FR2922415A1 - PROCESS FOR PRODUCING PAPILLOTES FOR COOKING FOOD IN PAPER PACKAGING - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves deploying flat preforms formed by folding a rectangular paper sheet (40) i.e. parchment paper, for obtaining parallelepiped boxes, where each box is opened on top, and comprises a flat bottom. The boxes are positioned on a conveyor. A clamp system descends on the boxes after the boxes are placed on the conveyor. The boxes are filled by a culinary preparation i.e. food, and are closed by a separate cover. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a folded pouch comprising a box (2) a package comprising a cover.

Description

PROCESS FOR PRODUCING PAPILLOTES FOR COOKING FOOD IN PAPER PACKAGING

The present invention relates to packaging made of paper by folding, which can receive portions of cooking and cooking preparations, and a method of implementation of these packages. It is known to cook food in foil packages, including sheets of paper or aluminum, in which a food preparation is deposited before closing, then to bake and cook food. This food packaging in a foil for cooking, called foil, has many advantages. It cooks in particular in the juice of food and in a closed enclosure, without adding fat, which allows the preparation to develop all the flavors of the ingredients arranged in it, and to make a dish with good nutritional and dietary qualities . The wrapping in sheet is generally done in a traditional way, directly by the cook, who uses a sheet laid flat to arrange on the culinary preparation, and then closes this sheet by going up the edges and gathering them on the top for then the tie together with a tie, such as a string or staples. This produces a closed volume containing the food, of globally spherical shape, comprising on the top the edges of the sheet knotted together, which can then be deposited directly on a baking sheet for cooking. However, the mass production of papillotes would make it possible to produce products in a constant process, and by lowering production costs by reducing the labor time for manufacturing, to offer quality products at reasonable prices.

A main disadvantage of the type of foil is that the packaging having no defined and stable shape, it can hardly be handled with industrial handling means. Indeed, a continuous industrial production using a conveying system for handling, and carrying out the dosing and removal of culinary preparations with tools that can be at least partly automated, requires packages of constant and stable shape, which must be positioned quickly and accurately, and then held in place. In addition, the packaging must be easily closed to achieve a substantially sealed volume. The present invention is intended in particular to avoid these drawbacks of the prior art, and to provide a foil and a method of implementation that is simple, effective and economical, allowing easy production in series. To this end, it proposes a process for producing papillotes for baking culinary preparations in a paper packaging, on a continuous production line, characterized in that flat preforms made by folding a sheet of paper of food grade and resistant to baking, are deployed to obtain parallelepiped boxes open on top and having a flat bottom, these housings are then positioned on a conveyor comprising positioning means and means for holding the shaped housing, then the Enclosures are filled with culinary preparation and closed with a lid. An essential advantage of the method according to the invention is that it provides paper containers economically, a defined geometry and stable forms for using implements for subsequent operations. The assistance device according to the invention may further comprise one or more of the following features, which may be combined with each other.

According to a feature of the invention, the shaped housing holding means comprise an air suction device producing a depression under the bottom of the housing to keep it flat. Advantageously, a system of clamps is lowered on the housings after their removal on the conveyor, to spread the edges of these housings and hold them in position. Advantageously, the conveyor comprises positioning means comprising rows of cells arranged transversely.

According to one embodiment, several layers of different culinary preparations are successively deposited in a housing. Advantageously, the housing and the lid are each made from a baking-resistant, food-grade paper sheet which is folded to provide a flat preform that can be easily deployed to obtain a parallelepipedal shape open at the top. to form a housing comprising a bottom that can be held flat by suction of air, and a cover that fits over the housing to form a substantially sealed container. Advantageously, the preform of the cover comprises a folding similar to that of the preform of the housing, and comprises slightly larger dimensions to fit on the housing substantially sealingly. The folding of the preforms may comprise the following operations, for folding symmetrical with respect to a transverse axis of a rectangular sheet, the sheet is divided in length into six equal transverse strips, named starting from the axis, central strip, intermediate band and end band, the intermediate band and the end band are folded accordionally on the central band, the end band is unfolded, then the four corners of the surface formed by the intermediate band and the band end are folded inward and meet two by two, and finally the end band is then folded back onto the intermediate band. According to one embodiment, several housings are juxtaposed in the same lower cover, and an upper cover identical to the lower cover is deposited on the assembly. Advantageously, the housing and the lid are formed with parchment paper. The invention will be better understood and other features and advantages will emerge more clearly on reading the following description given by way of example, with reference to the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 represents a following production line a manufacturing method according to the invention; - Figures 2 to 7 show different steps of making a housing or a cover; - Figure 8 shows the assembly of a cover on a housing deposited on a conveyor; and FIG. 9 represents as an alternative the assembly of two housings with the same cover. Figure 1 shows a manufacturing line 1 of papillotes 28, 20 comprising a belt conveyor 2 which rotates continuously, and different work stations arranged along this conveyor. The first station includes a storage of flat box preforms stacked in a package. An operator grasps them and opens them by lifting folded sides on the bottom, to make parallelepiped-shaped housings 22 open at the top and having a flat bottom. The housings 22 are then deposited in cells 4 connected to the continuous band of the conveyor 2, to position them according to defined positions. A vacuum system 6 produces by air suction a slight depression in the conveying system, which communicates through openings 8 in the positioning cells 4. In this way the bottom of the housings 22 is sucked by the depression, and is pressed immediately on the belt of the conveyor 2 to be positioned flat and held in position. A clamp system 10 is then lowered to the housings 22. It comprises arms that penetrate the housings 22 and spread the edges, to open them and keep them open. In particular, it may comprise 4 arms each applying at an angle of the housing 22, to clearly mark the rectangular shape. In this way, the clamps 10 in combination with the vacuum system 6 contribute to conforming the geometry of the housing 22, while after unfolding the preform 20, the folds do not naturally take their shape and the housing does not remain open of himself. Thus a well-defined and constant geometric volume can be achieved from paper sheets of reduced thickness and low rigidity, and a simple folding, which is economical.

Once all the transverse cells 4 of the conveyor 2 have been filled, the belt advances to move the housings 22 to filling stations of culinary preparations 12a, 12b. To feed these items different components are prepared and mixed, which may contain meat, fish, vegetables or spices, to provide culinary preparations. The components are preferably cut into small pieces, after mixing to provide a pasty product that can be stored in a container, and poured from dosing systems. The dosing systems may comprise mechanized means, such as pistons or worms to withdraw the dough in the storage, and deliver precise dosages of each preparation in order to deposit them in the housings 22. The preparations may be superimposed on each other. different layers, to form assemblies combining both good nutritional and taste qualities. Finally, products like spices or decorative elements can be deposited last.

The belt of the conveyor 2 comprises transversely aligned rows of cells 4, in order to be able to process simultaneously during the filling of the rows of housings 22. A following operation, which can also be performed between the deposition of the layers of the preceding steps, consists in form the food preparation if necessary, with for example a buffer 14 which goes down to press the surface is pressed the preparation in the housing 22. This step may be necessary in the case where the preparations are thick and difficult to fill themselves by gravity the housing 22.

At the next station, an operator takes stacked flat preforms 24, similar to the preforms 20 of housing 22 but slightly larger, opens them by lifting folded sides on the bottom, and makes covers 26 which fit on the housing 22 in a substantially watertight manner, for closing the curl 28.

Then, the papillotes 28 pass through a freezing tunnel to leave frozen. The papillotes then represent compact and hard elements, with regular shapes, which are easily handled by operators to package them in packaging 30. The wraps thus formed are economic, the raw material of the packaging is cheap, and the stacked preforms occupying a very small volume. The papillotes made in a food grade paper that can be baked, parchment paper in particular, which has good qualities for this, can then be put directly into an oven for heating or cooking food. The papillotes closed tight enough, keep the cooking juices and all the aromas that emerge during cooking. The nutritional quality is very good. The container during cooking represents a negligible thermal mass, the heat is directly in contact with food, the cooking is fast which limits the degradation of elements such as vitamin C resistant to heat.

In addition, the thus formed papillote stands and is very presentable. It can after cooking be placed directly on the plate, the lid can stay to keep food warm. This foil is also ecological, the paper used for packaging bringing significant benefits. It has real advantages in relation to plastic or metal packaging, including a weight and a higher volume, and requiring a greater consumption of material and energy. In addition, the paper being biodegradable, it can after the meal be thrown with food waste that will degrade with the packaging, without the need for sorting materials. Figures 2 to 7 show an example of folding of a rectangular paper sheet 40, to obtain a housing 22 or a cover 26. The folding is symmetrical with respect to a transverse axis 42 of the sheet 40.

The sheet 40 is divided in length into 6 equal transverse strips, named starting from the axis 42 to each side, central strip 44, intermediate strip 46 and end strip 48. The intermediate strip 46 and the end strip 48 are folded in an accordion on the central band 44, as shown in FIG.

The end strip 48 being unfolded as shown in FIG. 4, the four corners of the surface formed by the intermediate strip 46 and the end band 48 are folded inwards and meet two by two, as shown in FIG. The end strip 48 is then folded back onto the intermediate strip 46, as shown in FIG. 6. By performing the same on the other three strips on the other side of the axis 42, the preform 20 is completed as presented in FIG. 7. In addition, to prepare the deployment of the housing 22, mark a fold along the base of the tips formed at each end of the preform 20, this base being indicated by a dashed line in FIG.

For the complete deployment shown in FIG. 7, the operator raises the sides 50 of the preform 20, and thus forms a housing 22 or a cover 26.

In general, the housings 22 or the covers 26 may have a square or rectangular shape. Figure 8 shows the mounting of a lid 26 on a housing 22 which received the culinary preparations. The conveyor 2 comprises cells 4 surrounded on each side by flanges 60, in which the housings 22 fit, these flanges having inlet chamfers to facilitate the introduction of a housing. A central bore 8 in each cell carries the air intake, which in combination with the flanges 60 ensures a good disposition of the housing 22, the bottom is well laid flat. The filling of the housing 22 and the assembly of the cover 26 are facilitated, and can be done quickly. This type of housing comprising a parallelepipedal shape is particularly suitable for a manufacturing method according to the invention, unlike the curl according to the prior art, because its flat bottom allows easy maintenance on the continuous belt of a conveyor, which has a flat surface. The sides of the housing including geometric shapes, facilitates accurate positioning with a simple device of flanges on the strip. FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of two individual portions, assembled in two housings 70 juxtaposed in the same lower cover 72. Each element of the package is made according to the same principle, and the assembly is also held in cells. of a conveyor by an air suction device. After filling the housings 70, an upper cover 74 identical to the lower cover 72, is deposited. Then the whole is frozen, then packaged. We can in the same way assemble more than two boxes.

Claims (10)

Process for the production of papillotes (28) for cooking food preparations in a paper packaging, on a continuous production line, characterized in that flat preforms (20) made by folding a sheet of paper ( 40) of food grade and resistant to baking, are deployed to obtain parallelepipedic housings (22) open on top and having a flat bottom, these housings are then positioned on a conveyor (2) comprising positioning means and means for holding the housing in shape, then the housings are filled by a culinary preparation and closed by a lid (26). 2 - A method of manufacture of curl according to claim 1, characterized in that the holding means of the shaped housing (22) comprises an air suction device (6) providing a depression under the bottom of the housing, for keep it flat. 3 - A method of manufacture of curl according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a gripper system (10) is lowered on the housings (22) after their removal on the conveyor (2), to spread the edges of these housings and keep them in position. 4 - A method of manufacturing curl according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conveyor (2) comprises positioning means comprising rows of cells (4) arranged transversely. 5 - A method of manufacturing papillotes according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that successively deposited in a housing (22) several layers of different culinary preparations. 6 - Package comprising a housing and a lid each made from a sheet of food grade paper, characterized in that the selected paper sheets (40) are resistant to baking, and in that each sheet is folded to provide a flat preform (20, 26) that can be easily deployed to obtain a parallelepiped shape open at the top, to form a housing (22) comprising a bottom that can be held flat by suction of air, and a cover ( 26) which fits on this housing to form a substantially sealed container. 7 - Package comprising a housing and a cover according to claim 6, characterized in that the preform (24) of the cover (26) comprises a folding similar to that of the preform (20) of the housing (22), and comprises dimensions slightly larger to fit the housing in a substantially watertight manner. 8 - A package comprising a housing and a cover according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the folding of the preforms (20, 24) comprises the following operations, for a symmetrical folding with respect to a transverse axis (42) of a sheet (40) rectangular, the sheet is divided in length into six equal transverse strips, named starting from the axis (42), central strip (44), intermediate strip (46) and end strip (48), the intermediate band and the end band are folded accordionally on the central band, the end band is unfolded, then the four corners of the surface formed by the intermediate band and the end band are folded inwards and meet two by two, and finally the end band is then folded back to the intermediate band. Packaging comprising a housing and a lid according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that several housings (70) are juxtaposed in the same lower cover (72), and in that an upper cover (74) identical to the lower cover, is deposited on the whole. 10 - Packaging comprising a housing and a lid according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that it is formed with parchment paper.