WO1998047387A1 - Confections that 'swim' in a carbonated beverage - Google Patents
Confections that 'swim' in a carbonated beverage Download PDFInfo
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- WO1998047387A1 WO1998047387A1 PCT/US1997/021455 US9721455W WO9847387A1 WO 1998047387 A1 WO1998047387 A1 WO 1998047387A1 US 9721455 W US9721455 W US 9721455W WO 9847387 A1 WO9847387 A1 WO 9847387A1
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23G—COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF
- A23G3/00—Sweetmeats; Confectionery; Marzipan; Coated or filled products
- A23G3/34—Sweetmeats, confectionery or marzipan; Processes for the preparation thereof
- A23G3/36—Sweetmeats, confectionery or marzipan; Processes for the preparation thereof characterised by the composition containing organic or inorganic compounds
- A23G3/44—Sweetmeats, confectionery or marzipan; Processes for the preparation thereof characterised by the composition containing organic or inorganic compounds containing peptides or proteins
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23G—COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF
- A23G3/00—Sweetmeats; Confectionery; Marzipan; Coated or filled products
- A23G3/34—Sweetmeats, confectionery or marzipan; Processes for the preparation thereof
- A23G3/50—Sweetmeats, confectionery or marzipan; Processes for the preparation thereof characterised by shape, structure or physical form, e.g. products with supported structure
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to toys and amusements, particularly to edible toys and amusements, more particularly to edible toys and amusements with kinetic properties, and even more particularly to edible toys and amusements with kinetic properties in carbonated beverages.
- the specific gravity, size, shape and surface texture of raisins is difficult to control, and generally varies greatly. Some raisins will be too dense, or have too little surface area, and therefore will tend to remain at the bottom of the beverage. Other raisins will not be dense enough or will have too much surface area relative to the total volume of the population of bubbles attached to the surface, and will therefore tend to remain floating at the top of the beverage. Furthermore, even raisins which do rise and sink in the carbonated beverage due to the changing buoyancy of the raisin and the attached carbonation bubbles, will not have their volume, surface area and specific gravity optimized to minimize stasis times of the raisins at the top and bottom surfaces of the beverage. Furthermore, the surface texture of raisins is not optimal to promote bubble nucleation or retain large bubbles.
- the number of raisins in the beverage will not be optimized so that a maximum number of raisins are in motion at any instant.
- the raisins do not have shapes which might stimulate the imaginations of young children.
- a plastic toy which is shaped like a submarine and has an interior chamber for holding a charge of baking powder (such as the Undersea ExplorerTM manufactured by DaMert Company of San Leandro, California).
- the baking powder is loaded in the chamber by first submerging the submarine in a vessel of water to wet a screen at the bottom of the chamber, shaking the submarine to remove most of the water from the chamber while retaining some water in the screen, loading the baking powder into the chamber through a top port, and sealing the top port.
- the submarine is then put in the water, it will descend since the plastic and baking powder has a specific gravity greater than that of water.
- a disadvantage of this type of toy is that a large vessel of water is required.
- the submarine-shaped toy manufactured by DaMert Company is approximately 11.5 cm long and 4.0 cm in height, and therefore a vessel larger than a drinking cup is clearly required.
- the present invention is directed to a confection with a specific gravity and dimensions such that, when put in a carbonated beverage, the carbonation bubbles which attach themselves to the confection cause it to ascend and descend, i.e., "swim.”
- the present invention is also directed to a thin confection with a specific gravity and thickness such that, when put in a carbonated beverage, the carbonation bubbles which attach themselves to the confection cause it to swim.
- the present invention is also directed to a number of the aforementioned confections, the number being small enough that the confections do not inhibit the swimming motions of each other, and being large enough that at least one confection is usually in motion.
- the present invention is also directed to a confection which ascends and descends in a carbonated beverage, which has a surface texture that is rough on small length scales so as to promote bubble nucleation.
- the present invention is also directed to a confection which ascends and descends in a carbonated beverage, which has a surface texture that is smooth on intermediate length scales so as to retain large bubbles at arbitrary locations.
- Figures 1A, IB, 1C, ID, IE, IF and IG show a time sequence of side views of a confection of the present invention in a carbonated beverage.
- Figures 2A and 2B show an apparatus for measuring the volume per unit area of carbonation bubbles on the top and bottom surfaces of a confection, respectively.
- Figure 3 plots the total number of descents versus time for confections with thicknesses of 1.0 mm, 2.0 mm, 3.0 mm and 4.0 in 7- Up at room temperature and 0° C.
- Figure 4 plots descents per minute per confection versus thickness for confections in a carbonated beverage.
- Figure 5 is a cross-sectional diagram of a bubble nucleating in a cylindrical pit on a surface.
- Figure 6A shows the impact area for disks of radius r.
- Figure 6B shows the impact area for rectangles of dimensions a x b with longitudinal axes separated by an angle ⁇ .
- Figure 7 shows a graph of a function used in the determination of preferred range of values for the thickness of a confection as a function of the other dimensions of the confection.
- a group of such confections which (v) has a cardinality which is large enough that at least one confection is generally in motion at any instant, although the cardinality and the cross -sectional areas are not so large that the confections are likely to impede each other's motion.
- the specific gravity is somewhat greater than that of water;
- the ratio of the surface area to volume is large;
- the surface has a texture which promotes a large volume of bubbles per unit surface area by facilitating bubble nucleation and retaining large bubbles;
- the number and size of the confections is chosen to avoid a tendency for confections to interfere with the swimming motions of other confections;
- FIG. 1A As shown schematically in FIG. 1A, when a confection (10) according to the present invention is initially put in a cup or glass (14) containing a carbonated beverage (16), the confection (10) will descend to the bottom (13) of the beverage (16) if it is more dense than the beverage (16). While descending, carbonation bubbles (18) form on the confection (10) as shown in FIG. IB. (Although carbonation bubbles also form on the walls of the cup (14), such bubbles are not shown in FIGS. 1A-1G for clarity.) As the confection/bubbles ensemble (10, 18) rests at the bottom of the beverage (16), bubbles (18) continue to form on the surface of the confection (10) and grow in size, as shown in FIG.
- the bubbles (18) on the confection (10) do not simply grow continuously in size.
- two adjacent bubbles on a surface grow to a size such that they touch with sufficient force, they coalesce to form one bubble with a volume equal to the sum of the volumes of the two original bubbles.
- the new bubble is located near the position of the larger of the two original bubbles.
- the buoyancy force exerted by the surrounding fluid is greater than the force with which the bubble is attached to the surface, and the bubble detaches from the surface and rises through the beverage.
- the maximum bubble radius R( ⁇ ) as a function of angle ⁇ can be determined visually, preferably with the assistance of optical and photographic instruments.
- the maximum bubble radius R( ⁇ ) can be determined by measurements of the speed of ascension of the bubbles through the beverage. Experimental graphs of the ascension speed versus bubble size are presented in figure 5 of "On the rise of small air bubbles in water," P. G. Saffman, Journal of Fluid
- the total buoyancy provided by the population of bubbles at time t is dependent on the volume of bubbles per unit surface area, Lend the bubble coverage h(t).
- the bubble coverage h/t) is given by
- the buoyancy as a function of time for the top surface of a particular confection in a particular carbonated beverage may be measured directly using the system shown in FIG. 2A.
- the confection (210) is attached to a first platform (220) which is suspended from a crane structure (230), and the first platform (220) and confection (210) are submerged in a carbonated beverage (205) contained in a cup or glass (207) .
- the crane structure (230) has a low weight
- it (230) is constructed of a light-weight material such as balsa wood, and has a cross-arm (232) with a second platform (222), with a mass approximately equal to that of the first platform (220), attached to the cross-arm (232) such that the first and second platforms (220) and (222) are approximately equidistant from the vertical support (233). Therefore, the base (234) of the crane (230) does not need to have a large weight to keep the crane (230) upright.
- the crane (230) rests on a scale (250) which is capable of measuring weight to an accuracy of at least 0.01 grams, such as the Acculab N-Series J39.719 available through Edmund Scientific Company of Barrington, New Jersey.
- a scale 250
- all bottom surfaces (227) have an orientation of at least 45° from horizontal and are coated with a nonsoluble lubricant such as WD-40 ® (manufactured by the WD-40 Company of San Diego, California), 3-in-One ® Household Oil (manufactured by Reckitt and Colman, Inc., of Wayne, New Jersey) or Pure Silicon Lubricant (manufactured by Ace Hardware Corporation of
- the platform is made of polished aluminum and has a conical shape, with the upper surface (228) of the platform (220) having a surface area of at least 1 cm 2 , and more preferably at least 2 cm 2 .
- the platform (220) is suspended from the cross-arm (232) by a single loop of thread (240) passing through four equally-spaced bores (243) located near the edge (229) between the top surface (228) and the bottom surface (227).
- the upper ends of the bores (243) are located at the corners of a square, and the confection (210) is strapped to the platform (220) by placing it (210) between the thread (240) and the top surface of the platform (220).
- the entire top surface of the platform (220) is covered by the confection (210).
- Any exposed top surface (228) of the platform (220) must also be coated with the nonsoluble lubricant to prevent spurious contributions to the buoyancy.
- the buoyancy as a function of time for the bottom surface of a particular confection in a particular carbonated beverage may also be measured directly.
- FIG. 2B in this case the platform (220) submerged in the beverage and the attached confection (210) are inverted relative to the arrangement of FIG. 2A, so that the exposed face of the confection (210) is facing downwards.
- the buoyancy on a surface of a given orientation may be determined by photographing the population of bubbles on the surface, and counting the number of bubbles within each size interval to form a histogram approximating the size distribution function f(r,t) dr, and calculating the bubble coverage using equation (1.1).
- a view of the bubble population at the surface of the confection may be partially obscured by bubbles rising through the beverage and bubbles which are at rest at the upper surface of the beverage, a plurality of views from different angles may be used to obtain a complete view at any instant. The combination of views is facilitated by using cameras with a small depth of field focused at the surface of the confection, thereby making it apparent which bubbles are not located at the surface of the confection.
- Those bubbles which are on the surface (and therefore in focus) in a first image are labeled with reference numerals, and their sizes are tabulated.
- Some bubbles on the surface may be partially obscured by bubbles which have risen from the surface of the confection (and are therefore out of focus), and, if possible, these partially obscured bubbles are also labeled and their sizes are measured.
- a second image taken from a different angle is inspected and those bubbles on the surface which are also visible in the first image are labeled with the reference numerals with which they were labeled in the first image. If bubbles which were partially obscured in the first image are less obscured in the second image, then the sizes determined by inspection of the second image are used in the tabulation.
- V, A, and ⁇ are the volume, surface area and specific gravity of the confection
- ⁇ and ⁇ g are the specific gravity of the carbonated beverage and the carbonation bubbles
- hit is the volume per unit surface area of the population of bubbles on a surface of the confection as a function of time t since that surface has been exposed to the atmosphere.
- the function h t) is termed the "bubble coverage.” (It should be noted that surface textures on length scales less than the maximum bubble radius R are considered to influence the bubble coverage hit), rather than contribute to the surface area A ⁇ see the section entitled "The Surface Texture.)
- h ⁇ is the limit of hit) as t-> ⁇ , le., the steady-state value of hit).
- hit is roughly equal to hi ⁇ ) when the time t is several multiples of the time it takes a lone bubble [i.e., a bubble having no other bubbles in the vicinity with which to coalesce) to grow to the maximum radius R. (It is to be understood that in this limit the time t must still be considerably smaller than the time it takes for the beverage to lose its carbonation.)
- the bubble coverage hit) is a monotonically increasing function of time, so if i ⁇ - 1 ) V I A hl ⁇ ) ⁇ l , (2.3)
- the bubbles on the surface of the confection are able to grow to a size large enough that the confection will rise.
- a confection with a small value of the overall effectiveness ratio ET only requires a value of hit) which is small compared to hi ⁇ ) to rise to the surface, so such confections spend little time submerged before rising.
- Another effectiveness measure is the dimensionless geometric effectiveness ratio EQ given by
- the geometric effectiveness ratio EQ is less than 1/2, more preferably less than 1/3, even more preferably less than 1/5, still more preferably less than 1/8, and still more preferably less than 1/13.
- a confection of widths Wj and W 2 and thickness T is considered to be "thin" when the total surface area is considerably larger than the surface area of the side surfaces. Mathematically, a confection is considered to be thin when
- H is positive with a value less than unity.
- the confection is thin, and H is preferably less than 112, more preferably less than 113, more preferably less than 1 /5, even more preferably less than 1 /8, and still more preferably less than 1 /13.
- plan view A view of a thin confection such that an area approximately equal to Wi x W is visible is considered the plan view, and this area is termed the "plan-view" area.
- plan view A view of a thin confection such that an area approximately equal to Wi x W is visible is considered the plan view, and this area is termed the "plan-view" area.
- the volume is approximately equal to the thickness times half the surface area (i.e.,
- Thin confections provide the advantages that the overall and geometric effectiveness ratios ET and Q are now only functions of one dimension of the confection, the thickness T. This allows the effectiveness ratios to be easily controlled, the dimensions of the confection other than the thickness T to be made arbitrarily large, and the cross-section of the confection to have an arbitrary shape.
- the thickness T, specific gravity ⁇ , and steady-state bubble coverage hi ⁇ ) of confections will have finite accuracies of AT, A ⁇ , and Ahl ⁇ ) , respectively.
- the ascension condition (2.8) becomes i ⁇ - 1) T I 2 hi ⁇ ) x
- T, ⁇ , and hi ⁇ are the target or mean values of the thickness, specific gravity and steady-state bubble coverage, respectively, and the statistical independence of the accuracies AT, A ⁇ , and Ahi ⁇ ) is assumed.
- ATI overall relative accuracy
- a confection has a specific gravity ⁇ greater than unity (the approximate specific gravity of the carbonated beverage)
- the confection will initially sink when put in the beverage. If the specific gravity and dimensions of the confection are within the bounds discussed in the previous section, the confection will then rise to the surface of the beverage and those bubbles which contact the surface of the beverage will escape into the air.
- the confection may or may not rotate when the bubbles on the upper surface of the confection contact the beverage/air interface and escape into the air.
- a confection is considered to be "round” if it rotates as the bubbles on the top surface escape into the air, thereby allowing the bubbles on the bottom surface to also escape. Therefore, a round confection will descend if ⁇ > 1 . (3. 1)
- a confection which is not round, is considered to be "flat.”
- a confection is flat if the thickness T is bounded by (w 2 -W ⁇ lWi )
- the confection of the present invention is flat, and 0 ⁇ F ⁇ 1 /2 and 1/2 ⁇ G ⁇ 1. More preferably, O ⁇ F ⁇ 1 /3 or 2/3 ⁇ G ⁇ 1, and still more preferably 0 ⁇ F ⁇ l/3 and 2/3 ⁇ G ⁇ 1. Even more preferably, O ⁇ F ⁇ 1 /4 or 3/4 ⁇ G ⁇ 1 , and even more preferably O ⁇ F ⁇ 1 /4 and 3/4 ⁇ G ⁇ 1.
- a confection which does not rotate at the top surface of a carbonated beverage when the carbonation bubbles escape from the top surface of the confection into the atmosphere is not necessarily thin (according to the definition of equation (2.6)).
- a rectangular parallelepiped may not rotate as the bubbles on a Wi x W 2 surface escape into the air, and yet the thickness T may not satisfy equation (2.6) with a preferred value of H.
- a confection having an L-bracket shape may not rotate as bubbles leave a surface (such as the outside vertical portion of the "L") in contact with the air, yet the nonplanarity of the confection would not allow it to qualify as thin.
- confections which are thin are generally also flat. For flat confections there are two mechanisms for descension. If a flat confection is sufficiently heavy, then the confection will descend when the bubbles leave the top of the confection but remain on the bottom. In this case, the descension condition is
- tc is the time for one cycle of motion, i.e., the time for the confection to descend and ascend.
- the value of the bubble coverage for a downward-facing surface, hbot ⁇ is used since the surface which faces downward when the confection descends has been facing downward nearly the entire cycle time, because when the confection first descends from the beverage interface the buoyancy of the population of bubbles on the downward -facing surface causes the confection to rotate so that this bubble population is on the upward-facing surface.
- condition (3.3) is not satisfied (while condition (3.1) is satisfied)
- the bubbles must also leave the bottom surface of the confection before the confection can descend.
- the confection remains at the top of the beverage long enough for the bubbles on the bottom of the confection to coalesce to form large, somewhat flat bubbles.
- these bubbles become sufficiently large to roll off the bottom of the confection, the confection can descend.
- This mechanism for descension of the confection requires more time than the mechanism described in connection with condition (3.3), so the number of descents per minute per confection is greater when condition (3.3) is satisfied.
- the "activity,” i.e., the number of descents per minute per confection, for a given confection is a function of the dimensions, surface texture and material composition of the confection, as well as the level of carbonation and hydrodynamic properties of the beverage. (It should be noted that the activity is equal to the inverse of the cycle time t c .)
- the activity for a thin confection may be estimated by calculation or computer simulation, or measured emperically as described in this section.
- Nonsoluble articles are used to accumulate data for the graphs of FIGS. 3 and 4, although low- or intermediate-solubility articles having the same overall effectiveness ratio ET and geometric effectiveness ratio EQ exhibit a similar behavior.
- solubility of confections varies greatly: oil-based confections, such as chocolate have a very low solubility; gelatin-based confections, such as Trolli Gummi Bears (distributed by GPA Incorporated of St. Louis, Missouri), are of intermediate solubility; and confections composed predominantly of sugar or corn syrup have a high solubility.
- Each data run is begun by opening a fresh can or bottle of room- temperature soda, and pouring the entire can or bottle into a cup with a diameter between 7.5 cm and 8.0 cm. Because the eraser material, unlike a water soluble confection, is not "wetted” by water, a small amount of dish soap (such as Dawn ® , manufactured by Procter and
- the dish soap is added by putting a small amount on the tip of the experimenter's finger, and rubbing the finger and thumb together in the beverage to temporarily produce a thin foam over the entire top surface of the beverage.
- eight confections are dropped in the beverage and the descents are counted over the next five minutes. A descent is counted for each instance that a confection at the top of the beverage descends more than halfway down through the beverage.
- FIG. 3 shows plots of the total number of descents versus time in minutes for eight confections of various thicknesses in 7-Up® (12 fluid ounce can, manufactured by the Seven-Up Company of Dallas, Texas) at room temperature and 0° C.
- plots 210, 220, 230 and 240 are for confections of thicknesses 1.0 mm, 2.0 mm, 3.0 mm and 4.0 mm in room temperature 7-Up
- plots 215, 225, 235 and 245 are for confections of thicknesses 1.0 mm, 2.0 mm, 3.0 mm and 4.0 mm in 7- Up at 0° C.
- the thicknesses of the confections are accurate to ⁇ 0.08 mm.
- the plots 210, 215, 220, 225, 230, 235, 240 and 245 are approximately straight indicating that the activity is approximately constant for at least the first five minutes. (The temperature and thickness dependences are discussed below.)
- the bubbles need only leave the top surface of the confection for it to descend. Furthermore, for the larger thicknesses in the third plateau only a small portion of the bubbles on the top of the confection need leave the confection for it to descend. As illustrated by a comparison of plots 240 and 245 of FIG. 3, for the larger thicknesses in the third plateau a slower rate of bubble growth resulting from a lower temperature beverage produces a greater activity. This is because a confection will only descend a short distance after losing one or more bubbles if the other bubbles on the confection have grow rapidly enough to keep the confection buoyant. The activity of confections with a thickness of 3.0 mm is relatively invariant with the temperature of the beverage, as shown by a comparison of plots 230 and 235, indicating that this thickness lies in the cross-over region between the two types of behaviours discussed above.
- Confections must have thicknesses less than T max if they are to ascend in the carbonated beverage.
- Confections must have thicknesses less than T max if they are to ascend in the carbonated beverage.
- confections with thicknesses corresponding to the first, second and third plateaus i.e., thicknesses which are 45% to 100% of T max , are preferred since they generate a greater activity.
- confections with thicknesses corresponding to the second and third plateaus le., thicknesses which are 55% to 100% of T ma ⁇ , are more preferable since they generate a still greater activity.
- thicknesses which correspond to the third plateau Le., thicknesses which are 70% to 100% of T max , are still more preferable since they generate an even greater activity.
- thicknesses which are 75% to 95% of T max since this range corresponds more closely to the peak of the third plateau. More preferable still are thicknesses which are approximately 80% to 90% of T max , since this range corresponds even more closely to the peak of the third plateau.
- thicknesses which are approximately 85% of T max , since this corresponds to the center of the third plateau, so the activity should be relatively insensitive to any small deviations in the thickness, density, or surface texture of the confections. Furthermore, for thickness ranges predominantly near T max (such as the 75% to 95% of
- T max range the 80% to 90% of T max range, or any relatively narrow range centered about approximately 85% of T max ) it is preferable to use a carbonated beverage which is chilled, i.e., cooled to a temperature below room temperature, since this results in an increase in the activity for some thicknesses, as discussed above in connection with FIG. 3.
- Application of equation (2.10) indicates that when the overall relative standard deviation All is less than approximately 18%, the target thickness T can be set equal to the most preferable thickness of 0.85*T max , with little likelihood of a confection not satisfying equation (2.9) and therefore not being unable to ascend. However, when the overall relative standard deviation AT/ is greater than approximately 18%, the target thickness T should be set at
- a liquid may be carbonated by subjecting it to a high-pressure atmosphere with a large partial pressure P of carbon dioxide.
- the partial pressure P of carbon dioxide in a liquid can be determined using Henry's law, which states that at a given temperature the partial pressure P is related to the amount of dissolved carbon dioxide by a proportionality constant K, Le.,
- the proportionality constants for water for temperatures of 0° C and 25° C are 2.98xl0 ⁇ 4 atm*liter/mg and 6.69xl 0 ⁇ 4 atm*liter/mg, respectively (see Surface Chemistry of Froth Flotation, by Jan Leja, Plenum Press, New York, 1982).
- the difference of roughly a factor of two between the values of the proportionality constant at freezing and room temperature suggests that bubble growth should be about twice as fast at room temperature.
- the amount of dissolved carbon dioxide in a carbonated beverage can therefore be estimated by measuring the difference between the weight of the beverage when it is fresh out of the bottle or can, and after it has lost its carbonation.
- the release of the carbon dioxide may be hastened by adding table salt to the beverage.
- Table salt has a high solubility in water and a molality of only 30 parts per thousand of salt reduces the solubility of carbon dioxide by approximately 10%, so if enough salt is added nearly all the dissolved carbon dioxide is released.
- Table I provides a comparison of the amount X of dissolved carbon dioxide (and the corresponding partial pressure P) for a number of commercially available carbonated beverages, where X is the ratio of the mass of the dissolved carbon dioxide to the mass of the beverage sans dissolved carbon dioxide.
- the beverage is subjected to a minimum of agitation during pouring, by tilting the cup so the beverage flows down the side of the cup to reach the bottom, so as to minimize the amount of carbonation lost during the transfer from the can to the cup. Measured carbonation levels are typically reduced by 20-40% by less careful pouring.
- the values of X in Table I were determined at room temperature by: measuring off approximately 40 grams of table salt; pouring approximately 80 milliliters of a freshly opened carbonated beverage gently into a cup; weighing the amount of the beverage in the cup; adding the table salt to the beverage; and determining the subsequent weight of the beverage, Le., the weight of the beverage/salt solution minus the weight of the salt. (When 40 grams of salt is added to 80 milliliters of beverage, a portion of the salt remains undissolved since the saturation level is approximately 35 grams of salt per 100 milliliters of water at room temperature.) The salt is added slowly so that the foam which is produced does not rise to near the top of the cup, thereby avoiding losses of the beverage due to "splashing" as the bubbles in the foam pop.
- 355 ml can. Seven Up Bottling Company, San Francisco, California. + Sprite, 355 ml can. Coca Cola Company, Atlanta, Georgia.
- Bubbles tend to nucleate at a surface rather than in the bulk because the pressure inside a bubble with a small volume ⁇ can be substantially lower if the bubble forms in a pit or groove in the surface. If a carbonation bubble of radius r forms in the bulk of the beverage, the surface tension ⁇ of the interface exerts an additional pressure of (2 ⁇ l r) on the gas inside the bubble. Therefore, the minimum nucleation radius r nuc-bulk is
- Vnuc- b u lk (32 l3) ⁇ ( ⁇ / P « 33.5 ( ⁇ / P . (4.3)
- a bubble nucleates in a pit or groove, such as the cylindrical pit (415) of radius r shown in cross -section in FIG. 5, the radius of curvature f of the bubble interface (425) will be rlcos ⁇ and the top of the bubble (410) will be a distance
- the confection of the preferred embodiment is manufactured with a surface that is rough on length scales on the order of [2 ⁇ cos ⁇ /P] to promote bubble nucleation.
- the contact angle ⁇ is a function of the liquid-solid, liquid-gas and solid- gas surface tensions, and for a particular confection ⁇ may be determined by observation, preferably using a microscope or magnifying glass.
- the surface tension ⁇ for a water/carbon dioxide interface is approximately 80 dynes/cm, and ⁇ is generally in the neighborhood of 45° for a confection in a carbonated beverage. If P is three atmospheres, Le., approximately 3x10 6 dynes/cm 2 , then r nuc - b u lk approximately 40 microns.
- ⁇ nuc -surf is approximately 1.95 ( ⁇ / P ) 3 . Therefore, the volume of a bubble can be almost two orders of magnitude smaller if it nucleates at a surface instead of in the bulk.
- nucleation is promoted for at least five minutes from the time the beverage is opened and poured into a cup or glass, so the surface is rough on length scales from [2 ⁇ cos ⁇ lP(O)] to [2 ⁇ cos ⁇ lP(5)], where P(t) is the partial pressure of carbon dioxide t minutes after it has been poured.
- nucleation is promoted for at least ten minutes from the time the beverage is opened and poured, so the surface is rough on length scales from [2 ⁇ cos ⁇ lP(0)J to [2 ⁇ cos ⁇ lP(W)]. Still more preferably, nucleation is promoted for at least fifteen minutes from the time the beverage is opened and poured, so the surface is rough on length scales from (2 ⁇ cos ⁇ lP(0)] to [2 ⁇ cos ⁇ / P( 15)].
- a bubble is growing on a rough surface there will be periods where the shape of the bubble and the region of contact between the bubble and the surface changes abruptly so as to maintain the value ⁇ of the contact angle along the entire contour of contact between the bubble interface and the surface. During these abrupt transitions the bubble is likely to break free from an upward-facing surface due to hydrodynamic forces on the bubble, and variations in the surface tension force binding the bubble to the surface. Therefore, a bubble (once nucleated) is most likely to grow to the upper-limit of bubble size at an arbitrary location when the surface on which it grows is smooth, Le., the bubble population will have more bubbles with radii near the upper-limit bubble radius R* if the surface is smooth over length scales the neighborhood of the upper-limit bubble radius R*.
- the confection is smooth on length scales from R*I3 to R*, more preferably from R*I 10 to R*, and still more preferably from R*I30 to R*.
- a surface is considered smooth at a particular length scale ⁇ if the integral of the Fourier amplitudes over a region of width ⁇ centered about the wavelength ⁇ is small relative to the wavelength ⁇ .
- the upper-limit bubble radius R* on a surface is determined by the surface tension ⁇ of the bubble interface, and the contact angle ⁇ between the surface and the bubble interface.
- the buoyancy of the truncated spherical bubble is just balanced by the surface tension binding the bubble to the surface, so
- the confections are large enough that their shapes are easily discernible from approximately 20-30 cm away, and there is a sufficient number of confections in the beverage that at least one confection is usually in motion at any instant.
- the confections would interfere with the swimming motions of each other. For instance, if the top surface of the beverage is crowded with confections then a rising confection may not be able to reach the air/beverage interface, and the bubbles on the confection would therefore not be able to escape into the air. Then, both the rising confection and the confection directly above it would be prevented from descending.
- a first descending confection may come to rest on a second confection resting at the bottom.
- the weight of the first confection might then prevent the second confection from rising, and formation of carbonation bubbles in the region of contact between the two confections may be inhibited.
- Abutting confections at the top or bottom surface of the beverage will be referred to as "stacked" confections.
- stacked confections Optimally, a compromise is reached between having (i) confections large enough that their shapes are easily discernible, (ii) a sufficient number of confections that one or more confections are usually in motion, and (iii) few enough confections of a small enough size that stacking is avoided.
- the probability of a given number of confections being at the top, the bottom, or in transit is given by the binomial distribution, and on average there are pN confections at the top of the beverage, qN confections at the bottom of the beverage, and sN confections in transit.
- Stacking at the top surface of the beverage tends to be avoided when the average number of confections at the top surface, multiplied by the average impact area per confection Z and divided by a correction factor ⁇ , is less than or approximately equal to the area 0 p at the top surface of the beverage, Le.,
- both equations (5.1) and (5.2) are satisfied, so stacking is avoided at both the top and bottom surfaces of the beverage. Because the number of confections is maximized when both p and q are small, Le., when the confections spend much of the cycle time in transit between the top and bottom surfaces of the beverage, in the preferred embodiment s > p or s > q, and more preferably s > p and s > q. Also, a cup or glass with a bottom surface area
- the impact area for two thin coplanar confections in an infinite cup is defined as follows: when the center of a first confection is within the impact area surrounding a second confection, the two confections are in contact. As shown in FIG. 6A, the impact area (410) of a thin circular confection (or a confection with a circular cross section) with a radius r is 4 ⁇ r , Le., four times the area (420) of a single confection. For noncircular confections the impact area will depend on the angular orientation of the confections. FIG.
- 6B shows the octagonal impact area (430) of two thin coplanar rectangular confections (or two confections with rectangular cross sections) with sides of length ⁇ and b, with longitudinal axes separated by an angle ⁇ .
- the impact area as a function of angle Z ( ⁇ ) is given by
- the value of the tolerance factor ⁇ t depends on the degree of stacking which is considered acceptable.
- the geometric correction factor ⁇ g compensates for a number of effects, including: the impact areas of the confections are likely to overlap, thereby providing a total impact area which is less than the sum of the individual impact areas; and the shape and finite size of the cup or glass will require the need for "finite-size corrections.”
- the geometric correction factor ⁇ g for the top surface of the beverage is a function of the number of confections N, the probability p of a confection being at the top of the beverage, the area Ctop of the top surface of the beverage, and the impact area Z.
- the geometric correction factor ⁇ g for the bottom surface of the beverage is a function of the number of confections N, the probability q of a confection being at the bottom of the beverage, the area C b ot of the bottom surface of the beverage, and the impact area Z.
- N the number of confections
- the probability q of a confection being at the bottom of the beverage the probability q of a confection being at the bottom of the beverage
- the area C b ot of the bottom surface of the beverage preferably 1 ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ 4, more preferably 1.5 ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ 3, more preferably 2.0 ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ 2.5, and most preferably ⁇ ⁇ 2.25.
- the carbonated beverage to be used with the confections according to the present invention is translucent, preferably transparent, and remains carbonated for at least five minutes, more preferably ten minutes, and even more preferably fifteen minutes.
- the beverage should not have ice in it.
- the confections are soft and flexible so as not to present a choking hazard or injure the throat if inadvertently swallowed.
- the rate of nucleation of carbon dioxide bubbles should not substantially decline with time, and the ability of the bubbles to adhere to the surface of the confection should not substantially degrade with time, over a period of five minutes, more preferably ten minutes, and even more preferably fifteen minutes.
- the confections are shaped like marine objects such as mermaids, scuba divers, submarines, sharks, octopuses and whales. If the confections are thin then the above mentioned marine objects are depicted in silhouette.
- thin confections obeying the conditions discussed above can provide substantially larger cross-sectional areas than confections which are not thin. Therefore, the shapes of thin confections can be much more easily discernible than the shapes of confections which are not thin.
- the group of confections have a variety of bright colors.
- complementary colors from the subtractive color wheel e.g. red and green, or blue and orange
- the confections are predominantly colored red, orange and yellow, and the respective complementary colors (green, blue, and purple) occur infrequently.
- Confections which rapidly reduce the level of carbonation of the beverage as they dissolve are to be avoided.
- the rate of nucleation of carbon dioxide bubbles should not substantially decline with time, and the ability of the bubbles to adhere to the surface of the confection should not substantially degrade with time, over a period of five minutes, more preferrably ten minutes, and even more preferrably fifteen minutes.
- confections which "muddy" the beverage when submerged therein such as toffees and marzipans, should not be used since they impart an unappetizing appearance to the beverage.
- a low solubility confection is therefore preferred because the dimensions and the bubble coverage function hit) are relatively invariant with length of time the confection has been submerged, and the confection has little effect on the level of carbonation and the color of the beverage.
- Gelatin-based confections Le., confections made by incorporating a sugar syrup into a gelatin solution and allowing the mixture to solidify, having a composition similar to Trolli Gummi confections (distributed by GPA Incorporated of St. Louis, Missouri) are most preferred because of their appearance and rubbery consistency.
- (ii) has a surface texture that promotes a large volume of bubbles per unit surface area by facilitating bubble nucleation and retaining large bubbles; (iii) has a large enough cross section that its shape is easily discernible;
- the liquid may be supersaturated with a gas other than carbon dioxide; the confection may promote nucleation of bubbles by dissolving quickly and thereby inducing the release of carbon dioxide bubbles from the supersaturated solution; a non-edible material or chewing gum may be substituted for the confectionery material; a confection may be produced having a specific gravity close to unity by (i) including ingredients with a specific gravity close to unity, such as carnauba wax, or (ii) using whipped eggs, or vinegar and baking soda, or the like, in the recipe to produce a foamed structure; a confection may have a shape such that the cross-section along an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the confection has more area to the aft of the center of gravity than to the fore, so that hydrodynamic forces will cause the confection to swim "head first"; a confection may be more soluble at a front region than a rear region, thereby promoting more nucleation in the front region so that the confection ascends "head first
- the specific gravity of carbonated beverages such as sodas is not exactly unity, and the specific gravity will vary as the carbonation leaves the beverage; the effects of carbonation bubbles on the side surfaces of thin confections is neglected; carbon dioxide gas has a nonzero specific gravity; carbonation bubbles attached to the surface of a confection are not exactly spherical; the plot of activity as a function of confection thickness may not have plateaus, or may have more than or less than three plateaus; the ascension condition, the overall effectiveness ratios, and the geometric effectiveness ratios are dependent on the bubble coverage as a function of time and the angle of orientation of the surface, and not just on the steady-state value thereof for an upward-facing horizontal surface; the descension condition is dependent on the volume of bubbles per unit area as a function of time and the angle of orientation of the surface, and not just on the value thereof for a downward-facing horizontal surface after one cycle; the ascension condition is dependent on the volume of bubbles per unit area when a surface of the confection is in contact with the container of the beverage
Landscapes
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Food Science & Technology (AREA)
- Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
- Proteomics, Peptides & Aminoacids (AREA)
- Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
- Confectionery (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE19782135T DE19782135T1 (en) | 1996-11-26 | 1997-11-21 | Confections that "swim" in carbonated beverages |
JP54089698A JP4472788B2 (en) | 1996-11-26 | 1997-11-21 | "Swim" confectionery in carbonated beverages |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US75672596A | 1996-11-26 | 1996-11-26 | |
US08/756,725 | 1996-11-26 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO1998047387A1 true WO1998047387A1 (en) | 1998-10-29 |
Family
ID=25044783
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US1997/021455 WO1998047387A1 (en) | 1996-11-26 | 1997-11-21 | Confections that 'swim' in a carbonated beverage |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
JP (1) | JP4472788B2 (en) |
DE (1) | DE19782135T1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO1998047387A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2420067A (en) * | 2003-06-09 | 2006-05-17 | Magiccom Inc | Edible novelty products |
US10477997B1 (en) | 2013-10-28 | 2019-11-19 | Bryce Bunkers | Carbonated beverage nucleation accessory |
-
1997
- 1997-11-21 JP JP54089698A patent/JP4472788B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1997-11-21 WO PCT/US1997/021455 patent/WO1998047387A1/en active Application Filing
- 1997-11-21 DE DE19782135T patent/DE19782135T1/en not_active Withdrawn
Non-Patent Citations (3)
Title |
---|
DATABASE PROMT ON STN, US TOBACCO & CANDY JOURNAL, ISSN: 0741-2258, "Gummi Suppliers are Anything but Bearish, US Market for Gummi Candies Estimated at $80mil at Wholesale in 1986", Abstract No. 87/176392, 24 August 1987. * |
TAYLOR BARBARA, "Sink or Swim: The Science of Water", NEW YORK: RANDOM HOUSE, 1991, page 22. * |
VANCLEAVE JANICE, "Physics for Every Kid: 101 Easy Experiments in Motion, Heat, Light, Machines and Sound", UNITED STATES: JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC., 1991, pages 64-65. * |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2420067A (en) * | 2003-06-09 | 2006-05-17 | Magiccom Inc | Edible novelty products |
US10477997B1 (en) | 2013-10-28 | 2019-11-19 | Bryce Bunkers | Carbonated beverage nucleation accessory |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
DE19782135T1 (en) | 2000-01-27 |
JP2001507236A (en) | 2001-06-05 |
JP4472788B2 (en) | 2010-06-02 |
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