JP2003517826A - Apparatus and method for binding food particles - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] Food particles are molded into an integrated molded product, for example, shaped like a pizza, and the baking device is designed so that the mating surfaces form the desired molded product. A heated top and bottom plate having recesses and protrusions for mounting. The bottom plate includes two parts that are adjacent to each other during the baking period when the food particles are placed and when the top plate is placed. After the top plate is lifted, the two parts at the bottom are moved apart to deliver the baked and formed product. A cooked product such as spaghetti can be formed into a pie crust like a pizza.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for compacting food particles into an integrated edible product. In particular, the present invention includes forming a shaped edible product by combining each piece of food with pressure and heat.

[0002] An example of an edible product made up of multiple pieces of food that are bonded together is the pasta-based product of Taylor et al., US Pat. No. 5,411,752. This patent discloses forming discrete pieces of cooked pasta with a composition for binding into a desired shape. This pasta-based product has been proposed as a pizza base or pie crust and can therefore be accompanied by tomato sauce, cheese, mushrooms and the like. Molinari US Pat. No. 4,693,900 also describes a shaped pasta product consisting of cooked pasta. Zukerman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,711,295, 396108.
No. 7, and 5137745 disclose shaped edible products composed of grains of rice and other grains.

However, the prior art does not disclose a simple apparatus and method for forming a shaped product composed of food particles.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method suitable for commercially producing a shaped product composed of food particles.

Another object is to provide a device for compressing food particles into an integrated and shaped product and baking.

[0006]   Another object is to provide a device that minimizes manual operation.

These and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus for forming a shaped product composed of food particles comprises a metal top plate that is heated and alternating movements of mating and separating. A two-part metal bottom plate. The desired amount of food particles placed on the bottom plate when the two parts of the bottom plate are abutted can be compressed and baked by bringing the heated top plate closer to the bottom plate. Following the selected heating period, the top plate is lifted and the two parts of the bottom plate are separated to deliver an integrated, shaped edible product.

The top plate and the bottom plate may be flat so as to form a pancake-type product, while the facing surfaces of the top plate and the bottom plate are compressed between the baked food products. The particles are preferably patterned to form three-dimensional products of various shapes, from discs with raised edges to pans or bowls of various shapes. According to the invention, instead of bowl-shaped edible products, products in the form of burgers, frankfurt, croquettes, etc. can be formed. To form a pan- or bowl-shaped product, the bottom plate may have holes or depressions and the top plate may have bulges or protrusions, while products shaped like meatballs or buns may be used. To form, both the bottom plate and the top plate have holes or depressions. For the sake of brevity, in the following it will be said that plates with any protrusions have a convex surface,
On the other hand, a plate with any depression is said to have a concave surface.

Since the product of the invention is formed between heated plates, in the following, for the sake of brevity, it is not made of butter or the characteristic indentation of a common waffle. The word "waffle type product" is used even if it does not have a.

The apparatus of the present invention can be operated manually, but the top plate and the bottom plate are contacted in sequence with the bottom plate, where the top plate is adjacent to the two parts, and then the top plate. The plate is removed from the bottom plate, the two parts of the bottom plate are separated and abutted again, thus the device
Mechanical utility is maximized by the timing device to complete the preparation for the next transfer cycle, maximizing commercial utility. The timing device can also control the dispensing means for placing a measured amount of food particles on the bottom plate at the beginning of the cycle, before the top plate is contacted with the bottom plate.

There are a variety of common devices configured to timely deliver a substance of particles so that a measured amount of food particles can be manually transferred at the beginning of the cycle to move both plates. It is rarely justified to be placed on the bottom plate. Extruders and screw pumps are examples of devices used to deliver particulate material.

The top and bottom plates are preferably made of aluminum and may be electrically heated, although they may be heated by steam or other heating fluid or optionally by burning fuel gas. Is usually preferred. In addition to the simple electric heating elements that can be attached to the top and bottom plates, there is the advantage of easy temperature regulation.

Several general examples are described in the aforementioned US patents for many types of food particles that can be converted into an integrated and molded product. First,
As used herein, the term "particulate" is intended to encompass discrete materials ranging in size from rice grains to pasta-shaped, such as Jetie. Such particles may be bound in the device of the invention by adding a binding agent, such as egg white, used with cooked pasta in the aforementioned Taylor et al. Patent. . The aforementioned Zukerman patent states that particles of food, such as grains of grains, can be pre-treated in hot water or steam to form a sticky surface, and thus these grains of particles are It can be used in the device of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIGS. 1 and 2 the basic elements of the device 10 are shown in their closed and open positions, respectively. The top plate 11 has a protrusion 12 and includes an electric heater 13. Two parts 14, 15 forming the bottom plate of the device 10.
Has a recess 16 deeper than the height of the protrusion 12. This dimensional difference corresponds to the thickness of the shaped edible product formed between the top plate 11 and the two parts 14, 15 of the bottom plate. Similarly, the outer edge 17 of the protrusion 12 is smaller than the outer edge 18 of the recess 16 by a size corresponding to the desired thickness of the raised edge on the shaped edible product formed by the apparatus. . Parts 14 and 15 are equipped with electric heaters 19 and 20, respectively.

In FIG. 1, a top plate 11 integrates the particles with a suitable amount of food suitable for binding placed on the bottom, adjacent portions 14, 15. It is shown to be compressed and shaped into a shaped product and arranged to bake. FIG. 2 shows the top plate 11 and bottom portions 14, 15 separated to drop the resulting molded product at the end of the baking period.

In a simple embodiment of the invention, the surfaces of the projections 12 and the recesses 16 are flat and the outer edges 17 are such that the shape of the product formed between them is a disc with raised edges. , 18 have a cylindrical shape. The thus formed product formed from cooked pasta can be accompanied by tomato sauce held by the rim. Of course, the edges 17, 18 may be square, elliptical, or any other shape. Similarly, the surfaces of protrusions 12 and recesses 16 may be slightly corrugated or otherwise contoured to provide the desired surface pattern in the shaped edible product.

FIG. 3 differs from FIG. 2 in that the bottom plate portions 14, 15 have been reassembled to allow food particles to be placed in the recess 16. As soon as the food particles are placed in the recesses 16, the top plate 11 can be used to bake another integrated product, as shown in FIG.
It is lowered toward 15 and pressed.

The top plate 11 and the bottom plate portions 14, 15 are typically formed from a thick aluminum material, and the electric heater has a top plate 11 along a side opposite the side that is mated during the forming and baking period. And parts 14 and 15 of the bottom plate
Is attached to. Thick aluminum plate 11 and plate part 1
4, 15 are preferably perforated or milled to provide a cavity into which the electric heating element is fitted. The entire outer portion of the heated plate 11 and the portions 14, 15 of the heated plate reduce the heat loss and insulate the personnel operating the apparatus of the present invention from injury. Need to be covered.

Depending on the type of food particles that are molded and baked into a molded product, some may be prone to sticking to metal parts. In many cases, Teflon coatings on metal parts eliminate the sticking problem. Chrome plating may be applied as another method of eliminating sticking.

Food compositions, including moisture and other volatile compositions, placed on adjacent plate portions 14, 15 require that the volatiles be released, especially at the beginning of the molding and baking period. There is. Emission of volatiles can be easily accomplished by allowing the top plate 11 to momentarily lift slightly. The continuous slight lifting of the top plate several times usually eliminates the development of annoying gas pressures during the baking period.

FIGS. 4 to 6 show the three basic elements of the invention, together with the preferred type of mechanical device for moving each element. The simple device 30 has four legs 31, 2,
A support frame formed from angle steel or metal tubing with one side member 32, two end members 33, four upright members 34, two apex members 35, and two apex members 36. Have Each of the members 32 and 33 has a leg portion 3 at each corner.
It forms a rectangular frame, which is supported by 1. Similarly, the members 35 and 3
6 forms a smaller frame supported at four corners by an upright member 34 attached to the side member 32.

A pair of tubular rails 37 having column bases 38 are supported by a frame composed of members 32 and 33 and are parallel to the member 32. As shown in FIG.
A pair of slide supports 39 made of Teflon partially surrounds each tubular rail 37. The portion 41 of the bottom plate, the rod 45, the cylinder 46, and the bracket 47 are omitted in FIG. 5 for simplicity of illustration.

The two parts 40, 41 of the bottom plate are respectively mounted on two slide supports 39, one on each rail 37 parallel to each other. The bottom plate portion 40 is connected by a rod 42 to a pneumatic cylinder 43 fixed to a bracket 44 mounted on a frame of members 32 and 33. Portion 41 of the bottom plate is likewise connected by a rod 45 to a pneumatic cylinder 46 fixed to a bracket 47, which is likewise mounted on the frame of members 32, 33. As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom plate portions 40, 41 shown in cross section in FIGS. 4 and 6 have their respective cylinders 43
, 46 are pressed against each other. At this point in the description, it should be considered that there is no molded edible product P in the portions 40, 41 that are adjacent to each other.

The bottom plate portions 40, 41 have opposed pneumatic cylinders 43, 46.
A measured amount of food particles is dropped onto the circular recesses 48 of the merged portions 40, 41 while being pressed together by. The recess 48 has a shallow cylindrical surface 49. Here, the top plate 50 is pressed by the pneumatic cylinder 51 and the connecting rod 52 toward the outer edge strips 53 of the bottom parts 40, 41. The cylinder 51 is supported by a top frame composed of members 35 and 36. The bottom surface of the top plate 50 has a bottom portion 40,
The outer edge of the recess 48 of 41, that is, the outer edge 55 slightly smaller than the cylindrical surface 49.
It has a cylindrical protruding portion 54 having. In the protruding portion 54, the narrow space is the protruding portion 5.
It can only partially extend into the recess 48 so as to remain between 0 and the recess 48. This space has a cylindrical wall, namely a cylindrical surface 49 and a contoured outer edge 5.
Together with the space between 5, the food particles form a molding hole through which they are compressed into a molded product P, a circular pie crust with raised edges 56. Each plate 40, 41, 50 is equipped with an electric heating element. The electric heating element is not shown because it shows the mechanical movement of these plates.

After the selected baking period, the top plate 50 is exposed by the cylinder 51 to the bottom plate portion 4 so as to expose the circular product P, as shown in FIG.
Pulled away from 0,41. Shortly thereafter, the parts 40, 41 of the bottom plate are, as shown in FIG. 6, the cylinders 43, 46 and the connecting rod 4
2, 45, so that the circular pie crust product P is dropped on the conveyor 57, for example. Here, the bottom plate portions 40, 43 repeat a series of movements of the top plate 50 and bottom plate portions 40, 41, thereby forming a measured amount of food to form a pie crust product P. Of the particles can be put together in the recess 48 by the cylinders 43, 45.

Variations and modifications of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention. For example, the bottom plate portions 40, 41 may have two cavities or recesses 48 arranged side by side in which a measured amount of food particles are respectively placed. In this case, after compression by the top plate 50 and the desired baking period, the parts 40, 41 are released and the two shaped edible products are dropped. More than one pneumatic cylinder may be used to move each of the bottom plate portions 40, 41 and the top plate 50. Therefore,
Only the limitations as set forth in the appended claims are imposed on the invention.

[Brief description of drawings]

[Figure 1]   FIG. 3 is a side view of the basic elements of the device of the invention in the position during the baking period.

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the basic elements of FIG. 1 at the end of the baking period, when the baked product is delivered.

FIG. 3 is another view of the basic elements of FIG. 1 in a position to receive a measured amount of food particles from a supply container.

FIG. 4 is a side view of an apparatus that illustrates the three elements of FIGS. 1-3, along with mechanical means for moving each element.

[Figure 5]   5 is a right end view of the device of FIG. 4. FIG.

[Figure 6]   FIG. 5 is a side view similar to FIG. 4, showing the elements in different positions.

[Procedure for Amendment] Submission for translation of Article 34 Amendment of Patent Cooperation Treaty

[Submission date] January 19, 2001 (2001.1.19)

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Full text

[Correction method] Change

[Contents of correction]

Device and method for binding food particles

[Claims]

Detailed Description of the Invention

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for compacting food particles into an integrated edible product. In particular, the present invention includes forming a shaped edible product by combining each piece of food with pressure and heat.

[0002] An example of an edible product made up of multiple pieces of food that are bonded together is the pasta-based product of Taylor et al., US Pat. No. 5,411,752. This patent discloses forming discrete pieces of cooked pasta with a composition for binding into a desired shape. This pasta-based product has been proposed as a pizza base or pie crust and can therefore be accompanied by tomato sauce, cheese, mushrooms and the like. Molinari US Pat. No. 4,693,900 also describes a shaped pasta product consisting of cooked pasta. Zukerman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,711,295, 396108.
No. 7, and 5137745 disclose shaped edible products composed of grains of rice and other grains.

[0003] U.S. Patent No. 5,693,355 of Haas, separable, by a pair of fragments recessed conically may be surrounded a side, having a conical portion in the vertical direction, the ice cream cone formation The molded article which does is described. German Patent DE197 No. 07730, are connected by hinge to one another, the locking device is provided, tongs for baking with mold parts of the upper and lower sides is disclosed. Such Beki tongs for packaging have been used in the baking machine.

However, the prior art does not disclose a simple apparatus and method for forming a shaped product composed of food particles.

Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method suitable for commercially producing a shaped product composed of food particles.

Another object is to provide a device for compressing food particles into a united and shaped product for baking.

[0007]   Another object is to provide a device that minimizes manual operation.

These and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus for forming a shaped product composed of food particles is provided with alternating metal top plates to be heated and moved apart. A two-part metal bottom plate. The desired amount of food particles placed on the bottom plate when the two parts of the bottom plate are abutted can be compressed and baked by bringing the heated top plate closer to the bottom plate. Following the selected heating period, the top plate is lifted and the two parts of the bottom plate are separated to deliver an integrated, shaped edible product.

The top plate and the bottom plate may be flat so as to form a pancake-shaped product, but the facing surfaces of the top plate and the bottom plate are compressed between the baked food products. The particles are preferably patterned to form three-dimensional products of various shapes, from discs with raised edges to pans or bowls of various shapes. According to the invention, instead of bowl-shaped edible products, products in the form of burgers, frankfurt, croquettes, etc. can be formed. To form a pan- or bowl-shaped product, the bottom plate may have holes or depressions and the top plate may have bulges or protrusions, while products shaped like meatballs or buns may be used. To form, both the bottom plate and the top plate have holes or depressions. For the sake of brevity, in the following it will be said that plates with any protrusions have a convex surface,
On the other hand, a plate with any depression is said to have a concave surface.

Since the product of the invention is formed between heated plates, in the following, for the sake of brevity, it is not made from butter, or the characteristic indentations of common waffles. The word "waffle type product" is used even if it does not have a.

The device of the invention can be operated manually, but the top plate and the bottom plate are brought into contact with the bottom plate, in which the top plate is adjoined in two parts, and then the top plate. The plate is removed from the bottom plate, the two parts of the bottom plate are separated and abutted again, thus the device
Mechanical utility is maximized by the timing device to complete the preparation for the next transfer cycle, maximizing commercial utility. The timing device can also control the dispensing means for placing a measured amount of food particles on the bottom plate at the beginning of the cycle, before the top plate is contacted with the bottom plate.

There are a variety of common devices configured to timely deliver a substance of particles so that a measured amount of food particles can be manually moved at the beginning of the cycle to move both plates. It is rarely justified to be placed on the bottom plate. Extruders and screw pumps are examples of devices used to deliver particulate material.

The top and bottom plates are preferably made of aluminum and may be electrically heated, although they may be heated by steam or other heating fluid or optionally by burning fuel gas. Is usually preferred. In addition to the simple electric heating elements that can be attached to the top and bottom plates, there is the advantage of easy temperature regulation.

Some general examples are described in the aforementioned US patents for many types of food particles that can be converted into an integrated and molded product. First,
As used herein, the term "particulate" is intended to encompass discrete materials ranging in size from rice grains to pasta-shaped, such as Jetie. Such particles may be bound in the device of the invention by adding a binding agent, such as egg white, used with cooked pasta in the aforementioned Taylor et al. Patent. . The aforementioned Zukerman patent states that particles of food, such as grains of grains, can be pre-treated in hot water or steam to form a sticky surface, and thus these grains of particles are It can be used in the device of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIGS. 1 and 2 the basic elements of the device 10 are shown in their closed and open positions, respectively. The top plate 11 has a protrusion 12 and includes an electric heater 13. Two parts 14, 15 forming the bottom plate of the device 10.
Has a recess 16 deeper than the height of the protrusion 12. This dimensional difference corresponds to the thickness of the shaped edible product formed between the top plate 11 and the two parts 14, 15 of the bottom plate. Similarly, the outer edge 17 of the protrusion 12 is smaller than the outer edge 18 of the recess 16 by a size corresponding to the desired thickness of the raised edge on the shaped edible product formed by the apparatus. . Parts 14 and 15 are equipped with electric heaters 19 and 20, respectively.

In FIG. 1, a top plate 11 integrates the particles with a suitable amount of food suitable for binding placed on the bottom, adjacent portions 14, 15. It is shown to be compressed and shaped into a shaped product and arranged to bake. FIG. 2 shows the top plate 11 and bottom portions 14, 15 separated to drop the resulting molded product at the end of the baking period.

In a simple embodiment of the invention, the surfaces of the protrusions 12 and the recesses 16 are flat and the outer edges 17 are such that the shape of the product formed between them is a disc with raised edges. , 18 have a cylindrical shape. The thus formed product formed from cooked pasta can be accompanied by tomato sauce held by the rim. Of course, the edges 17, 18 may be square, elliptical, or any other shape. Similarly, the surfaces of protrusions 12 and recesses 16 may be slightly corrugated or otherwise contoured to provide the desired surface pattern in the shaped edible product.

FIG. 3 differs from FIG. 2 in that the bottom plate portions 14, 15 have been reassembled to allow food particles to be placed in the recess 16. As soon as the food particles are placed in the recesses 16, the top plate 11 can be used to bake another integrated product, as shown in FIG.
It is lowered toward 15 and pressed.

The top plate 11 and the bottom plate portions 14, 15 are typically formed from a thick aluminum material, and the electric heater has a top plate 11 along a side opposite the side that is mated during the forming and baking period. And parts 14 and 15 of the bottom plate
Is attached to. Thick aluminum plate 11 and plate part 1
4, 15 are preferably perforated or milled to provide a cavity into which the electric heating element is fitted. The entire outer portion of the heated plate 11 and the portions 14, 15 of the heated plate reduce the heat loss and insulate the personnel operating the apparatus of the present invention from injury. Need to be covered.

Depending on the type of food particles that are shaped and baked into a shaped product, some may be prone to sticking to metal parts. In many cases, Teflon coatings on metal parts eliminate the sticking problem. Chrome plating may be applied as another method of eliminating sticking.

Food compositions, including moisture and other volatile compositions, placed on adjacent plate portions 14, 15 require that the volatiles be released, especially at the beginning of the molding and baking period. There is. Emission of volatiles can be easily accomplished by allowing the top plate 11 to momentarily lift slightly. The continuous slight lifting of the top plate several times usually eliminates the development of annoying gas pressures during the baking period.

4 to 6 the three basic elements of the invention are shown together with a preferred type of mechanical device for moving each element. The simple device 30 has four legs 31, 2,
A support frame formed from angle steel or metal tubing with one side member 32, two end members 33, four upright members 34, two apex members 35, and two apex members 36. Have Each of the members 32 and 33 has a leg portion 3 at each corner.
It forms a rectangular frame, which is supported by 1. Similarly, the members 35 and 3
6 forms a smaller frame supported at four corners by an upright member 34 attached to the side member 32.

A pair of tubular rails 37 having column bases 38 are supported by a frame composed of members 32 and 33 and are parallel to the member 32. As shown in FIG.
A pair of slide supports 39 made of Teflon partially surrounds each tubular rail 37. The portion 41 of the bottom plate, the rod 45, the cylinder 46, and the bracket 47 are omitted in FIG. 5 for simplicity of illustration.

The two parts 40, 41 of the bottom plate are respectively mounted on two slide supports 39, one on each rail 37 parallel to each other. The bottom plate portion 40 is connected by a rod 42 to a pneumatic cylinder 43 fixed to a bracket 44 mounted on a frame of members 32 and 33. Portion 41 of the bottom plate is likewise connected by a rod 45 to a pneumatic cylinder 46 fixed to a bracket 47, which is likewise mounted on the frame of members 32, 33. As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom plate portions 40, 41 shown in cross section in FIGS. 4 and 6 have their respective cylinders 43
, 46 are pressed against each other. At this point in the description, it should be considered that there is no molded edible product P in the portions 40, 41 that are adjacent to each other.

The bottom plate portions 40, 41 have opposed pneumatic cylinders 43, 46.
A measured amount of food particles is dropped onto the circular recesses 48 of the merged portions 40, 41 while being pressed together by. The recess 48 has a shallow cylindrical surface 49. Here, the top plate 50 is pressed by the pneumatic cylinder 51 and the connecting rod 52 toward the outer edge strips 53 of the bottom parts 40, 41. The cylinder 51 is supported by a top frame composed of members 35 and 36. The bottom surface of the top plate 50 has a bottom portion 40,
The outer edge of the recess 48 of 41, that is, the outer edge 55 slightly smaller than the cylindrical surface 49.
It has a cylindrical protruding portion 54 having. In the protruding portion 54, the narrow space is the protruding portion 5.
It can only partially extend into the recess 48 so as to remain between 0 and the recess 48. This space has a cylindrical wall, namely a cylindrical surface 49 and a contoured outer edge 5.
Together with the space between 5, the food particles form a molding hole through which they are compressed into a molded product P, a circular pie crust with raised edges 56. Each plate 40, 41, 50 is equipped with an electric heating element. The electric heating element is not shown because it shows the mechanical movement of these plates.

[0027] After the selected baked period, the top plate 50, as shown in FIG. 4, so as to expose a circular product P, part of the bottom plate by the cylinder 51 4
Pulled away from 0,41. Shortly thereafter, the parts 40, 41 of the bottom plate are, as shown in FIG. 6, the cylinders 43, 46 and the connecting rod 4
2, 45, so that the circular pie crust product P is dropped on the conveyor 57, for example. Here, part 40,4 1 of the bottom plate, repeating a series of movement of the top plate 50 and bottom plate portions 40 and 41, thereby to form a product P of the pie crust, measured amounts of The cylinders 43, 45 combine to allow food particles to be placed in the recess 48.

The portions 40, 41 of the bottom plate may have two cavities or recesses 48 arranged side by side in which a measured amount of food particles are respectively placed. In this case, after compression by the top plate 50 and the desired baking period, the parts 40, 41 are released and the two shaped edible products are dropped. More than one pneumatic cylinder may be used to move each of the bottom plate portions 40, 41 and the top plate 50 .

[Brief description of drawings]

[Figure 1]   FIG. 3 is a side view of the basic elements of the device of the invention in the position during the baking period.

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the basic elements of FIG. 1 at the end of the baking period, when the baked product is delivered.

FIG. 3 is another view of the basic elements of FIG. 1 in a position to receive a measured amount of food particles from a supply container.

FIG. 4 is a side view of an apparatus that illustrates the three elements of FIGS. 1-3, along with mechanical means for moving each element.

[Figure 5]   5 is a right end view of the device of FIG. 4. FIG.

[Figure 6]   FIG. 5 is a side view similar to FIG. 4, showing the elements in different positions.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) A47J 37/06 321 A47J 37/06 321 F term (reference) 4B023 LE11 LE30 LP07 LP20 LT01 LT29 4B032 DB11 DE10 DP48 DP50 4B035 LE04 LG34 LP02 LP34 LT01 LT11 4B040 AA01 AA08 AC04 AD11 AE20 CA04 CA12 EB14 EB20 4B046 LA06 LB20 LC20 LE13 LE16 LP53 LP80

Claims (24)

[Claims] 1. A heated bottom plate comprising two parts for compressing and baking food particles into an integrated edible product, which can be alternately adjacent and separated. A heated top plate that can be alternately urged toward and removed from the bottom plate when the portions are abutted. 2. The two parts of the bottom plate have recesses and the top plate has protrusions to form the integrated product in a shallow pan shape. 1. The device according to 1. 3. The two parts of the bottom plate have a recess and the top plate has a recess to form the integrated product in a bun or hamburger shape. The apparatus according to Item 1. 4. The two parts of the bottom plate are alternately pressed and pulled apart by a pneumatic cylinder, and the top plate is alternately pressed by the pneumatic cylinder to the bottom plate and from the bottom plate. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is raised. 5. An apparatus for shaping and baking food particles into a shaped edible product, comprising: a heated top plate; a heated two-part bottom plate; and a bottom plate of the bottom plate. A first moving means for alternately moving the two parts together and separating them and the top plate for compressing food particles arranged on the two parts when the two parts are combined. And second moving means for alternately moving downwardly onto the bottom plate for baking and upwardly from the bottom plate after a selected baking period, the first moving means. Is
A device that operates to move the two parts apart and to drop the molded product. 6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the two-part bottom plate has a recess corresponding to the desired molded product to be formed. 7. The top plate includes a protrusion having an outer edge that is smaller than an outer edge of the recess of the two-part bottom plate to form the molded product having a raised edge. The device of claim 6, wherein the device comprises. 8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the two portions of the top plate and the bottom plate has an electric heater attached to it. 9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each of the two portions of the top plate and the bottom plate has an electric heater attached to it. 10. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first and second moving means are pneumatic cylinders. 11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first and second moving means are pneumatic cylinders. 12. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first moving means and the second moving means are controlled by a timing device to effect a desired sequential movement. 13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first moving means and the second moving means are controlled by a timing device to effect a desired sequential movement. 14. A method of forming and baking an edible waffle type product which is composed of food particles which are pressed together when compressed and baked, wherein a measured amount of said food particles is heated. A two-part bottom plate while the two parts of the bottom plate are mated together, and a heated top plate is pressed onto the bottom plate and placed on the bottom plate. Compressing and baking the fried food particles, removing the top plate after a selected baking period, and moving the two parts apart to deliver the waffle-shaped product. Including the method. 15. The food particles are discrete pieces of cooked pasta having a maximum length not exceeding about 3 inches and having mixed edible binding agents. 14. The method according to 14. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the cooked pasta pieces are selected from the group consisting of lingini, spaghetti, macaroni, noodles, and ghiti. 17. The method of claim 14, wherein the food particles are sticky rice. 18. A method of forming and baking a pizza-shaped pie crust composed of pieces of cooked pasta that are compressed and are intended to bond to each other when baked, said measured amount of said pie crust. Placing the pieces of cooked pasta on a heated two-part bottom plate having a shallow circular recess on the top surface and a circular fit that fits into the recess with a gap between the surface of the recess. Pressing a heated top plate having a protrusion on the bottom surface onto the bottom plate to compress and bake the pieces of cooked pasta placed on the bottom plate, Removing after the baking period and moving the two parts apart to deliver the pizza-shaped pie crust. 19. The cooked pasta piece has a maximum length of no more than about 3 inches and has an edible binding medium mixed with the pasta piece. The method described. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the cooked pasta pieces are selected from the group consisting of lingini, spaghetti, macaroni, noodles, and ghiti. 21. A rapid method of forming and baking a pizza-shaped pie crust formed from a piece of cooked pasta and a binding medium, measured in admixture with the binding medium. Placing a quantity of the cooked pasta on a heated bottom plate having a shallow circular recess and having a circular protrusion on the bottom surface that fits into the recess with a gap between it and the surface of the recess. Pressing a heated top plate onto the bottom plate to compress the cooked pasta placed on the bottom plate, baking, and removing the top plate after a desired baking period; Removing the pizza-shaped pie crust from the bottom plate. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the cooked pasta pieces are selected from the group consisting of lingini, spaghetti, macaroni, noodles, and ghiti. 23. The heated top plate releases volatiles,
Thereby, in order to prevent awkward gas pressure from occurring during the baking period, it can be slightly raised continuously and momentarily during the baking period.
The method of claim 21. 24. The heated top plate releases volatiles, thereby preventing nuisance gas pressure from occurring during the baking period.
19. The method according to claim 18, wherein during the baking period, it can be slightly lifted continuously and instantaneously.