CN1085053C

CN1085053C - Reduced density gum, apparatus and continuous process therefor

Info

Publication number: CN1085053C
Application number: CN98803548A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 内西姆·M·阿卡
Original assignee: Dandy Sakiz ve Sekerleme Sanayi AS
Current assignee: Dandy Sakiz ve Sekerleme Sanayi AS
Priority date: 1997-02-07
Filing date: 1998-02-06
Publication date: 2002-05-22
Anticipated expiration: 2018-02-06
Also published as: TR199700104A2; AU5776198A; WO1998034497A1; ID23931A; CN1251019A

Abstract

The invention relates to a low density, noncaloric gum product that approaches a zero calorie gum and a continuous process and apparatus for making the product. Air is uniformly mixed into the gum mass under a high pressure in a relatively low temperature environment of about 45 to 65 DEG C, depending on the gum base selected. Gum products can be produced, if desired, having less than 1 calorie per 1.5 gram packaged piece and oftentimes from about 0.3 to 0.5 calorie or less per packaged piece by in line injection of flavorings, sweeteners, and colorants in the absence of typical corn-based caloric carriers.

Description

Reduce the chewing gum of density and its continuous process and device

The present invention relates to chewing gum and bubble gum composition, wherein be mixed with air or another kind of gas in order to reduce composition density.

Make chewing gum and bubble gum from the chewing gum base (gum base) that can add spices, sweetener, toner, plasticizer, texture agent (texturizing), filler and other compositions.Several Factors such as cost, availability and taste and preference are depended in the selection of specific chewing gum base and additive.In the manufacturing of chewing gum and bubble gum goods, the batching that base-material is normally the most expensive.

Can reduce manufacturing cost by in base-material, adding filler with the base-material consumption that reduces end article.Air or inert gas can be mixed in the base-material, reduce chewing gum density, and this can reduce manufacturing cost, because given base-material quality is occupied larger volume than the similar base-material that does not reduce density under the density that reduces.Reduce base-material density and also can form a kind of softer more agreeable to the taste chewing gum products of chewing.

The method and apparatus that several reduce chewing gum density had been proposed already.One of method commonly used that reduces density is to elongate and fold chewing gum by craft or machine to make entrapped air in the base-material.The operation of chewing gum is elongated and folded to prior art shown in Figure 2.Base-material can keep at a lower temperature, and this promotes that air remains in the base-material.But this technology is carried out in batches, and the shortcoming of elongating and folding is that air is skewness in base-material usually.Can see the inequality distribution that the existing skill wood of the typical case shown in micro-projection machine elongates the chewing gum hollow hole from Fig. 5 side view and Fig. 6 end-view.

Several patents relates to the continuously extruded apparatus and method of introducing air or inert gas in heavy viscous materials such as base-material.Example comprises the U.S. Patent No. 4,045,326 of authorizing Glass etc. and invests 5,324,530 of Kehoe etc.

Other patent relates to vacuum plant and the method that reduces base-material density.Example comprises United States Patent (USP) 4,233,319 and 4,419,596.Relate to reduce base-material density other method and apparatus in U.S. Patent No. 2,197, explanation in 919 and 4,104,412.

Many methods of prior art have various shortcomings and problem.Certain methods requires base-material is heated to higher temperature, and in base-material, and this does not wish to carry out with each batch mixes that will comprise air or inert gas.Air can be overflowed when base-material cools off, and this increases density, and may make chewing gum have turned sour or be difficult to chew.Comprise that the certain methods of elongating and folding is helpless to the even mixing of chewing gum and gas.Certain methods can be impelled moisture loss, can cause the reduction in shelf life.

Therefore be desirable to provide the other method and apparatus that in chewing gum base, adds air or inert gas that to eliminate or significantly to reduce prior art shortcoming and problem.

The invention provides a kind of chewing gum and relevant apparatus and method that reduces density, described method promotes remarkable uniform distribution of gas in chewing gum base under the reduction density of controlling, high pressure, low moderate treatment temperature.The present invention can be used in not contain heat and reduces the chewing gum of density, and it contains spices, carries strong sweetener, filler and swelling agent under the agent not containing calorific capacity.If wish, described chewing gum also can be used the sweetener manufacturing of the shape that looses.Density can be reduced to the 0.50-0.90 grams per milliliter, and can control the density that reaches specific hope.The present invention can make chewing gum products with lower production cost, and it has chews that to begin be soft and to chew be soft performance always.

Under the situation of balk cargo (bulk) mixer that method of the present invention can be prepared burden with flavor enhancement, sweetener and other non-base-materials after not, begin to handle packing from base-material and carry out continuously.For example, if desired, spices, toner and strong sweetener can online adding so that processing procedure is more effective.

The inventive system comprises: introduce the device of air or inert gas under cryogenic high pressure to continuous base-material, it can be mixed into high uniformity coefficient with gas and base-material under the situation that does not have non-base-material batching.Limit the annular space of distribution of gas in the chewing gum between the overcoat of mixing head and heating.The long mixer element that radially outward stretches out on the mixing head of rotation with put at heating outer radially inwardly the mixer element of elongation to insert mutually at the accurate interval between respectively the arranging of each mixer element.Gas generally is air, sprays into base-material with the pressure of 3-5 crust with the ratio of certain air and base-material at the inlet of device, sprays into ratio and speed is, per hour every gram base-material sprays into about 0.2: 1 to 5: 1 litres of air.

Therefore, the present invention can carry under agent (caloric carrier), filler or the swelling agent condition at no sweetener in bulk (bulk sweetener) or calorific capacity, the chewing gum products of no calorific capacity is provided, described chewing gum comprises the sweetener non-in bulk that does not have the calorific capacity component basically, it is made of the chewing gum base that control reduces density, has the beginning of chewing and is soft feature always.If desired, can have the calorific capacity that is less than 1 card/sheet, be generally 0.3-0.5 card/sheet by the chewing gum products that the invention described above is produced.The present invention can begin from a batch of material of chewing gum base to be prepared into the continuous process of packing and makes chewing gum products of the present invention.

Following explanation in conjunction with the accompanying drawings will make whole purpose of the present invention, advantage and feature more clear.

Fig. 1 is a process steps flow chart of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is by elongating and fold the chewing gum figure that reduction density contains air;

Fig. 3 is by chewing gum products cross-sectional view of the present invention, and the even distribution of mixing air is shown;

Fig. 4 A introduces gas apparatus of the present invention longitudinal section part cross-sectional schematic in chewing gum base;

Fig. 4 B is Fig. 4 A device cross-sectional view of getting along the 4B-4B line of Fig. 4 A;

Fig. 5 is a typical prior art chewing gum products sample side-looking micrograph that elongate to introduce air by machine, wherein chewing gum have that the air carried secretly produces big and the emptying aperture of uneven distribution;

Fig. 6 is that Fig. 5 sample is looked closely micrograph;

Fig. 7 is that goods sample of the present invention is looked closely micrograph, and it has the bubble that the at random homogeneous littler than Fig. 5 prior art goods disperses.

Fig. 1 is a flow chart, and the continuous chilling process of the present invention 10 is shown.A collection of having carried out in advance of chewing gum base 12 mixes so that handle continuously according to the present invention.As shown in Figure 1, base-material 12 is melted and delivers in the storage narrow-necked earthen jar 14.

The meaning of " chewing gum base (gum base) " is the material of using in preparation chewing gum and bubble gum, and this material has generally been added non-base-material batching, comprises flavor enhancement, sweetener, toner." gel " is at the slightly not too unified speech that uses of technical elements.Gel comprises the natural gum plastid, and it is the product that flows out from the various trees in the torrid zone and shrub and the various gummy goods that obtain from the pine tree resin and comprises tunny gum and the plant China fir of natural elastomer and various synthetic elastomer.

The present invention can be suitable for various chewing gums (comprising chewing gum and bubble gum etc.) base-material.The finished product base-material can comprise natural and synthetic polymer, the broad range of complex mixture, plant China fir, and can comprise solvent, softening agent, plasticizer, emulsifying agent, antioxidant and filler.The base-material of the common usefulness of the present invention is selected from the chewing gum base on the market.Chewing gum base on the typical market is by synthetic elastomer system.

The general synthetic elastomer of making modern chewing gum comprises styrene-butadiene rubber, and it also is called butadiene-styrene rubber; Polyisobutene, it also is called polybutene and butyl rubber; The polyvinyl of various high, medium and low molecular weight; Polyethylene glycol; Polyvinyl acetate; With their mixture etc.

Chewing gum base also can comprise the synthetic elastomer solvent, is generally resin, to help softening elastomeric component.The example of the synthetic elastomer solvent that is adapted at using in the chewing gum base comprises the pentaerythritol ester of incomplete hydrogenated resin; The resin pentaerythritol ester; Incomplete dimerization resin glyceride; Polymer resin glyceride; Tall oil resin glyceride; Resin glyceride; Incomplete hydrogenated resin and the incomplete hydrogenation methyl ester of resin.The available quantity of solvent is about the 10-75% of chewing gum base weight.

Chewing gum base also can contain the batching of any kind of, as plasticizer or softening agent, comprises lanolin, stearic acid, odium stearate, potassium stearate, glycerine three acetate salt, glyceryl alcohol etc.Plasticizer also comprises polyethylene glycol wax, paraffin and microwax.

Emulsifying agent can be included in the chewing gum base composition, comprises lecithin and glycerine Monostearate.The antioxygen agent that comprises BHA and BHT is usually included in the chewing gum base composition.Fill out to declare and to be included in the base-material composition, comprise aluminium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, aluminium oxide, aluminosilicate, calcium carbonate and talcum and their mixture.The filler generally weight in the continuous gum base material products is about 4-30%.

The chewing gum base that is made generally in that is suitable for reducing density has the beginning density of every milliliter of about 1.15-1.20 gram, and can comprise various synthetic elastomers, edible polyvinyl, resin, polyphenoils, the various plasticizer that comprise microwax and hydrogenated vegetable oil and single and two glyceride by above-mentioned synthetic elastomer and solvent composition.

Turn back to the process chart of Fig. 1 now, in storage narrow-necked earthen jar 14, preserve the chewing gum base be made generally in 12 about 35 minutes, thoroughly mix,, reach about 80-90 ℃ uniform temperature so that base-material mixes.At about 80-90 ℃, chewing gum base is a viscous fluid.The base-material pumping is by continuous processing procedure 10 of the present invention then.

Should select the pump that is fit to handle the described liquid chewing gum base of high viscosity.Usually select rotary pump to comprise gear and helicoidal pump.Be suitable for that pump is selected and the further explanation of chewing gum base fluid properties is considered to known to the insider, thus this not the heart illustrated.

In the storage narrow-necked earthen jar chewing gum base thoroughly mix in advance reach the temperature of uniformity after, the viscosity chewing gum base be transferred to heat exchanger 16 with the temperature that reduces chewing gum base to about 45 to 55 or 65 ℃, this is the softening temperature of chewing gum base.

The chewing gum base that temperature that chewing gum base reaches depends on selection is cooled off in hope in heat exchanger.Homogeneity is important, and chewing gum base should enter heat exchanger at the homogeneous fixed temperature.Production line between storage narrow-necked earthen jar and heat exchanger should have usually that to add that hot jacket provides generally be the heat medium of water, keeps the temperature of chewing gum base between these device operations to fix.

Pump is same with selecting, and should select suitable heat exchanger to handle chewing gum base.Scraped surface (scraped surface) heat exchanger and be suitable for the present invention usually.Being scraped surface heat exchanger generally is the double pipe heat exchanger that is applicable to low flow velocity high pressure.Double pipe heat exchanger can by a pipe is inserted into then overcoat is welded in another pipe in pipe make.

Chewing gum base generally has than low heat transfer coefficient.Allow convective flow between the fluid in heat exchanger.It can cause, and temperature is approaching very closely.Interior pipe has revolving part, is with spring-loaded scraper plate to scrape interior pipe internal surface.Heat medium moves by outer tube.To the selection of the heat exchanger that is suitable for is thing within the personage in the field of business institute knowledge scope, so there is no need detailed argumentation.

Heat exchange heat 16 drops to 45-65 ℃ with the temperature of chewing gum base, so that transfer to high pressure mixing charger 18 from heat exchanger.The chewing gum base softening temperature that depends on selection selects chewing gum base is transferred to the critical-temperature of mixing and aeration unit.Uniformity is important, and the processing line between heat exchanger and blender should have overcoat that heat medium is provided usually, generally is water, fixes to remain between these device operations the chewing gum base temperature.

Shown in

label

18,20 and 22, can be in the injection of the enterprising material of holding or participate in a prayer service at a temple of processing operation line of the present invention, sweetener and toner.On the production line these components being injected in the continuous chewing gum base, is useful especially.In heat exchanger, be cooled to its softening temperature when chewing gum base after, comprise that some components to the treatment conditions sensitivity of some sweeteners and toner can be protected by injecting these components.

When chewing gum base shifts from storing up narrow-necked earthen jar 14 heat exchanger 16, shown among the figure 20, can in chewing gum base, inject flavor enhancement.In addition, when wishing, can inject flavor enhancement to chewing gum base 18 of heat exchanger and Mixing and aeration equipment.The chewing gum flavoring ingredient generally accounts for the 0.005-3% of final chewing gum products weight.

Various suitable flavor enhancements have natural and artificial perfume and peppermint, comprise peppermint oil, menthol, spearmint oil, vanilla, cassia oil and the gaultheria oil of methyl alcohol salicylic acid fat normally.The flavor enhancement that is suitable for also comprises various citrus and other fruit flavor, comprises lemon oil, citrus oils, grapefruit, orange oil, grapefruit oil, apple oil, apricot oil and their combination.

The flavor enhancement consumption generally depends on Gu person's hobby and changing.When needing, vegetable oil or the material that is equal to can join the influence that reduces spices in the perfumery oil.If wish to use the flavor enhancement of band capsule, as illustrated among the PCT international application No.PCT/US94/06971.

Shown among Fig. 1 22, can add the amount of sweetener as requested to chewing gum products.Some client's preferences do not add or add less the chewing gum of sweetener.

If wish, can use sweetener widely in the embodiment of this invention, but each sweetener not necessarily have same effect in mix.Sweetener has natural and artificial, comprises granulated sugar, glucose, corn syrup, glucose, invert sugar, fructose such as their combination.Artificial sweeteners comprises asccharin and its various salt, cyclohexyl sulfamic acid and its various salt, aspartame etc.The sugar alcohol that comprises sorbierite, mannose, xylitol etc. also.

The amount that sweet effect is used these sweeteners that increases in order to obtain to wish makes sweetener also play swelling agent or filler.These sweeteners comprise that general natural sugar is referred to as sweetener in bulk.Should see having the chewing gum base of a large amount of adding swelling agents and different processing requirements is arranged with the chewing gum base that does not contain swelling agent.Can cause long incorporation time, and the volume of mixing apparatus to strengthen sometimes.

When use did not have the strong sweetener of expansion effects to chewing gum, the present invention had special-purpose.Strong sweetener generally is artificial synthetic, and it uses in the candy that reduces calorific capacity, and only needs the sweet effect that increases to obtain to wish on a small quantity.Strong sweetener is dispersed in the material that the corn of being with calorific capacity is a base usually to obtain mixed uniformly chewing gum products.Some wrap in the capsule of band calorific capacity.Because, in order to obtain mixed uniformly goods, hot portable object and filler that adding is relevant with sweetener and flavoring ingredient, the chewing gum of suimulations has big calorific capacity.

Yet, can comprise that the goods of chewing gum block have every calorific capacity less than 1 card by the invention manufacturing of this explanation if wish chewing gum products, usually be 0.3-0.5 card/sheet or lower, this is regarded as goods no calorific capacity and approaching zero calorific capacity.Generally heavily about 1.5 grams of a slice of chewing gum packing.

Shown in the label among Fig. 1 18, toner can contain in the chewing gum products.The example of toner comprises pigment, wherein has to be adapted at the vanadium dioxide that uses in food, medicine and the cosmetics and it changes pigment.Colorant is contained in the chewing gum base usually, and weight reaches below 6% of goods gross weight, is generally less than 1%.

Toner and sweetener, particularly some artificial sweeteners comprise aspartame, are responsive to temperature.An advantage of the invention is that shown in 18 among Fig. 1, thermally sensitive component can be added in the chewing gum base at 45-65 ℃ the lower temperature that mixing and inflation take place.Responsive component also can add simultaneously with inflation and the cardinal principle of mixing, so that further reduce the influence handled on these components.In the invention process, inflation and mixing roughly take place simultaneously, so that gas, flavoring ingredient, sweetener and colorant component are thoroughly mixed with chewing gum base.Different with existing processing method, mix and inflate on the lower temperature promotion component treatment conditions that more homogeneous distributes in whole chewing gum base and take place.

Usually in the invention process, shown among Fig. 1 18, the last batching that be added in the chewing gum base is to reduce the air or the inert gas of density.The connotation of 'inertia' is that it is right usually, the feature of other hope of structure, color, storage time or chewing gum products does not have adverse influence for a kind of material.Contain inert gas in the mind at this and comprise air, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and other gas that is fit to that insider is understood that generally is used for chewing gum inflation of the present invention.

Inflation and mixer and trade mark are that the device of Mondomix is similar.Mondomix mixes and aeration vessel can obtain supply from the Mondomix Howden B.V. of Holland.The Mondomix device is used in to be handled in the candy technology and inflation low-density food, comprises chocolate etc.Have the foaming shape candy of level and smooth cream-colored structure, comprise chocolate Micky Mouse, can in the Mondomix device, make.Yet these food have obviously lower viscosity than chewing gum base is general, so if do not make amendment according to the present invention, the Mondomix device is unsuitable for handling chewing gum base.

Be illustrated in figures 4A and 4 B a kind of Mondomix device of modification.Fig. 4 B is the phantom by the longitudinal section of Mondomix device schematic diagram, illustrates according to the present invention in order to introduce the modification that gas is made device to chewing gum base.Fig. 4 B is the cross-sectional view of getting along the 4B-4B line of Fig. 4 A.

The Mondomix device comprises a cylindrical mixing head 30, and it is inserted into the circle of circumferential and leans in the overcoat 32.Device is the metal manufacturing by the opposing high pressure, also can comprise stainless steel, titanium alloy etc materials by being suitable for the material manufacturing that food is handled.Center mixing head 30 comprises a stator or central shaft and a rotor.Rotor comprises a body 34, and it is by the mixer element that central shaft rotates and has a plurality of length, and steady pin 36 extends radially outwardly.Sell square-section preferably, be inserted into body and central shaft meets at right angles.A suitable rotor (not shown) engages stator rotatable stator and rotor.The insider should be appreciated that rotor passes through the softening chewing gum base of high viscosity should be able to rotatable stator and rotor, and general speed is 20-100 rev/min.

It is general cylindrical pipes of closed at both ends that overcoat 32 surrounds mixing head 30, limits one at the interior annular space 38 that holds fluid, in order to be maintained fixed by the temperature of heat exchange with chewing gum base.The inwall 39 of overcoat has a plurality of static long mixer elements, the pin 40 of square-section preferably, and they are radially inwardly stretched and stretch out to mixing head 30.The adjacent apparent surface of the pin of overcoat and mixing head extends on ground, but is not in contact with one another.When mixing head rotated, pin inserted and does not contact.

In the device of revising according to the present invention, pin 36 separates a suitable distance with 40 row, is used for the high viscosity chewing gum component is handled.For example, the distance between the row of the pin 36 that stretches out from mixing head should be about the 30-50 millimeter.Shown in Fig. 4 A, the distance between pin 36 rows is 46.5 millimeters.The total length of device is about 300 millimeters, 33.75 millimeters the space that it is included in mixing head end pin 42 and mixes 44 of head ends.The position of selling 40 rows on the coat is arranged so that with 36 rows of pin on mixing head inserts mutually, and equidistant between pin row on the mixing head.

If use sweetener in bulk, the Mondomix device further is modified possibly so, to be provided at the equally distributed similar effect of component in the chewing gum base.If sweetener in bulk is used in expection, require bigger containers store chewing gum base and longer incorporation time to obtain evenly to mix.

Chewing gum component flow in the annular space 46 that is limited by mixing head and overcoat, and is elongated by pin when the overcoat inward turning is changeed at rotor.It is static that overcoat keeps.Rotor has the device of the rotation of regulating it, makes that it can be with different speed rotations.Mixing head promotes the chewing gum inflation with various speed rotations when handling.Promote the cavity of chewing gum to form, this makes the air of various volumes or gas enter into the chewing gum material, forms even chewing gum and mixes.

Be provided with a device in order to make air or other inert gas enter annular space, it includes a nozzle, an inlet from the fusing chewing gum to annular space and the fair outlet of chewing gum products to the packaging system transition of exposing sb.'s past misdeeds of accepting.Packaging system shown in Fig. 1 comprises a squeezer 24, cooling tunnel 26 and cutting and baggage systems 28.Also comprise pump pump pressure chewing gum products from mixing and aeration vessel.

Enter the chewing gum base of inflation and mixing arrangement with the density of about 1.15-1.20 grams per milliliter, its density is reduced to less than 1 grams per milliliter, is generally the 0.5-0.9 grams per milliliter.Can reach accurate control density by implementing the present invention.It is preferably that every milliliter of 0.7-0.8 gram constitutes some chewing gums.

Fig. 7 illustrates the electron scanning micrograph of bubble gum rod-shaped articles end-view under amplifying 40 times of inflating and mixing according to the present invention.This chewing gum products has numerous diameters and is about 0.05 millimeter equally distributed small cylindrical pore.In chewing gum, schematically illustrate in the sectional view of the chewing gum constructed in accordance 50 of evenly-distributed air holes 48 in Fig. 3.

At Fig. 5 vertical view of prior art bubble gum rod-shaped articles is shown, its end-view illustrates with the multiplication factor identical with Fig. 7 in Fig. 6.These chewing gums are to be elongated and folding making by prior art machine shown in Figure 2, and the uneven distribution that average diameter is 0.125 millimeter various pores is shown.Therefore say that modifier of the present invention is made a kind of chewing gum, its component distributes and has significantly improved uniformity and uniform density is arranged.Automatic processing procedure of the present invention is also drawn much cleaner, quick and economical and efficient than machine or craft.

Rotate back into the process chart of Fig. 1 now, the chewing gum that inflation mixes when leaving the Mondomix device of modification enters the squeezer that chewing gum is pushed continuously shown in the label 24.At the suitable low temperature near the chewing gum softening temperature, about 50 ℃, chewing gum is extruded, so that keep the characteristic of chewing gum and form the chewing gum of package shape, generally is banded.Chewing gum temperature when extruding is general because friction raises.Accurately to produce temperature rise as small as possible be desirable to control extrusion process, and chewing gum temperature general and when the Mondomix device of revising comes out is compared, and is not more than 5 ℃, preferably is not more than 2-3 ℃.

Induction valve is according to the stockline of the chewing gum material in the funnel of supplying with squeezer, and monitoring is to the chewing gum base amount of squeezer confession.Automatically control the processed chewing gum base amount and the non-chewing gum base dosage of injection.For example, if a squeezer leaves production line, or do not accept goods, the amount of chewing gum base reduces in the system so.

When processing procedure of the present invention is moved, but being provided with, pack in goods, as at cutting and wrapping platform 28 when leaving production line, so shown in dotted line among Fig. 1 52 temporarily, the goods of extruding are recycled to storage narrow-necked earthen jar 14 and reprocessing, make goods not to be fixed in device and the piping.As fruit product be recycled to can influence the degree of quality of item, the injection of flavor enhancement, sweetener and toner and inflate common separating operation line.

Shown in number in the figure 26, the extruding back is cooled to about 4-8 ℃ in cooling tunnel.Shown among the figure 28, cut chewing gum and parcel then.

Should understand chewing gum and can be made into different shape, unique requirement is that the processing at chewing gum after the inflation is not under the extreme condition that is in the characteristic adverse effect of the density of chewing gum or other hope.For example, roller can join in the cooled production line, and chewing gum is configured as strip, then the cutting parcel.

Following example explanation each side of the present invention.

Example 1

About 550 kilograms of continuous gum base material mixtures that prepare in two scraper plate blenders Hybrid Heating to 90 ℃ about 35 minutes up to evenly.Shown in label among Fig. 1 12, chewing gum is transferred to the present invention with molten state and is stored up narrow-necked earthen jar.The storage narrow-necked earthen jar has overcoat, and 80 ℃ recirculated water keeps cavity temperature to fix by overcoat.The axle of mixing is arranged in narrow-necked earthen jar, make chewing gum evenly remain on uniform temp.

Chewing gum by the fusing of gear pump pump pressure is scraped surface heat exchanger by the pipe arrival that overcoat is arranged.The Guan Yiyu storage narrow-necked earthen jar same way as heating of overcoat is arranged, make chewing gum base enter heat exchanger with consistent temperature.The cooling water that circulates in the heat exchanger outer tube remains on a temperature, and described temperature depends on the chewing gum amount per hour passed through and specific chewing gum base composition, is enough to make the temperature of chewing gum base evenly to drop to about 45-65 ℃ temperature.Chewing gum enters the Mondomix mixing and the aerating device of pressurization continuously then, and as mentioned above, described device has carried out revising the distance that has increased inserting between pin.

Mix and aerating device inlet when entering hybrid chamber by entering at chewing gum, gas injects nozzle to chewing gum group injection air.The air capacity ratio that is injected into chewing gum base is per hour 0.2: 1-5: 1 liter of every gram chewing gum.During inflation, depend on the chewing gum amount by the chamber, mixing and aerating device rotor speed are set in 20-100 rev/min.

The temperature of chewing gum remains on 45-65 ℃ during inflation, and mixing and inflation are finished under the 3-5 bar pressure.The inflation chewing gum products of making that leaves mixing and inflatable chamber has the density of 0.5-0.9 grams per milliliter.

The inflation chewing gum is pumped to the funnel to the squeezer charging.Squeezer is to cooling tunnel and packing machine charging.Chewing gum is cooled to 4-8 ℃ in cooling tunnel, forms good terms of packing and promotes the efficient of packing machine.

Example 2

Measure each market confession chewing gum density and with the extrudate density of processing procedure of the present invention relatively.The sugar-free monolithic chewing gum of the market supply of not inflating generally has the density of 1.13-1.19 grams per milliliter.The density that prior art is elongated the bar shaped sugar-free bubble gum of inflation is 0.90 grams per milliliter.Compare, the sugar-free chewing gum density that the present invention shown in example 1 makes is 0.78 grams per milliliter.

Can find out all other schemes and embodiment for the insider of the scope of the invention with technique effect that above-mentioned explanation and diagram presented.But should be understood that to the invention is not restricted to disclosed specific embodiment, other scheme and embodiment are also included within the claim scope.Though the use particular term, they are applicable to general meaning, only are in order to illustrate, are not in order to limit, and the scope of the invention is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. chewing gum products, it has the density of 0.5-0.9 grams per milliliter, and has the about 0.05 millimeter pore that evenly distributes wherein of a plurality of average diameters.

2. chewing gum products according to claim 1, wherein said chewing gum comprise the sweetener non-in bulk that does not have the calorific capacity component substantially.

3. chewing gum products according to claim 1, wherein said chewing gum has the heat less than 1 card/package panel, wherein heavily about 1.5 grams of package panel.

4. chewing gum products according to claim 1, wherein said chewing gum has the heat of about 0.3-0.5 card/package panel, wherein heavily about 1.5 grams of package panel.

5. chewing gum products according to claim 1, wherein said chewing gum products has fragrance.

6. chewing gum products according to claim 1, wherein said pore comprise air or other inert gas.

7. chewing gum products according to claim 1, wherein said chewing gum products are bubble gum or chew gum.

8. chewing gum products according to claim 1, wherein said chewing gum products comprises synthetic elastomer and elastomer solvent.

9. one kind is used to make the device with the chewing gum that reduces density, comprising:

A heat-exchange device, be suitable for being connected with a storage narrow-necked earthen jar, be used to accept one chewing gum base from this storage narrow-necked earthen jar pumping, heat-exchange device can be controllably be reduced to a lower temperature with the temperature of chewing gum base from an initial temperature, this initial temperature is that this lower temperature approximates the softening temperature of chewing gum base from the temperature of the chewing gum base of storage narrow-necked earthen jar acceptance; And

One is mixed and aeration vessel, it is connected to described heat-exchange device, be used to accept one chewing gum base from the reduction temperature of heat-exchange device pumping, mixing and aeration vessel comprise a mixing head and an overcoat, described mixing head comprises a rotor and isolated many platoon leaders mixer element, they from described rotor radial to overhanging, described overcoat comprises an inwall, it is around described rotor, and between them, limit the annular space accept chewing gum base and pressurized inert gas, described inwall and described rotor are spaced apart, make described from described rotor radial to overhanging long part row, adjacent but do not contact the inwall of described overcoat, described inwall has complementation, depart from, isolated many platoon leaders part, they are radially inwardly stretched from reaching inwall, and reach contiguous but do not contact described rotor.

10. pressue device that reduces chewing gum base density comprises:

A) driven rotor of a general cylindrical has isolated many platoon leaders part, and they are radially outward stretched;

B) container, it limits an overcoat of described rotor, described overcoat has an outer wall and inwall, limit first annular space between them, hold circulation of fluid, to keep the temperature of chewing gum base, the inwall of described overcoat and described rotor limit second annular space between them, accept chewing gum base and it is mixed with inert gas under pressure, described inwall and rotor are spaced apart, make and to arrange adjacent from described rotor radial to overhanging long part but do not contact outer casing inner wall, described inwall has complementation, skew, the many platoon leaders part that separates, they are radially inwardly stretched from inwall, and the long part row of described inwall is fully spaced apart, mixes chewing gum base and inert gas when described rotor rotates.

11. device according to claim 10, wherein said long part comprises the pin of basic square cross section, the described pin row 30-50 millimeters of vertical separated from one another distance of stretching out wherein from described rotor, its rotor is in the rotation of 20-100 rev/min speed, and described device construction become to allow gas to chewing gum with 0.2: 1-5: 1 liter/gram chewing gum/hour ratio and speed introduce.

12. a method that reduces chewing gum density comprises step:

A) chewing gum of Hybrid Heating, the fluid mixture of the even viscosity of formation under the uniform temperature on the chewing gum softening point temperature;

B) reduce the chewing gum temperature to described softening point temperature;

C) mixed inert gas in chewing gum, reducing chewing gum density, described mixing is at about 3-5 bar pressure and is being substantially equal under the chewing gum temperature of described softening point temperature and carries out.

13. method according to claim 12 wherein produces the about 0.05 millimeter numerous even distribution bubble of average diameter in the step that inert gas is mixed with chewing gum in chewing gum.

14. method according to claim 12, the reduction of the wherein mixing of Jia Re chewing gum, rubber temperature and inert gas form continuous technology with mixing of chewing gum.

15. method according to claim 12 also comprises step:

A) extruding reduces the chewing gum of density;

B) cooling reduces the chewing gum of density;

C) cutting and parcel chewing gum.

16. method according to claim 12 also is included in inert gas and mixes the step of injecting flavor enhancement before at the alignment chewing gum with chewing gum.

17. method according to claim 16, also be included in inert gas mix with chewing gum before but the chewing gum temperature is reduced to softening point temperature after in the step of alignment chewing gum injection sweetener.

18. method according to claim 17, wherein said sweetener are not have the high-potency sweetener that calorific capacity is carried agent substantially.

19. method according to claim 12, wherein the density that proceeds to chewing gum of the step that inert gas is mixed with chewing gum is reduced to roughly 0.5-0.9 grams per milliliter.

20. method according to claim 12 wherein also comprises:

Before step a), chewing gum base is heated to about 90 ℃ step, wherein the softening point temperature of chewing gum is 80 to 90 ℃;

Wherein in step b), the chewing gum temperature is reduced to 45 to 65 ℃ uniform temperature;

Wherein this method also comprises step from one or more reinforcement sweeteners to chewing gum base that inject one or more flavor enhancements and;

Wherein in step c), inert gas is mixed into is performed such in the chewing gum base, sneak into inert gas at the 3-5 bar pressure to the about 45-65 of temperature ℃ chewing gum base, ratio and speed are about 0.2: 1 to 5: 1 liter/gram chewing gum/per hour, so that thoroughly mix flavor enhancement and sweetener to chewing gum base, the density of chewing gum base is controlled at the 0.5-0.9 grams per milliliter, and the generation average diameter is equally distributed numerous bubbles of 0.05 millimeter in chewing gum base;

Wherein this method also comprises the step of packing chewing gum.