System For Manufacturing An Edible Food Product Container

Abstract

An automated system and method for manufacturing a cone-shaped food product holder requires the coordinated use of a forming unit, a conveyor unit and a control unit. In their combination, the forming unit rotates a conically-shaped bake form at a constant angular velocity . Simultaneously, the conveyor unit advances a bread dough strip on a conveyor belt at a constant linear velocity v, for deposit of the bread dough strip onto the bake form. In order to account for the conical configuration of the bake form, the actions of the forming unit and the conveyor unit are coordinated by the control unit. Specifically, the control unit moves the conveyor unit with a predetermined rotation relative to the forming unit to form the food product holder on the forming unit for subsequent baking.

Claims

1. A system for manufacturing an edible food product container which comprises: a bake form made of a bake temperature resin, wherein the resin bake form is shaped as a hollow, right circular cone defined by a vertex, and a base, and an axis, and wherein a portion of the cone at the vertex is removed to form a vent on the bake form and the base of the cone remains open to provide access into the hollow of the bake form, and further wherein a detent is formed along a periphery around the open base; a conveyor unit for delivering a strip of bread dough to the bake form prior to baking; a control unit for coordinating the delivery of the strip of bread dough from the conveyor unit to the bake form during winding of the strip of bread dough to shape the food product container; a conically-shaped mandrel having an outer surface, wherein the mandrel is dimensioned to be coaxially received into the hollow of the bake form to juxtapose the outer surface of the mandrel with an internal surface of the bake form in the hollow of the bake form; and a mechanism for rotating the mandrel, together with the bake form, while the a strip of bread dough is deposited along a spiral pathway on an external surface of the bake form to prepare the food product container for baking as a conical-shaped food product container, wherein after baking the spirally deposited strip of bread dough is a baked bread conical-shaped food product container.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the mandrel further comprises: a base O-ring positioned on the mandrel for engagement with the detent around the base opening of the bake form; and a support O-ring positioned on the mandrel at a distance from the base O-ring for cooperation with the base O-ring to stabilize the bake form on the mandrel during an engagement of the mandrel with the bake form.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 further comprising a slip ring mounted on the mandrel, wherein the slip ring can be moved in an axial direction on the mandrel to disengage the bake form from the mandrel.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the bake form has a height of 6.5 inches, with a base diameter of 3.5 inches, and the external surface of the bake form is tapered toward the axis of the bake form at an inclination angle of 14, and further wherein the vent diameter of the bake form is 0.16 inches.

5. The system as recited in claim 4 wherein the bake form is made of a bake temperature resin.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the strip of bread dough has cross-section dimensions, prior to baking, with a width w of one and one-half inch, and a height h of one-quarter inch, and wherein the bread dough strip is deposited onto the external surface of the bake form along the spiral path with a partial overlap in a range of one-quarter inch to three-quarters of an inch.

7. (canceled)

8. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the mechanism for rotating includes a rotary drive motor, wherein the rotary drive is connected to the mandrel for rotating the mandrel in combination with the bake form about the mandrel axis at a constant angular velocity to deposit the strip of bread dough along the spiral pathway on the external surface of the bake form to prepare the food product container for baking.

9. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the conveyor unit comprises: an elongated channel having a proximal end and a distal end with a length therebetween; a conveyor belt that runs through the length of the channel; and a pivot at the proximal end of the conveyor channel to rotate the conveyor channel through an angle in a horizontal plane around the pivot point to move the distal end of the conveyor channel through an arc length l.sub.arc to deposit the strip of bread dough at a constant partial overlap along a spiral pathway on the external surface of the bake form to prepare the food product container for baking.

10. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the control unit comprises: a cam defining a cam axis and having an edge, wherein the edge of the cam is engineered with a variable distance R, wherein R is measured between the cam axis and the edge of the cam and is dependent on the angle around the cam axis where R is measured, and wherein variations in R with changes in establish a predetermined geometric curve for the edge of the cam; and a drive motor for rotating the cam about the cam axis with dynamic changes in determined by corresponding changes in R, and wherein the edge of the cam interacts directly with the conveyor unit to move the conveyor channel under influence of the geometric curve at the edge of the cam to deliver the strip of bread dough to the bake form at a constant partial overlap.

11. (canceled)

12. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the food product container is formed by the system to have a bread crust that completely and contiguously covers the outer surface of the food product container.

13. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the food product container is formed by the system to retain flexibility after removal from the bake form.

14. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the control unit coordinates delivery of the strip of bread dough to achieve a plurality of successive overlapped spiral turns of the bread dough on the external surface of the bake form.

15. The system as recited in claim 14 wherein the bread dough is delivered to form a contiguous, sealed, integral, conical food product container after baking and after removal from the bake form.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:

[0042] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bake form in accordance with the present invention;

[0043] FIG. 2 is a view of the bake form shown in FIG. 1 while supporting a food product envisioned for manufacture by the present invention;

[0044] FIG. 3 is a schematic presentation of interactive components in an automated system of the present invention for manufacturing a food product;

[0045] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a forming unit in accordance with the present invention (i.e. a bake form, a mandrel, and a rotary drive), wherein the bake form is shown in cross-section as would be seen along the line 4-4 in FIG. 1;

[0046] FIG. 5 is a cross-section view of the bake form as seen in FIG. 4 with a bread dough strip deposited on the outer surface of the bake form; and

[0047] FIG. 6 is a graphical presentation of time variations in operational parameters during a duty cycle in the operation of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0048] Referring initially to FIG. 1 a conical-shaped bake form in accordance with the present invention is shown and is designated 10. As shown, the bake form 10 defines an axis 12, and it has a vertex tip end 14 that is formed with a vent 16. The base end 18 of the bake form 10 is dimensioned relative to its tip end 14 to establish a taper for the bake form 10 which is defined by the angle . As envisioned for the present invention, the angle will be approximately 14. In FIG. 2, a food product holder 20, such as is to be manufactured in accordance with the present invention, is shown positioned on a bake form 10. In particular, the food product holder 20 is shown after its manufacture (i.e. after being baked), and prior to its removal from the bake form 10.

[0049] In FIG. 3, a system for manufacturing a food product holder 20 in accordance with the present invention is shown, and is generally designated 22. As shown, the system 22 includes a forming unit 24, a conveyor unit 26 and a control unit 28. In combination, the units 24, 26 and 28 cooperate with each other to manufacture a successive plurality of individual food product holders 20. In particular, as intended for the present invention, the automated system 22 is provided to continuously manufacture food product holders 20 on an uninterrupted schedule.

[0050] With specific reference to the forming unit 24 in FIG. 3, it will be appreciated that this forming unit 24 includes a rotary drive motor 30 which is coupled with a mandrel 32. Further, it is to be appreciated that the bake form 10 can be mounted onto the mandrel 32, as shown. In this combination, the present invention intends for the rotary drive motor 30 to rotate the mandrel 32 with bake form 10, together, at a constant angular velocity about the mandrel axis 34.

[0051] This combination of bake form 10 and the mandrel 32 will be best appreciated with reference to FIG. 4. There it will be seen that the mandrel 32 includes a support O-ring 36 which is located approximately midway between the proximal end 38 and the distal end 40 of the mandrel 32. Also, FIG. 4 shows that the mandrel 32 includes a slip ring 44, and that the bake form 10 is formed with a detent 46 at its base end 18. With these structural aspects in mind, it is to be appreciated that the mandrel 32 is dimensioned to receive the bake form 10. When the bake form 10 is combined with the mandrel 32, the detent 46 of the bake form 10 is engaged with the base O-ring 42 of the mandrel 32, and the support O-ring 36 of the mandrel 32 is positioned to support and stabilize the bake form 10 on the mandrel 32. A separation of the bake form 10 from the mandrel 32 is then caused by a selective manipulation that moves the slip ring 44 in a proximal direction on the mandrel 32.

[0052] Referring back to FIG. 3 it will be seen that the conveyor unit 26 of the system 22 includes a conveyor channel 48 that has a proximal end 50 and a distal end 52. FIG. 3 also shows that a conveyor belt 54 is mounted on the conveyor channel 48. More specifically, the conveyor belt 54 is mounted for linear movement through the conveyor channel 48 from the proximal end 50 toward the distal end 52 of the conveyor channel 48, at a constant linear velocity v. Further, it is indicated in FIG. 3 that the conveyor channel 48 is intended to be rotated through an angle , about a pivot point 56 on a vertical axis 58, at the proximal end 50 of the conveyor channel 48. Additionally, the conveyor unit 26 includes a follower arm 60 that is fixedly mounted on the conveyor channel 48 for movement therewith.

[0053] Still referring to FIG. 3, it will also be seen that the control unit 28 includes a cam 62 that is rotated by a drive motor 64 through an angle around a cam axis 66. Further, the cam 62 has an edge 68 that is located at a distance R from the cam axis 66. As shown in FIG. 3, the distance R is variable and its value at any point in time is dependent on the angle . Mathematically stated, dR/d is variable. Another feature of the system 22 is that the conveyor channel 48 is biased to continuously urge the follower arm 60 against the edge 68 of cam 62.

[0054] For an operation of the present invention, the system 22 will repetitively perform a succession of duty cycles. During each duty cycle, the drive motor 64 will rotate the cam 62 through an angle of 360. Recall: the conveyor channel 48 is biased to continuously urge the follower arm 60 against the edge 68 of cam 62. Thus, as the cam 62 turns, it will push against the follower arm 60. In turn, this interaction between the cam 62 and the follower arm 60 will cause the distal end 52 of conveyor channel 48 to travel through the arc length l.sub.arc. At the same time, the rotary drive motor 30 is rotating the bake form 10 at an angular velocity . Moreover, during all of this, the conveyor belt 54 is also advancing a bread dough strip 70 through the conveyor unit 26 at a velocity v, to deposit the bread dough strip 70 on the bake form 10. As shown in FIG. 5, a coaxial 12/34 alignment of the bake form 10 (axis 12) and mandrel 32 (axis 34) is inclined at the angle relative to a horizontal line 72 to present a horizontal portion, of the bake form 10 for the deposit of bread dough strip 70 on the bake form 10. Stated differently, in this orientation, the horizontal portion of bake form 10, the travel arc, /.sub.arc, for the movement of distal end 52 of the conveyor channel 48, and the horizontal line 72, are all essentially, mutually parallel.

[0055] With the above in mind, and with reference to FIG. 6, it will be appreciated that the variable distance R (which is dependent on a rotation of the cam 62), the constant angular velocity (which is established for rotation of the bake form 10), and the constant linear velocity v (which is established for the conveyor belt 54) are all interdependent and must be controlled. The important consequence of all this is the time required to deposit the bread dough strip 70 on the bake form 10. FIG. 6 shows an exemplary duty cycle during which five windings of a bread dough strip 70 are deposited onto the bake form 10. Note: by cross-referencing FIGS. 5 and 6, it will be appreciated that as the radius r of the bake form 10 decreases, the time to complete a winding of the bread dough strip 70 on the bake form 10 will likewise decrease. It is also noteworthy that at the end of a duty cycle, but before the start of the next duty cycle, the rotational velocity of the bake form 10 can be momentarily increased (see FIG. 6) to pinch the bread dough strip 70 from the newly formed food product holder 20.

[0056] In a briefly summarized overview, a method for manufacturing a food product holder 20 in accordance with the present invention involves first orienting the conical-shaped mandrel 32 with its mandrel axis 34 inclined in a vertical plane at an angle relative to a coplanar horizontal line 72. Next, the conical-shaped bake form 10 is engaged with the mandrel 32 in a coaxial 12/34 alignment that orients a portion of the bake form 10 parallel to the horizontal line 72 during a rotation of the bake form 10 on the mandrel 32 at the constant angular velocity . Additionally, a conveyor channel 48 having a proximal end 50 and a distal end 52 is rotated through an angle in a horizontal plane around the pivot point 56, to move the distal end 52 of the conveyor channel 48 along an arc length l.sub.arc relative to the bake form 10. Within this cooperation of structure, a cyclical rotation of the conveyor channel 48 through the angle results in a consequent cyclical translation of the distal end 52 of the conveyor channel 48 through the arc length l.sub.arc. Importantly, this is controlled by the control unit 28 to coordinate the translation of the distal end 52 of the conveyor channel 48 with the rotation of the conical-shaped bake form 10. All of this, of course, is accomplished while the bread dough strip 70 is advanced by the conveyor belt 54 along the conveyor channel 48. The result is that the bread dough strip 70 is deposited from the distal end 52 of the conveyor channel 48 onto the rotating bake form 10 to form the food product holder 20.

[0057] While the particular Bake Form for Manufacturing a Food Product as herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages herein before stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as described in the appended claims.