GB2383319A - Producing a ready-to-cook meal in a tray - Google Patents

Producing a ready-to-cook meal in a tray Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2383319A
GB2383319A GB0229152A GB0229152A GB2383319A GB 2383319 A GB2383319 A GB 2383319A GB 0229152 A GB0229152 A GB 0229152A GB 0229152 A GB0229152 A GB 0229152A GB 2383319 A GB2383319 A GB 2383319A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
tray
station
processing apparatus
food processing
dry
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB0229152A
Other versions
GB0229152D0 (en
GB2383319B (en
Inventor
Murtagh John Somers
Patrick O'leary
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Rye Developments Ltd
Original Assignee
Rye Developments Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from IE2001/1079A external-priority patent/IE84086B1/en
Application filed by Rye Developments Ltd filed Critical Rye Developments Ltd
Publication of GB0229152D0 publication Critical patent/GB0229152D0/en
Publication of GB2383319A publication Critical patent/GB2383319A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2383319B publication Critical patent/GB2383319B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L35/00—Food or foodstuffs not provided for in groups A23L5/00 – A23L33/00; Preparation or treatment thereof

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Nutrition Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Food Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
  • General Preparation And Processing Of Foods (AREA)
  • Cereal-Derived Products (AREA)

Abstract

Apparatus for producing a ready-to-cook meal in a single portion tray includes a conveyor 4 for advancing such trays 3, a delivery station for delivering a dry ingredient such as rice 2 into the tray, a dry ingredient pusher station 1 with means 11 able to displace such a delivered ingredient to one side or end of the tray and a delivery station for delivering another ingredient such as sauce into space 5 vacated by the dry ingredient. These are followed by an inspection station, a sealing station for sealing the tray and a check weigher station. The apparatus may include additional ingredient delivery stations and dry ingredient pusher stations.

Description

<Desc/Clms Page number 1>
"FOOD PROCESSING" Introduction The invention relates to a food processing apparatus for producing ready to cook meals on a single portion tray.
Various food processing methods have been developed for highly efficient production of single portion trays containing ready to cook meals. One such system is described in our GB-A-2328668. There is however a continuing need to optimise such production systems to produce trays of ready to cook meals at high rates of production while ensuring that the physical and organoleptic properties of the food products are improved and that the appearance of the food is appetising.
Rice is a particularly difficult food product to produce and manipulate in a large scale production facility. This is because it must be cooked and handled to very exacting standards to be properly cooked and yet remain relatively free flowing for filling and packaging. Thus the preparation of ready to cook meals containing rice presents particular problems.
This invention is therefore directed towards providing an improved food processing apparatus which will address these issues.
Statements of Invention According to the invention there is provided food processing apparatus for producing a ready to cook meal in a single portion tray comprising :-
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a tray loading station; an elongate conveyor along which the trays are led; a plurality of tray filling stations along the course of the conveyor; the tray filling stations including: a sauce filling station; and a dry ingredient filling station; a dry ingredient pusher station at which dry ingredients, such as rice, filled into the tray are pushed to one side to leave a space substantially free of dry ingredients to receive at least one other food product such as a sauce; an inspection station; a sealing station for sealing the tray; and a check weigher station.
The invention also provides a dry ingredient pusher station as such.
In a preferred embodiment the dry ingredient pusher station includes an arm for engaging an edge of a mound of dry ingredients in a tray and actuating means for moving the arm to push the dry ingredients to reduce the extent of the mound. Typically the actuating means comprises a ram means to operate the arm.
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In one embodiment of the invention the apparatus includes at least two adjacent dry ingredient pusher stations for pushing dry ingredients in trays at longitudinally spaced-apart locations along a conveyor.
Preferably the or each dry ingredient pusher station includes at least two arms, associated with a respective lane of trays, for pushing dry ingredients in at least two trays substantially simultaneously.
In a preferred embodiment the apparatus includes a multi-head weigher having means for delivering a predetermined portion on the tray. Preferably the apparatus includes at least two separate multi-head weighers spaced-apart longitudinally along the line.
Brief Description of Drawings The invention will be more dearly understood from the following description thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :- Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a dry ingredient pusher station forming part of the food processing apparatus of the invention; and Figs. 2 (a) to 2 (d) are side views illustrating the operation of the pusher station.
Detailed Description Food processing apparatus of the invention is used for producing a ready to cook meal in a single portion tray. In general, the apparatus comprises a tray loading station, an elongate conveyor along which the trays are led and a plurality of
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tray filling stations along the course of the conveyor. The tray filling stations include a sauce filling station and a dry mgredient filling station. The apparatus also includes an inspection station, a sealing station for sealing the tray and a check weigher station prior to final packaging, usually for freezing.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 there is illustrated a dry ingredient pusher station 1 at which dry ingredients such as rice 2 filled into two lanes of trays 3 travelling along a conveyor 4 is pushed to one side to leave a space 5 substantially free of dry ingredients to receive at least one other food product such as a sauce.
The pusher station 1 includes a bar 10 having a pair of spaced-apart downwardly extending arms 11 for engaging an edge of a mound of dry ingredients 2 in the respective trays 3. The dry ingredients 2 in the two trays 3 are pushed to one side substantially simultaneously.
The arms 11 are moved by an actuating means such as a ram from a pushing position in which the arm 11 is engaged with an edge of the mound 2 of dry ingredients to a release or retracted position when the dry ingredients 2 have been pushed back to leave the space 5.
There may be at least two adjacent dry ingredient pusher stations for pushing dry ingredients in trays at longitudinally spaced-apart locations along a conveyor, For increased flexibility the apparatus preferably includes at least two separate multi-head weighers spaced-apart longitudinally along the line.
The invention provides a food processmg apparatus which can be used to produce a wide range of ready to cook meals on a single portion tray in a highly efficient manner.
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The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in detail.

Claims (8)

  1. CLAIMS 1. Food processing apparatus for producing a ready to cook meal in a single portion tray comprising :- a tray loading station; an elongate conveyor along which the trays are led; a plurality of tray filling stations along the course of the conveyor; the tray filling stations including: a sauce filling station; and a dry ingredient filling station; a dry ingredient pusher station at which dry ingredients, such as rice, filled into the tray are pushed to one side to leave a space substantially free of dry ingredients to receive at least one other food product such as a sauce; an inspection station; a sealing station for sealing the tray; and a check weigher station.
    <Desc/Clms Page number 7>
  2. 2. Food processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the dry ingredient pusher station includes an arm for engaging an edge of a mound of dry ingredients in a tray and actuating means for moving the arm to push the dry ingredients to reduce the extent of the mound.
  3. 3. Food processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the actuating means comprises a ram means to operate the arm.
  4. 4. Food processing apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim including at least two adjacent dry ingredient pusher stations for pushing dry ingredients in trays at longitudinally spaced-apart locations along a conveyor.
  5. 5. Food processing apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the or each dry ingredient pusher station includes at least two arms, associated with a respective lane of trays, for pushing dry ingredients in at least two trays substantially simultaneously.
  6. 6. Food processing apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim including a multi-head weigher having means for delivering a predetermined portion on the tray.
  7. 7. Food processing apparatus as claimed in claim 6 including at least two separate multi-head weighers spaced-apart longitudinally along the line.
  8. 8. Food processing apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
GB0229152A 2001-12-18 2002-12-16 Food packaging incorporating separation of different food types Expired - Fee Related GB2383319B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IE2001/1079A IE84086B1 (en) 2001-12-18 Food packaging incorporating separation of different food types

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB0229152D0 GB0229152D0 (en) 2003-01-15
GB2383319A true GB2383319A (en) 2003-06-25
GB2383319B GB2383319B (en) 2005-01-19

Family

ID=11042869

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB0229152A Expired - Fee Related GB2383319B (en) 2001-12-18 2002-12-16 Food packaging incorporating separation of different food types

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2383319B (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2050675A1 (en) * 2007-10-19 2009-04-22 Terre des Lys Process for the preparation of a folded pouch for cooking food in paper wrap

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB859948A (en) * 1957-03-26 1961-01-25 William Henry Smith Preparation, storage and supply of pre-cooked or partially cooked meals
JPH0595761A (en) * 1991-10-07 1993-04-20 Kansai Ranchi Kk Food contained in packed container
JPH05192115A (en) * 1991-12-16 1993-08-03 Yunifuru:Kk Frozen food of main food made into ring shape and its production
GB2333222A (en) * 1998-01-19 1999-07-21 Nestle Sa Frozen meal

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB859948A (en) * 1957-03-26 1961-01-25 William Henry Smith Preparation, storage and supply of pre-cooked or partially cooked meals
JPH0595761A (en) * 1991-10-07 1993-04-20 Kansai Ranchi Kk Food contained in packed container
JPH05192115A (en) * 1991-12-16 1993-08-03 Yunifuru:Kk Frozen food of main food made into ring shape and its production
GB2333222A (en) * 1998-01-19 1999-07-21 Nestle Sa Frozen meal

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2050675A1 (en) * 2007-10-19 2009-04-22 Terre des Lys Process for the preparation of a folded pouch for cooking food in paper wrap
FR2922415A1 (en) * 2007-10-19 2009-04-24 Terre Des Lys Sarl PROCESS FOR PRODUCING PAPILLOTES FOR COOKING FOOD IN PAPER PACKAGING

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0229152D0 (en) 2003-01-15
IE20011079A1 (en) 2003-06-25
GB2383319B (en) 2005-01-19

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PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20171216