Abstract
The invention generally relates to a cartridge comprising a gel. The invention further relates to a process for the preparation of an item of confectionery, an item of confectionery, a kit, the use of a cartridge for preparing an item of confectionery, a gel, and a process for preparing an item of confectionery via a data connection. The invention relates to a cartridge comprising the following cartridge components: a. a container having an internal volume; b. a gel comprising: i. a hydrocolloid, and ii. a sweetener different to the hydrocolloid; wherein the gel is not a fluid.
Claims
1. A cartridge comprising the following cartridge components: a. a container having an internal volume; b. a gel comprising: i. a hydrocolloid, and ii. a sweetener different to the hydrocolloid; wherein the gel is not a fluid, wherein the gel occupies at least about 50% of the internal volume of the cartridge, and wherein the cartridge further comprises an exit hole or provision for an exit hole to be made, and wherein the exit hole is adjusted to be mounted in a 3-D printer.
2. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the hydrocolloid is a poly sugar.
3. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the gel comprises an acid.
4. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the gel has the following properties: a. Upon heating to 80° C. it becomes a paste, wherein the paste is more fluid than the gel; b. Upon subsequent cooling to below 10° C., it becomes a gel, wherein the gel is not a fluid
5. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the hydrocolloid is a pectin.
6. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the gel satisfies one or more of the following criteria: a. Shore hardness A in the range from about 1 to about 70, measured at 25° C.; b. Complex viscosity in the range from about 2000 to about 10000 Pa.Math.s; c. Loss modulus in the range from about 4000 to about 20000 Pa; d. Storage modulus in the range from about 20000 to about 70000 Pa.
7. A process for preparing an item of confectionery comprising the following process steps: a. Providing a cartridge according to claim 1; b. Heating the cartridge to turn the gel into a paste, wherein the gel is not a fluid and wherein the paste is more fluid than the gel; c. Ejecting the paste from the cartridge to obtain a shaped body; d. Cooling the shaped body.
8. The process according to claim 7, wherein the paste is ejected through an outlet which traces a 3-D trajectory in the ejection step c.
9. An item of confectionery obtainable by a process according to claim 7.
10. An item of confectionery comprising a hydrocolloid and an acid different to the hydrocolloid, wherein the weight of the hydrocolloid is greater than the weight of the acid, wherein the weight of acid is determined by the test method given in this application.
11. A kit comprising two or more cartridges according to claim 1.
12-13. (canceled)
14. A gel comprising: a. a hydrocolloid, and b. an acid different from the hydrocolloid; wherein the gel is not a fluid, and wherein the gel has the following properties: i. upon heating to 80° C. it becomes a paste, wherein the paste is more fluid than the gel; ii. upon subsequent cooling to below 10° C., it becomes a gel, wherein the gel is not a fluid.
15. (canceled)
Description
FIGURES
[0181] The figures show the following:
[0182] FIG. 1A schematic diagram of a cartridge;
[0183] FIG. 2a) A schematic cross-section of a confectionery item;
[0184] FIG. 2b) A schematic diagram of further confectionery item;
[0185] FIG. 3A schematic cross section of a further confectionery item;
[0186] FIG. 4A schematic diagram of a further confectionery item;
[0187] FIG. 5a) A schematic diagram of a further confectionery item;
[0188] FIG. 5b) A schematic diagram of a further confectionery item;
[0189] FIG. 6a) A schematic cross-section of a further confectionery item;
[0190] FIG. 6b) A schematic cross-section of a further confectionery item;
[0191] FIG. 7A schematic diagram of a further confectionery item;
[0192] FIG. 8A schematic diagram of a device for preparing a confectionery item.
[0193] FIG. 1 shows a cartridge 100 according to the invention. A rigid container 104 has an internal volume 102 filled with gel 103. The cartridge 100 has a nozzle 106 with an opening 107 and a plunger 101 which can move in a direction 105. In use, the cartridge is heated such that the gel 103 melts to give a paste, and the plunger 101 is oved in the direction 105 in order to reduce the internal volume 102 and eject the paste out of the opening 107.
[0194] FIG. 2a) shows a schematic cross-section of a confectionery item 300 according to the invention, preferably a fruit gum. The confectionery item 300 consists of a wall 301 with a wall thickness 302 of 2 mm. The wall entirely contains an inner volume 305. The confectionery item 300 is a hollow sphere.
[0195] FIG. 2b) shows a schematic diagram of a confectionery item 300 according to the invention, preferably a wine gum. The confectionery item 300 has a wall 301. The wall 301 has a wall thickness 302 of about 3 mm. The confectionery item is a corrugated sheet.
[0196] FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-section of a further confectionery item 300 according to the invention, preferably a fruit gum. The confectionery item 300 has a wall 301 with a wall thickness of about 1 mm. The wall entirely contains a inner volume 305. The confectionery item 300 is a hollow cylinder with closed ends and with a supporting structure 303 in its internal volume 305.
[0197] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a further confectionery item 300 according to the invention, preferably a fruit gum. The confectionery item 300 has a wall 301 with a wall thickness 302 of 2 mm. The wall entirely contains an internal volume 305. The confectionery item 300 is a hollow cylinder with 8 openings 304 in the wall 301.
[0198] FIG. 5a) shows a schematic diagram of a further confectionery item 300 according to the invention, preferably a foam gum. The confectionery item 300 has a basal surface 601, and is characterised by a line of height 603 perpendicular to the basal surface 601 defining height above the basal surface 601 and a diameter 602 extending perpendicular to the line of height 603, wherein the diameter 602 has two local maxima.
[0199] FIG. 5b) show a schematic diagram of a further confectionery item 300 according to the invention, preferably a fruit gum. The confectionery item 300 has the 3-dimensional shape of a pine tree. The arrow indicates a rotational symmetry of the confectionery item 300. The confectionery item 300 has a basal surface 601, and is characterised by a line of height 603 perpendicular to the basal surface 601 defining height above the basal surface 601 and a diameter 602 extending perpendicular to the line of height 603, wherein the diameter 602 has five local maxima. The basal surface 601 allows the confectionery item 300 to be attached to a base 604. Drying of the confectionery item 300 causes the basal surface not to be planar. Attachment to the base 604 allows the confectionery item 300 to be stood up.
[0200] FIG. 6a) shows a schematic cross-section of a further confectionery item 300 according to the invention. The confectionery item comprises a hole 701 with a depth 702 of 10 mm. The hole 701 is a depression. The confectionery item 300 is basin shaped.
[0201] FIG. 6b) show a schematic diagram of a further confectionery item 300 according to the invention, preferably a fruit gum. The confectionery item 300 comprises a hole 701 with a depth 702 of 20 mm. The hole 701 is a channel which penetrates the item entirely. The confectionery item 300 is an open ended cylinder.
[0202] FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a further confectionery item 300 according to the invention, preferably a wine gum. The confectionery item 300 has no basal surface and in particular comprises no flat plane surfaces. Furthermore, the confectionery item 300 can not be placed stable on a base 604. The arrow indicates a rotational symmetry of the confectionery item 300.
[0203] FIG. 8 shows a schematic diagram of a device 900 according to the invention for the preparation of a confectionery item 300. The device comprises a nozzle 901, comprising an exit opening 902 and a cartridge 904. The exit opening 902 of the nozzle 901 is characterised by a cross sectional surface area of 1 mm.sup.2. The nozzle 901 is in fluid connection with the cartridge 904. The cartridge 904 contains the gel of the invention. The cartridge is connected to a means of expelling the gel, in this case a pressurised gas source 915. The nozzle 901 is arranged over a substrate 903. The nozzle 901 can be made to trace a 3 dimensional shape in a three dimensional working volume 909 above the substrate 903 by means of a track system 912, a lifting system 913 for vertical translation of the substrate 903 (each indicated by arrows) and motors 907. In this way, the device 900 can be used for preparing confectionery items 300 with a variety of shapes within the working volume. The 3-D trajectory of the nozzle 901 and the ejection of the precursor material from the nozzle 901 is controlled by a computer 906. The computer 906 further comprises a hard disk on which CAD modules for a variety of shapes are stored. The computer controlled movement of the exit opening 902 traces a 3 dimensional shape lying within the working volume 909. During the movement along the 3 dimensional trajectory, the separation 910 between the substrate and the exit opening increases monotonically.
REFERENCE LIST
[0204] 100 Cartridge [0205] 101 Plunger [0206] 102 Internal volume [0207] 103 Gel [0208] 104 Rigid container [0209] 105 Direction of plunger motion [0210] 106 Nozzle [0211] 107 Exit opening [0212] 300 Confectionery item [0213] 301 Wall [0214] 302 Wall thickness [0215] 303 Support structure [0216] 304 Opening [0217] 305 Internal volume [0218] 601 Basal surface [0219] 602 Diameter [0220] 603 Height [0221] 604 Base [0222] 701 Hole [0223] 702 Depth [0224] 900 Device [0225] 901 Nozzle [0226] 902 Exit opening [0227] 903 Substrate [0228] 904 Cartridge [0229] 906 Computer [0230] 907 Motor [0231] 908 3 dimensional trajectory [0232] 909 3 dimensional working volume [0233] 910 Separation between exit opening and substrate [0234] 912 Track system [0235] 913 Lifting system [0236] 915 Pressurised gas source
