Machine for 3D Printing and Simultaneous Cooking of Foods

Abstract

The invention relates to a 3D printing machine for printing cooked foods, which contains at least one printing module comprising at least three main movable bodies: a printing block that includes heating elements able to cook the food simultaneously to the printing thereof; a printing base; and an oven,
wherein the main movable bodies being able to slide vertically, independently of one another, along a vertical displacement device.

The machine is specially designed for the 3D printing and simultaneous cooking of food products by means of complex elaborations including several ingredients. The invention also relates to a method for obtaining cooked foods using the machine.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food, containing at least one printing module, wherein said module comprises at least three main movable bodies: a printing block, comprising heating elements capable to cook the food simultaneously to the printing thereof, a printing base and an oven, the main movable bodies being able to slide vertically, independently of one another, along a vertical displacement device.

2. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according to claim 1, comprising at least two modules having independent movement capability along the z-axis, and each of said modules has a capability for printing a cooked food independently.

3. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according to claim 2, further comprising a fixed body enclosing all the printing modules, wherein said fixed body also comprises: the vertical displacement device, a lower base and an upper base, said bases are connected to each other by means of the vertical displacement device fixed to said bases at their ends.

4. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according to claim 3, wherein the vertical displacement device is formed by at least three vertical sliding blocks.

5. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according to claim 4, wherein each vertical sliding block is formed by sets of elements selected from the group consisting of: bars and thrust bearings, spindles and gears, linear guide and straps and toothed guides and pinions.

6. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according to claim 5, wherein each vertical sliding block is formed by two bars and one spindle.

7. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according to claim 1, wherein the printing block comprises: a supporting plate, circular or polygonal, capable of sliding vertically along a vertical sliding block, a mobile ring, attached to said supporting plate, capable to rotate with respect to its geometrical axis by means of a linear guiding system fixed to the supporting plate, a printing head, capable of displacing along the R-axis and in a polar coordinate system by the combined movement of rotation of the mobile ring and displacement along the R-axis, and said printing head has means to accommodate at least one printing cartridge, at least one first cartridge heating element fixed on the printing head, to heat a printing cartridge, at least a second nozzle heating element, for uniformly heating a printing nozzle, positioned at the end of the cartridge fixing means located on the printing head, at least a third filament heating element, said heating element being orientable by means of an orientation ring, said heating element can be located at all times behind the printing nozzle and in the forward direction of the printing head.

8. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according to claim 7, further comprising three vertical sliding blocks, such that: the supporting plate slides over the three sliding blocks, the printing base slides onto one of the sliding blocks and the oven slides on a sliding block different from the one on which the printing base slides, capable of sliding each of them by the action of at least one motor.

9. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according to claim 7, wherein the mobile ring is supported on the supporting plate by means that allow the mobile ring to rotate with respect to said plate, always keeping the geometrical axes of the plate and the mobile ring invariable and coincident.

10. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according to claim 7, wherein the filament heating element is fixed on an orientation ring of the heater, capable of surrounding the printing nozzle.

11. (canceled)

12. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according to claim 7, wherein the orientation ring of the filament heater is capable of rotating by a double rolling system, which is driven by at least one motor, such that said orientation ring is capable of locating the filament heating element on the printing filament for heating or cooking it according to the requirements of an ingredient.

13. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according to claim 12, wherein the orientation ring of the filament heater comprises a wireless electrical charge module comprising a fixed coil located at the head block and a movable coil located in the orientation ring of the filament heater, which allows the orientation ring of the filament heater to rotate 360°.

14. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according to claim 7, wherein the printing head is capable to move in the polar coordinates of angle ϕ and radius R.

15. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according to claim 14, wherein the printing head comprises printing cartridge housings, with a circular section and fixing means to hold up to at least 6 printing cartridges.

16. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according to claim 15, wherein the cartridge housing comprises a piston acting as an extruder, such that the piston is connected by its axis to a spindle capable of advancing or retracting, threaded into a fixed nut.

17. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according to claim 16, comprising a supporting plate for motors that drive the piston capable of pushing an ingredient contained in a cartridge, said plate is capable of following, through its movement, the printing head, being dragged by it, with its own sliding attachment to the vertical sliding blocks of the fixed body.

18. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according to claim 1, wherein the oven has the shape of a cylindrical or prismatic housing, with heating elements arranged on its wall, said oven is able to slide on a sliding block such as to allow the printing base to be housed inside the oven.

19. (canceled)

20. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according to claim 1, wherein the printing base comprises a flat sheet or tray in which the printing is performed, which is fixed to the printing base in such a way that the tray remains horizontal.

21. (canceled)

22. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according claim 1, further comprising at least one door that allows to insert a flat tray to print the cooked food and openings that permit air circulation inside the machine.

23. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according to claim 1, further comprising a ring shaped sliding plate, parallel to the supporting plate and attached thereto, comprising: a second ring, attached to the mobile ring, a displacement device, parallel to the R-axis and located above it, a supporting plate for the motors, which slides over the vertical displacement device and comprises the motors driving the piston and the motors driving the orientation ring of the filament heating element, capable of being moved synchronously and simultaneously to the printing head.

24. (canceled)

25. The three-dimensional printing machine for cooked food according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the following components: the supporting plate, the printing base, the head, the oven and the first, second, third heating elements is controlled by an electronic device containing a data file of different cooked foods and with the ability to give orders through an orientation system.

26. A system for obtaining a cooked food comprising an electronic device provided with a software with a data file capable of sending orders of the position of each point of the object in Cartesian coordinates and the movement speed of the nozzle between each point and the next one, and temperatures for the cooking of the different foods and a 3D printing machine capable of printing several cooked foods simultaneously, defined in claim 1.

27. A process of obtaining a cooked food by means of 3D printing which comprises printing said food using the three-dimensional printing machine defined in claim 1, and in which the printing is carried out layer by layer in polar coordinates, using in each of the layers one or more ingredients of said food.

28. The process of obtaining a cooked food according to claim 27, wherein the three main movable bodies of the printing machine slide in an independent vertical direction.

29. (canceled)

30. The process of obtaining a cooked food according to claim 27, comprising performing one or more of the following movements: vertical displacement of the printing units independently, independent vertical displacement of the supporting plate, rotation of the mobile ring in relation to the supporting plate, sliding of the printing head along the R-axis, rotation of the orientation disk of the filament heater, vertical displacement of the printing base and vertical displacement of the oven.

31. The process of obtaining a cooked food according to claim 27, comprising: introducing into the printing cartridges housings, the sufficient cartridges for a cooked food, each containing one ingredient, providing a flat tray on the printing base, sliding the printing base vertically to the appropriate position for dispensing the food ingredients, in the form of a printing filament, locating the printing base at the required distance from the supporting plate by means of a data file from a computer program, adjusting the required temperatures for the initiation of the printing on each of the heating elements, displacing the printing head on the R-axis and/or rotate the mobile ring so as to position the printing nozzle of a cartridge at the printing start point, adjusting the filament output speed and nozzle movement to draw a layer with an ingredient, at each point the filament output speed and orientation of the filament heating element is controlled so that the contents of the cartridge fall exactly onto the tray or onto the previously deposited filament if printing has already started.

32. The process of obtaining a cooked food according to claim 27, further comprising before or during the dispensing of an ingredient, one or more of the following operations: heating the cartridge, heating the nozzle, heating the filament.

33. The process of obtaining a cooked food according to claim 27, further comprising a baking step at any intermediate stage of the printing, or at the end of the process, obtaining the cooked food ready for consumption.

34. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0147] FIG. 1. General outline of the modular machine (a) and one of the printing sets (b).

[0148] FIG. 2. Mobile ring and supporting plate. Operation of the ring rotation movement.

[0149] FIG. 2b shows bars and spindles arranged on the R-axis through which the printing head slides.

[0150] FIG. 3. Outline of the printing cartridge arrangement in the printing head.

[0151] FIG. 3a shows the housings that comprise the printing head, of variable section, and preferably circular, and fixing means for holding up to 6 printing cartridges (FIG. 3). The fixing means for the printing cartridges can be arranged in such a way that the printing nozzles are located on a concentric circumference to the mobile ring shown in FIG. 3a.

[0152] FIG. 4. Outline of the filament heater orientation movement.

[0153] FIG. 5. Printing base.

[0154] FIG. 6. Particular embodiment of the engagement of the printing base in the oven

[0155] FIG. 7. Particular embodiment of the fixed body assembly and a mobile printing assembly.

[0156] FIG. 8. Particular embodiment of guides that allow the vertical displacement of the different movable bodies.

[0157] FIG. 9. Particular embodiment of the supporting plate and mobile ring assembly.

[0158] FIG. 10. Particular embodiment of the ingredient extrusion system

[0159] FIG. 11. Particular embodiment of the driving system of the motors that govern the printing head.

[0160] FIG. 12. Outline of the process of conventional printing and heating (FIGS. 12A and 12B respectively) and simultaneous heating and printing process of the present invention (FIG. 12C).

EXAMPLES

[0161] The invention will now be illustrated by way of example embodiments.

[0162] Composition of the fixed body and the movable bodies in a 3D printing machine for cooked food.

[0163] FIG. 7 shows an exemplary embodiment of the fixed body and the movable bodies in a machine with a single printing assembly. It is formed by a configuration of 3 groups of vertical bars (7.1), spindles (7.2), according to a specific arrangement (in the Figure they are represented, as an example, by two bars and a spindle arranged between them), to drive the movement of the elements that must slide on the z-axis: the supporting plate (7.3), the printing base (7.4) and the oven (7.5). The bars are fixed at their lower end to the lower base (7.6) of the structure, and at their upper end to the machine head, or upper base (7.7). Both the spindles and the bars are fixed to the base and the head of the structure. The displacement is performed by step motors located on the movable body itself, by means of gears that rotate on the spindle.

[0164] The supporting plate slides on the three sets of two bars by means of bearings or linear guides and its vertical displacement is driven by three step motors, each one of them geared on a spindle.

[0165] The printing base slides on one of the sets of two bars and one spindle by means of a support that makes it cantilevered, as shown in FIG. 5, its vertical displacement is driven by a single step motor geared on this spindle.

[0166] The oven slides on a set of two bars and a spindle different from the one used in the printing base, being cantilevered and sliding by a motor located on the oven itself and geared with its spindle. An opening on the side wall of the oven allows it to slide vertically to completely surround the printing base as shown in FIG. 6.

[0167] Embodiment of a Modular Machine with Several Printing Units

[0168] The fact that the motors are fixed on each of the moving elements allows the vertical sliding of the movable bodies of different printing assemblies to use the same spindles and the machine can be built with three fixed spindles only containing any number of printing assemblies, as shown schematically in FIG. 1. The vertical displacement of each moving element is controlled independently by the computer.

[0169] Other Embodiments that Allow Vertical Displacement

[0170] The sliding by means of axial bearings along the vertical bars can be replaced by any other sliding system with linear guidance, composed of fixed vertical guides with any transverse profile and wheels or bearings that slide on them (FIG. 8).

[0171] The vertical spindles can be replaced by straps or toothed guides fixed vertically on the fixed body structure. In this case, sliding is done by gears located in the movable body (FIG. 8).

[0172] Arrangement of the Mobile Ring on the Supporting Plate

[0173] The printing head can be displaced on the R-axis, located diametrically on the mobile ring, which is rotated by means of a linear guiding system (2.4; 9.1). The supporting plate has an inner circular cutout and its outer shape can be circular or prismatic, adapting to the arrangement of the vertical bars (FIG. 2). The mobile ring is supported on the supporting plate by any system that allows the mobile ring to rotate with respect to the supporting plate maintaining invariable and coincident at all times the geometric axes of the inner circle (FIG. 9) of the supporting plate and that of the mobile ring. Both the displacement of the printing head on the R-axis and the rotation of the mobile ring with respect to its geometrical center are controlled by computer-controlled step motors.

[0174] The mobile ring can have any cross section that allows the support points to be installed on the supporting plate and a driving system. In a particular application and without loss of generality, the mobile ring is anchored by three or more bearings (linear guidance system 2.4; 9.1), which can rotate freely on their axes which are fixed on the supporting plate. The edge of the outer or inner contour of the mobile ring slides on the linear guidance system (2.4), which in a particular embodiment are the bearings. These three or more fixed points of the mobile ring contour determine and make invariable the position of its axis in any displacement of the printing nozzles. Also in a specific application and without loss of generality, the contour of the mobile ring has a toothed strap (9.2) that engages with a pinion (9.3) whose axis is fixed to the supporting plate. The gear formed by the pinion and the strap transmits the movement to the mobile ring from a step motor placed on the supporting plate.

[0175] R-Axis Arrangement

[0176] The printing head can be displaced along at least one axis which is diametrically arranged in the mobile ring and supported on the ring at its both ends by two supports (2.6). The displacement of the printing head on the axis is driven by any means capable of transmitting the rotation of the motor axis of a step motor to the sliding of the head. In two specific applications and without loss of generality, this type of mechanical transmission can be done by a spindle or by a transmission strap. The motor (2.8) is located on the mobile ring (2.3).

[0177] Printing Head

[0178] When printing the object layer by layer, it is necessary that some kind of physical or chemical transformation takes place in the printing material from the moment it passes through the nozzle until it firmly adheres to the lower layer of the object and becomes mechanically consistent. For example, in the case of molten plastic printing, this transformation comes simply from the change in temperature from the time the polymer passes through the nozzle, at high temperature, melting and acquiring a fluid consistency to cool down when it touches the already printed surface of the object, thus re-solidifying. In other cases, however, adhesion to the previous layer of the object requires a chemical reaction to take place, which can be accelerated by an increase in the temperature of the material once it has been deposited on the lower layer of the object.

[0179] In other cases, it may be the dehydration of the printing material once it comes out of the nozzle that makes it acquiring consistency and this requires an application of a heat source directly on the strand of printing material. This type of actions is especially relevant in the simultaneous printing and cooking of edible products.

[0180] Each ingredient is contained in one printing cartridge. At some point in its base is the extrusion nozzle, a conduit with a cross section and length and geometry appropriate to the rheological properties of each ingredient and the three-dimensional shape of the dish that allows the exit to the outside of the ingredient pushed by the pressure generated inside the printing cartridge by means of a computer-controlled drive. In a particular embodiment (FIG. 10), the printing cartridge has a circular cross section, it is closed at the top by a piston that acts as an extruder (10.1) by sliding inside and pushing the ingredient through the nozzle (10.2) located at the bottom. The axis of the piston is connected to a spindle (10.3) which moves forward or backward upon rotation because it is threaded into a fixed nut (10.4). The printing nozzle is integrated in the cartridge. In a particular embodiment the cartridges are made of a material suitable for food preservation and are disposable. The piston is also integrated in the cartridge, has a metallic element in solidarity with it, on the outside (10.5) and it is attached to the spindle by a magnet located at the end of that spindle.

[0181] In a particular embodiment (FIGS. 9 and 11), to avoid that the weight of all the motors of the printing head falls on the mobile ring, the sliding plate (9.4) is built on the bars or vertical guides, and at all times parallel to the supporting plate and solidly connected thereto containing another ring (9.5) (solidly attached to the mobile ring) and a displacement device that we call a linear guide (9.6; 11.1) (which at all times will be parallel to the R-axis and located above it) which may consist of two bars on which a supporting plate (11.2) of the motors slides freely, which houses both the motors (11.3) which govern the pistons and the guide of the orientation ring of the filament heating element (11.4). The movement of this motor supporting plate is driven at all times by the printing head, without any new transmission elements requiring computer control.

[0182] In a particular embodiment, the printing head of the machine, object matter of this patent includes three of the four heating elements used to cook the food while printing: The printing cartridge is surrounded by the heating element (3.5) of the cartridge, fixed on the printing head and on its surface it houses a temperature probe (3.7). The nozzle is surrounded by the heating element (3.6) of the nozzle and houses a second temperature probe (3.8) at some point on its surface. In this particular embodiment the filament heater (4.1 in FIG. 4) is located on the orientation ring (4.3) of the filament heater, which surrounds the printing nozzle (4.2) without touching it. The filament heater element can consist of a hot tip, which can be a metal rod ending in a sharp, flat or blunt tip, heated by an electrical resistance, or a source of any electromagnetic radiation, a hot air current or a hot oil jet. This heating element is fixed in the orientation ring. The orientation ring can rotate, driven by a step motor controlled by the machine control software such that the filament heating element is always positioned on the strand of printing material that has just been deposited. The double bearing system (10.6 and 10.7) shown in FIG. 10 allows the orientation ring of the filament heater to rotate while holding both the printing head body and the printing cartridge steady. To allow the orientation ring of the filament heater to rotate 360 degrees, a wireless electric charging module is provided with a fixed coil located in the head block (10.8) and a moving coil located in the orientation ring (10.9) of the filament heater. The fixed coil is anchored to the bottom of the motor supporting plate (11.2). Any fluid that employs the filament heater element would be stored inside the hollow bars (10.10) supporting the filament heater element. For precise control of the orientation of the filament heating element, the dish data file records the rotation angle (referred to a reference orientation set on the print nozzle) determined by the last two points at which the print nozzle was positioned (diagram in FIG. 4). FIG. 12 shows a diagram of the importance of the orientation of the filament heating element (12.2). If the position of the filament heater is fixed with respect to the nozzle (12.1), as shown in FIG. 12a, at different times (t=1, t=2, t=3, t=4) the filament heater would not be positioned on the newly deposited filament at all times and heat transmission would be imperfect, a second pass of the head over the printed filament would be necessary, placing the heater exactly on the filament as shown in FIG. 12b (times t=5, t=6, t=7, t=8). In the device of this invention (FIG. 12c) the orientation capability of the filament heater causes that in a single pass both the nozzle (12.3) and the filament heater (12.4) are simultaneously placed on the freshly printed filament so that the ingredient of which the filament is formed is deposited on the dish and cooked simultaneously.

[0183] The printing head is designed to hold up to 6 printing cartridges. The different printing cartridges are arranged radially in the printing head (FIG. 3). This arrangement allows the maximum use of the printing field. When the printing head is displaced at the maximum at the R-axis, the printing nozzles are arranged on a circumference whose center coincides with the axis of the mobile ring. In this way, by rotating the ring, any nozzle can reach any point in a circular area, centered on the center of the mobile ring. The dead space, which is not accessible to the print nozzle, is reduced to a circular crown with a width equal to the radius of a circumference surrounding the printing cartridge. The printable area is represented in gray in FIG. 3. This effect is especially interesting when printing objects whose base is close to a circular shape or is composed of curved shapes with a circular envelope, but the operation is equally adapted to figures formed by straight lines or with rectangular contours. The fact that the rotation that allows coordinate ϕ variation is made by the movement of the mobile ring leaves the whole inner surface diaphanous, available for the movement of the printing nozzles (FIG. 3).

[0184] Printing Tray

[0185] The printing is done on a flat sheet or tray (5.4), which is fixed on the printing base (5.1) by means of any system that fixes its position, keeps it horizontal and prevents it from moving during printing. As an example and without loss of generality, the tray has a raised part at the bottom, with any shape. In FIG. 5, the tray has a raised part in its lower part, as an example, a triangular shape (5.5) that fits in a slot (5.6) made in the printing base. In another application, the tray is fixed by means of magnets (5.8) located in the printing base, while the tray base is made of a metallic element or has metallic plates (5.8) fixed that adhere to the magnets. The tray (5.4) must be flat to allow layer by layer printing. The dish can be served directly on the tray or, for aesthetic reasons, the tray with the printed dish can be placed on a specially shaped support to serve it at the table. In this case the tray would fit into the base of that support exactly as it does into the printing base.

[0186] Data File

[0187] The data file of the dish to be printed will allow the computer to control the whole printing process, including the displacement of all movable bodies, the heat treatment to which each ingredient is subjected both inside the printing cartridge and in the printing nozzle, and after being deposited on the plate by collecting the temperature values measured by the temperature control probes and by operating the corresponding heating elements.

[0188] It also collects the data of the ingredient impulse through the printing nozzle. The information about the three-dimensional shape of the dish is contained in the data file that describes layer by layer the shape of the edible object in polar coordinates, i.e. each point of the object is defined by three coordinates: height, z, with respect to a plane 0 that sets the machine as the origin of this coordinate, the angle of rotation, ϕ, of the mobile ring, with respect to an origin set by the machine and the distance, r, between the nozzle and the geometric center of the mobile ring (FIG. 3). The points that form a layer of the edible object to be printed are listed in the order in which they must be reached by the printing nozzle during printing and the data file also contains the speed of movement of the head between each point and the next, the speed of extrusion of the ingredient, the temperatures required at each temperature control probe and, if applicable, the electrical energy, air, water or oil flow required at each heating element. The data file also includes at each point, the angle α (FIG. 4), formed between the line (4.3) (it is the imaginary line that the computer program takes as origin “0” of the alpha angle) that joins that point with the previous one in the printing order (4.3) and a fixed reference line (4.4) in the printing head, thus determining the orientation of the last section of the printed filament. This data will allow to orientate the heating element of the filament, exactly over the filament once deposited.