CONFECTIONERY MASS DOSING UNIT INCLUDING A LOCKING VALVE AND A DOSING VALVE

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A confectionery mass dosing unit, comprising: an outlet opening for dispensing a dosing quantity of confectionery mass from the confectionery mass dosing unit; a dosing valve for adjusting the dosing quantity, the dosing valve being subjected to pressure; and an additional locking valve for alternate opening and closing, the locking valve being designed and arranged such that no confectionery mass exits from the outlet opening when the locking valve is closed.

2. The confectionery mass dosing unit of claim 1, wherein the dosing valve is a hose squeeze valve.

3. The confectionery mass of claim 1, wherein the dosing valve is designed to be continuously controllable.

4. The confectionery mass dosing unit of claim 1, wherein the dosing valve is designed to be manually or automatically controllable during operation of the confectionery mass dosing unit.

5. The confectionery mass dosing unit of claim 1, wherein the locking valve is a mechanically actuated valve.

6. The confectionery mass dosing unit of claim 5, wherein the locking valve is a rotary piston valve, a slide valve or a seat valve.

7. The confectionery mass dosing unit of claim 1, wherein the locking valve is designed and arranged to be opened and closed in cycles.

8. An apparatus for dosing a confectionery mass, comprising: a plurality of confectionery mass dosing units being arranged side-by-side, each of the mass dosing units including: an outlet opening for dispensing a dosing quantity of confectionery mass from the confectionery mass dosing unit; a dosing valve for adjusting the dosing quantity, the dosing valve being subjected to pressure; and an additional locking valve for alternate opening and closing, the locking valve being designed and arranged such that no confectionery mass exits from the outlet opening when the locking valve is closed.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the locking valves of the confectionery mass dosing units are designed such that they are commonly opened and closed.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the locking valves of the confectionery mass dosing units are designed such that they can be opened and closed independently from one another.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising: an error detection apparatus, the error detection apparatus being designed such that it issues an error signal when there is an error being associated with a locking valve of one of the confectionery mass dosing units; and a control unit, the control unit being designed and arranged such that the locking valve being associated with the error is closed due to the error signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a control unit for the dosing valves of the confectionery mass dosing units, the control unit and the dosing valves being designed such that the dosing valves are controllable independently from one another.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising: a control unit for the dosing valves of the confectionery mass dosing unit; and an error detection apparatus, the control unit and the dosing valves being designed such that the dosing valves are controllable independently from one another, the locking valves of the confectionery mass dosing units being designed such that they are commonly opened and closed, and the error detection apparatus being designed such that it issues an error signal when there is an error and the dosing valve being associated with the error is fully closed.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising: a control unit for the dosing valves of the confectionery mass dosing unit, the control unit and the dosing valves being designed such that the dosing valves are controllable independently from one another, the locking valves of the confectionery mass dosing units being designed such that they are commonly opened and closed, and the control unit being designed such that, when the locking valves are opened and the dosing valve of a first confectionery mass dosing unit is opened and the dosing valve of an adjacent second confectionery mass dosing unit is closed, the dosing valve of the first confectionery mass dosing unit is further closed.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising: a control unit for the dosing valves of the confectionery mass dosing unit, the control unit and the dosing valves being designed such that the dosing valves are controllable independently from one another, the locking valves of the confectionery mass dosing units being designed such that they can be opened and closed independently from one another, and the control unit being designed such that, when the locking valve of a first confectionery mass dosing unit is opened and the locking valve of an adjacent second confectionery mass dosing unit is closed, the dosing valve of the first confectionery mass dosing unit is further closed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] In the following, the invention is further explained and described with respect to preferred exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings.

[0055] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a new apparatus for dosing a confectionery mass including a plurality of confectionery mass dosing units as being used over a conveyor belt.

[0056] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a part of the apparatus of FIG. 1 from the front.

[0057] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the part of the apparatus of FIG. 1 from the rear.

[0058] FIG. 4 illustrates a view of the rear of the part of the apparatus according to FIG. 1.

[0059] FIG. 5 illustrates a longitudinal sectional view of the part of the apparatus according to FIG. 1.

[0060] FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the part of the apparatus according to FIG. 1.

[0061] FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a second exemplary embodiment of the part of the new apparatus.

[0062] FIG. 8 illustrates a side view of the part of the apparatus according to FIG. 7.

[0063] FIG. 9 illustrates a longitudinal sectional view of the part of the apparatus according to FIG. 7.

[0064] FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the part of the apparatus according to FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] FIGS. 1 to 6 illustrate different views of parts of a first exemplary embodiment of the new apparatus 1 for dosing a confectionery mass including a plurality of confectionery mass dosing units 2. FIG. 1 illustrates a greater part of the apparatus 1, while FIGS. 2 to 5 illustrate details of the apparatus 1 and FIG. 7 illustrates a detail of a confectionery mass dosing unit 2.

[0066] The apparatus 1 includes a conveyor belt 3 being revolvingly driven in a sense of conveying direction 4. A multitude of confectionery pieces 5 rests on the upper part of the conveyor belt 3. The confectionery pieces 5 are located in rows extending perpendicularly to the sense of conveying direction 4 and in columns extending in the sense of conveying direction 4 (and the conveying direction, respectively). A defined number of confectionery pieces 5 is located in each properly formed row. It is to be seen in the present example that a confectionery piece 5 is missing in the third row as seen in the sense of conveying direction 4, among other things. This is a void 6. Additional voids 6 are illustrated for reasons of explanation. However, in practice usually only a small number of voids 6 exists.

[0067] The apparatus 1 includes a dosing beam 7 approximately in the middle region of the illustrated section of the conveyor belt 3 as seen in the sense of conveying direction 4. The dosing beam 7 serves to apply a flowable confectionery mass onto the confectionery pieces 5. This can be seen in FIG. 1 by the different illustrated designs of the confectionery pieces 5 upstream and downstream of the dosing beam 7.

[0068] The dosing beam 7 is moved vertically and horizontally by two electric motors 8. The conveyor belt 3 is continuously moved in the sense of conveying direction 4. The dosing beam 7 is moved along with the conveyor belt 3 and thus also with the confectionery pieces 5 during a dosing cycle such that the confectionery mass is dispensed onto the respective confectionery piece 5. This process taken in isolation is known from the prior art and will thus not be further described in the following. However, it would also be possible that the conveyor belt 3 is driven in a clocked manner and that the dosing beam 7 is stationary.

[0069] The dosing beam 7 includes a plurality of mass ports 9 through which the confectionery mass reaches a reservoir 10 (see FIG. 6). The dosing beam 7 furthermore includes water ports 11 over which water (or a different tempering medium) reaches the dosing beam 7 and exits from it, respectively. The desired temperature of the confectionery mass being contained in the reservoir 10 is obtained by the tempering medium.

[0070] It is also to be seen in FIG. 1 that the apparatus 1 includes a motor 12, especially a servo motor, a cam 13 and a push rod 14. These components serve to actuate the locking valves of the confectionery mass dosing units 2 which will be further explained below.

[0071] FIGS. 2 to 5 illustrate different views of the dosing beam 7 of FIG. 1. The dosing beam 7 includes a housing 15 at which the ports 9, 11 are arranged. Among other things, the reservoir 10 is formed in the housing 15.

[0072] Below the housing 15, the dosing beam 7 includes a plurality of confectionery mass dosing units 2. The number of confectionery mass dosing units 2 corresponds to the number of confectionery pieces 5 in a row on the conveyor belt 3. For reasons of clarity, only some of the confectionery mass dosing units 2 are designated with reference numerals in FIGS. 2 to 5. For the same reason, the components of the confectionery mass dosing units 2 are only designated with reference numerals in the detailed view of FIG. 6.

[0073] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the new confectionery mass dosing unit 2. The housing 15 includes a lower part 16 and a cover 17. The reservoir 10 is formed in the interior of the housing 15. Confectionery mass reaches the reservoir 10 via the mass support 9.

[0074] Downstream of the reservoir 10, the confectionery mass dosing unit 2 includes a locking valve 18 for alternate opening and closing. The locking valve 18 includes an (separate) locking valve housing 29. The locking valve 18 is a mechanically actuated valve. In the present example, it is a rotary piston valve. However, it could also be a different type of a locking valve 18.

[0075] The locking valve 18 is opened and closed in cycles (clocked). During the dosing cycle of the confectionery mass dosing unit 2 and of the apparatus 1, the locking valve 18 is opened. Otherwise, it is closed. In the present case, actuation of the locking valve 18 occurs together with all other locking valves 18 of the other confectionery mass dosing units 2 of the apparatus 1. Actuation occurs via a pushing movement of a coupling rod 19 being caused by the motor 12, the cam 13 and the pushing rod 14. Rotation of the coupling rod 19 is transferred onto a rotary piston 21 of the locking valve 18 via a coupling lever 20. A passage bore 28 is located in the rotary piston 21. Depending on the position of the rotary piston 21, the passage bore 28 is connected to the reservoir 10 or separated therefrom. In this way, the locking valve 18 takes its opened position and its closed position.

[0076] An additional and separate dosing valve 22 is arranged downstream of the locking valve 18. The dosing valve 22 includes its (own) dosing valve housing 30. The dosing valve 22 serves to adjust the dosing quantity of confectionery mass which is eventually applied to the confectionery pieces 5. The dosing valve 22 is a hose squeeze valve being subjected to pressure. The dosing valve 22 includes a port 23 via which a pressure medium, especially air or a liquid, reaches the interior of the dosing valve 22. There, a pressure chamber 24 is formed via which an adjustable pressure acts upon a hose section 25. Depending on the pressure level, the hose section 25 narrows or extends the free cross-section being available for passage of the confectionery mass. In this way, the dosing volume is controlled. FIG. 6 illustrates the dosing valve 22 in its pressureless condition in which the free cross-section is maximal.

[0077] An outlet opening 26 is arranged downstream of the dosing valve 22. The outlet opening 26 serves to dispense the dosing quantity of confectionery mass from the confectionery mass dosing unit 2.

[0078] FIGS. 7 to 10 illustrate corresponding views of a second exemplary embodiment of the new apparatus 1, the dosing beam 7 and the confectionery mass dosing units 2. Concerning corresponding features, it is referred to the above-described embodiments to avoid unnecessary repetitions.

[0079] In contrast to the drive e.g. including the coupling rod 19, the apparatus 1 here includes a valve shaft 27 via which the locking valves 18 are commonly opened and closed.

[0080] Many variations and modifications may be made to the preferred embodiments of the invention without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of the present invention, as defined by the following claims.