AU767567B2

AU767567B2 - A packaged hollow confectionery body and a method of producing a packaged hollow confectionery body

Info

Publication number: AU767567B2
Application number: AU57075/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Pietro Dr Ferrero
Original assignee: Ferrero OHG
Current assignee: Ferrero OHG
Priority date: 1998-11-05
Filing date: 1999-10-27
Publication date: 2003-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 2019-10-27
Also published as: EP1002464A3; EP1002464A2; PL193496B1; ES2213960T3; DE59908189D1; PL336404A1; SK150599A3; AU5707599A; DK1002464T3; TR199902721A2; CZ387899A3; RU2242881C2; DE19851063A1; TR199902721A3; EP1002464B1; SK284872B6; ATE256972T1; CZ298592B6; HK1025885A1

Abstract

Manufacture of chocolate hollowware by forming a shell in a shaped foil that will later become the packing A foil, preferably 0,2 - 0,3 mm thick polypropylene, is warmed and deep drawn into dies for one set of chocolate halves (possibly 4 x 13). Another set of dies is similarly prepared for the matching halves. The convex faces are then either printed or labels are attached to them. The foils are placed in solid support blocks and filled with an accurately determined amount of chocolate so that, as a set of cooled punches is lowered into the chocolate, a shell of uniform thickness is formed without thinning or excessive overflow. The filled foils are now cooled and the process can be repeated if a second, perhaps differently colored, layer is required. If required, items can then be placed inside the shell. The two halves, in their support blocks, are brought together to connect the two foils. The foils are welded together where flat surfaces overlap and individual articles are separated by a cutting die. The foil is now the packing for the article.

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT 0. 00 Applicant(s): FERRERO oHG mbH Invention Title: A PACKAGED HOLLOW CONFECTIONERY BODY AND A METHOD OF PRODUCING A PACKAGED HOLLOW CONFECTIONERY BODY The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: A packaged hollow confectionery body and a method of producing a packaged hollow confectionery body Technical field The present invention relates to a method of producing a packaged hollow confectionery body made of a heated pourable confectionery mass, particularly a chocolate mass or a chocolate-like mass. The invention also relates to a packaged hollow confectionery body made of a heated pourable confectionery mass, particularly a chocolate mass or a chocolate-like mass.

Prior art A known method of producing a packaged hollow confectionery body made of a heated pourable confectionery mass, as currently applied industrially by the Applicant, usually entails provision of two mutually corresponding and optionally heated mould halves that are completely filled with a heated confectionery mass that is liquid or pasty in this state. The S moulds are than rotated, thus causing a large part of the filled confectionery mass to drain off and be collected for further use, while a small amount of the confectionery mass continues to adhere to the inner contour of the respective mould half as a thin and still relatively soft layer. Shaking and cooling the mould halves then causes an essentially even, thin confectionery-body half shell to be formed from this layer in the respective mould half. In certain kinds of confectionery, an inedible surprise gift is then placed in at least one of the cooled, solidified confectionery-body half shells. The mutually corresponding mould halves and the confectionery-body half shells solidified therein are then 2 briefly re-heated and laid on top of one another in a suitable alignment and the confectionery-body half shells pressed together at their shell edges, which causes them to fuse together into an enclosed hollow confectionery body. If a surprise gift was previously placed in a mould half, this gift is now enclosed inside the hollow confectionery body. The finished cooled hollow confectionery body is released from the mould halves and then usually packed into a wrapping packaging, for example a printed aluminium foil or the like.

This process makes it necessary to circulate a relatively large amount of the liquid or pasty confectionery mass and to process it while it is being filled into the mould halves.

Since the mould halves are always re-used after a complete production cycle of the hollow confectionery body, they have to be freed from any confectionery residue that may be present and they also have to be cleaned and optionally undergo e intermediate storage. It is also necessary to construct the S mould halves to be very solid. To produce large quantities of a specific type of hollow confectionery body, a correspondingly large number of mould halves is also required, such mould halves entailing quite considerable costs. To change production over to a different type of confectionery requires a sufficient number of new moulds, which again involves a not inconsiderable expenditure. The large number of respective mould halves must also be kept in stock. When releasing the finished hollow confectionery body from the mould halves, when transferring the hollow confectionery bodies to a packaging station and during packaging, the product is also frequently damaged, so that there is always a certain reject quota. Since the packaged hollow confectionery body ready for delivery is also extremely fragile, it is necessary to expect a further reject quota as a result of any damage that occurs during transportation of the goods to a client, when loading and setting out the goods in salesrooms or when the goods are handled by an end consumer.

3 A method of producing chocolate shells is known from DE 195 35 292 Al in which a heated chocolate-like fatty mass is filled into a mould and a cooled stamp is then introduced into the mould and the mass located therein until a desired distance from the mould is achieved, this distance exhibiting a desired wall thickness. During this process, excess mass emerges from the mould. Before introduction of the stamp into the mass, a layer of release agent is produced on those areas of the stamp surface which come into contact with-the mass.

This comes about either as a result of the fact that the release agent is deposited by the release agent (water vapour) contained in the gaseous atmosphere surrounding the stamp, or as a result of the fact a non-gaseous release agent is mechanically applied to the aforementioned stamp surfaces by means of spraying, dabbing, immersion etc. Once the mass is solidified between the stamp and the mould, the stamp is re-removed. The use of the release agent is intended to reduce the rejects when detaching the chocolate shell from the stamp.

It is not apparent from this document as to how chocolate shells produced in this way are composed to form a complete chocolate body or how and by what means the chocolate body is packaged.

GB 1 427 496 discloses a method of producing a double-layer hollow chocolate body in which two respectively single-layer chocolate halves representing a first or outer layer in the hollow chocolate body to be produced are first preformed in two separate corresponding mould halves connected by a hinge and then each coated on their insides with a second, i.e.

inner layer of a melted edible material. In at least one of the two mould halves, the second layer of melted edible material is kept in such a warm and liquid state that if this mould half is folded on to the second mould half via the hinge, the hollow chocolate body is melted together at the edge of its inner/second layer and hence joined to form an enclosed hollow body. This kind of production of hollow chocolate bodies consequently does not involve any connection 4 at the outer/first shell layer, which prevents the abutting surface of the outer shell layers from melting open, being deformed or changing its colour to an undesirable extent. This document leaves the exact process of producing the respective first shell layers completely open. It is merely noted that the first shell layers are "preformed" by "known means". The second layers are poured into the first layers.

DE-OS 21 24 277 discloses a method of producing a single-layer hollow chocolate body by means of a centrifugal casting technique. This process involves first filling the chocolate into a mould half made from a film, then sealing the mould half by means of a corresponding second mould half and finally centrifuging the centrifugal casting mould formed from these two mould halves, the chocolate being distributed and forming a completely enclosed hollow chocolate body on the inside walls of the centrifugal casting mould. The centrifugal casting mould, i.e. the mould halves produced from the film, are simultaneously used as packaging for the finished hollow chocolate body. The hollow chocolate body may come with a filling. For this purpose, the chocolate body is either subsequently bored open or a press-in section is provided in the packaging so that a hole is punched into the chocolate body as a result of pressing in this section; the filling is then filled through the bored or punched hole. A filling does not constitute a second layer of hollow chocolate body, but a mass that essentially completely fills up the cavity of the hollow chocolate body. This document also discloses another version of the process in which a separating sheet whose inner edge slightly projects into the cavity formed by the mould halves and whose cross section decreases like an aperture is inserted between the two mould halves. During centrifuging, two non-adhering chocolate half-shells that are separated by the separating sheet are formed as a result. After opening the mould halves, the separating sheet is removed and the mould halves are filled and then re-closed. Such a centrifugal 5 casting technique does not constitute the subject matter of the present invention.

Summary of the Invention In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method of producing a hollow confectionery body within an enclosed hollow shaped body, the method comprising the steps of: preparing at least two mutually corresponding thin-walled mould halves, each mould half having an essentially identically formed upper planar edge portion defining a mould-half separating plane; filling a heated pourable confectionery mass into the respective mould halves; introducing a stamp into each mould half and the heated confectionery mass filled therein to mould a confectionery body half shell having a desired wall thickness and allowing the thus moulded confectionery body half shell to solidify between the stamp and the mould half; removing the stamp; and placing together the mould halves with the solidified confectionery body half shells disposed therein at their mould-half separating planes so that the edge portions lie on top of one another at the mould-half separating planes to form the enclosed hollow shaped body with the hollow confectionery body disposed therein and composed of the confectionery body half shells, the hollow shaped body forming a detachable shell-like outer packaging having a flange formed by the edge portions extending completely around the shaped body.

The term hollow confectionery body particularly comprises chocolate eggs and so-called Kinder Surprise, as distributed by the Applicant. The 35 invention is nevertheless not restricted just to these latter products and the associated design shape. In principle, the invention can also be applied to any 6 other suitable hollow confectionery body. Mould halves as defined by the invention include not only the two geometric halves of a shaped body that bestows its shape upon the hollow confectionery body to be manufactured, but also various shaped parts or shaped shells which can be used to form a complete shaped body. The mould halves may also exhibit an identical or differing shape. Similarly, confectionery-body half shells as defined by the invention not only refer to the two geometric half shells of a hollow confectionery body, but also to two or more confectionery-body shell parts in general that can be used to form a complete hollow confectionery body. The confectionery-body half shells may have both identical and different shapes. Placing together the corresponding thin-wall mould halves does not absolutely presuppose the production of a secure (albeit detachable) connection. In the simplest case, it may be sufficient to place the mould halves merely in a loose manner on top of one another and/or together. Such a process can, however, be entirely followed by another go• *oe **oo* e•* e* procedural step in which the mould halves are then securely though detachably fixed together in a desired manner. It should also be taken into consideration that the confectionery-body half shells from which the hollow confectionery body is composed do not absolutely have to be securely connected together; it is equally possible, and in certain cases also appropriate and intentional, for them to be placed merely in a loose manner on top of one another and/or together. Although the method according to the invention does not require the use of a release agent, it is always possible, of course, to provide such an agent on the mould halves and/or stamp.

The method according to the invention therefore involves producing the confectionery-body half shells in thin-wall mould halves which not only form the casting mould or original mould for the confectionery-body half shells to be manufactured, but also represent the subsequent outer packaging of these confectionery-body half shells and the complete hollow confectionery body composed thereof. The mould halves therefore perform an advantageous dual function. The process according to the invention therefore makes it unnecessary to release the finished hollow confectionery body from its mould halves and to transfer the hollow confectionery body to a separate packaging station at which an extra packaging step is performed, because the confectionery-body half shells (and hence the entire hollow confectionery body) are in a way already produced in their own packaging. Since a detachment of the finished hollow confectionery body from its mould halves is consequently neither necessary nor envisaged at the factory, the risk that arises in conventional processes of damaging the confectionery-body half shells or the hollow confectionery body is also dispensed with at this stage. The reject quota can therefore be considerably decreased with respect to conventional techniques. Another advantage in this conjunction is that the hollow confectionery body produced by the method according to the invention and which is rather fragile per se also exhibits considerable resistance to external influences and effects of forces after the production process, as arise for example during transportation of the goods to a client, when loading and setting out the goods in salesrooms or when the goods are handled by an end consumer.

This is due to the fact that due to their shell-like construction, the thin-wall mould halves form a mechanically very solid covering and effectively protect the hollow confectionery body on its outside. The reject quota caused in practice by damage arising outside the production process can therefore be reduced further.

Since in the method according to the invention, the mould halves, due to their packaging function, are not re-used in the course of the production process, but leave the production process, both the cleaning step needed in conventional techniques and a storage or intermediate storage of mould halves are dispensed with. Rather, the mould halves, which after all comprise only a thin material, can be produced directly before or even during the ongoing production process according to the invention and be made available for use (the manner in which this can occur will be explained even more precisely in the following description). In principle, just a S single tool, or in the case of more complicated mould halves, just a single set of tools is necessary to produce the mould halves. This means that the production of the mould halves, and hence of the packaging too, is very effective and comparatively inexpensive compared to solutions known so far.

S* To convert production to a different type of hollow confectionery body, just an exchange of the tool for the mould halves and of the stamp is essentially necessary. It is possible to dispense with storing the mould halves of the preceding type of hollow confectionery body, because these mould halves have, after all, already left the production process in the form of the packaging for the hollow confectionery bodies. The method according to the invention therefore makes very flexible production possible and is very 9 effective, inexpensive and economical compared to conventional techniques.

Other preferred advantageous design features of the method according to the first aspect of the present invention are the subject matter of dependent claims 2 to 18.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a packaged hollow confectionery body made of a confectionery mass comprising two composite confectionery body half shells, each having been detachably moulded in a thin-walled mutually corresponding mould half, having an upper planar edge portion defining a mould half separating plane, the mould halves forming an enclosed hollow shaped body when placed together with their respective edge portions lying on top of one another, the enclosed hollow shaped body completely surrounding the hollow confectionery body as a detachable shell-like outer packaging having a flange formed by the edge portions extending completely around the shaped body.

Detachable means that a consumer can therefore re-remove the outer packaging relatively easily from the hollow confectionery body or its confectionery-body half shells in order to eat the product. With regard to the invention's definition of the terms "hollow confectionery body", "mould halves", "confectionery-body half shells", "composite" and "placed together", attention is drawn to the preceding comments about the method according to the invention.

The packaged hollow confectionery body according to the invention offers the advantages already mentioned in conjunction with the method according to the invention. The packaged hollow confectionery body according to the invention with its outer packaging mould halves also creates for this type of confectionery a completely innovative kind of packaging which in turn opens up new possibilities in design.

Other preferred advantageous design features of 10 the packaged hollow confectionery body according to the second aspect of the present invention are the subject matter of dependent claims 20 to 31.

Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred embodiment and further details and advantages of the method and packaged hollow confectionery body according to the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a packaged hollow confectionery body according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows an enlarged detailed view of an edge region of the hollow confectionery body according to the invention in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a diagrammatic longitudinal section through a packaged hollow confectionery body according to the invention along the line A-A in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 shows a diagrammatic flow chart of the method according to the invention for producing a packaged hollow confectionery body; Fig. 5 shows a diagrammatic top view and cross-sectional view of a pair of sets of mould halves used in the course of the method according to the invention; and *o *e o 11 Fig. 6 shows a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a mould half of a packaged hollow confectionery body according to the invention together with a stamp used in the course of the method according to the invention for producing half shells of the hollow confectionery body.

Detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention To avoid repetitions, identical components will also be designated by the same reference numbers in the following description and figures, unless further differentiation is necessary.

Fig. 1 illustrates a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a packaged hollow confectionery body 2 according to the invention. The hollow confectionery body 2 itself is made from a confectionery mass, i.e. in the present case a chocolate-like mass and has the shape of an egg. An inedible o surprise gift 4 is disposed inside the hollow confectionery body 2. The egg-shaped hollow confectionery body 2 is composed of two confectionery-body half shells 6, 8 which each have a double-layer structure. The outer layer of half shells 6.2, 8.2 is composed of a dark chocolate-like mass and the inner layer of half shells 6.4, 8.4 is composed of a light chocolate-like mass or a cream filling. The confectionery-body half shells 6, 8 are each detachably moulded into one of two associated thin-wall, identical, mutually corresponding mould S halves 10, 12 whose inner contour corresponds in each case to the outer contour of the associated confectionery-body half shell 6, 8. The mould halves 10, 12 are made of a deep-drawn plastic material suitable for food contact applications (here: polypropylene) and have a wall thickness of approx. 0.2 0.3 mm in this exemplary embodiment. As indicated by reference number 14, the mould halves 10, 12 are provided on their outside at least to an extent with a marker means, i.e. an imprint, an adhesive label, lettering or the like.

As can be identified both in Fig. 1 and particularly in Fig. 2, which shows an enlarged detailed view of an edge region of the packaged hollow confectionery body 2 according to the invention based on detail X in Fig. 1, the two mould halves 10, 12 each have an essentially identically formed upper planer edge portion 16 that defines a mould-half separating plane 18. By means of this edge portion 16, the mould halves 10, 12 are placed together, lying on top of one another, at their respective common mould-half separating planes 18 to form an enclosed hollow shaped body 20. This shaped body 20 completely surrounds the hollow confectionery body 2 formed from the confectionery-body half shells 6, 8 as a detachable shell-like outer packaging. As evident from the drawing, the planar edge portions 16 of the mould halves 12 lying on top of one another at their mould-half separating planes 18 form a rings-of-Saturn-like or flange-like edge 22 completely extending around the shaped body 20. Due to the egg shape of the hollow confectionery body 2, the rings-of-Saturnlike edge 22 also extends radially toward the circular smaller cross section of the hollow confectionery body 2.

The confectionery-body half shells 6, 8 each exhibit a geometrically precisely shaped confectionery-body half-shell edge 24, 26 which exactly matches an identical confectionerybody half-shell edge 24, 26 of the respectively corresponding confectionery-body half-shell 6 or 8. In the present example, the composite confectionery-body half shells 6, 8 that form the enclosed hollow confectionery body 2 lie in a merely loose manner on top of one another at their confectionery-body half-shell edges 24, 26. To remove the surprise gift 4 inside the hollow confectionery body 2, a consumer must therefore only use a simple flick of the wrist to open the confectionery-body half shells 6, 8 located on top of one another. In the configuration shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the 13 confectionery-body half shells 6, 8 are kept in position by the mould halves 10, 12 that were placed together. In accordance with the invention, the confectionery-body half shells 6, 8 might also, of course, be securely connected to form an enclosed hollow confectionery body 2, for example by melting together the half-shell edges 24, 26.

As also indicated in Fig. 2 by reference number 28 and a broken line, the mould halves 10, 12 which are placed together and lie on top of one another are slightly welded in the area of their edge portions 16 and their rings-of-Saturn-like edges 22. The weld 28 lies on the mould-half separating plane 18 and runs continuously around the rings-of-Saturn-like edge 22 and the shaped body 20. The mould halves 10, 12 are thus fixed together not only in a manner exactly aligned to one another, but are also sealed at their edge portions 16 and 22 on the mould-half separating plane 18. The seal produced by the weld 28 protects the hollow confectionery body 2 located in the shaped body 20 from external environmental influences, thus also allowing the packaging to exhibit a preservative property.

Further details of the packaged hollow confectionery body 2 according to the invention and of its mould halves 10, 12 that simultaneously act as outer packaging can be gathered from Fig. 3 which shows a diagrammatic longitudinal section of the S packaged hollow confectionery body 2 along line A-A in Fig. 1.

The sectional plane indicated by line A-A corresponds to the position of the coincident separating planes 18 of the two mould halves 10, 12. As identifiable in the drawing, the rings-of-Saturn-like edge 22 of a respective mould half 10, 12 has an outwardly protruding tongue-like edge portion region which represents a separating tab 30. The mould halves 10, 12, which are otherwise welded together at their edge portions 16 in a circumferential and sealing manner (see reference number 28), only loosely lie on top of one another in the area of this separating tab 30. A consumer can therefore take hold of 14 the separating tab 30 at this edge portion region and as a result of pulling apart this tab 30, can tear open the weld 28 or seal 28 of the placed-together mould halves 10, 12, thus re-detaching the mould halves 10, 12 from one another. This opens the shell-like outer packaging 20 formed by the mould halves 10, 12, and the hollow confectionery body 2 can be removed.

The method according to the invention for producing a packaged hollow confectionery body will now be explained with reference to Figs. 4 6. As regards the following description, it will be assumed that the packaged hollow confectionery body 2 shown in Figs. 1 3 is produced by this method.

Fig. 4 shows a diagrammatic flow chart of the method according to the invention for producing a hollow confectionery body 2 from a heated pourable confectionery mass, particularly a chocolate mass. In the present exemplary embodiment, the method is performed in continuously running mode. In other words, one or more of the aids and/or starting products and/or intermediate products used to produce the complete packaged hollow confectionery body 2 pass through one or more processing stations on a production line.

In step Sl, a thin, plastic material suitable for food contact applications (here polypropylene) is provided in the form of a film on a roll. The film thickness of the plastic material in use amounts to about 0.2 0.3 mm. The plastic film is then unwound, supplied in a level flat configuration to a film heating device where it is heated (step S2).

In step S3, the heated plastic film is then deep-drawn in a deep-drawing device, a plurality of identical, contiguous and successive depressions 32 in the shape of a half shell being moulded from the film plane, such depressions forming a continuous set 34, 36 of mould halves over the film (cf. Fig.

A respective depression 32 represents an essential part of

I

a mould half 10, 12 used in the subsequent production of the actual hollow confectionery body 2. The deep-drawing device is used to produce upper sets 36 of mould halves and lower sets 34 of mould halves respectively. The depressions 32 and their surrounding edge portions 16 of an upper set 36 of mould halves each form a mould half 12 for an upper confectionerybody half shell 8. The depressions 32 and their surrounding edge portions 16 of a lower set 34 of mould halves correspondingly each form a mould half 10 for a lower confectionery-body half shell 6. In principle, these upper and lower sets 34, 36 of mould halves can be deep-drawn both in parallel and sequentially.

In step S4, the deep-drawn sets 34, 36 of mould halves are then provided with a marker means 14 (cf. Fig. 1) on their outside, i.e. that side which will later face away from the finished hollow confectionery body 2. This marker means 14 may for example be an imprint and/or lettering and/or an adhesive label or the like.

S In step S5, the deep-drawn sets 34, 36 of mould halves provided with a marker means 14 are then cut at their edges to a matching format of set suitable for further processing. The thus prepared upper and lower sets 34, 36 of mould halves represent a mutually corresponding pair 34, 36 of sets of mould halves whose depressions 32 and continuous edge portions 16 form a plurality of thin-wall mould halves 10, 12 that S mutually correspond in pairs in each case. Fig. 5 illustrates as a diagrammatic top view and cross-sectional view such a pair 34, 36 of sets of mould halves.

S. In step S6, the upper and lower sets 34, 36 of mould halves are delivered to the next section of the production line at a delivery station.

At this station, two corresponding sets 34, 36 of mould halves which together form the aforementioned pair 34, 36 of sets of mould halves are each separately made available for further processing (step S7). Since the next process steps are always the same for the respective pairs 34, 36 of sets of mould halves, only a single pair 34, 36 of sets of mould halves will be referred to for the sake of simplicity as regards the following explanations. In the present case, each pair is made separately available in that the lower and upper sets 34, 36 of mould halves, as shown in Fig. 5, are successively positioned at a slight distance from one another in an aligned configuration and are supplied to further processing stations in the throughflow direction indicated by arrow 38. It is also identifiable in Fig. 5 that the mutually corresponding thinwall mould halves 10, 12 formed from the depressions 32 in both sets 34, 36 of mould halves have an essentially identically designed upper planar edge portion 16 which defines a mould-half separating plane 18. In this example, this edge portion 16 corresponds to the original film plane out of which the mould halves 10, 12 and their depressions 32 were moulded in the preceding deep-drawing process. As already mentioned earlier on in conjunction with the packaged hollow confectionery body 2 according to the invention, these mould halves 10, 12 also represent a subsequent outer packaging of the hollow confectionery body 2 that is still to be produced.

In step S8, in the course of their preparation, the sets of mould halves are placed on supporting moulds 40 (see Fig. 6) that are designed to complement the two sets 34, 36 of mould halves and their mould halves 10, 12 formed therein and consequently support the individual mould halves 10 12 on their outsides. As concerns the following process steps, these supporting moulds 40 are moved along with the sets 34, 36 of mould halves and their mould halves 10, 12.

In subsequent step S9, the sets 34, 36 of mould halves are supplied to a filling device and the mould halves 10, 12 are filled there with a predetermined volumetric quantity of 17 heated pourable confectionery mass 42. A dark confectionery mass is used here.

Since the following processes are identical for each mould half 10, 12 and each confectionery-body half shell 6, 8, only one mould half 10 and a confectionery-body half shell 6 from the plurality of mould halves 10, 12 and confectionery-body half shells 6, 8 will be referred to below. The sequence for the other mould halves 10, 12 and confectionery-body half shells 6, 8 takes place analogously.

As outlined in the diagrammatic cross-sectional view of Fig. 6, a mobile cooled stamp 44 or shaping stamp is introduced in step S10 into the mould half 10 and the heated confectionery mass 42 filled therein so as to mould a confectionery-body half shell 6 with a desired wall thickness and to allow the thus moulded confectionery-body half shell 6 to solidify between the stamp 44 and the mould half 10. The S outer contour 46 of the main portion 48 moulded in the shape of a half egg of the stamp 44 that dips into the confectionery mass 42 and the mould half 10 corresponds to the inner contour 58 of the first shell layer 6.2 of the confectionery-body half shell 6 (cf. Fig. which first shell layer 6.2 is to be moulded with the stamp 44. When dipping the stamp 44 into the confectionery mass 42, the mass is displaced to a layer of confectionery mass that is relatively thin in the present example, the thickness of the layer or wall corresponding to the distance between the inner contour 50 of the mould half and the outer contour 46 of the stamp 44.

It is also evident from Fig. 6 that the stamp 44 comprises a collar-like, stepped stamp mould face 52 in its upper stamp portion that adjoins the main portion 48. Upon reaching the stamp position necessary to form the desired wall thickness of the confectionery-body half shell 6 to be moulded in step thisstamp mould face 52 forms an essentially flush seal with 18 the mould half 10 at its separating plane 18, the stamp mould face 52 lying on the edge portion 16 of the mould half 10. In this way, the stamp mould face 52 defines a geometrically precise confectionery-body half-shell edge 24 (cf. Fig. 2) when the confectionery mass 42 displaced by the stamp 44 is applied to the stamp mould face 52 and then solidifies.

It is easy to follow that if using such a stamp 44, the volumetric quantity filled into the mould half 10, as already briefly indicated above, should be accurately metered. In step S9 above, what is therefore filled into the mould half 10 is a volumetric quantity of confectionery mass whose volume essentially corresponds to that of a cavity which is demarcated among the inner contour 50 of the mould half the outer contour of the stamp 44 introduced into the mould half 10, and the stamp mould face 52 that forms a flush seal with the separating plane 18. This means that the filled confectionery mass 42 is accurately displaced to such an extent by the stamp 44 introduced into the mould half 10 until an end position that this mass completely fills the space

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".available between the stamp 44 and the mould half 10. The supporting moulds are supported by a bottom stamp that is not S illustrated in the drawings. In practice, the volumetric quantity may also, in principle,be slightly larger, because any excess mass may still emerge until the stamp mould face 52 makes contact with the edge portion 16 or separating plane 18.

Exact metering is nevertheless preferred. When determining the volumetric quantity of confectionery mass, it is usually oooo necessary to take into consideration that the confectionery moo* mass may shrink during cooling. In this way, a confectionery-body half shell 6 exhibiting an exactly defined confectionery-body half-shell edge 24 is moulded in steps S9 So and S10 (cf. Fig. this edge 24 exactly matching an identical confectionery-body half-shell edge 26 of a corresponding confectionery-body half shell 12 in which an analogous procedure is adopted.

In step Si1, the stamp 44 is again removed from the mould half 12 and the confectionery mass 42 solidified therein. The mould half 10, 12 now accommodates a first single-layer (cf.

reference number 6.2 in Figs. 1 and 2) confectionery-body half-shell 6 having a thin wall thickness.

The confectionery-body half shell 6 located in its mould half is transported to a cooling device where it is continuously further cooled in step S12 over a certain period of time in order to achieve a specific degree of crystallization of the confectionery mass.

Since within the scope of the present exemplary embodiment, the intention is to produce a hollow confectionery body 2 which comprises confectionery-body half shells 6, 8 with a double-layer structure (cf. Figs. 1 and the processes described in steps S9 S12 are again repeated almost analogously in order to form a second shell layer 6.4 of a confectionery mass 42 in the previously solidified confectionery-body half-shell layer 6.2 that was moulded in steps S9 S12. This occurs in steps S13 S16 which indeed essentially correspond to steps S9 S12, but follow on from Goo step S12 and are performed in a section of the production line especially intended for this purpose.

The essential differences between steps S13 S16 and the preceding steps S9 S12 lie in the fact that a light confectionery mass 42 is used in the present case for the second shell layer 6.4, that the stamp 44 has a slightly different geometry and dimension from that of the stamp used for the first shell layer 6.2 (indicated in Fig. 6 by a broken line 54 on the stamp 44), and that the exactly metered volumetric quantity of the confectionery mass 42 to be filled into the mould half 10 and the first shell layer 6.2 located therein is adapted to this other stamp 44. The adapted outer contour 54 of the stamp 44 used in step S14 therefore corresponds to the inner contour 56 of the second, inner layer 6.4 of the confectionery-body half shell 6 to be built up in two layers. The volumetric quantity of the confectionery mass 42 filled in step S13 into the mould half 10 and the first shell layer 6.2 or confectionery-body half shell 6 located therein is now metered such that its volume essentially corresponds to that of a cavity demarcated among the inner contour 58 of the first shell layer 6.2 or confectionery-body half shell 6, the outer contour 54 of the stamp 44 introduced into the mould half 10 and the stamp mould face 52 that forms a flush seal with the separating plane 18 on the edge portion 16.

After the two double-layer confectionery-body half shells 6, 8 of the hollow confectionery body 2 were produced in the manner described above, an insertion device is used in step S17 to place a surprise gift 4 (cf. Fig. for example a small toy or the like, into one of the two confectionery-body half shells 6, 8. The confectionery-body half shells 6, 8 are of course already solidified and correspondingly dimensionally oo stable. In the present case, the surprise gift 4 is inserted into the mould halves 10 of the set 34 of mould halves that leads in the throughflow direction (cf. Fig. In subsequent steps S18 S20, the mutually corresponding thin-wall mould halves 10, 12 with the solidified confectionery-body half shells 6, 8 disposed therein are placed together at their mould-half separating planes 18 or edge portions 16, causing the respective mould-half separating planes 18 to lie on top of one another so as to form an enclosed hollow shaped body 20 having a hollow confectionery body 2 located therein and composed of the confectionery-body half shells 6, 8, the hollow shaped body 20 forming a detachable shell-like outer packaging of the hollow confectionery body 2.

This is first brought about in that in step S18, the two sets 34, 36 of mould halves together with the associated supporting 21 moulds 40 are folded on to one another in a matching alignment by means of a closing device (as indicated in Fig. 5 by arrow and are slightly pressed together. The mutually corresponding respective mould halves 10, 12 end up lying on top of one another in a correspondingly matching alignment at their edge portions 16 (which are still connected per set of mould halves) or at their mould-half separating planes 18.

They each form in pairs a complete hollow shaped body 20, the interior of which accommodates two associated confectionery-body half shells 6, 8. In this state, this hollow shaped body 20 already constitutes a shell-like outer packaging of the hollow confectionery body 2.

In the present example, the confectionery-body half shells 6, 8 enclosed by the hollow shaped body 20 merely lie loosely on top of one another at their geometrically precisely moulded shell edges 24, 26. Of course, it is also possible, as well as being envisaged within the scope of this invention, to heat at least one of the confectionery-body half shells 6, 8 at their confectionery-body half-shell edge 24, 26 which matches a *oe confectionery-body half-shell edge 24, 26 of the other :oelol S corresponding confectionery-body half shell 6, 8, with the result that when the thin-wall mould halves 10, 12 are placed together or are placed on top of one another, the confectionery-body half shells 6, 8 connect to form a completely enclosed hollow confectionery body 2 at their confectionery-body half-shell edges 24, 26.

In step S19, the supporting moulds 40 entrained until this point in time are re-opened by a supporting-mould opening device and removed by the sets 34, 36 of mould halves placed S: on top of one another.

In step S20, the mould halves 10, 12 so far still relatively loosely placed together by the sets 34, 36 of mould halves that lie on top of one another are then welded 28 together at their edge portions 16. Welding 28 occurs on the mould-half separating plane 18 continuously around the shaped body 20 or the rings-of-Saturn-like edge 22, with the result that the mould halves 10, 12 which mutually correspond in each case are not only fixed together in exact alignment with one another, but are also sealed at their mould-half separating planes 18 (cf. in this respect Figs. 2 and 3 as well). This means that the hollow shaped body 20 composed in each case of two mould halves 10, 12 is completely sealed.

The respective shaped bodies 20, which after all are still connected via their sets 34, 36 of mould halves, are parted from the format of set as a single article in step S20 and cut to a final packaging format, which happens essentially at the same time as welding 28. This is effected by means of a punching device. The severance cut occurs at the planar edge portions 16 of the mould halves 10, 12 lying on top of one another with their mould-half separating planes 18. The cutting shape and geometry is selected such that during this operation, a rings-of-Saturn-like edge 22 completely running around the shaped body 20 is produced which has a tongue-like Sedge portion region 30 forming a separating tab 30. The contour and position of this rings-of-Saturn-like edge 22 can A be particularly easily identified in Figs. 3 and 5. Since the edge portion regions in which the separating tab 30 lies are recessed (cf. Fig. 3 in particular) when welding 28 the mould halves 10, 12 together, the edges or mould-half separating planes 18 lie only loosely on top of one another at this site.

The completely welded and punched-out individual hollow shaped Sbodies 20 protectively surrounding the internally positioned hollow confectionery body 2 are released in step S21 from the Sremainder of the sets 34, 36 of mould halves and are made available for intermediate storage or transportation to the end consumer. The rest of the cut sets 34, 36 of mould halves can be recycled once more at a processing plant.

23 The invention is not restricted to the above exemplary embodiments which merely serve to explain in general the basic idea behind the invention. Rather, within the scope of protection, the method according to the invention and packaged hollow confectionery body according to the invention may assume embodiments and design versions other than those described above. The method and the packaged hollow confectionery body may particularly exhibit features which represent a combination of the individual features of the claims belonging thereto in each case. The hollow confectionery body may also comprise a shape other than the egg shape described above. The shape of the thin-wall mould halves may also be correspondingly modified. As regards a hollow confectionery body, more than two mould halves may also be used if necessary. If confectionery-body half shells are produced with a multilayer structure, the confectionery masses that form the layers may also be either identical or different particularly in terms of the type of confectionery mass used and the dimensions chosen.

20 Apart from the process steps explained in the above exemplary embodiment, other additional or supplementary Ssteps, such as intermediate monitoring steps and the like, may be executed. It is also conceivable to omit one or more of the process steps described above.

Reference numbers in the claims, specification, abstract and drawings merely help to make it easier to understand the invention and are not intended to restrict the scope of protection.

Throughout this specification, including the 30 claims, the words "comprise", "comprises" and "comprising" are used in a non-exclusive sense, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, ie. in the sense of "including" necessary implication, ie. in the sense of "including".

24 It is to be clearly understood that although prior art publication(s) are referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country.

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Claims

1. A method of producing a hollow confectionery body within an enclosed hollow shaped body, the method comprising the steps of: preparing at least two mutually corresponding thin-walled mould halves, each mould half having an essentially identically formed upper planar edge portion defining a mould-half separating plane; filling a heated pourable confectionery mass into the respective mould halves; introducing a stamp into each mould half and the heated confectionery mass filled therein to mould a confectionery body half shell having a desired wall thickness and allowing the thus moulded confectionery body half shell to solidify between the stamp and the mould half; removing the stamp; and placing together the mould halves with the solidified confectionery body half shells disposed therein at their mould-half separating planes so that the edge portions lie on top of one another at the mould-half *separating planes to form the enclosed hollow shaped body with the hollow confectionery body disposed therein and composed of the confectionery body half shells, the hollow shaped body forming a detachable shell-like outer *packaging having a flange formed by the edge portions extending completely around the shaped body.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein, before step an edge of at least one of the confectionery body half shells is heated so that the confectionery body half shells connect to form an enclosed 5hollow confectionery body when the mould halves are placed together in step 26

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein, after step steps to are repeated at least once to form at least one further shell layer of a confectionery mass in the previously solidified confectionery body half shell.

4. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims wherein the heated confectionery mass(es) is/are cooled in step A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims wherein, after step the Confectionery body half shells disposed in their mould halves are further cooled.

6. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims wherein, the thin-walled mould halves are each deep-drawn from a thin, plate- or film-like plastic material suitable for food contact applications.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein a plurality of identical, contiguous and/or successive thin-walled mould halves are deep-drawn, the mould halves forming a continuous set of mould halves.

8. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims wherein the outside of each thin-walled mould half is provided with a marker means.

9. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims wherein, during at least one of steps to the outsides of the thin-walled mould halves are supported by a supporting mould of complimentary shape to the mould halves. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims wherein directly before step the 27 mould halves are folded on to one another to form the hollow shaped body.

11. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims wherein, upon placing the mould halves together in step the mould halves are sealed at their edge portions.

12. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims wherein, before step the mould halves and/or sets of mould halves that are deep-drawn and/or provided with a marker means are cut to a format of a set.

13. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims wherein, after step the hollow shaped body is cut at the planar edge portions of the mould halves whereby the flange takes the form of a rings-of-Saturn-like edge extending completely around the shaped body.

14. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims wherein, upon placing together the a mould halves in step at least one edge portion coo• region of the edge portions is recessed so that the edge portions lie loosely on top of one another at the edge portion region. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein a separating tab is formed at the edge portion region. "16. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims wherein at least two of the following steps are performed essentially at the same time: oo 35 placing together the mould halves cutting the planar edge portions of the mould halves, 28 sealing the mould halves at their edge portions.

17. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims wherein the stamp comprises a stamp mould face forming an essentially flush seal with the mould halves at their separating plane upon reaching a stamping position necessary to form the desired wall thickness of the confectionery body half shell to be moulded; the stamp mould face defining a geometrically precise confectionery body half shell edge; and, in step a metered volumetric quantity of the confectionery mass is filled into the respective mould half, the quantity essentially corresponding to either the volume of a cavity between an inner contour of the mould half, an outer contour of the stamp and the stamp mould face forming a flush seal with the separating plane, or (ii) the volume of a cavity between an inner contour of a confectionery body half shell moulded in a preceding step, the outer contour of the stamp and the stamp mould face forming a flush seal with the separating plane, thus moulding confectionery body half shell having an exactly delimited confectionery body half shell edge which exactly matches an identical confectionery body half shell edge of a corresponding confectionery body half shell.

18. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims wherein, before step at least one surprise gift is placed into at least one of the already solidified confectionery body half shells. ooeo S* 19. A packaged hollow confectionery body made oooo ooo 35 of a confectionery mass comprising two composite confectionery body half shells, each having been detachably moulded in a thin-walled mutually corresponding 29 mould half, having an upper planar edge portion defining a mould half separating plane, the mould halves forming an enclosed hollow shaped body when placed together with their respective edge portions lying on top of one another, the enclosed hollow shaped body completely surrounding the hollow confectionery body as a detachable shell-like outer packaging having a flange formed by the edge portions extending completely around the shaped body.

20. A packaged hollow confectionery body as claimed in claim 19 wherein each confectionery body half shell has a geometrically precisely moulded confectionery body half shell edge which exactly matches an identical confectionery body half shell edge of a corresponding confectionery body half shell.

21. A packaged hollow confectionery body as claimed in claim 19 or claim 20 wherein the confectionery body half shells loosely lie on top of one another at their confectionery body half shell edges.

22. A packaged hollow confectionery body as o. :claimed in one of claims 19 to 21 wherein the confectionery body half shells are connected at their 25 confectionery body half shell edges to form an enclosed tee hollow confectionery body.

23. A packaged hollow confectionery body as claimed in one of claims 19 to 22 wherein the mould halves are deep-drawn from a plastic material suitable for food Scontact applications. o* .24. A packaged hollow confectionery body as claimed in one of claims 19 to 23 wherein the outside of 3dvm 35 each mould half is provided with a marker means. S• S A packaged hollow confectionery body as claimed in one of claims 19 to 24 wherein, at at least one edge portion region, the edge portions loosely lie on top of one another on the mould half separating plane.

26. A packaged hollow confectionery body as claimed in one of claims 19 to 25 wherein the mould halves are sealed at their edge portions.

27. A packaged hollow confectionery body as claimed in one of claims 19 to 26 wherein the flange forms a rings-of-Saturn-like edge extending completely around the shaped body.

28. A packaged hollow confectionery body as claimed in claim 27 wherein the edge portion region forms a separating tab in the rings-of-Saturn-like edge.

29. A packaged hollow confectionery body as claimed in one of claims 19 to 28 wherein each confectionery body half shell has a multilayer structure.

30. A packaged hollow confectionery body as claimed in one of claims 19 to 29 which contains at least 25 one surprise gift.

31. A packaged hollow confectionery body as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 30 wherein the confectionery mass is a chocolate mass or a chocolate like mass. e •32. A method of producing a hollow confectionery body within an enclosed hollow shaped body, "the method being substantially as herein described with 35 reference to the accompanying drawings. e• S 31

33. A hollow confectionery body within an enclosed hollow shaped body produced by a method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18 and 32.

34. A packaged hollow confectionery body substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 1 9 th day of September 2003 Ferrero oHG mbH By its Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK *0 Go** *•6o o o