TW202106167A - Measurement apparatus for dough and method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a measurement apparatus for dough, which includes a board, a restriction member and a pressing member. The pressing member comprises a carrying surface for carrying a weight member and a pressing head extending oppositely from the carrying surface. The pressing head is shaped and sized to correspond to a measurement space. The pressing head can be at least partially received in the measurement space to press a sample on the board.

Description

Measuring device for dough and its use method

The present disclosure relates to a measuring device, in particular to a measuring device for edible dough and a method of use thereof, to obtain data related to the texture of the dough.

Food texture has been widely used in food physical analysis and evaluation to express the texture and taste of food. Through the evaluation and testing of food texture characteristics, it is helpful to improve product design and production process, raw material or formula adjustment, control storage stability and product quality, new product development, product positioning and commercial competition, etc.

There are two methods for evaluating food texture. The first is the sensory analysis method, which uses the human body's sensory observation and reaction in series, through the process of food taking and ingestion, to produce the tactile sensation of muscle contraction and power changes, and then evaluate the texture characteristics of the product. This method is subjective judgment. Because of the differences in human response and perception, it is not easy to obtain accurate and reproducible results. Another way is to use instruments to measure the deformation of food and raw materials under the action of force, analyze the mechanical behavior of the sample, and obtain the force and displacement parameters as indicators of food texture characteristics, which is an objective analysis method. At present, the texture analyzer has been widely used in the field of food research. Its equipment components include a host, a computer, and various probes. The host is composed of a base, a transmission system, and a sensor. The operation is controlled by a computer program, and experimental data is collected through the calculation of special software components to obtain deformation, time, force values and test patterns to evaluate the texture characteristics of the food.

Since the texture analyzer contains sensors and data acquisition systems, it must be operated and used in a laboratory environment such as specific power supply and space requirements, and is not suitable for movement and carrying. The known hand-held hardness tester has the advantages of being convenient to carry and capable of real-time and online measurement. However, hand-held hardness testers for food and chemical materials have the disadvantages of small probe area, limited measurement range, and application to specific samples. They are not suitable for dough measurement.

Therefore, it is necessary to develop a measuring device for dough that does not have restrictions on the use of electronic measuring devices.

The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a measuring device for dough, including: a plate, including a bearing surface for carrying an object to be measured; An accommodating space, the accommodating space is used for accommodating the object to be measured; and an extruding part, including a bearing surface for bearing a gravity part and an extruding head extending in the opposite direction from the bearing surface, the extruding The indenter is configured to have a shape and size matching the accommodating space, so that the squeezing component can be at least partially accommodated in the accommodating space to squeeze the object to be measured.

In a specific embodiment, the board is formed with a plurality of holes, and the plurality of holes penetrate the board.

In a specific embodiment, the device further includes a base for holding the board.

In a specific embodiment, the diameter of each of the plurality of holes is 4.00 to 8.00 mm.

In a specific embodiment, the extrusion head is formed with a mark, wherein the mark is used to indicate the relative position of the extrusion component and the restriction component.

In a specific embodiment, the extrusion head has an extrusion surface, and the total area of the plurality of holes accounts for 40 to 70.38% of the area of the extrusion surface.

In a specific embodiment, the plurality of holes is an arrangement of twenty-eight holes, of which four holes are distributed on an innermost diameter of the arrangement, and sixteen holes are arranged on an innermost diameter of the arrangement. Outer diameter. In a specific embodiment, the plurality of holes is an arrangement of twenty-one holes, one of the holes is distributed in the center of the arrangement, and thirteen of the holes are distributed on an outermost diameter of the arrangement. In a specific embodiment, the plurality of holes is an arrangement of forty-eight holes, which are arranged according to an area defined by a hexagon, with three holes surrounding the center of the arrangement. In a specific embodiment, the plurality of holes is an arrangement of thirty-seven holes, one of which is distributed in the center of the arrangement, and the diameter of each hole is selected from one of 4.5 mm, 5 mm, and 5.5 mm .

Another object of the present invention is to provide a measuring method for dough, including: placing an object to be measured in the accommodating space; and pressing the object to be measured in the accommodating space at an initial position by the pressing member ; And a first information is obtained based on a terminal position of the extrusion member and the aforementioned starting position. Wherein, the extrusion component has the bearing surface for bearing the gravity component and the extrusion head extending in the opposite direction from the bearing surface, and the extrusion head is configured to have a shape and size matching the accommodating space so that the extrusion head The pressing part may be partially accommodated in the accommodating space to squeeze the object to be tested.

In a specific embodiment, the method further includes removing the squeezing component and taking out the squeezed test object, and obtaining a second information based at least on the difference between the test object and the squeezed test object.

In a specific embodiment, a gravity component is selected from a plurality of gravity components and placed on the bearing surface of the extrusion component, wherein the gravity component is different from the other gravity components.

In a specific embodiment, the plate is replaced with another plate formed with a plurality of holes, wherein the size of the hole of the plate is different from the size of the hole of the other plate.

In a specific embodiment, based on the moisture content of the test object, the board is replaced with the other board.

These and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be presented in more detail in the following description of the present disclosure and the drawings exemplified by the principles of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, the disclosure will be described more fully with reference to the drawings, and specific examples and specific embodiments will be shown by exemplification. However, the claimed subject matter can be implemented in many different forms. Therefore, the construction of the claimed subject matter covered or applied for is not limited to any exemplary specific embodiments disclosed in this specification; the exemplary specific embodiments are only examples. Similarly, this disclosure aims to provide a reasonably broad scope for the claimed subject matter applied for or covered. In addition, for example, the claimed subject matter can be embodied as a method, device, or system.

The term "in one embodiment" used in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same specific embodiment, and the term "in other (some/some) embodiments" used in this specification does not necessarily refer to different specific embodiments. The purpose is, for example, that the claimed subject matter includes all or part of a combination of exemplary embodiments.

The first figure shows the main components of the measuring device (10) for dough (or dough-similar materials) of the present disclosure, including a base (101), a plate (102), a restricting component (103) and a squeeze Pressure part (104). The dough referred to in this disclosure refers to dough or other types of test objects that have an extended texture similar to dough.

The base (101) provides the bottom support of the measuring device (10), and includes a frame (101a) and a plurality of columns (101b). The pillars (101b) support the frame (101a) at a height, and the pillars (101b) can also be connected via the connecting member (101c) to strengthen the structure of the base (101) or adjust the center of gravity. The frame (101a) forms an accommodating space (101d), which is configured to connect the upper and lower sides of the frame (not shown in the figure). The accommodating space (101d) of the frame (101a) is used for accommodating the board (102), and the inner side of the frame (101a) is also formed with a shoulder (101e) to provide support for the board (102) accommodated in the frame (101a) ). Although the displayed frame (101a) and its accommodating space (101d) are rectangular, they may also be circular or other shapes.

The board (102) has a bearing surface (102a) for bearing an object to be tested, such as dough. The thickness of the plate (102) should be large enough to withstand the squeezing gravity from above without deformation, such as about 5.2 mm. The shape and size of the plate (102) are appropriately selected so as to be placed in the accommodating space (101d) of the base (101). The board (102) is formed with a plurality of holes (102b) which penetrate the entire board (102) longitudinally. When the plate (102) is contained in the base (101), the hole (102b) communicates with the bottom of the frame (101a). The hole (102b) is configured to receive the part of the object to be tested that advances due to squeezing, and the related description will be described in detail later. In other embodiments, the holes can be omitted.

In one embodiment, the base (101) further includes a lateral holding means for holding the accommodated board (102). For example, the frame (101a) may be formed with a plurality of threaded holes (101f), which cooperate with the corresponding screws (101g) to laterally clamp the board in the accommodating space (101d). In a possible embodiment, the base (101) may further include a longitudinal holding means. Or, in some embodiments, the plate (102) and the frame (101) each have a positioning structure that can cooperate with each other.

The restricting component (103) is a container for restricting the movement of the object to be measured. As shown in the figure, the restricting component (103) is a tube. The limiting component (103) is placed on the bearing surface (102a) of the plate (102) and forms an accommodating space with the bearing surface (102a) as a test chamber for accommodating the object to be tested. The material of the restricting component (103) can be transparent acrylic or stainless steel. Acrylic material is good for observing and measuring the situation, while stainless steel is good for simulating the progress of dough in mechanical equipment. Preferably, the size of the restricting member (103) should be large enough to cover the area where the plurality of holes (102b) of the plate (102) are distributed, so that the holes (102b) communicate with the space defined by the restricting member (103). In one embodiment, the inner diameter of the restricting member (103) is about 43.7 mm. Although not shown, the restricting member (103) can be fixed on the plate (102) by a holding means. For example, it is possible to apply the aforementioned clamping means, that is, a combination of threaded holes and screws. Or, in a possible embodiment, the plate (102) may form a specific ring or groove to limit the position of the restricting member (103).

The extrusion component (104) has a bearing surface (104a) and an extrusion head (104b) extending downward from the bearing surface (104a). In one embodiment, the extrusion head (104b) is a column, the diameter of which is equivalent to the inner diameter of the restricting part (103), so that the extrusion head (104b) can coincide with the restricting part (103). For example, the diameter of the extrusion head (104b) is approximately 43.7 mm. The extruding head (104b) has an extruding surface (104c) at the end which serves as a contact surface with the object to be measured during measurement. In one embodiment, the pressing surface (104c) is a flat surface. The bearing surface (104a) is basically a flat surface for bearing a gravity component (not shown), such as a weight. Of course, the gravity component can be in any solid, liquid or combination form. In other words, the gravity part can be placed on the pressing part (104), thereby adjusting the pressing force of the pressing part (104) of the object to be measured.

The pressing member (104) may be provided with a ring (104d) located on the periphery of the bearing surface (104a) for limiting the displacement of the gravity member. Although not shown, the ring (104d) may also include a holding means, like the aforementioned holding means, that is, a threaded hole (101f) and a screw (101g). Preferably, the gravity component should be properly held on the extrusion component (104) so that the gravity component will not tilt or rotate the extrusion component (104), and at the same time ensure that the force is evenly applied to the object to be measured.

In an embodiment, one side of the extrusion head (104b) is provided with a mark (104e), which may be formed by printing or structure. The mark (104e) is mainly configured to indicate the relative relationship between the pressing member (104) and the restricting member (103). For example, the mark (104e) is a set of longitudinally extending scales in millimeters. Thereby, the observer can read the initial state and the final state of the object under test through the scale, and the distance moved by the pressing part (104) relative to the restricting part (103) is used as a reference for the degree of deformation of the object under test.

The second figure shows that a weight (200) is placed on the pressing part (104), and the part of the pressing head (104b) is inserted into the measuring space formed by the restricting part (103) and the plate (102). According to the partial cross-section of the second figure, a bottom surface of the board (102) sits on the shoulder (101e) of the frame (101a), and the hole (102b) penetrates the entire board (102) longitudinally. A test object (D) is placed on the bearing surface (102a) of the board (102) and is surrounded by the restricting component (103). Due to the weight of the pressing component (104) and the weight of the weight, the object to be tested is squeezed by the pressing surface (104c) of the pressing component (104). The object to be tested may be deformed to prevent the pressing part (104) from continuing to advance. Or, the object to be measured may be deformed and advance through the hole (102b) below it. However, the deformation is the result of squeezing that lasts for a period of time. For example, the weight of the weight (200) can be selected from five hundred grams, one kilogram, two kilograms, and three kilograms. In a feasible alternative, the extruded component (104) and the code (200) can be replaced by a probe of a known texture analyzer. Those skilled in the art can use a probe with an appropriate size to cooperate with the restricting component (103) and the plate (102). The probe is generally controlled by a driver, which can be configured to use six kilograms, twelve kilograms, twenty-four kilograms, thirty-six kilograms, or forty-eight kilograms as the force of the probe. According to the lower pressure distance of the probe, a deformation amount related to the object to be measured can be recorded, so as to know the texture of the object to be measured.

Refer to the third diagram A and the third diagram B respectively to show the relative relationship between the pressing component (104) and the restricting component (103) in the initial state and the final state of the object to be tested. The initial state is a position where the squeezing component (104) is located before the object to be tested is squeezed. For example, the position where the pressing surface (104c) is in contact with the object to be measured, or the position where the pressing part (104) does not enter the measurement space can be considered. The surveyor should determine the appropriate starting state according to the measurement conditions. The final state is that there is no further significant change in the deformation of the squeezed object to be measured. For example, the final state can be determined by a predetermined squeezing time, or the relative relationship between the squeezing part (104) and the restricting part (103) can be observed through the aforementioned mark (104e) and no perceptible change occurs. In this way, the position change of the pressing member (104) in the initial state and the final state can be regarded as a deformation data caused by the extrusion of the object to be measured. It can be understood that the replacement of gravity components with different weights will affect the deformation of the object to be measured. Based on the measurement of a set of gravity components, statistical values related to the object to be measured can be obtained. In addition, for the test objects with different textures, the statistical results of the deformation amount will also be different.

The fourth diagram A and the fourth diagram B respectively show the first embodiment and the second embodiment of the arrangement of the aforementioned holes (102b). Figure 4A shows the arrangement of twenty-eight holes, of which four of the holes are evenly arranged at an innermost diameter, and sixteen of the holes are evenly arranged at an outermost diameter, and the remaining The lower eight holes are evenly arranged between the innermost diameter and the outermost diameter. In one embodiment, the diameter of the single hole is about 6.12 mm, the hole with the innermost diameter is about 1.8 mm, and the hole with the outer diameter is about 1.2 mm, which is between the outermost diameter and the innermost diameter. The gap between the hole and the hole is about 3.2 mm, and the total cross-sectional area of the holes occupies about 54.92% of the area of the extrusion surface (104c). The "total cross-sectional area of the holes" or similar descriptions referred to herein refer to the sum of the cross-sectional areas of each hole. The "cross-sectional area of the hole" or similar descriptions referred to herein refer to the cross-sectional area of the hole on the bearing surface of the board.

The fourth picture B shows the arrangement of twenty-one holes, one of the holes is in the center, and thirteen of the holes are evenly arranged at the outermost diameter, and the remaining seven holes It is equally divided between the center and the outermost diameter. In one embodiment, the diameter of the single hole is about 8 mm, the hole with the outermost outer diameter is about 0.88 mm, and the hole between the center and outermost diameter is about 0.74 mm, and the total cross-sectional area of the hole is about 0.74 mm. It occupies about 70.38% of the area of the extrusion surface (104c).

Furthermore, Fig. 4C shows yet another embodiment, which is an arrangement of forty-eight holes in the area defined by a hexagon, where the closest to the center is three holes around the center, and the remaining holes face the edge of the hexagon Arrange in a specific direction. The distance between each of these holes and another adjacent hole is approximately 1.37 mm. A maximum distance between points in the hexagon is 43.7 mm. The diameter of the hole is 4 mm. The total cross-sectional area of these holes accounts for about 40% of the area of the extrusion surface (104c).

Furthermore, the fourth D diagram shows yet another embodiment, which is a concentric distribution arrangement of thirty-seven holes in an area defined by a circle. One hole is distributed in the center, and the center hole is divided by six adjacent holes. Surrounded by holes, there are eighteen holes in the outermost circle of the arrangement. For the area of the extrusion surface (104c), the total cross-sectional area with a diameter of 4.5 mm accounts for 40.52%, and the total cross-sectional area with a diameter of 5 mm accounts for 40.52% 50.03%, and the total cross-sectional area with a diameter of 5.5 mm accounts for 60.53%. The logic of the arrangement method of the fourth D diagram is to start from the center point, from the inner circle to the outer circle in increments of six. For example, the first circle has six holes, the second circle has twelve holes, and the third circle has eighteen holes. , Plus a total of 37 holes. Of course, in other possibilities, different arrangements can also be created according to this logic.

The four arrangements shown in the fourth figure can be implemented on different boards. The "different plates" mentioned in this article refers to the differences between the plates in at least one of the following parameters: the arrangement of the plurality of holes, the total cross-sectional area of the plurality of holes, the diameter of the single hole, the cross-sectional area of the single hole, and so on. In this way, the measurer can select the board used for measurement according to the nature of the object to be measured, or use different boards to perform multiple measurements on the same object to be measured to obtain more accurate results. Preferably, the arrangement of the holes is a center-symmetric arrangement, which can ensure that the force received by the test object and the board during the measurement is uniform. The number of the holes or their arrangement can be at least determined by the known area of a circle (that is, the area of the extruded surface) and the proportion of the total area of the holes (such as 40%, 50%, 60%). With the same arrangement logic, based on different selections of the area ratio, the value diameter or number of holes can be obtained. In possible embodiments, the value diameters of the holes are not exactly the same. As mentioned above, the plate (102) can be clamped in the frame (101a) through the cooperation of the threaded hole (101f) and the screw (101g). Of course, the board (102) can also be removed from the frame (101a). For example, a plate with a relatively small single hole diameter is suitable for dough with relatively high water content (such as 35 to 50%), and a plate with a relatively large single hole diameter is suitable for dough with relatively low water content (such as less than 35 %).

Based on the above configuration, the surveyor can first place an object to be measured in an accommodating space defined by the bearing surface (102a) of the plate (102) and the restricting member (103), that is, the measuring space or the measuring room. Taking dough as an example, the dough to be tested can be prepared through a specific ratio (such as the ratio of water, salt and flour). In addition, preferably, the size and initial shape of the object to be measured should have consistent specifications. Then, within a predetermined period of time, the squeezing component (104) is used to squeeze the object to be measured in the accommodating space at an initial position. For example, the surveyor can release the squeezing part (104) from the position in contact with the top of the object to be measured, and after a period of time (ie the effective squeezing time), such as ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds or sixty seconds Second, the degree of displacement of the pressing member (104) is recorded via the mark (104e). After the predetermined time has elapsed, a first piece of information is obtained based on a terminal position of the pressing member and the aforementioned starting position, such as the displacement value of the pressing member (104) as shown in the third figure. Of course, within the predetermined time, the surveyor can also obtain records at different time points based on the marks to form more specific statistical information.

Finally, the squeezing component (104) is removed and the squeezed test object is taken out to obtain a second information based at least on the difference (for example, deformation) between the test object and the squeezed test object. For example, in the case of different squeezing degrees, the degree to which the dough is squeezed into the hole (102b) is also different, which can be obtained by observing or measuring after being taken out.

According to the above description, using the disclosed measuring device and method for dough can obtain at least the following statistical information, including: the influence of different extrusion degrees on the deformation degree of the object to be tested, and the effect of different extrusion degrees on the object to be tested with different textures ( For example, the influence statistics of dough with different moisture content, the influence of extrusion time on the degree of deformation of the object to be measured, the influence of dough with different moisture content on the degree of deformation of the object to be measured, the influence of different measurement times on the degree of deformation of the object to be measured, etc. Based on this, create statistical information that can be participated.

In summary, the present disclosure provides a dough measuring device that does not require power supply, which can select the degree of extrusion and the resistance to deformation of the object to be tested (the size of the hole, such as cross-sectional area, total cross-sectional area or Arrangement forms, etc.), overcome the limitations of electronic devices, and provide other usability for measurement methods.

Although some details have been used to describe the foregoing disclosure for a clear understanding, we will understand that specific changes and modifications can be implemented within the scope of the patent application. Therefore, the above embodiments are only for illustration and are not limited, and the present disclosure is not limited to the details described here, but can be modified under the scope of the additional patent application and equivalents.

10: Measuring device 103: Restricted parts 101: Base 104: Extruded parts 101a: box 104a: bearing surface 101b: column 104b: Extrusion head 101c: Connecting parts 104c: Extruded surface 101d: accommodating space 104d: ring 101e: Shoulder 104e: mark 101f: threaded hole 200: weight 101g: screw D: Object to be tested 102: Board 102a: bearing surface 102b: hole

The disclosure can be further understood with reference to the following drawings and descriptions. Non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples are described with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings do not have to be actual sizes; the focus is on explaining the structure and principles.

The first figure shows an exploded view of the measuring device of the present disclosure.

The second figure shows a usage state of the measuring device (including dough) of the present disclosure.

The third diagram A and the third diagram B respectively show the first use state and the second use state of the measuring device of the present disclosure, especially the partial display of the change of the scale.

The fourth figure A to the fourth figure D show the optional replacement parts of the measuring device of the present disclosure.

101a: box

102: Board

102b: hole

103: Restricted parts

104: Extruded parts

104b: Extrusion head

104c: Extruded surface

200: weight

D: Object to be tested

Claims (16)

A measuring device for dough, including: A board, including a bearing surface for bearing a test object; A restricting component for sitting on the board and defining an accommodating space with the board, and the accommodating space is used for accommodating the object to be tested; and An extrusion component includes a bearing surface for bearing a gravity component and an extrusion head extending in the opposite direction from the bearing surface. The extrusion head is configured to have a shape and size matching the accommodating space so that the extrusion The component can be at least partially accommodated in the accommodating space to squeeze the object to be tested. According to the measurement device described in the first item of the scope of patent application, the plate is formed with a plurality of holes, and the plurality of holes penetrate the plate. The measuring device described in item 1 of the scope of the patent application further includes a base for holding the board. As for the measuring device described in item 2 of the scope of patent application, the diameter of each of the plurality of holes is 4.00 to 8.00 mm. In the measuring device described in item 2 of the scope of patent application, the extrusion head has an extrusion surface, and the total area of the plurality of holes accounts for 40.00 to 70.38% of the area of the extrusion surface. As for the measurement device described in item 2 of the scope of patent application, the plurality of holes are arranged in a twenty-eight hole arrangement, four of which are distributed in an inner diameter of the arrangement, and sixteen of the holes are distributed The outermost diameter of the arrangement. As for the measuring device described in item 2 of the scope of patent application, the plurality of holes are arranged in an arrangement of twenty-one holes, one hole is distributed in the center of the arrangement, and thirteen holes are distributed in the arrangement One of the outermost diameter. As for the measurement device described in item 2 of the scope of patent application, the plurality of holes is an arrangement of forty-eight holes, which are arranged according to an area defined by a hexagon, and three holes surround the center of the arrangement. As for the measuring device described in item 2 of the scope of patent application, the plurality of holes is an arrangement of thirty-seven holes, one of which is distributed in the center of the arrangement, and the diameter of each hole is selected from 4.5 mm and 5 mm And 5.5 mm. According to the measurement device described in the first item of the scope of patent application, the extrusion head is formed with a mark, and the mark is used to indicate the relative position of the extrusion member and the restriction member. A measuring method for dough, using the measuring device described in item 1 of the scope of the patent application, the method comprising: Placing an object to be tested in the accommodating space; Squeeze the test object located in the accommodating space with the squeezing component at an initial position; and Obtain a first piece of information based on a termination position of the extrusion component and the aforementioned starting position, Wherein, the extrusion component has the bearing surface for bearing the gravity component and the extrusion head extending in the opposite direction from the bearing surface, and the extrusion head is configured to have a shape and size matching the accommodating space so that the extrusion head The pressing part may be partially accommodated in the accommodating space to squeeze the object to be tested. As the method described in item 11 of the scope of patent application, it further includes: The squeezing component is removed and the squeezed test object is taken out, and a second information is obtained based at least on the difference between the test object and the squeezed test object. As the method described in item 11 of the scope of patent application, it further includes: A gravity component is selected from a plurality of gravity components and placed on the bearing surface of the extrusion component, wherein the gravity component is different from the others of the plurality of gravity components. The method described in item 11 of the scope of patent application, wherein the plate is formed with a plurality of holes penetrating the plate. As the method described in item 11 of the scope of patent application, it further includes: The plate is replaced with another plate formed with a plurality of holes, wherein the size of the hole of the plate is different from the size of the hole of the other plate. As the method described in item 15 of the scope of patent application, it also includes: Based on the moisture content of the test object, the board is replaced with the other board.

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