EP1221409B1 - Method and apparatus for dosing composite viscous food products - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device for measuring composite viscous food products in containers, as well as a composite viscous food product.

The invention relates more particularly to the combined dosage of at least two different kinds of food products in packaging containers. These products are in particular intended to be stored and distributed in a refrigerated circuit. In this field, it is particularly interesting to manufacture at high speed composite products packaged in groups in multiple cells or "multipacks". It would be desirable to be able to assay in multipacks composite products different from each other, for example superimposed, coaxial and co-lateral from the same dosing head both compact and versatile. It would also be desirable for the dosed products to contain pieces.

From FR-A-2 708 563 there is known a device corresponding to the preamble of claim 4 and a process for filling pots with liquid and / or pasty products co-extruded coaxially, one of the products constituting a center of cylindrical shape and the other a cylindrical sleeve surrounding said center. The products are dosed under pressure from flexible feed channels via diaphragm valves to a moving dosing device with up and down movement.

In its most compact embodiment, shown in FIG. 6, this device comprises a product distribution plate fed with the first product, the central product, with a bent lateral channel and the second product with the peripheral product, with a vertical central channel.

A multiple nozzle is housed in the distribution plate, said nozzle having an annular recess connected by radial channels of smaller section to a central blind ejection channel for the central product, and longitudinal sectional ejection channels smaller arranged around the central ejection channel and passing through the body of the nozzle from side to side. Feeding the second product from the central feed channel to the peripheral longitudinal ejection channels is controlled by an annular membrane in direct contact with the upper face of the nozzle.

• les poids dosés sont irréguliers, sans doute du fait de la membrane annulaire,
• la configuration annulaire de la membrane ne permet que l'utilisation du seul format co-axial de buse,
• il n'est pas possible de doser des produits contenant des morceaux.

The known device has certain disadvantages:

• the weights are irregular, probably because of the annular membrane,
• the annular configuration of the membrane only allows the use of the only coaxial nozzle format,
• it is not possible to dose products containing pieces.

The method and the device according to the invention as defined in claims 1 and 4 propose to eliminate the disadvantages of the previous known device.

The invention also relates to a product as defined in claim 12.

In the context of the invention, the dosage of the products can be carried out in different ways depending on the configuration of the nozzles and nozzles. Thus, the nozzles and nozzles may delimit when the assay is simultaneous flows of coaxial products, co-lateral, or defining areas representing more complex figures. In the case of sequential dosing, the products may have layers or superimposed areas.

The dosed products may be food products such as desserts, creams, culinary or sweetened mousses, fermented dairy products, in particular of the yoghurt and fresh cheese type. One of the products may be for example a fresh cheese and the other a mousse or a preparation based on fruits, vegetables or meat. The two products may be, for example, fresh cheeses flavored differently and of different colors from each other.

Such products can be for example of the type, but not exclusively, of those described in EP-B-0 358 983 or in patent application PCT / EP00 / 07121 filed on July 24, 2000. Preferably, the products are of perfume and contrasting color and of similar texture.

Whether it is gel, curd, emulsion or dispersion, a point common to all products that can be dosed by the process and the device of the invention is their viscosity of between 5000 and 15000 mPa.s measured with a Brookfield viscometer at 10 ° C, 50 rpm / disc 5.

One or the other product or both may contain pieces, for example vegetables, spices in a culinary version or, in a sweet version, fresh, dried, candied or mashed fruits, mass confectionery such as chocolate.

The invention will be better understood from the description below, given with reference to the accompanying drawings showing embodiments of the device given by way of example.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique d'une unité de dosage et de distribution de deux produits visqueux avec une buse d'éjection amovible d'un premier type pour dosage coaxial,
• la figure 2 est une vue de détail en coupe axiale d'une tête de dosage multiple avec buses accolées en opposition pour dosage coaxial,
• la figure 3 est une vue de détail en élévation d'une plaque de distribution multiple avec buses de dosage coaxial,
• la figure 4 est une vue de détail en coupe axiale d'une tête de dosage multiple avec une seconde configuration des buses d'éjection amovibles accolées pour dosage colatéral,
• la figure 5 est une vue en élévation d'une plaque de distribution multiple avec buses de dosage colatéral et
• la figure 6 est une vue schématique de deux buses de configuration différentes sur une même tête de dosage avec un moyen de fixation amovible.

In these drawings,

• FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a dosing and dispensing unit of two viscous products with a removable ejection nozzle of a first type for coaxial dosing,
• FIG. 2 is a detail view in axial section of a multiple metering head with coaxial dosing coaxial nozzles,
• FIG. 3 is a detail view in elevation of a multiple distribution plate with coaxial metering nozzles,
• FIG. 4 is a detail view in axial section of a multiple metering head with a second configuration of the contiguous detachable ejection nozzles for collateral dosing,
• FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a multiple distribution plate with colateral dosing nozzles and
• Figure 6 is a schematic view of two different configuration of nozzles on the same metering head with a removable fastening means.

In a preferred embodiment of the process according to the invention shown in FIG. 1, two masses of fermented dairy products of the kind of the Swiss or a small Swiss and a compote of fruits of plastic consistency A and B are brought by example by single or double Archimedean screw or positive pumps to hoppers, which can be pressurized, not shown.

Regulated valves (not shown) make it possible to supply unrepresented metering rolls with product masses, and the masses are fed via conduits 1 and 2 to the metering head 3. The metering head 3 comprises a vertical nozzle 4 by means of which the masses A and B are dosed in pots 5 carried by an endless conveyor 6 stepping stepwise under the nozzles 4.

In the case of Figure 1, the filling of a pot is concentric and consists of a central portion of mass A type surrounded by an annular portion B dosed by a volume control mechanism. This mechanism preferably comprises a duct 1 upstream of the nozzle through which the mass B is fed to the nozzle and the duct 1 can be closed and opened by means of the elastic membrane 7 pneumatically controlled by the air coming from the channel 8. In the same way, the duct 2 upstream of the nozzle serves to bring the mass A and the duct 2 can be closed or opened by means of the elastic membrane 10 pneumatically controlled by the air coming from the channel 11. The chambers volumetric dosing, not shown are constituted by metering pistons and the portions of ducts 1 and 2 located upstream of the membranes. The passages comprising the duct portions 1 and 2 downstream of the membranes and the passages 12 and 13 are preferably optimized so as to provide symmetrical flows for masses A and B to improve the accuracy of the assay, and they are designed to occupy as little space as possible and ensure a compact configuration of the dosing head.

Preferably, the metering pistons are individually actuated so as to allow an adjustment of the metering speed, for example by means of a variable speed motor controlling the stroke of the pistons. This may allow a slightly offset dosage of one of the masses relative to the other when their respective viscosities are not exactly the same.

The pots are under the dosing head. For a correct filling, without formation of air pockets, the metering head is preferably mounted on a raising and lowering device represented by the double arrow 14, through which the nozzles descend into the pots when they appear under the doser, to a level close to their bottom and fill them while going up. Thus, the connecting tubes between the metering rolls and the nozzles are flexible. The pots are stationary during filling. They advance one step once filled.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the coaxial metering can be carried out by means of a distribution plate for filling 12 pots with a configuration of the contiguous nozzles in opposition. In this case, the conveyor advances two steps for each dosage of twice 6 pots.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the colateral dosage can be achieved by means of a distribution plate for filling 12 pots with a configuration of the contiguous nozzles in opposition. In this case, the conveyor advances two steps for each dosage of twice 6 pots.

A considerable advantage of the filling device of the invention is the fact that the nozzles are not in direct contact with the membranes, which allows their removability and interchangeability. Another advantage is that the configuration of the dosing plates makes it easy to insert, for example in the same dosing head, nozzles of a type, for example for coaxial dosing with nozzles of another type, for example for the colateral dosage, which assures a dosage of products of varied configuration in multipacks.

As is apparent from Figure 6, the coaxial dosing nozzles and those for colateral dosing are easily inserted from below upwards in the housing corresponding to the distribution plates and they can be held in place by the U-shaped wedges 16 inserted laterally into the grooves 17. Preferably, the keys are made of a material which has been surface-hardened treated by example of "kolsterising" (Hardiff process) that allows them to slide into the grooves 17 formed in the metal of the nozzle distribution plate nozzle without undergoing oxidation while sealing. Of course, any mechanical removable equivalent attachment system could be used, for example a latching means.

The pots can be of any shape and size, for example square, rextangular, frustoconical, cylindrical with circular or oval section or for example in the shape of a stylized heart. They can be opaque or preferably transparent to show the contrasting layers of different masses. The filling volume may preferably be from 20 to 200 cm ³ . Preferably, the pots are multipacks and thermoformed, filled and sealed with lids continuously by means of a "form-fill-seal" equipment.

Claims (12)

1. Method for the combined dosing of at least two viscous food products (A, B) of different kinds into packaging containers (5), wherein dosing of identical or different composite products into cells (5) is carried out simultaneously from a plurality of detachable and interchangeable ejecting nozzles which are inserted in a distributing plate (3), without direct contact with diaphragm-type valves, the said composite products having specific quantities of at least two viscous products which are co-dosed separately into the cells in accordance with a concomitant, in particular coaxial or collateral, mode, from the same supply of each of the said viscous products.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that composite products disposed coaxially and products disposed collaterally in a forming/filling/sealing apparatus of the form/fill/seal type are dosed simultaneously into multiple cells (5).
3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that one or other of the viscous products, or even both of them, contain pieces, in particular of vegetables, of spices in a culinary version or, in a sweetened version, of fresh fruits, dried fruits, candied fruits or puréed fruits, or of confectionery mass such as chocolate.
4. Device for the combined dosing of at least two viscous food products of different kinds into packaging containers, said device comprising:

   - a plate (3) for distributing the products which is supplied with first product (B) via a lateral duct (1) and with second product (A) via a vertical central duct (2);

   - means for the separate opening and closing of the supply of first product and second product, which means are constituted by pneumatically activated diaphragm-type valves (7, 10); and being characterised in that it comprises:

   - a plurality of detachable and interchangeable nozzles (4) for ejecting the identical or different co-dosed products, which nozzles are inserted in the distributing plate, communicate with the supply ducts and permit simultaneous dosing from the same supply of each of the said viscous products; and in that

   - the nozzles (4) are not in direct contact with the diaphragms (7, 10).
5. Device according to claim 4, characterised in that the configuration of the passages for the products makes it possible for one or other of the viscous products, or even both of them, to contain pieces, in particular of vegetables, of spices in a culinary version or, in a sweetened version, of fresh fruits, dried fruits, candied fruits or puréed fruits, or of confectionery mass such as chocolate.
6. Device according to claim 4, characterised in that dosing takes place in volumetric dosing chambers constituted by cylinders closed by dosing pistons and those portions of conduits which are situated upstream of the diaphragms.
7. Device according to claim 6, characterised in that the passages comprising the portions of conduits downstream of the diaphragms and the passages in the body of the nozzles are optimised in such a way as to obtain symmetrical flows for the masses in order to improve the accuracy of the dosing operation, and that they are designed to occupy the smallest possible amount of space and to ensure a compact configuration of the dosing head.
8. Device according to claim 6, characterised in that the dosing pistons are activated individually in order to permit an adjustment of the dosing speed which provides slightly deferred filling with one of the masses in relation to the other in such a way as to be able to effect collateral filling with masses whose viscosity is not exactly the same.
9. Device according to claim 4, characterised in that, for suitable filling of the pots without the formation of pockets of air, the filling head is mounted on a rising and descending device (14) by means of which the nozzles descend into the pots as far as a level close to the bottom and the pots are filled while the nozzles are rising again.
10. Device according to claim 4, characterised in that the nozzles for coaxial dosing and those for collateral dosing are easily inserted, from bottom to top, in corresponding housings in the distribution plates (3), and that said nozzles can be held in position by means of elements which are inserted in the corresponding housings.
11. Device according to claim 8, characterised in that the nozzles are held in position by U-shaped pins (16) which are inserted laterally in grooves (17), and that the pins (16) are made of a material which has undergone a surface-hardening treatment which enables them to slide in the grooves arranged in the metal of the nozzle-carrying distributing plate without undergoing oxidation but while at the same time ensuring sealing.
12. Composite viscous food product which is in the form of a multi-pack packaging, characterised in that the same multi-pack has a number of packaging containers, the said containers containing composite products having specific quantities of at least two viscous products of a different kind and of different, in particular coaxial or collateral, configurations.

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