The installation (1) comprises: a vacuum expansion chamber (4), having an inlet (4a) provided with a first gas-tight valve device (5) for receiving a flow of semi-finished pieces (3) prepared starting from a confectionery compound and including particles, such as air bubbles and/or powders, capable of causing an expansion thereof under vacuum, and an outlet (4b). In chamber (4) there is provided a rotating drum (7) having a grille structure, intended to receive and transfer to the outlet (4b) of said chamber (4) a flow of said semi-finished pieces (3), in a controlled period of time sufficient to allow an expansion thereof under vacuum.

A cooling and conveying apparatus (10) under vacuum, at a controlled temperature, has an inlet coupled with the outlet of the expansion chamber (4), and an outlet having an associated second gas-tight valve device (18) for discharging the expanded and cooled confectionery products (3). This apparatus (10) includes at least one cooling and conveying unit (11-14) comprising a conduit under vacuum (11a-14a) in which there is provided a worm conveyor device (11d-14d; 11e-14e) including a flexible spiral screw (11e-14e) intended to cause a displacement of the expanded pieces (3) at a controlled speed.

The installation (1) comprises: a vacuum expansion chamber (4), having an inlet (4a) provided with a first gas-tight valve device (5) for receiving a flow of semi-finished pieces (3) prepared starting from a confectionery compound and including particles, such as air bubbles and/or powders, capable of causing an expansion thereof under vacuum, and an outlet (4b). In chamber (4) there is provided a rotating drum (7) having a grille structure, intended to receive and transfer to the outlet (4b) of said chamber (4) a flow of said semi-finished pieces (3), in a controlled period of time sufficient to allow an expansion thereof under vacuum.

A cooling and conveying apparatus (10) under vacuum, at a controlled temperature, has an inlet coupled with the outlet of the expansion chamber (4), and an outlet having an associated second gas-tight valve device (18) for discharging the expanded and cooled confectionery products (3). This apparatus (10) includes at least one cooling and conveying unit (11-14) comprising a conduit under vacuum (11a-14a) in which there is provided a worm conveyor device (11d-14d; 11e-14e) including a flexible spiral screw (11e-14e) intended to cause a displacement of the expanded pieces (3) at a controlled speed.

The present invention relates to the field of confectionery production, particularly to the use of a modular, flexible process and the use thereof in combination with the confectionery cooling step of the present invention.

The present invention relates to the field of confectionery production, particularly to the use of a modular, flexible process and the use thereof in combination with the confectionery cooling step of the present invention.

Disclosed is a system for forming and cooling gum, the system including a forming system configured to size the gum to include a substantially uniform thickness, a cooling device that is disposed in-line with the forming system and configured to continuously receive the gum from the forming system at an entry point of the cooling device, and a multi-pass conveying system configured to continuously transport the gum from the entry point to an exit point of the cooling device, the forming system and the cooling device being configured to form and cool the gum to be in a condition for stacking or collecting upon exiting the exit point of the cooling device.

Disclosed is a system for forming and cooling gum, the system including a forming system configured to size the gum to include a substantially uniform thickness, a cooling device that is disposed in-line with the forming system and configured to continuously receive the gum from the forming system at an entry point of the cooling device, and a multi-pass conveying system configured to continuously transport the gum from the entry point to an exit point of the cooling device, the forming system and the cooling device being configured to form and cool the gum to be in a condition for stacking or collecting upon exiting the exit point of the cooling device.

Disclosed is a system for cooling chewing gum, the system including a cooling housing including a relatively upper cooling environment and a relatively lower cooling environment, a conveying device configured to convey the chewing gum from an entry point to an exit point of the cooling housing, the conveying device at least partially delimiting the relatively upper cooling environment from the relatively lower cooling environment, a first cooling system configured to provide cooling output to the relatively upper cooling environment, and second cooling system configured to provide cooling output to the relatively lower cooling environment, wherein the relatively upper cooling environment and the relatively lower cooling environment are disposed in fluid separation from each other.

Disclosed is a system for cooling chewing gum, the system including a cooling housing including a relatively upper cooling environment and a relatively lower cooling environment, a conveying device configured to convey the chewing gum from an entry point to an exit point of the cooling housing, the conveying device at least partially delimiting the relatively upper cooling environment from the relatively lower cooling environment, a first cooling system configured to provide cooling output to the relatively upper cooling environment, and second cooling system configured to provide cooling output to the relatively lower cooling environment, wherein the relatively upper cooling environment and the relatively lower cooling environment are disposed in fluid separation from each other.

A method for producing hollow products made of a foodstuff material that can be formed in a mould, preferably chocolate, comprising the steps of: providing a mould (40) comprising a mould cavity (44) delimited by a mould surface (42); dispensing into said mould cavity (44) a pre-set amount of said foodstuff material; subjecting said mould (40), in the mould cavity (44) of which said pre-set amount of material is contained, to at least one movement of rotation about an axis of rotation (I1, I2) for distributing said foodstuff material over the entire mould surface (42); and during the step where said mould (40) is subjected to the movement of rotation, setting selected portions (43) of said mould surface (42) in a condition of heat exchange with a thermal-conditioning fluid so as to maintain said selected portions (43) of said mould surface (42) at a temperature different from, preferably lower than, that of the other portions of said mould surface (42).

A drying plant (100) for the production of confectionery products is described, comprising a drying chamber (3), an air treatment unit (2), a delivery assembly (4) and a suction assembly (5), an inner air distribution assembly fluidically connected to said delivery assembly (4) and to said suction assembly (5) so as to form a closed air circuit characterized in that said inner distribution assembly comprises at least one closed-section delivery channel (7) comprising a plurality of primary outlets (8) configured to send a portion of the airflow into the lower portion of the drying chamber (8).