -190°C.
  • the condition is that while moving in the upper path 3 the conveyor belt 2 is to have a sufficiently low tem- perature to ensure that food products resting on the upper path 3 of the conveyor belt, will freeze very rapidly in the form of a layer of the product closest to the upper surface of the conveyor belt 2, without the product freezing fast onto said surface.
  • the device comprises a dispensing means 10 discharging liquid or semiliquid food products, said dispensing means 10 having one or several nozzles dis ⁇ pensing at least one string 11 of the liquid or semi ⁇ liquid food product onto the conveyor belt 2 adjacent the pulley 4.
  • the dispensed string or strings 11 are moved together with the conveyor belt 2 in the direction towards the pulley 5.
  • the roller 12 is in rolling contact in path 3 with the upper face of the con ⁇ veyor belt 2 without sliding relatively to the latter be ⁇ cause of the provision of the toothed wheel 13, which is formed with teeth 16 around its circumference, said teeth 16 successively engaging holes 17 formed along one mar ⁇ ginal edge of the conveyor belt 2, thus causing the roller 12 to rotate in the direction indicated by arrow B as a result of the movement of the conveyor belt 2 in the direction of arrow A.
  • the roller 12 is in the form of a closed-end cylinder having eleven radially directed cutter blades 18 extending axially along the entire length of the roller 12 and being equally spaced from the centre axis of the roller 12. Together with the toothed wheel 13 the roller 12 is rotatably mounted on a hollow shaft 19 formed with a lengthwise channel 20, and radi ⁇ ally directed openings 21, 22 for supply of cooling medium, preferably liquid nitrogen, to the cavity of each cutter blade 18, as well as for removal of evaporated nitrogen.
  • the supply and removal conduits may be disposed in the frame 14.
  • the roller 12, with the aid of the cutter blades 18, will divide the string 11 into successive discrete pieces 23 which are delimited on the one hand by a frozen bottom layer in contact with the conveyor belt 2 and on the other by two frozen wall layers formed as a result of the contact of the product with the cutter blades 18.
  • the duration of the movement of the conveyor belt 2, from the dispensing means 10 to the roller 12 may be controlled to ensure that the roller 12 with the aid of its cutting blades 18, severs through the string 11 before more than a layer of the string closest to the conveyor belt 2 freezes, and freezes a layer adjacent the blades 18.
  • the thus formed, discrete pieces 23 are re- moved from the conveyor belt 2 adjacent the pulley 5, to complete the freezing thereof in a preferably separate second freezer.
  • the device in accordance with the invention thus is utilised to freeze only a layer of the food product closest to the conveyor belt 2 and to the cutter blades 18, whereby a supporting bottom and walls contiguous therewith are formed in each individual piece 23, with the result that the pieces 23 may be handled separately and be transferred for example to a conventional air blast freezer to complete the freezing of the products, and the thus discrete pieces 23 are able to withstand impact caused by the movements of the air blast freezer conveyor belt, the latter not either being able to make any impressions on these discrete pieces 23 because of the supporting frozen bottom layer of each individual piece 23.
  • FIG. 4 illustrates the cross-sectional configuration of a conveyor belt 2 ' which is formed as a trough or channel whereby a completely liquid food product 11' may be contained within its lateral edges, freezing a layer of the food product 11' in contact with the conveyor belt 2' .
  • a further roller 12' (Fig. 5) may be ar ⁇ ranged downstream of the roller 12 in the direction of travel of the conveyor belt 2, and this second roller 12' may have its cutter blades 18' disposed as illustrated in Fig. 5, i.e. extending circumferentially around the roller 12' and being hollow like the cutter blades 18.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
  • Zoology (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Food Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Freezing, Cooling And Drying Of Foods (AREA)
  • Confectionery (AREA)

Abstract

Un produit alimentaire semi-liquide ou liquide est congelé en morceaux par refroidissement d'un support imperméable (2) et d'au moins une lame tranchante (12) venant en contact avec le support, à une température suffisamment basse pour congeler le produit alimentaire par contact avec le support et la lame, sur la totalité des surfaces de contact sans en provoquer la congélation complète. La lame s'abaisse sur le support tout en découpant le produit alimentaire (11) y étant déposé, dont elle se détache dès que la couche dudit produit la plus proche de la lame et du support ayant gelé constituent une base porteuse et une ou plusieurs parois latérales la touchant. Les morceaux séparés ainsi formés quittent ensuite le support pour subir une congélation finale dans un deuxième congélateur.
PCT/SE1996/000827 1995-06-26 1996-06-25 Procede et dispositif de congelation de produits alimentaires liquides ou semi-liquides Ceased WO1997001287A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU63233/96A AU6323396A (en) 1995-06-26 1996-06-25 Method and device for freezing a semiliquid or liquid food product

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE9502289-3 1995-06-26
SE9502289A SE504506C2 (sv) 1995-06-26 1995-06-26 Sätt och anordning för frysning av en halvflytande eller flytande livsmedelsprodukt

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1997001287A1 true WO1997001287A1 (fr) 1997-01-16

Family

ID=20398727

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/SE1996/000827 Ceased WO1997001287A1 (fr) 1995-06-26 1996-06-25 Procede et dispositif de congelation de produits alimentaires liquides ou semi-liquides

Country Status (3)

Country Link
AU (1) AU6323396A (fr)
SE (1) SE504506C2 (fr)
WO (1) WO1997001287A1 (fr)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7033632B2 (en) * 2002-05-06 2006-04-25 Schreiber Foods, Inc. Casting food products to controlled dimensions
FR2882810A1 (fr) * 2005-03-02 2006-09-08 Air Liquide Generateur de glacons de produits liquides ou pateux
EP1894479A1 (fr) * 2006-08-30 2008-03-05 C.I.M.S. Dispositif de refroidissement de produits liquides ou pâteux comprenant des moyens de portionnage à l'aide de moyens de prédécoupe, et procédé d'utilisation correspondant.
WO2011072187A3 (fr) * 2009-12-11 2011-08-04 Praxair Technology, Inc. Système et procédé de refroidissement d'un aliment à proximité de et dans un dispositif de transformation des aliments
CN102706060A (zh) * 2012-07-10 2012-10-03 张秉荣 连续式板冰制冰机
EP3847901A1 (fr) * 2020-01-10 2021-07-14 L'air Liquide Société Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude Procédé et installation de transformation d'un produit liquide ou pâteux en particules surgelées dans un appareil de hachage rotatif (« cutter »)

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4060998A (en) * 1974-11-22 1977-12-06 The Jimmy Dean Meat Company, Inc. Portion controlled frozen food
WO1990006693A1 (fr) * 1988-12-22 1990-06-28 Frigoscandia Food Process Systems Aktiebolag Procede et agencement de congelation
EP0423371A1 (fr) * 1989-04-28 1991-04-24 Osaka Sanso Kogyo KK Procede et installation de moulage par congelation d'aliments mous et fluides

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4060998A (en) * 1974-11-22 1977-12-06 The Jimmy Dean Meat Company, Inc. Portion controlled frozen food
WO1990006693A1 (fr) * 1988-12-22 1990-06-28 Frigoscandia Food Process Systems Aktiebolag Procede et agencement de congelation
EP0423371A1 (fr) * 1989-04-28 1991-04-24 Osaka Sanso Kogyo KK Procede et installation de moulage par congelation d'aliments mous et fluides

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7033632B2 (en) * 2002-05-06 2006-04-25 Schreiber Foods, Inc. Casting food products to controlled dimensions
FR2882810A1 (fr) * 2005-03-02 2006-09-08 Air Liquide Generateur de glacons de produits liquides ou pateux
WO2006092535A1 (fr) * 2005-03-02 2006-09-08 L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude Generateur de glacons de produits liquides ou pateux
EP1894479A1 (fr) * 2006-08-30 2008-03-05 C.I.M.S. Dispositif de refroidissement de produits liquides ou pâteux comprenant des moyens de portionnage à l'aide de moyens de prédécoupe, et procédé d'utilisation correspondant.
FR2905451A1 (fr) * 2006-08-30 2008-03-07 C I M S Soc Par Actions Simpli Dispositif de refroidissement de produits liquides ou pateux comprenant des moyens de portionnage a l'aide de moyens de predecoupe, et procede d'utilisation correspondant.
WO2011072187A3 (fr) * 2009-12-11 2011-08-04 Praxair Technology, Inc. Système et procédé de refroidissement d'un aliment à proximité de et dans un dispositif de transformation des aliments
CN102706060A (zh) * 2012-07-10 2012-10-03 张秉荣 连续式板冰制冰机
EP3847901A1 (fr) * 2020-01-10 2021-07-14 L'air Liquide Société Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude Procédé et installation de transformation d'un produit liquide ou pâteux en particules surgelées dans un appareil de hachage rotatif (« cutter »)
FR3106036A1 (fr) * 2020-01-10 2021-07-16 Air Liquide France Industrie Procédé et Installation de transformation d’un produit liquide ou pâteux en particules surgelées dans un appareil de hachage rotatif (« cutter »)

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SE504506C2 (sv) 1997-02-24
AU6323396A (en) 1997-01-30
SE9502289D0 (sv) 1995-06-26
SE9502289L (sv) 1996-12-27

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US3436927A (en) Food freezing and proportioning method and apparatus
FI93792C (fi) Menetelmä monikerroksisten makeistuotteiden valmistamiseksi
EP1092350B1 (fr) Articles arrondis de confiserie glacée et procédé de fabrication
US5198257A (en) Cutting coextruded thermoplastic food products
US4643904A (en) Method of increasing the visibility of discrete morsels contained within a baked food product
PL317406A1 (en) Method of and apparatus for manufacturing wafer horns and the like
AU761300B2 (en) Method for preparing bakery goods having edible particles on a top surface and bakery goods prepared thereby
JPS6140734A (ja) 食用製品の形成方法及び装置
EP0164234A2 (fr) Procédé et appareil pour la fabrication de produits stratifiés
US20230371544A1 (en) Packaging a comestible without conditioning
WO1997001287A1 (fr) Procede et dispositif de congelation de produits alimentaires liquides ou semi-liquides
JPH03224455A (ja) 穀類フレークの製造方法および装置
US4778685A (en) Method for producing laminated products
US4828863A (en) Method and apparatus for supplying a uniform amount of a loose food material
US4858524A (en) Apparatus for producing laminated products
US5212960A (en) Method and a system for producing extruded edible ice products
HU194716B (en) Method and device for producing ice-cream
JP2973313B1 (ja) ピザ生地など食品生地の加工方法、及びその装置
JP3051978B2 (ja) ピザ生地など食品生地の成型方法、及びその装置
US2643526A (en) Production of ice-cream blocks
CN218527158U (zh) 用于再制干酪的切丝机及具有其的再制干酪生产线
JPH0751888Y2 (ja) 粘性食品の切断移送装置
SU982640A1 (ru) Устройство дл резки пласта из липкой кондитерской массы
JPS5913179B2 (ja) 液状食品の凍結方法
JPH0446539B2 (fr)

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AK Designated states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AL AM AT AU AZ BB BG BR BY CA CH CN CZ DE DK EE ES FI GB GE HU IS JP KE KG KP KR KZ LK LR LS LT LU LV MD MG MK MN MW MX NO NZ PL PT RO RU SD SE SG SI SK TJ TM TR TT UA UG US UZ VN AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM

AL Designated countries for regional patents

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): KE LS MW SD SZ UG AT BE CH DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LU MC NL PT SE BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN

DFPE Request for preliminary examination filed prior to expiration of 19th month from priority date (pct application filed before 20040101)
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application
REG Reference to national code

Ref country code: DE

Ref legal event code: 8642

122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase
NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: CA