An apparatus for depositing a food product comprising a nozzle having a pressurised chamber and a food product outlet; a valve needle movable relative between a closed position and to one of a plurality of discrete open positions; and an actuator configured to set the position of the valve needle relative to the outlet, wherein the nozzle is further able to rotate in use to change the direction of flow of a food product being deposited by the apparatus.

A unit (1) for dosing a confectionery mass includes a base body (2), a dosing chamber (26) for containing a confectionery mass and a rotary piston (3) being reversingly driven to alternatingly fill the dosing chamber (26) with confectionery mass and to remove confectionery mass from the dosing chamber (26). The rotary piston (3) has a filling cycle for filling the dosing chamber (26) with confectionery mass during which it is rotatingly driven in a first direction of rotation (28). The rotary piston (3) has a removing cycle for removing the confectionery mass from the dosing chamber (26) during which it is rotatingly driven in a second direction of rotation (29) being opposite to the first direction of rotation (28). The filling cycle and the removing cycle form one complete working cycle.

The present invention discloses a 3D food printer, which comprises a large hopper in a print head with a cooling system, so as to store and supply a large amount of a food material and print reliably at a high ambient temperature, and an automatic conveying system for printed products, so as to automatically output the food product after printing it, and then proceed with the next one. These features make the printer more effective, easier to operate, and in line with the requirements of food hygiene. The technical solution includes: the 3D food printer comprising a print head for extruding a food material; a cooling system for keeping the food material at a low temperature at which the food material does not melt or agglomerate; a conveying system for automatically outputting a printed food product; a frame for supporting the entire 3D food printer; a drive system for driving the 3D food printer to move in the X-, Y- and Z-directions; and a control system for controlling the operation of the entire 3D food printer.

A tempered chocolate deposition device is disclosed herein. While the present disclosure can be advantageously used for the accurate deposition of chocolate from a chocolate tempering machine, it may also be used with other liquid material. Liquid chocolate-like mass may leave the tempering machine through its tempering machine output nozzle. A tempered chocolate deposition device constructed according to the present disclosure may be sized to engage with the output nozzles of an OEM tempering machine having varying sizes, shapes, or geometries.

A confectionery processing machine has a hopper attached to a dispensing unit. The dispensing unit comprises a plurality of co-operating piston and nozzles. The hopper is arranged to supply an edible material to the plurality of co-operating piston and nozzles. The dispensing unit is arranged in order to dispense the edible material from the plurality of co-operating piston and nozzles. The confectionery processing machine is improved by providing the hopper with at least two separate compartments. Here, each compartment separately provides edible material to a portion of the plurality of pistons. Consequently, a more flexible confectionery processing machine is provided because all the plurality of piston and nozzles are not provided from the same compartment.

An apparatus for dispensing a foodstuff a heating block (59) having a top side (60) and a bottom side (61), the bottom side (61) being complementary to a portion of the cylinder (11), the heating block (59) being removable from the housing (16) and from the container (1).

An apparatus (1) for dosing a confectionery mass includes a plurality of confectionery mass dosing units (2) being arranged side-by-side. Each of the confectionery mass dosing units (2) includes a locking valve (18), a dosing valve (22) and an outlet opening (26). The outlet opening (26) serves to dispense a dosing quantity of confectionery mass from the confectionery mass dosing unit (2). The dosing valve (22) serves to adjust the dosing quantity. The locking valve (18) being an addition to the dosing valve (22) serves for alternate opening and closing, wherein no confectionery mass exits from the outlet opening (26) when the locking valve (18) is closed.

System for conveying and dispensing material may include a heated supply of the material, one or more heated hoses, a heated dispenser, and a pump having a heating device internal the pump. A pump for conveying liquid or liquefied material, for example chocolate, may include one or more heating devices disposed within the pump. A filter may also be provided with an optional internal heating device.

An apparatus for dispensing a foodstuff a heating block (59) having a top side (60) and a bottom side (61), the bottom side (61) being complementary to a portion of the cylinder (11), the heating block (59) being removable from the housing (16) and from the container (1).

A fluid mixture, for example, a chocolate-based mixture, is dosed and fed to forming moulds through two cavities arranged on diametrically opposite sides of a longitudinal axis and having respective opposite inlets. The cavities are rotated in unison and in a stepwise manner around a longitudinal axis between an inlet opening for the mixture and an outlet opening for the mixture and dosed while keeping the volume of both cavities unchanged. One of the cavities is filled with a predefined quantity of fluid mixture and the other cavity is simultaneously emptied while keeping the cavities in angularly fixed positions around the longitudinal axis.