A PROCESS FOR FILLING A CONTAINER WITH FROZEN CONFECTION

Abstract

A process for filling a container with a first frozen confection material encapsulating a second confection material, the process involving the use of a filling head; the filling head comprising: a housing having a nozzle exit, a lower first material inlet, an upper second material inlet and a reciprocatable piston movable within the housing; the piston having an outer wall and upper and lower ends and an internal material flow channel connecting an upper entry in the outer wall to an exit in the lower end, the piston, housing and inlets being positioned and dimensioned such that the piston has: (1) a lower position wherein material flows from both first and second inlets are blocked by the piston outer wall; (2) a mid position wherein the piston does not block the first inlet but the second inlet is blocked by the piston outer wall; (3) an upper position wherein the first inlet is not blocked and wherein 20 the second material inlet is in communication with the internal material flow channel; the process involving allowing frozen confection material to flow out of the nozzle exit into the container as the piston moves in an upstroke from (1) a lower position to (2) a mid position and then to (3) an upper position whereupon the first and second materials are coextruded from the exit nozzle, followed by a downstroke to (2) a mid position whereupon only first material is extruded from the exit nozzle to encapsulate the previously extruded second material, and then to (1) a lower position.

Claims

1. A process for filling a container with a first frozen confection material encapsulating a second confection material, the process involving the use of a filling head; the filling head comprising: a housing having a nozzle exit, a lower first material inlet, an upper second material inlet and a reciprocatable piston movable within the housing; the piston having an outer wall and upper and lower ends and an internal material flow channel connecting an upper entry in the outer wall to an exit in the lower end, the piston, housing and inlets being positioned and dimensioned such that the piston has: (1) a lower position wherein material flows from both first and second inlets are blocked by the piston outer wall; (2) a mid position wherein the piston does not block the first inlet but the second inlet is blocked by the piston outer wall; (3) an upper position wherein the first inlet is not blocked and wherein the second material inlet is in communication with the internal material flow channel; the process involving allowing frozen confection material to flow out of the nozzle exit into the container as the piston moves in an upstroke from (1) a lower position to (2) a mid position and then to (3) an upper position whereupon the first and second materials are coextruded from the exit nozzle, followed by a downstroke to (2) a mid position whereupon only first material is extruded from the exit nozzle to encapsulate the previously extruded second material, and then to (1) a lower position.

2. A process according to claim 1, involving the insertion of the filling head into the container and, simultaneously with the movement of the piston, allowing frozen confection material to flow out of the nozzle exit as the filling head rises above an evolving surface of frozen confection material until the container is substantially filled just as the piston reaches its lower position on its return downstroke.

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein the piston moves in its upstroke in a continuous movement, passing through the lowermost, mid and upper positions as it moves.

4. A process according to claim 1, wherein the piston moves in its downstroke in a continuous movement, passing through the uppermost, mid position and lowermost position as it moves until flow is stopped at the lowermost position.

5. A process according to claim 1, wherein the time taken for the piston to move from the lower position to the upper position is from 0.2 to 2.0 seconds, more preferably from 0.2 to 1.0 seconds, most preferably from 0.2 to 0.6 seconds.

6. A process according to claim 1, wherein the time taken for the piston to move from the upper position to the lower position is from 0.2 to 2.0 seconds, more preferably from 0.2 to 1.0 seconds, most preferably from 0.2 to 0.6 seconds.

7. A process according to claim 1, wherein the time taken for the upstroke is substantially the same as the time taken for the downstroke.

8. A process according to claim 1, wherein the first frozen confection material is an ice cream.

Description

[0044] The invention will now be illustrated, by way of example, with reference to the following figures in which:

[0045] FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a filling head according to the invention in its lowermost position.

[0046] FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a filling head according to the invention in its mid position.

[0047] FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a filling head according to the invention in its upper position.

[0048] FIG. 4 is an image of a frozen confection produced according to the process of the present invention, cut in half exposing the internal structure.

[0049] Turning to the figures, FIG. 1 shows a filling head 10 comprising a housing 12 and a reciprocatable piston 14. The housing 12 comprises a first material inlet 16 and second material inlet 18 and a nozzle 19.

[0050] As can be seen in the figures the piston 14 comprises a generally cylindrical shaft with an expanded lower region 20 at its lower end. The piston makes a snug fit with the housing in the upper region of the housing 12. However there is an expanded region of the housing 22 where there is an appreciable gap between the wall of the piston 14 and the housing 12.

[0051] Within the piston 14 is an internal material flow channel 24 connecting an upper entry 26 in the outer wall to an exit 28 in the lower end.

[0052] The first material inlet feeds into the expanded region of the housing 22. This region 22 is therefore generally filled with first confection material in use.

[0053] The second material inlet 18 feeds directly into the shaft of the housing and meets the outer wall of the piston 14.

[0054] In the position shown in FIG. 1 the piston 14 is in its lower position. It can be seen that the flow of first confection material is blocked due to the contact between the expanded lower region of the piston 20 with the wall of the housing 12. Flow of the second confection material is blocked by the presence of the outer wall of the piston 14. Thus in this position there is no flow of any confection material out of nozzle 19.

[0055] In the position shown in FIG. 2 the piston 14 is in its mid position. It can be seen that there is a gap between the expanded lower region of the piston 20 and the wall of the housing 12. Thus, the first confection material can flow through the first material inlet 16, through the expanded chamber 22 and out of nozzle 19. Flow of the second confection material is still blocked by the presence of the outer wall of the piston 14.

[0056] In the position shown in FIG. 3 the piston 14 is in its upper position. It can be seen that there is a gap between the expanded lower region of the piston 20 and the wall of the housing 12. Thus, the first confection material can flow through the first material inlet 16, through the expanded chamber 22 and out of nozzle 19. It can be seen that upper entry 26 in the outer wall of piston 14 is aligned and in communication with second material inlet 18. Thus, the second confection can flow through the second material inlet 18, through the internal material flow channel 24 to the exit 28 in the lower end of the piston 14.

[0057] Furthermore, as the exit 28 is located centrally to the nozzle 19, the result is that there is coextrusion from the nozzle 19 of a central region of second confection material surrounded by an annulus of first confection material.

[0058] In use, the entire filling head 10 is positioned above a container which is to be filled with confection. Filling begins as the piston moves upwards away from the position shown in FIG. 1. Initially, only first confection material flows out of nozzle to produce a base layer of first confection material in the container. As it moves upwards to the mid position this continues to be the case. Once the upper position is reached then coextrusion begins and a core of second confection material is produced within a surrounding annular region of first confection material.

[0059] Once sufficient material has been coextruded the piston moves downwards, closing off the flow of second confection material as the mid point is reached as shown in FIG. 2. This results in a top layer of encompassing first confection material. Flow is stopped when the piston reaches the lower position and the container is now full of second confection material fully encased in first confection material. In one particular embodiment, the entire process of filing takes a total of 1.2 seconds.

[0060] The filling head shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 was used in a pilot plant to deposit an ice cream confection into a tub in a process according to the present invention. The first confection material was a vanilla ice cream composition with biscuit inclusions. The second confection material was a chocolate flavoured ice cream.

[0061] Once filled the tub was sliced in half so that the internal hidden contents could be seen. An image of the internal view of the two halves is shown in FIG. 4. As can be seen there is a tub 50 wall enclosing first confection material 52 and a core of second confection material 54. It can be seen that the second confection material 54 has a region of relatively uniform thickness 56 and a region of tapered thickness 58. The uniform region is produced whilst the piston is in its upper position. The tapered region is produced as the piston moves towards the mid position on its downstroke and gradually chokes of the flow of second material to produce the tapering effect.