METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PRODUCING A FOOD PRODUCT

Abstract

A raw material mixture is supplied to an extrusion machine by a moved supply unit in a particularly uniform manner. The raw material mixture has a fiber raw material and a carrier raw material. The fiber raw material has a process by-product of a food manufacturing process and the carrier raw material has whole-grain components. A raw material quantity is supplied by the supply unit along a trajectory through the supply opening into the production machine. The trajectory of the raw material quantity is changeable. The supply unit has at least one actuating unit, by which an actuating movement of the supply channel portion and/or of the feed hopper can be generated, so that the supply channel portion can be caused to displace relative to the feed hopper.

Claims

1.-21. (canceled)

22. A method for processing a raw material mixture in an extrusion machine for manufacturing a food product, comprising: supplying the raw material mixture to the extrusion machine by a moved supply unit (1), wherein the raw material mixture is adjustable at different feed positions within a supply opening by an actuating movement of a supply channel portion (3) and/or a feed hopper (5) of the supply unit (1), which enables a particularly uniform supply of the raw material mixture into the extrusion machine, so that the raw material mixture can be processed by the extrusion machine, wherein the raw material mixture has a fiber raw material and a carrier raw material, wherein the fiber raw material has a process by-product of a food manufacturing process, and wherein the carrier raw material has whole-grain components.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the raw material mixture has 5 wt. % to 80 wt. % fiber raw material and 1 wt. % to 95 wt. % carrier raw material.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein a proportion of the process by-product in the fiber raw material is 1 wt. % to 100 wt. %.

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the process by-product has plant-based raw materials consisting of press cakes, filter cakes, husks and/or spent grains.

26. The method according to claim 22, wherein the process by-product has 5 wt. % to 20 wt. % water.

27. The method according to claim 22, wherein the whole-grain components are selected from the group consisting of maize, rice, wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt, another cereal, and a combination thereof.

28. The method according to claim 22, wherein the raw material mixture has a further component.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the further component is selected from the group consisting of water, sweetening agents, table salt, fats and oils, functional ingredients, flavors, and combinations thereof.

30. The method according to claim 22, wherein the raw material mixture supplied to the extrusion machine is extruded with a single-screw extrusion device.

31. A method for supplying a raw material quantity into a production machine (2), comprising: supplying the raw material quantity into the production machine (2) along a trajectory through the supply opening by a supply unit (1), changing the trajectory of the raw material quantity such that a trajectory passage angle, at which the trajectory passes through the supply opening and/or a trajectory passage position at which the trajectory passes through the supply opening is changed.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the trajectory passage angle and the trajectory passage position are continuously and/or discontinuously changed during the supplying of the raw material quantity through the supply opening.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein changing the trajectory passage angle and changing the trajectory passage position can be carried out at different speeds.

34. A supply unit (1) for supplying a raw material quantity into a production machine (2), comprising: a supply channel portion (3) having an exit opening (4) and having a feed hopper (5), wherein the raw material quantity can be conveyed through the exit opening (4) of the supply channel portion (3) into a feed opening (6) of the feed hopper (5) and supplied through the feed hopper (5) to the production machine (2), wherein the supply unit (1) has at least one actuating unit (7), by which an actuating movement of the supply channel portion (3) and/or of the feed hopper (5) can be generated, so that the supply channel portion (3) can be caused to displace relative to the feed hopper (5).

35. The supply unit (1) according to claim 34, wherein an actuating movement that can be generated by the at least one actuating unit (7) causes a displacement of the supply channel portion (3) or of the feed hopper (5), so that a distance between a longitudinal axis (8) of a supply tube and a longitudinal axis (8) of the feed hopper (5) is adjustable.

36. The supply unit (1) according to claim 34, wherein an actuating movement that can be generated by the at least one actuating unit (7) causes a displacement and/or a tilting of the supply channel portion (3) or of the feed hopper (5), so that an inclination angle between a longitudinal axis (8) of the supply channel portion (3) and a longitudinal axis (8) of the feed hopper (5) is adjustable.

37. The supply unit (1) according to claim 34, wherein a lateral distance and/or an inclination angle between a longitudinal axis (8) of the supply channel portion (3) and the longitudinal axis (8) of the feed hopper (5) is adjustable by displacement and/or tilting of the supply channel portion (3) and of the feed hopper (5).

38. The supply unit (1) according to claim 34, wherein the actuating movement that can be generated by the at least one actuating unit (7) can be executed in an alternating direction.

39. The supply unit (1) according to claim 34, wherein a travel path of the actuating movement that can be generated by the at least one actuating unit (7) is adjustable.

40. The supply unit (1) according to claim 39, a speed of the actuating movement that can be generated by the at least one actuating unit (7) is changeable within the travel path.

41. The supply unit (1) according to claim 39, wherein an acceleration of the actuating movement that can be generated by the at least one actuating unit (7) is changeable within the travel path.

42. The supply unit (1) according to claim 34, wherein a diameter of the feed opening (6) of the feed hopper (5) is larger than a diameter of the exit opening (4) of the supply channel portion (3).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a supply unit for supplying a raw material quantity into a production machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a supply unit 1 for supplying a raw material quantity not shown in FIG. 1 into a production machine 2. The supply unit 1 consists of a supply channel portion 3 having an exit opening 4 and a feed hopper 5 with a feed opening 6. The raw material quantity exits the supply channel portion 3 and is supplied to the production machine 1 via the feed opening 6 of the feed hopper 5. In this case, the supply channel portion 3 in the supply unit 1 is oriented perpendicularly and arranged above the supply hopper 5. Due to the perpendicular arrangement, gravity-assisted conveying can be achieved. In the configuration of the supply unit 1 shown in FIG. 1, two actuating units 7 are arranged in the region of the exit opening 6 on the supply channel portion 3. By arranging the two actuating units 7 in this way, actuating movements can be carried out in different directions perpendicular to the orientation of the supply channel portion 3, whereby a displacement of the exit opening 4 of the supply channel portion 3 can be generated. This allows, for example, a relative distance to be created between a longitudinal axis 8 of the supply channel portion 3 and a longitudinal axis 8 of the feed hopper 5. The feed hopper 5 is fixed to the production machine 2. The diameter of the feed opening 6 of the feed hopper 5 is larger than the diameter of the exit opening 4 of the supply channel portion 3, which determines the maximum permissible travel path for the relative displacement of the supply channel portion 3 from the feed hopper 5 in order to be able to supply the raw material quantity exiting the exit opening 4 of the supply channel portion 3 into the feed opening 6 of the feed hopper 5.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0047] 1. Supply unit

[0048] 2. Production machine

[0049] 3. Supply channel portion

[0050] 4. Exit opening

[0051] 5. Feed hopper

[0052] 6. Feed opening

[0053] 7. Actuating unit

[0054] 8. Longitudinal axis