SYSTEM FOR THE COOKING OF MULTIPLE FOOD PRODUCTS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the cooking system of food products, and more specifically refers to a cooking system that can be quickly converted to cook different products with very different time and temperature cooking profiles. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the snack industry, the general practice has been to dedicate equipment to the production of one, sometimes two, of these products. For example, cooking appliances are optimized for the production of potato chips and produce this product in large quantities and at high speeds. The cooking appliances have also been optimized for the production of fried tortilla chips and produce that product, as well as perhaps fried corn flakes in large quantities and with great quality. Similarly, for the production of sandwiches based on seed pellets and extruded products, cooking appliances have been optimized to cook these products in their relatively short cooking time requirements compared to potato chip products. These products include fried corn rings, pork rinds and other snacks of seeds and busted pellets dropped in hot oil for a short period of cooking. It is recognized that the aforementioned products have very different cooking time and temperature profiles. The cooking of all these products, however, is achieved in a bath of hot edible oil in which the product is moved by mechanical means as well as oil flow until reaching a point where the product is removed from the oil and Transfer to salted or seasoned equipment, as well as to a product chiller and then transported to a weighing and packaging station. The potato chips are baked in hot oil from 325 to about 390 ° F for a period of about 2 minutes 15 to 20 seconds. The tortilla chips are cooked at approximately 345 to 375 ° F for approximately 45 to 60 seconds. The fried corn flakes are cooked in hot oil at about 355 to 420 ° F. Food products for snacks derived from seeds and pellets, including pork rinds, are cooked in hot oil of approximately 390 to 400 ° F for approximately 4 to 60 seconds, pork rinds being found in the cooking range of 50 to 60 seconds. In certain geographical snack markets, it has been found that it is unnecessary for large quantities of a particular snack to be produced regularly, say, for example, potato chips. In these markets, it is more desirable to produce relatively smaller quantities of several different snacks, so that the producer can cover a wider spectrum of the desired snacks for their distribution area. Given the high cost of capital, it is recognized that it is often more impractical, in economic terms, to dedicate several different pieces of equipment to different sandwiches. It has also been discovered that in certain areas of the world it is desirable to have the physical capacity to move the sandwiches production equipment from one city to another, or from one country to another, in such a way that it adapts to the different demands of products, as certain products are accepted and more production equipment is required. An easily convertible and easy to transport system to produce a wide variety of snacks is a highly sought after development in great need. In the past, converting a cooking appliance to suit a different product was very cumbersome and, in general, meant an inactive time of the cooking appliance, so that a full shift of work would turn one product into another. In addition, some sandwich production equipment was cumbersome to transport easily from one location to another and to serve a different geographic market. If the equipment could be configured in modules sized for transport, a very desirable economic objective would be achieved. The applicants, Clark K. Benson and Andrew A. Caridis, are among the inventors named in four United States patents that have been assigned to Heat and Control, Inc., South San Francisco, California. These are United States Patents 4,738,193, issued April 19, 1988; Patent 4,942,808, issued July 24, 1990; Patent 5,137,740, granted on August 11, 1992; and Patent 5,167,979, granted on December 1, 1992. These patents present process and cooking apparatuses adapted flexibly to cook with a time and temperature profile that fits a curve, either linear or non-linear. Several different cooking zones are presented in the Patent 5,137,740, and propulsion mechanisms of the product, among which stand out, paddle wheels and submerging conveyor belts that are presented in the patent, while the equipment itself is usually of large size and specialized for use in a single product production line. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND OBJECTIVES In summary, the present invention is directed to a cooking system that is flexibly adapted to process various products within a wide range of different time and temperature cooking profiles. For easy transport, a frame is provided on which is mounted a cooking appliance configured for at least two cooking zones, each cooking zone having a variety of product inlets and an outlet for the cooked products. A product transfer conveyor belt disposed within the cooking appliance serves to move certain products from the first cooking zone for further cooking in the second cooking zone. Each cooking zone includes a bath for edible oil other than the edible oil of the other zone. Each bath is provided with temperature controls, heating of edible oil and means for oil circulation. Each cooking zone has a variety of product inlet openings arranged on the oil bath and a product propulsion mechanism extends into the oil bath, which serves to propel the products during cooking at variable speeds towards the exit of products. Control mechanisms are provided to allow temperature variations in each zone and the timing of products that move through the zone, so that a first group of products can be cooked initially in the first cooking zone and then finishes cooking in the first cooking zone. second zone. Other products can be cooked completely in the second cooking zone while the first cooking zone is not in use.
An object of the invention is to provide an adaptive cooking system for handling a wide range of sandwiches, each having different cooking time and temperature profiles. Another object of the invention is to provide a cooking system that can easily pass from cooking a product to cooking another product that may be different from the first, and all with the minimum amount of time required for the modification of the system. Still another object of the invention is to provide a cooking system that is easily transported from one location to another. Still another objective is to provide a cooking system that adapts flexibly to handle very different volumes of oil so as to preserve the quality of the oil over a long period of useful life. Still another objective is to provide a multi-product low capacity cooking system having double oil baths, wherein both or one of the oil baths can be used at a time. Still another objective is to provide a cooking system that flexibly adapts to produce relatively minor snacks runs, for example, fried tortilla chips, potato chips, fried corn flakes and seed and pellet snacks. Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved sandwich cooking system having product drive units of various speeds to suit a wide range of product cooking times as they are transported through the cooking unit. These and other objects will be seen in the following description taken in connection with the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the cooking appliance used in the multi-product cooking system of the present invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged view taken in the direction of the arrows 2-2 shown in Figure 1 and represent the cooking zone 1 of the present invention; Figure 3 is a scaled-up view of Figure 2 taken in the direction of the arrows 3-3 shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 taken in the direction of the arrows 4-4 shown in Figure 1 and showing the cooking zone II of the present invention; Figure 5 is a sectional view taken in the direction of arrows 5-5 shown in Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a partially schematic and partially plan view of the cooking system of the present invention; Figure 7 is an elongated view in longitudinal section taken as indicated by the broken line and arrows 7-7 shown in Figure 5 showing a configuration of the edible oil inlet in cooking zone II to allow a first level of edible oil; Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7, but shows a second configuration of the edible oil inlet in the cooking zone II to allow a first level of edible oil; Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view, partly broken away, taken in the direction of the arrows 9-9 shown in Figure 7. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to Figures 1 and 6 of the drawings, FIG. there there is a cooking system for multiple food products 10 and includes a double-zone cooking apparatus 11 having zone 1-12, and zone 11-13, as indicated in FIG. 1. Zone I is provided with a heat exchanger 14 and circulation system for edible oil 16, and zone II is provided with a similar heat exchange but of smaller capacity 17 and edible oil circulation system 18. A variety of oil reservoir tanks 19, 21 and 22 are connected to supply oil through an oil transfer pump 23, 24, so that edible oil can be supplied for products such as potato chips, fried corn flakes or fried tortilla chips, with respect to the heat exchange 14 within zone I of the cooking appliance from any of the storage tanks 19 or 21, as dictated by the cooking program. Similarly, edible oil can be supplied from the reservoir tank 22 through the oil transfer pump 24 within zone II and, particularly, when the seed or pellet products exploited are to be produced using exclusively zone II. As shown in Figure 6, the heat exchangers 14, 17, the oil reservoir tanks 19, 21, 22 and the oil pumps 23, 24 are mounted in modular configuration on a support platform 25 with dimensions of the order of 20 feet long by 6 feet wide for ease of transportation by road. The cooking appliance 11 is also mounted in modular configuration on a frame and support platform with dimensions of the order of 27 1/2 feet by 5 1/3 feet for ease of transportation. The oil control valves, temperature detectors, oil volume indicating mechanisms are all well known in the field, and are shown in circuit in Figure 6 to perform the cooking time and temperature functions relative to the cooking system. cooking. It is to be understood that the multi-product cooking system of the present invention can be operated in a mode in which the products are cooked in sequence in zone I and then in zone II, each zone having its own system of Oil circulation control, oil reheating and temperature. In addition, the products can be cooked exclusively in zone II using oil, for example the one coming from the storage tank 22 operating the heating and recirculation control, and temperature independent of the corresponding apparatus for zone I. In the case of the operation of the zone II at the time zone I is kept out of operation, the edible oil to be used in zone I can be returned to the oil reservoir tanks 19, 21 and there to be preserved out of contact with air and other contaminants which tend to elevate the fatty acid content of the edible oil. Thus, edible oil is preserved for a longer service life than if it remained in the oil bath zone I. Referring now particularly to Figures 1, 3 and 5, the cooking appliance 11 comprises a housing 26 rigidly mounted in a frame 27 which is supported on a lower frame member base 28 in such a way that the cooking appliance 11 can move as a unit, such when transported in a truck or other means of transport from one geographical region to another. The housing 27 includes a bell 29 that extends from one end of the cooking appliance to the other and is provided with supports (not shown here) to lift the hood and facilitate cleaning and maintenance. A centrally disposed exhaust chimney 31 extends vertically from the hood 29 and is connected to an exhaust system (not shown) so that the cooking odors and vapors are controlled and recaptured to reduce air pollution. The lower portion of the cooking appliance 11 is generally referred to as the container 32 and is configured to hold two containers for edible oil, as indicated in Figure 1 by the designations Zone I and Zone II. Arranged between zone I and zone II is a transfer section 33 where the container of zone I ends and the edible oil bath is maintained. A transfer conveyor belt 34 extends laterally of the cooking apparatus over the entire width of the container and is inclined upwards from a position below the surface of the edible oil 35 for the Figure area and ends at a discharge end for dropping the products in oil bath 38 for zone II as clearly shown in Figure 5. So, it will be understood that the oil level of zone I can be maintained at a lower level than the oil level of zone II and, therefore, the quantities of oil present in the cooking appliance, in general, can be found at a smaller volume than if a single oil bath were used in common in a cooking appliance of these general dimensions, for example, a cooking appliance with a cooking length of 20 feet. For zone II, as shown in Figure 5, the second oil bath is kept in a container that may have a relatively higher oil level than the Zone I bath. The bath is also equipped with a band. product discharge carrier 36 tilted up from its submerged bottom end for a product passing from zone II for transfer to subsequent operations, including cooling, salting and seasoning, and packaging and weighing. The product transfer conveyor belts 34 and 36 are driven by variable speed drive motors, in such a way that their speeds can be synchronized for the desired movement of the product through and from the cooking apparatus. Thus, the transfer conveyor belt under hood 34 serves to remove the partially cooked products from zone I and transfer them to zone II for further cooking. The discharge transfer conveyor belt 36 serves to remove the fully cooked products from the oil bath 38 of zone II to an additional processing conveyor 37 where operations are carried out on the products. The housing of the cooking appliance 26 and particularly the hood 29 is equipped with a variety of product inlets, being positioned over the selected oil levels along the cooking path at suitable intervals for particular products. More specifically, a product inlet 41 is provided in the end wall of the hood 29 to receive an endless conveyor belt 42 which serves to transport potato slices 40 from the potato slicing preparation equipment into the cooking appliance 11. The slices 40 fall freely from the discharge end of the input conveyor 42 into the oil bath 35 below. A second product inlet 43 is disposed in a side wall of the bell 29 and inlet 43 is sized such that it receives the head of the equipment cutter-extruder to form the fried corn flakes (not shown here). A hinged door 44 is mounted in the hood 29 (Figure 2) in such a way that the door can close the inlet 43 when it is not in use. The final inlet 41 is also equipped to receive a transfer conveyor belt for placing rolled products in the oil bath 35, the conveyor belt 46 being indicated on the dotted lines of Figure 2. With reference now particularly to Figure 5, the Product inlets 47, 48 and 49 are provided through the side wall of the hood 29, so that the raw product can be fed into the zone II oil bath through these inlet openings. Closing doors are provided for each inlet 47, 48 and 49 as indicated in Figure 4, so that the inlet openings can be selectively used or closed depending on the application of the product being conducted through the cooking system 10. Inlets 47-49 serve to receive a vibrating feed conveyor 53 indicated in Figure 6. The discharged conveyor belt is inserted through the appropriate inlet, in accordance with the cooking time required by the product. It will be understood from the foregoing that raw food products are introduced into the cooking appliance 11, and in the case of zone I, the products 40, including raw potato slices or rolled corn products. they are introduced through the inlets 41 or 43 and deposited in the oil bath 35 for cooking first in zone I and then being removed there by the transfer conveyor belt 34 for further cooking in zone II and then removed there by a discharge conveyor belt 36 to deposit them on the conveyor belt for further processing. The time that the product 40 remains in the edible oil is of great importance as well as the temperature of the oil baths of zone I and zone II. A) YesIt is important that the raw products are moved positively through the two oil baths within a particular selected time interval. For this purpose the positive propulsion of the raw products through the bath is obtained by means of multiple paddle wheels 56-59, 61 and 62, as shown in Figure 3 to move the products through the oil bath of the zone I. They are shown as example six, but less can be provided, depending on the size of the cooking appliance. As shown in Figure 5, in zone II of the cooking apparatus, a paddle wheel 63 as well as two product submerging conveyors 64 and 66 are provided. As will be understood, the propulsion mechanism of the product 63, 64 and 66 serves to propel the products, which tend to float in the edible oil, through the zone II and the discharge conveyor belt 36. It will be apparent that the seeds or raw pellets introduced through the entrance 47 will fall into the oil The hot edible that is below and the three propulsion elements will act on them, the seeds and balls introduced through the entrance 48 will receive the performance of the submerging conveyor belts 64 and 66 and, in addition, the seeds or pellets introduced through of the input 49 that will fall into the edible oil will be activated only by the submerged conveyor belt 66. This is important to set the cooking time in hot edible oil and the flow rate of the product through the cooking process of zone II. The product propulsion units 63, 64 and 66 are driven through a variable speed drive train as indicated in Figure 4 with drive gears and chains mounted on the submerging roller shafts in a well known manner in the field , to be driven by an electronic motor 68 equipped with a variable speed motor controller 69. This configuration allows the exact regulation of the speed of rotation of the arrows and the consequent operational drive of the product of the vane wheel and the conveyor belts submersible In addition, for reasons that will be discussed in more detail below, mechanisms (not shown) are provided for raising and lowering the submerging conveyor belts to allow operation at different depths in the edible oil contained in the cooking appliance container of the zone. II, so that the vanes and steps of the submerging conveyor belts project a desired distance below the oil surface. Two vertically displaced positions of the product propulsion units 63, 64 and 66 are indicated in the solid dotted circular lines of Figure 5. Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, the vane wheel assemblies 57-59, 61 and 62 of zone I are driven by a drive train comprising drive chains and gears that are driven by the variable speed motor 70 with a related motor controller 71. By using the controller 71, the paddle wheels they can be regulated in terms of their rotation speed to advance the raw potato slices, etc. through zone I for further final cooking in zone II. In addition, the speed of the product propulsion mechanisms of zone I can be selected with respect to the product propulsion mechanism of zone II to precisely control the cooking time of the particular sandwich. In addition, the temperature of the oil in zone I can be controlled closely and the oil temperature in zone II can be controlled in a similar manner to a higher or lower temperature, depending on the process, than the oil temperature in zone I. By way of examples that reveal the flexibility of the cooking system presented, the following table was elaborated. Several cooking times and temperatures useful for different sandwiches are included. Until now, it was typical that each different product was cooked in a specialized cooking appliance. The cooking system presented, on the other hand, accommodates all the products listed below as well as others not mentioned in this document. Typical Profiles of Cooking Time and Temperature of Edible Oil
Products Zone I in Zone II in Zone I in Zone II in Time of (° F) (° F) (° F) (° F) Total Cooking Min-Seg
Flakes 340 -350 320 - 330 340 - 350 320 - 330 2 - 15 potatoes 335 - 340 315 - 320 355 - 360 325 - 330 2 - 15 normal fries
Flakes 340 -350 320 - 330 340 - 350 320 - 330 2 - 15 potatoes 335 - 340 315 - 320 355 - 360 325 - 330 2 - 15 frits fritters
Flakes of 355 - 360 345 - 350 360 - 355 355 - 350 1 - 15 tortilla 365 - 370 355 - 360 365 - 360 360 - 355 1 - 10 frits 355 - 360 350 - 355 370 - 375 365 - 360 1 - 05
Flakes of 390 - 400 380 - 390 50 - 60 seconds fried corn extruded Chicharrón Inactive 390 - 400 380 - 390 50 - 60 seconds pork
Curls of Inactive 370 - 380 360 - 370 40 - 60 seconds corn
Seeds and Inactive 370 - 400 365 - 395 5 to 20 seconds exploded pellets (Many types) It is evident in the previous examples that several sandwiches can be cooked in the cooking system presented using the two zones in tandem or only the second zone. Normal regular potato chips can be cooked in the two zones at the same temperature ranges as potato chips with curls, delaying regular potato chips about 30 seconds less than the latter. Fried tortilla chips can be cooked in both zones using a higher initial oil temperature in Zone II than the initial temperature of the oil in Zone I. Cooking times and temperatures can be regulated and controlled to achieve a desired product result that is acceptable in commercial terms. The time / temperature profiles for the two cooking zones for corn-based snacks can be dictated by the quality of the dough with which the chips are made. The corn flake products extruded in the combination of Zones I and II in what is usually a uniform temperature curve by introducing the raw products into Zone I through the inlet opening 43. As mentioned, the cooking system is adapted to cook rapidly expanding products such as pork rinds, corn curls and many types of seeds or pellets that explode. In these cooking applications Zone I remains inactive while the products are cooked in the required relatively short cooking times of Zone II. As can be seen in the previous table, cooking times can be as little as 5 seconds and up to 60 seconds. Pork cracklings and similar products, which have relatively longer cooking times, can be introduced into Zone II through product inlet 47 and will fall freely into the edible oil bath 38 to be driven there by the paddle wheel 63 and the submerging conveyor belts 64 and 66. The product is then removed from the oil bath by means of a second transfer belt 36. The corn curls, which are cooked in Zone II at a somewhat shorter cooking time than the pork rind of pork, can be introduced through the product inlet opening 48 to fall freely in the oil bath 38. The corn curls will be moved through the oil bath by the submerging conveyor belts 64 and 66, and from there transported outside the unit by the second conveyor belt 36. The seeds or pellets exploited require a relatively short cooking time and can be introduced into the cooking stems through the product inlet 49. The seeds and pellets can fall freely in the oil bath of Zone II to be coupled to the submerging band 66 and be removed from the oil bath 38 by operating the band Transfer 36. Snacks such as pork rinds, fried corn flakes and exploited seeds or pellets require a relatively short cooking time, for these products it is desirable to use a smaller volume of oil in the oil bath of the Zone. II 38 that if they were processing fried potato chips through the same area. A) Yes, the reservation is made in Zone II to accommodate different volumes of oil, using larger volumes in relation to the cooking of fried potato chips and the like, and using the smaller volumes when seeds and pellets are exploited and similar. With reference to Figures 5, 7 and 8, the largest volume of oil in Zone II indicates 38a and the smallest volume indicates 38b. Mechanisms are provided for the propulsion units, the paddlewheel 63, the submersible conveyor 64, and the submersible conveyor 66, to operate effectively at both the upper oil level 38a and the lower oil level 38b. The vertical adjustment of these elements is provided in a manner well known in the art, so that the necessary projection is achieved within the oil bath. In Figure 5 the aforementioned elements in their lower position are indicated by the broken and dotted lines. Some of the benefits of using lower volumes of oil bath in Zone II are a lower cost of oil used, reduced exposure to oxygen and the consequent accumulation of fatty acids in the oil bath, and the ease of cooling and reheat a smaller volume of oil than there would be if there was a greater volume. The way of introducing oil into Zone II is of some interest, both in the case where exploited or expanded products are cooked and in situations in which flake products are cooked. An important criterion is that the oil intake is such that the raw products are not trapped by the eddies and turbulence present in the oil inlet area, because when this happens the resulting products are overcooked, which is undesirable . Reserves are made at the oil inlet of Zone II to encourage the work flow away from the entrance as shown in Figures 7-9. More particularly, edible oil inlet 76 receives oil from the heat exchanger 17 (Fig. 6) and the oil entering is dispersed to move laterally through a perforated plate 77, arranged horizontally in confronting relationship with the oil inlet. The plate 77 extends the width of the container 32 and is fixedly secured to the perforated vertical plate 78, which serves to keep the product out of the area of the oil inlet, while allowing the oil entering to flow and to flow. Disperse through the width of the container. The upper and lower horizontal dances 7, 9, 81 define an oil flow groove 82 extending through the container through which the oil flows for the most part, it is believed, in a non-turbulent, sheet condition. This encourages the products to move away from the oil intake so as not to stagnate and overcook in that place. The upper horizontal baffle 79 is connected at one end to the vertical perforated plate 78, and at its other end is equipped with a vertical flange 83, which is provided with a plurality of vertically extending slots 84, which receive fasteners 86 which allow the vertical adjustment of the baffle 79 as indicated in Figures 7 and 8, to accommodate, respectively, the higher oil level 38a and the lower oil level 38b. The flow slot 82, defined by the horizontal baffles 79, 81, has a width secured by spacer members 87 fixedly secured to the baffles, as best shown in Figure 9. The lower horizontal baffle 81 is equipped with vertically extending dependent flange plates 88 and 89. The plates 88 and 89 are arranged to fit very closely against a sliding fit with the vertical plates 91 and 92 secured to the bottom of the container and extending through this, as it is clearly shown in Figure 9. It is apparent that in this construction, when the vertical flange 83 rises or falls, when moving between the positions of Figure 7 and Figure 8, that the lower baffle 81 and the flow slot 82 are relocated accordingly. The provision of the box-type baffle construction related to the bottom of the container allows a substantial distance for the oil to flow over the baffle 81 before the full depth of the oil is reached in the container. This provision is made to reduce turbulence in the oil inlet area. To further control swirl formation in the oil inlet area of Zone II, slots are provided in the oil control inlet case 85 as indicated by number 93 in Fig. 9. The flow slots of oil 93 allow the oil to flow away from the plates of the baffle to discourage and control the eddies in that region. Through the present apparatus and related process, a great variety of sandwiches can be produced with greater attractiveness for the consumer. The resulting products have the desired texture, taste and appearance of typical products produced with much more expensive and elaborate equipment, dedicated exclusively to said products. The apparatus presented in the document is economical to manufacture and operate and easy to convert for the production of different products. The team is ready for agile transport from one site to another and mentioned in the above objectives and advantages. Although we have shown and described above what is considered as a preferred embodiment of our invention of the multi-product cooking apparatus and the process related thereto, we do not limit ourselves to the exact details of the specified constructions or the time data. and temperature presented, and our invention encompasses the changes, modifications and equivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as belonging to the field of the terms of the following claims.