PRODUCTION FACILITY AND METHOD FOR CONTROL OF WEIGHT OF COATING MATERIAL ON AN ICE CREAM PRODUCT

Abstract

In a production facility for coating ice cream products a plurality of carriers are used for transport of the ice cream products from the supply station to a coating station where coating, for example chocolate, is applied to the product. The production facility includes weight equipment configured for automatically weighing the ice cream products before and after application of the coating, which is used in a feedback loop for adjusting the coating parameters, for example chocolate temperature.

Claims

1. A method for control of weight of coating material on an ice cream product in a production facility for coated ice cream products, each coated ice cream product comprises an ice cream block on a stick; the production facility comprising a supply station for providing ice cream products and a plurality of carriers for transport of the ice cream products from the supply station to a coating station, wherein the carriers are arranged one carrier after the other in a cyclic arrangement for pickup of new ice cream products at the stick for coating after a transport cycle; each carrier comprising at least one clamp for holding a stick during transport of the ice cream product to the coating station and during application of the coating to the ice cream block; wherein the production facility comprises a weight equipment configured for automatically weighing the ice cream product and after application of the coating, the weight equipment being connected to an electronic controller with a computer unit and configured for receiving weight data from the weight measurements by the weight equipment to the controller; wherein the controller is configured for receiving the weight data from the weight equipment repeatedly during production and for automatically comparing the weight of the coating of the ice cream product to predetermined values and configured for changing coating parameters for the coating procedure when the weight of the coating deviates from predetermined values; wherein the production facility is configured for change of coating parameters by the controller during production and without a necessity of halting production; wherein parameter adjustment on the basis of the weight data is arranged as a feedback loop for repeatedly adjustment of the parameters on the basis of the weight data from weight measurements of subsequent ice cream products; wherein the method comprises in an automated sequence: providing the ice cream products by the supply station and picking up the ice cream products by their sticks by the clamps and transporting the ice cream products to the coating station; before or after the transport but before application of the coating, weighing the ice cream products; coating the ice cream block while the ice cream stick is held by the clamps on a carrier of the plurality of carriers; weighing the ice cream product after application of the coating; transmitting weight data from the weight measurements to the controller; by the controller receiving the weight data from the weight measurements and comparing the weight of the coating of the ice cream product to predetermined values and changing coating parameters for the coating procedure when the weight of the coating deviates from the predetermined values and using the changed coating parameters in a feedback loop for subsequent coating, wherein the steps of comparing, changing coating parameters, and using the changed coating parameters are effected during production and without halting production.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a bar is provided as part of the carrier; wherein the bar comprises multiple clamps arranged in a row for holding the sticks by that row, wherein the production facility is arranged for dipping of the blocks of the row of ice cream products simultaneously into a liquid coating bath of the coating material, wherein the weight equipment comprises a weight cell either for each clamp in the bar or for the bar holding multiple clamps, the weight cells being configured for measuring the weight of each individual ice cream product in the row of ice cream products or for a number of ice cream products arranged in clamps on the bar before and after the coating procedure; wherein the method comprises: weighing each ice cream product individually before the coating or weighing the bar comprising multiple clamps each holding an ice cream product before coating; dipping the ice cream products of the row of ice cream products simultaneously into a liquid coating bath of the coating material, pulling the row of ice cream products out of the coating material; and weighing each ice cream product individually or weighing the bar comprising multiple clamps each holding an ice cream product after the coating.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a bar is provided as part of the carrier; wherein the bar comprises multiple clamps arranged in a row for holding the sticks by that row, wherein the production facility is arranged for dipping of the blocks of the row of ice cream products simultaneously into a liquid coating bath of the coating material, wherein the weight equipment comprises a weight cell where a selection of the clamps are provided with individual weight cells whereas other clamps are not provided with weight cells for measuring the weight of each of the individual ice cream product the row of ice cream products arranged in a clamp with a weight cell before and after the coating procedure; wherein the method comprises: weighing each ice cream product in the clamps provided with weight cells before coating; dipping the ice cream products of the row of ice cream products simultaneously into a liquid coating bath of the coating material, pulling the row of ice cream products out of the coating material; weighing each ice cream product in the clamps provided with weight cells after the coating.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a bar is provided as part of the carrier; wherein the bar comprises multiple clamps arranged in a row for holding the sticks of the ice cream product by that row, wherein the production facility is arranged for dipping of the blocks of the row of ice cream products simultaneously into a liquid coating bath of the coating material, wherein the weight equipment comprises one weight cell for the bar, the weight cell being configured for measuring the total weight of the row of ice cream products before and after the coating procedure; wherein the method comprises: weighing the ice cream products of the bar in common before the coating; dipping the blocks of the row of ice cream products simultaneously into the coating material, pulling the row of ice cream products out of the coating material in the coating; and weighing the ice cream products of the bar in common after the coating.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein a bar is provided as part of the carrier; wherein the bar comprises multiple clamps arranged in a row for holding the sticks by that row, wherein the weight equipment comprises a weight cell, wherein the production facility comprises a releasable coupling between the weight cell and the product and is configured for decoupling each stick from the weight cell during the dipping into the coating material, wherein the method comprises coupling the weigh cell to the stick before the dipping for weighing the product, decoupling the weight cell from the stick during the dipping of the ice cream block, and coupling the weight cell to the stick after the dipping for weighing the product and for finding the coating material picked up during the dipping.

6 The method according to claim 5, wherein the production facility is configured for decoupling each stick from the weight cell during transportation of the product the supply station to the coating station, wherein the method comprises: coupling the weight cell the stick only after pickup from the supply station and decoupling the weight cell prior to the dipping.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the weight equipment comprises a scale and a container or platform arranged for receiving the ice cream product on the container or platform and weighing the product with the scale while resting on the container or platform; wherein the production facility is programmed to release the sticks of the ice cream products from the clamps for placing the ice cream products onto the container or platform for weighing the ice cream products by the scale; wherein the method comprises. receiving the ice cream products from the carrier onto the container or platform; weighing the ice cream products on the container or platform with the scale before the coating while the sticks are free of the carrier; with the carrier picking up the sticks from the container or the platform after the weighing; dipping the ice cream blocks into the coating material and pulling the row of blocks out of the coating material; after solidifying of the coating, receiving the ice cream products from the carrier onto the container platform; weighing the sticks on the container or platform with the scale after the coating while the ice cream products are free of the carrier; with the carrier picking up the ice cream products from the container or platform after the weighing; and and transporting the ice cream products to the packing station.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the coating material is chocolate and the method comprises adjusting the temperature of the chocolate as part of the feedback loop parameter adjustment in order to adjust the pickup weight of the chocolate.

9. A production facility for coated ice cream products, the production facility comprising a supply station for providing ice cream products and a plurality of carriers for transport of the ice cream products from the supply station to a coating station, wherein the carriers are arranged one carrier after the other in a cyclic arrangement for pickup of new ice cream products by a stick for coating after a transport cycle; each carrier comprising at least one clamp for holding the stick during transport of the ice cream product to the coating station and during application of the coating to the ice cream block; wherein the production facility comprises a weight equipment configured for automatically weighing the ice cream product before and after application of the coating, the weight equipment being connected to an electronic controller with a computer unit and configured for receiving weight data from the weight measurements by the weight equipment to the controller; wherein the controller is configured for receiving the weight data from the weight equipment repeatedly during production and for automatically comparing the weight of the coating of the ice cream product to predetermined values and configured for changing coating parameters for the coating procedure when the weight of the coating deviates from predetermined values; wherein the production facility is configured for change of coating parameters by the controller during production and without a necessity of halting production; wherein the parameter adjustment on the basis of the weight data is arranged as a feedback loop for repeated adjustment of the parameters on the basis of the weight data from weight measurements of subsequent ice cream products.

10. The production facility according to claim 9, wherein a bar is provided as part of the carrier; wherein the bar comprises multiple clamps arranged in a row for holding the sticks by that row, wherein the production facility is arranged for dipping of the blocks of the row of ice cream products simultaneously into a liquid coating bath of the coating material, wherein the weight equipment comprises a weight cell or each clamp in bar, the weight cells being configured for measuring the weight of each individual ice cream product in the row of ice cream products before and after the coating procedure.

11. The production facility according to claim 10, wherein the production facility comprises a releasable coupling between the weight cell and the product and is configured for decoupling each stick from the weight cell during the dipping into the coating material, wherein the production facility is configured for coupling the weigh cell to the stick before the dipping for weighing the product, decoupling the weight cell from the stick during the dipping of the ice cream block, and coupling the weight cell to the stick after the dipping for weighing the product and for finding the coating material picked up during the dipping.

12. The production facility according to claim 11, wherein the production facility is configured for decoupling each product from the weight cell during transportation of the product from the supply station to the coating station.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0046] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with references to the following Figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a production line schematically in which a plurality of ice cream products are arranged in a row and carried on a bar, where the bars are provided on a frame in a cyclic arrangement;

[0048] FIG. 2 illustrates a system in which a bar is provided with a weight cell which measures the weight of the bar;

[0049] FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment in which there is provided an individual weight cell for each clamp;

[0050] FIG. 4 illustrates a system in which ice cream products after solidification of a chocolate coating are dropped onto a scale and picked up again after the weighing;

[0051] FIG. 5 illustrates a box diagram of a feedback loop system involving the weight cell and a controller as well as the coating station; and

[0052] FIG. 6 illustrates a clamp 4 with a coupling 17.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] In the following, offset is taken in a production line in which ice cream products are transported to a coating station. An example of a production line is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,958,493 by Gram Equipment A/S, in which the process includes extruding, cutting, stick insertion, cooling, coating, and packaging.

[0054] FIG. 1 shows a section 1 of a production line in which a plurality of ice cream products 2 are arranged in a plurality of subsequent rows, each row carried by a bar 3 with a plurality of clamps 4 as holders for sticks 2A of the ice cream products 2.

[0055] Each of the stick holders 4 in the bar 3 comprises a releasable clamp 4 with two opposite arranged jaws 4A, 4B between which the stick 2 is clamped and held in vertical orientation. The bar 3 is transported pass a coating station 9 in the form of a bath of liquid coating material, in particular chocolate, into which the ice cream block 2B of the product 2 is inserted by lowering the bar 3. It is pointed out that the principle also applied for juice coating.

[0056] The thickness of the chocolate that remains on the ice cream block 2B depends on the viscosity of the chocolate fluid, the dipping time, the melting temperature of the chocolate, as well as the temperature of the ice cream. These parameters are typically adjusted before the start of the production line. However, it is pointed out that the chocolate pickup during the dipping process also changes the temperature of the chocolate bath, especially in the beginning of the production process or during changes in the production process. For this reason, it is advantageous to provide a feedback system for the weight of the pickup of the chocolate.

[0057] FIG. 2 illustrates a system in which a bar 3 is provided with a weight cell 6 that measures the weight of the bar 3 before and after dipping the row of ice cream products 2. In this embodiment, the total chocolate pickup of the row of ice cream products 2 is measured, which by division of the number of sticks 2 of a row results in the average weight of the chocolate coating of a single ice cream product 2.

[0058] FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment in which there is provided an individual weight cell 6 for each clamp 4. This arrangement yields in the actual weight increase for each individual product 2. The advantage over the system of FIG. 2 is increased precision with respect to statistical spread of the weight for ice cream products 2 that have undergone largely the same chocolate coating procedure.

[0059] FIG. 4 illustrates sequential weighing steps of a system in which the ice cream products 2 after solidification of the coating are dropped onto a scale 7 by releasing the sticks 2A from the clamp 4 by opening the jaws 43A, 4B for weighing by the scale 7. After the weighing, the ice cream products 2 are picked up again by their stick 2A. In order to hold the ice cream product 2, the container 7A is used on the scale.

[0060] Alternatively, but not illustrated here, the ice cream products 2 are dropped on the scale 7 and then not picked up again but transported from the scale 7 to the packing section by other transport means.

[0061] FIG. 5 is a box diagram 10 of a feedback system in which the signal from the scale 7 or weight cell 6 is transmitted 10 to a computerised controller 11, which calculates the deviation from the target value and computes 12 a possible change in the parameters of the chocolate coating, for example the temperature 13 and/or the pickup time 14 in which the product 2 remains in the chocolate bath, which is then used in a feedback loop 15 for the dipping time of the product of the cycle of the next product 2 batch.

[0062] In embodiments, where blowers are used to blow off the liquid chocolate from the surface of the ice cream, alternative parameter changes could relate to the blowing time and intensity of the air flow, thereby regulating the remaining chocolate on the stick.

[0063] In some embodiments, vibrators are used to shake of the chocolate, the vibration of which is optionally also regulated by the controller on the basis of the feedback of the weight.

[0064] In these cases, the weight control of the chocolate is used in a control feedback loop such that adjustment of the chocolate coating parameters is calculated and regulated during the production without halting the production. This has a special advantage in that deviations from a predetermined target pickup weight of the chocolate are adjusted and kept optimised under various conditions, for example from the start of the production or during changes of the production and until a steady state production cycle has been established.

[0065] FIG. 6 illustrates a clamp 4 with a coupling 17 that is shifted between held a regular holder 16 and a weight cell 6. The weight cell 6 is active only periodically for weighing the product 2 before and after the coating, but where the weight cell 6 is decoupled by the coupling 17 from the stick 2A of the product 2 during transport by the bar 3 in order to avoid overloading of the weight cell 6.

[0066] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of preferred embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0067] For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an” throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and “comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements. The mention of a “unit” or a “module” does not preclude the use of more than one unit or module.