MXPA97008518A - Apparatus and method for dosing and sucking visco products - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an integrated apparatus for dosing liquid products in molds, for molding and obtaining molded articles and for sucking molds to remove a liquid product from the products of molded articles formed in the molds and for recycling the liquid product sucked to prepare in addition products of molded articles, comprising for use during operation: a hopper for containing a liquid product and a space in front under a vacuum pressure and positioned to extend vertically by means of a side wall of the hopper from a lower part of the hopper to an upper part of the hopper, means connected to the hopper to receive liquid product contained by the hopper from the hopper and to dose the liquid product inside the molds, means connected to the hopper to supply new liquid product to the hopper and with reference to the wall of the hopper, to maintain a level of product filling liquid in the hopper to provide a space of space in front of the upper portion of the hopper, means comprising a pipetting device for sucking liquid product from the molds and for recycling liquid product sucked from the molds to the hopper and which is connected to the the hopper in a position so that the recycled product is supplied to the hopper in a position in the area of the front space of the hopper, and means comprising a vacuum pump connected to the hopper in a position to provide a vacuum pressure in the space of the front and to suck liquid product from the molds through the means that comprise the pipette to suck and recycle liquid product to the tol

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DOSING AND SUCKING VISCOSE PRODUCTS Description of the Invention The invention relates to an apparatus for the dosing and suction of viscous products in a line that molds frozen confectionery articles in containers that move in a surrounding medium to solidify said viscous products. The production of frozen confectionery molded articles in individual portions, in particular ice cream popsicles in sticks that are composed of several concentric layers of different flavors requires the use of the so-called "wrap and core" technique. It consists in allowing a certain thickness of a liquid composition to harden towards the center by transferring heat from the outer side of the mold which is in contact with a cooling liquid, and emptying the central part that still does not solidify by suction. Therefore there is a solid envelope in the periphery, empty in the center. In this way, a new operation combining the dosage, the solidification in one layer and the suction can be carried out several times. This technique is currently used for the manufacture of frozen water pallets by molding.

A process is known, for example through the European patent document EP-A-0 322 469, for manufacturing a multilayer molded ice article including alternating layers of ice cream and chocolate flakes in the form of a wrapper. In this process the alternate successive layers of ice cream and chocolate are created by filling molds, solidifying the periphery, removing or removing the still liquid center, sprinkling chocolate within the central cavity and repeating the preceding operations of filling and removing or withdrawing. The devices that allow carrying out the filling and emptying are not described, but it is clear that they will operate separately. In addition, it is not specified that the liquid removed or withdrawn is recycled. The manufacture of molded chocolate envelopes by means of filling cells, solidifying the periphery and removing or subsequently removing the center is described, for example, in patent document US-A-3 529 553. Even when the liquid is withdrawn or The waste is recycled by a pump leading to the feed hopper, the filling and emptying are carried out separately by means of separate devices. There is a need to improve the quality and efficiency of production of articles of this type of wrapping and core, as well as the need to obtain a more hygienic cleaning. Until now, the suction technique that is usually used to simplify manufacturing and improve cleaning hygiene consists of taking advantage of the principle of volumetric dosing by means of a piston that moves inside a filling chamber with a dosage unit per track. of molding, a line can comprise up to 20 tracks. The filling chamber is connected to a pipette through a conduit and through valves, and the pipette is immersed in the center of the mold. The coordination is achieved through a mechanical link in two stages. In a first stage a relative movement of the piston in its chamber produces a vacuum and the liquid is pushed up and into the chamber under the effect of the pressure of the surrounding air, completing the filling when the piston reaches the end of its stroke in the bottom of the camera. In a second stage the pipette leaves the mold while the movement of the piston in the chamber reverses and, due to the valves, liquid is expelled to a second conduit and from there it is recycled, either to an intermediate regulating tank or directly to the dosage hopper. The latter contains recycled liquid and fresh liquid that is added in quantity according to the volume already dispensed. The success of the operation depends on the system being totally hermetic to the leakage of liquid. There is a considerable degree of maintenance and care that must be exercised to clean as many systems as there are clues, multiplied by the number of suction operations that are required depending on the nature of the composite products being manufactured. These difficulties explain why the system is only used for dispensing non-viscous syrups that constitute compositions for water ice creams. An object of the invention is to allow liquids that are more difficult to handle to be vacuumed than ice cream compositions, and this within a wide range of temperatures, among which may be mentioned: - aerified (or aerated) compositions or expanded and visco-elastic compositions, such as ice cream, liquid with pedals, as long as they can be dosed, - very viscous compositions, such as for example caramel (burnt sugar) and sauces, chocolate wrap compositions or the like , which, without being too sticky, solidify easily in a system of pistons and valves. In this case the hopper can include an insulating or heated jacket. Another object of the invention is to achieve dosing and aspiration with recycling by a single apparatus having a simple and compact structure, which can be easily cleaned without having to use tanks, pumps and intermediate valves. Therefore, the invention relates to an apparatus for the dosing and suction of viscous products in a line for molding frozen confectionery in containers that move in a surrounding medium to solidify said viscous products, characterized by the fact of comprising: a distribution hopper containing the product to be dosed, - means for partially filling the hopper with the viscous product, connected to the upper part of the hopper, means for connecting the hopper to a vacuum located at the upper end of the hopper. the hopper, - means for dosing the viscous product inside containers that are presented below the hopper, said means being located in the lower part of the hopper below the filling level, means for adjusting the filling level of the viscous product in the container. the hopper between a lower level and a higher level, and means to suck the viscous product connected on one side to the upper part of the to a hopper above the filling level, and on the other side to a pipette that is submerged in the containers, to remove or remove the still not solidified center of these and recycle it inside the hopper. The apparatus according to the invention can be applied to any machine for freezing frozen confectionery articles, such as for example: an ice cream machine using brine, which is in a straight line, rotates, is oval or has a movement in framed frames ( in three directions), - an ice machine that uses any liquid or gaseous refrigerant fluid, or that uses evaporation, that bathes or sprinkles the molds during variable periods of time, a machine in which the molds are transported by a conveyor belt in a tunnel in which pulsating air produces freezing, it being possible for the conveyor belt to be in a straight line or unwind, for example in a single or double flat spiral, or in a spiral of revolutions, - any machine of the preceding type in which the molds are move continuously or in stages. The apparatus according to the invention can be applied in a very simple way to existing machines by converting the dosing devices so that a depressurization is created in the dosing hopper. To achieve this end it is sufficient to close the hopper with a lid, connect the top of the hopper to a vacuum pump system, and connect the suction pipettes directly to the hopper. This principle can be applied to various types of dosing devices, such as, for example, metering devices with a valve of distribution passage and vertical or horizontal cylinders, dosing devices with valves or dosing devices with immersion nozzles of the "bottom filler up" type or of the "pencil filler" type. The invention also relates to a method for the dosing and suction of viscous products in a line that molds frozen confectionery articles in containers that move in a surrounding medium to solidify said viscous products, characterized by the fact that the dosage of the viscous product inside containers and the emptying or removal of the viscous product out of the center not yet solidified is carried out concomitantly by a single apparatus.

In accordance with the invention, in order to be able to manufacture frozen confectionery shaped molded articles, in particular multi-flavor frozen popsicles, the molds are filled with a composition to be frosted while moving in line in a surrounding solidifying environment, the composition solidifies into the periphery, the center still not solidified is removed or removed, and these operations are repeated. The filling and emptying or removal are carried out in a concomitant manner by means of a single apparatus that allows to recycle the composition that must freeze that has not yet solidified. The invention will be described in greater detail by way of example with the help of the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a dosing device in which the hopper is placed directly on the metering valve, with the cylinders disposed laterally to the horizontal, Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a dosing device in which the hopper is displaced laterally with respect to the through valve to provide space for allowing the cylinders to be arranged vertically on the valve. step 3 is a diagrammatic view of a metering device without cylinder in which the hopper is connected directly to the bypass valve, but where the conduits are closed by valves, and figure 4 represents a diagrammatic view of the apparatus in situ on a track of a machine that produces ice pops in a straight line. In FIGS. 1 to 4 a conduit that supplies the composition to freeze 1 is connected vertically to the lid 2 or preferably to one side of the hopper 3, so that the lid can be easily removed for cleaning purposes. A vacuum line 4 is connected on the one hand to the hopper 3 as shown above, and on the other hand to a vacuum pump not shown. The hopper 3 can include baffles 5 to prevent direct suction of the sucked or supplementary liquids. The deflectors 5 can also be arranged under the lid (figure 2). A flexible hose 6 whose other end is attached to a pipette 7 is connected to the upper front part of the hopper. The mixer 8 makes it possible to obtain a homogeneous mixture of a "new" composition and a recycled composition. The two level sensors 10 (low level and high level) maintain a steady liquid level in the hopper 3 by controlling an electromagnetic valve 11, so that new composition is supplied to the hopper when required. These level sensors can be placed either on the lid 2 or on one side of the hopper 3. It is convenient that the lid is made of unbreakable material, for example, stainless steel. In order to be able to visually check the satisfactory operation of the system an indicator tube 12 (level) is provided on one side of the hopper 3. A pressure sensor (pressure gauge) 13 placed on the vacuum line 4 in proximity of the hopper 3 allows to adjust the vacuum level exactly according to the viscosity of the composition to be frozen and taking the step with the machine. An electromagnetic valve (not shown) can be arranged in the vacuum line 4. This allows modulating the vacuum level when necessary depending on the filling and emptying phases of the chambers. In Figure 4 the apparatus according to the invention is in a production process in a line that produces multi-flavored ice pops. The endless conveyor belt 14 transports the molds 15 step by step in the direction of the arrow f-_ to a freezing tank of brine 16. Several successive dosing and aspiration stations are shown, and operate in an identical manner. The dosing device 17 and the associated hopper 3 are mounted on the frame 18, which can be moved in translation by rollers 19 rolling on rails 20. In A a cooled mold 15 is filled with the composition to be frozen by means of the three-way valve 21 through the dosing piston 22 (figures 1 and 2) or valve 23 (figure 3) operated by the cylinder 24. After passing through the cooling medium, the composition solidifies at the periphery of the mold 15 in a layer 25. In B the center still liquid is removed by the pipette 7, and the latter is lifted out of the mold by the jack (descent / rise mechanism) 26. A Then a composition of a different type to be frost can be introduced in C, the center in D removed or withdrawn, and so on until the number of successive layers required by the repetition of the preceding operations has been obtained. With a view to simplification, the sensors 10 and the electromagnetic valve 13 were only shown in the case of the first dosing apparatus. As shown in Figure 4, the components for dosing and aspiration at the end of manufacture, comprising the dosing device and the pipette / cat assembly associated with the preceding dosing device are on the same mobile frame 18 , as can be seen in D, being that the common thing is that the aspiration pipettes are mounted on independent supports. This arrangement allows a considerable saving of space, particularly in the case of short machines. In the representation of figure 4 the subsequent operations of inserting a stick, removing the mold and wrapping the finished articles are not shown. The apparatus and the method according to the invention have the following substantial advantages compared to known techniques, which are set forth in an exemplary manner: an accurate gauge control of the suction as a function of the viscosity of the product to be sucked, an efficiency of aspiration that is independent of the rhythm of the machine, - the possibility of manufacturing new products of multiple layers, the aspiration of the composition to be frozen from the storage container without the need of a pump, a saving of space in the line that allows to reduce the time needed to freeze, global dimensions reduced by reducing equipment components on the line, pipettes simplified to the maximum, free in their support, which allows your career can be adjusted quickly and easily, and a very simple cleaning of the suction components, which guarantees the hygiene of the process. The apparatus and the method were described in connection with the manufacture of frozen pallets. It is understood that they can be applied to the manufacture of other molded articles of different nature, such as for example cones or vats. The apparatus was described in connection with a single dosing track for reasons of simplification. A machine that is in the process of manufacture can naturally comprise up to 20 tracks of dosing and aspiration in parallel.

Claims (11)

1. CLAIMS 1. Apparatus for the dosing and suction of viscous products in a line for molding frozen confectionery in containers that move through a means to solidify said viscous products, characterized in that it comprises: a hopper of distribution containing the product to be dosed, means for partially filling the hopper with the viscous product, connected to the upper part of the hopper, means for connecting the hopper to a vacuum located at the upper end of the hopper, means for dosing the viscous product inside containers that are presented below the hopper, said means being located in the lower part of the hopper below the filling level, means for adjusting the level of filling of the viscous product in the hopper between a lower level and a upper level, And means to suck the viscous product connected on one side to the upper part of the hopper above the filling level, and p or the other side to a pipette that is submerged in the containers, to remove or remove the still not solidified center of these and recycle it inside the hopper. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for connecting the hopper to vacuum include a component for adjusting the vacuum in the form of a vacuum sensor. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for adjusting the filling level between a low value and a high value are constituted by two level sensors that control an electromagnetic valve included in the means to fill the hopper. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for dosing the viscous product in the containers comprise a three-way stopcock, a dosing chamber and a distribution cylinder. 5. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the suction means are firmly attached to a descent and ascent device that guarantees that the pipettes descend to the bottom of the containers and that said pipettes ascend afterwards. that the nucleus has not yet solidified has been removed or removed. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the hopper is provided with means for mixing the viscous recycled product with the viscous product supplied. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the hopper has a level indicator tube for checking the level of the viscous product. Ice cream confectionery machine, characterized in that it includes an apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 7. 9. Method for the dosing and suction of viscous products in a line for molding articles of confectionery ice cream in containers that move in a surrounding environment to solidify said viscous products, characterized in that the dosing of the viscous product inside containers and the emptying or removal of the viscous product outside the center not yet solidified is carried performed in a concomitant manner by a single device. 10. Process according to claim 9, characterized in that removing or removing the viscous product from the center not yet solidified and recycling it to the hopper is carried out without the use of a pump, by means of a pipette connected to the upper part of the hopper under reduced pressure. 11. A method for making frozen confectionery articles, in particular multi-flavored ice pops, in which the molds are filled with a composition to be frozen while moving in line in a surrounding solidifying environment, the composition solidifies at the periphery, the center not yet solidified is removed or removed, and these operations are repeated, this method being characterized by the fact that the filling and emptying or removal are carried out in a concomitant manner by means of a single apparatus that allows the composition to be recycled that must freeze that has not yet solidified. 12. Molded iced confectionery articles, which are characterized by the fact that they are obtained by putting into operation the method according to one of claims 9 to 11.