TWO-COMPONENT EXTRUSION ROW
DESCRIPTION The present invention has for its object, a two-component extrusion die, disposed at the exit of a cooking / extrusion or extrusion system that allows to manufacture blood sausages or croquettes comprising longitudinal strips colored with two different colors. The patent EP 169 '126 already relates to an installation for manufacturing a food product composed by extrusion. However, this type of installation makes it possible to manufacture a two-component product, but it has either an absolutely invisible skin lining on the outside and an outer shell, which is the only one that is visible, whether the two components are Side to side. The patent FR 25 72 899 relates to products with skin lining manufactured by extrusion with a row comprising an internal tube and a coaxial external tube that allow to separate two flows. These tubes of simple geometry, do not allow to obtain products whose skin lining is visually perceptible on the surface of the extrusion. In addition, the contacting of the two flows intervenes only at a small distance from the outlet, which limits the possibilities of bonding. US Patent 4,786,243 relates to a product comprising longitudinal strips, but the technical solution imperatively implements two extruders whose flows are gathered in coaxial tubes provided with a central baffle. This technology, and in particular this deflector, can cause problems of flow and sticking of the two blood sausages at the exit of the machine. The object of the present invention is that of making an extrusion die that allows to manufacture a bi-component product in which the consumer can see directly that it is a composite product; this product presents in the cut, on one of the components, the star shape. On the other hand, the row according to the invention allows an intimate bond between the two flows.
The invention relates to a two-component extrusion die, arranged in advance of a two-screw type cooking / extrusion or extrusion system with separate compartments or of the single-screw type with separation of the two flows, comprising the output of the arrival channel, of one of the components: a) - an arrival tube of the central component; that tube presents from back to front, a first zone having a star-shaped section, a second zone with at least two longitudinal openings to allow the arrival of the second component; those openings open between the branches of the star, and a third zone that allows the gluing of the two components; b) a distributor that surrounds the first zone of the tube to create a chamber and allow the arrival of the second component through the longitudinal openings of the arrival tube; and c) a nozzle that extends the dispenser and that decreases the volume of the arrival chamber of the second component and that surrounds the third zone of the arrival tube. In general, a two-screw extruder is used in which the product A is supplied in the lining comprising the first screw rotated to allow the product A to advance, and the product B is introduced in the second. liner provided with the second screw also driven in rotation; the two compartments are separated and the extrusion die according to the invention is disposed at the exit of the extruder, two rows can also be arranged at the exit of the extruder. Also, you can work with a two-screw extruder, in which you have only one product flow; in this case, it is necessary to provide a flow separation system at the exit of the extruder in order to be able to color the two flows differently. The row according to the invention is then placed directly forward. If you work with a single screw extruder, it is also necessary to have a system for separating the flows before the row (s) according to the invention. The system forming the subject of European patent No. 95.100350.8 of January 12, 1995, filed by the Applicant, is advantageously used. Any type of product that comes from a cooking / extrusion system, namely, a product for human consumption, such as breakfast cereals (temperature between 120 ° C and 200 ° C) can be prepared with the die according to the invention. ), and products for animal feed, such as dry products (temperature between 100 ° C and 130 ° C), that is, having a percentage of moisture content of less than 15%. You can also work on an extrusion system, for example to make pasta (temperature of the order of 70 ° C). Finally, the row according to the invention can also be considered for producing frozen products, such as frozen creams. In this case, it is necessary to provide on the lining of the extruder with two screws or a single screw and on the row of the cooling means, for example a sleeve where cooling fluids circulate, so as to reach an equal temperature or lower than -8 ° C. The interest of this row, is that you need only a single extruder or a single machine that allows you to push the dough through the row. The starting paste can be colored or not. If one works with separate and already colored flows, it is only necessary to direct that flow over the row according to the invention. If you work with a single stream of uncolored paste, you first have to separate the flows and color them by injecting at that level the desired dyes. It is also possible at that level, to adjust the viscosities of each flow, by adding water. The flows can also receive at that level, the adjunction of different elements nutricionalee, texture and others. It is well understood that in the row according to the invention, the arrival tube plays an essential role; in fact, in the first zone, the component A has to be formed in a sausage of star section, in order to prepare the arrival in the second zone, of the component B; since this second zone has a circular section, it allows the second component to fill the space between the branches of the star. The third zone of the tube then allows to stick the components A and B in a progressive and prolonged manner. The first zone of the arrival tube may have a star-shaped section and between 3 and 6 branches; in this case, of course, it is necessary to provide in the second zone, the corresponding number of longitudinal openings, namely between 3 and 6 openings; those openings flow between the branches of the star. In this second zone, the opening ratio on the total surface represents 1/4 to 1/2. The third zone of the arrival tube normally has a circular section, such as the second zone, but it can also have a square, oval or triangular shape. The operation of the row according to the invention will be described more exhaustively in relation to the figures. At the exit of the row, a system of rotating blades is provided that cut the black pudding that comes out, to the desired length, either in the form of blood sausages of length between 5 and 50 mm, or in the form of croquettes of more dimension reduced.
In the arrival tube, it is possible to work with different relationships in the case of lengths between the first, second and third zones; those relationships are usually between 3: 1: 1 and 1: 1: 1. It is preferred to work with a ratio of 2/1/1. The distributor and the nozzle, for reasons of ease of cleaning, form two different zones. It can also be considered that they form only one piece. The invention also relates to the device of the twin screw or single screw extruder type, comprising at least one row as described above. Preferably, an extruder with two extrusion rows is used. Next, the description is made in relation to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic representation in partial section, of a system of two screws; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the row according to the invention; Figure 3 is a perspective representation of the row according to the invention; and Figure 4 is a perspective representation of the product obtained with the row according to the invention. Figure 1 represents a classic extrusion machine (1) with two screws (2,3). It comprises a liner (4), in which the two above-mentioned screws driven in rotation by a geared motor unit (not shown) are placed. On each screw is wound in helix, a threaded (7), respectively (8), of determined pitch. On the lining (4), free spaces (5,6) are provided which allow the arrival of the components A and B; these components are driven by the rotation of the screws (2,3) towards the outlet channels (9,10) arranged in a plate (11) for separating the flows. The two flows are then combined to converge towards the row (12), according to the invention. Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the row (12) comprises a pipe (13) of arrival of the central component A, a distributor (14) and a nozzle (15) that extends the delivery. Therefore, the tube (13) presents the zone I of section in the form of a star, the zone II with longitudinal openings (18) and a zone III. In zone I, the tube has a free space (19) in the form of a star with 5 branches; on the contrary in zones II and III, the tube has a circular section and presents a free space (29). The chamber (21) is created by the space between the tube (13) and the distributor (14) and the nozzle (15). The row works in the following way; the flow of the component A arrives through the channel (9), enters the tube (13) and forms according to the free space (19) in the form of a star with 5 branches. The component B that arrives through the channel (10) penetrates the chamber (21) through the opening (16) made in the distributor (14). Therefore, flow A occupies the center of the tube
(13) as well as the branches of the star. At the level of the chamber (21), the flow B is brought into contact with the flow A. The flow B is introduced into the nozzle by the distributor (14). Thanks to the longitudinal openings (18), of calculated length in the wall of the tube (13), the flow B penetrates into the interior of the tube. It is forced by the conical part (22) of the nozzle (15) to come to occupy the free space between the branches of the star, occupied by the flow A inside the tube (13). The two flows are then contacted and as they are blocked inside the tube, they are stuck on a well-defined length (zone III). The extrusion sausage then leaves the tube (13) to be cut to a desired length. Figure 4 represents the sausage (23) constituted by the components A and B. The row according to the invention, allows to obtain a composite product of which it is possible to see directly the two constituents, which presents to the consumer, a real attraction.