WO2003061393A1

WO2003061393A1 - Stackable unit for cooking a food product

Info

Publication number: WO2003061393A1
Application number: PCT/FR2003/000235
Authority: WO
Inventors: Claude Dreano; Olivier Marquet
Original assignee: Armor Inox Sa
Priority date: 2002-01-25
Filing date: 2003-01-24
Publication date: 2003-07-31
Also published as: FR2835151B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a stackable unit (102) for cooking a food product, particularly ham, comprising at least one cooking mold (100), each of which comprises at least one main compartment (C1) which is closed at the ends thereof by a transversal wall (112). Each main compartment (C1) receives a cooking pocket (P1) containing the food product. Each cooking pocket (P1) is connected to at least one drip pocket (P2) by means of a connecting band (P3) which is provided with at least one communication channel. The inventive stackable unit (102) comprises at least one supporting bar (120) formed by a base (130) to which at least one guide rail (140) is fixed such that said guide rail (140) can be used as a backing for welding the connecting bands (P3).

Description

Stackable unit for cooking food products

The present invention relates to a stackable unit for cooking food products, in particular ham, the stackable unit comprising at least one baking mold, each baking mold comprising at least one main compartment closed at its ends by a transverse wall and intended to receive respectively a cooking pocket containing the food product, said or each cooking pocket being joined to at least one exudate pocket by means of a connecting strip incorporating at least one communication channel.

The invention also relates to an installation for manufacturing a food product, as well as a method for removing food from the product.

The industrial cooking of the ham is conventionally carried out in a mold making it possible to impart its final shape to the ham. To meet certain consumer requirements, it is important to extract all or part of the exudates rejected by the ham during its cooking. It is also important that these exudates do not soil the mold. For these two reasons, the ham is first wrapped in a thermo-formed cooking package consisting of a combined cooking pocket to at least one exudate pocket via a junction strip incorporating at least one communication channel. The cooking package is then brought into the mold in such a way that the cooking bag is placed in a main compartment of the mold and each exudate pocket is placed in a secondary compartment of the mold, the latter being separated from the main compartment by a transverse partition. Each communication channel then rests on the free edge of a transverse partition.

During cooking, the main compartment of the mold receiving the cooking bag is capped with a pressing means which has the object of shaping and pressing the ham, thus facilitating the rejection of the exudates from the ham and their transfer, through said channel in each exudate pocket. After cooking, and after cooling, the pressing means is removed.

A handling device provided with gripping means such as suction cups or tongs is implemented so as to be able to demold said cooking package.

During this operation, the gripping means pulls on the cooking pocket, which creates a depression in the cooking pocket which then sucks up part of the exudates contained in each exudate pocket which thus return to the cooking pocket. The mold is certainly not dirty, but the presence of exudates in the cooking bag is not desirable.

Also, it was thought that at the end of the cooking, it could be advantageous to thermally seal said or each communication channel and then to cut said or each junction strip so as, on the one hand, to avoid the return of exudates in the cooking bag and, on the other hand, to separate the exudate pockets apart. To achieve this, provision has been made to arrange the free ends of at least one wall of the baking mold so that these arrangements can serve as a support for heat-welding means and possibly for cutting means. The width of these arrangements is such that, to support them, it is necessary to provide non-standard thick walls, which complicates the manufacture of the baking mold.

The object of the invention is therefore to propose in particular a stackable unit and an installation for manufacturing a food product, although provided with means allowing to serve as a support for heat-sealing means and sectioning means, are of a construction simple to implement.

To this end, the invention covers a stackable unit for cooking food products, in particular ham, the stackable unit comprising at least one cooking mold, each cooking mold comprising at least one main compartment closed at its ends by a transverse wall and intended respectively to receive a cooking pocket containing the food product, said or each cooking pocket being joined to at least one exudate pocket by means of a connecting strip incorporating at least one communication channel. The stackable unit is remarkable in that it comprises at least one support bar consisting of a base on which is fixed at least one strip arranged so that it can serve as a welding support for the joining strips.

Thus, the stackable unit of the invention is of a simple construction to implement and economical to use

According to another characteristic of the invention, the base is respectively mounted by its ends in supports fixed to a frame of the stackable unit.

According to another characteristic of the invention, said or each base is removably mounted to facilitate cleaning thereof or that of the stackable unit.

According to another characteristic of the invention, said or each base is mounted in notches made in the side walls of said or each baking mold and positioned in a secondary compartment of the stackable unit.

According to another characteristic of the invention, said or each base is fixed by welding to the frame of the stackable unit.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the base is mounted at its ends in notches made in said walls of the frame.

According to another characteristic of the invention, said or each strip consists of a seat, supported by a core providing said or each strip with a T-shaped section. According to another characteristic of the invention, said or each base has in its upper part a groove allowing the fitting by fitting of the core of the strip, the seat then resting on the upper face of said or each support. According to another characteristic of the invention, said or each base consists of a central wall disposed between two side walls, the thickness of the central wall being substantially identical to that of the web of the strip, the free end the central wall being disposed set back from the free ends of the side walls so as to form a groove capable of allowing the fitting of the web of the strip by fitting.

According to another characteristic of the invention, said or each base is mounted non-tangently to a transverse wall.

According to another characteristic of the invention, said or each base is mounted tangentially by a side face to a transverse wall. According to another characteristic of the invention, the strip is made of a silicone-based material.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the stackable unit comprises a pressing means consisting of a cover mounted on spring (s) on said cooking mold. According to another characteristic of the invention, the stackable unit comprises a pressing means consisting of a cover fixedly mounted on said baking mold.

According to another characteristic of the invention, said or each base is provided with notches of shapes geometrically comparable to those of the transverse partitions.

The invention also covers an installation for manufacturing a food product.

Installation for manufacturing a food product, in particular ham, is of the type comprising at least one stackable unit comprising at least one cooking mold comprising at least one main compartment closed at its ends by a transverse wall and intended respectively to receive a pouch of cooking, said or each cooking pocket being joined to at least one exudate pocket by means of a junction strip incorporating at least one communication channel. The installation is remarkable in that it includes at least one grab bar consisting of a base on which a strip is fixed and which can be brought into the stackable unit in such a way that the strip can serve as a welding support for said or each junction strip.

According to another characteristic of the invention, said or each base is brought in a horizontal direction.

According to another characteristic of the invention, said or each base is brought in a vertical direction.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the installation comprises a welding device provided with at least one heating element intended to pinch and to close off by said heat-welding said or each communication channel in a position for welding the element. heating, the strip serving as a seat for said or each heating element in its welding position.

According to another characteristic of the invention, said or each heating element is of the electrical type. According to another characteristic of the invention, the welding device is of the portable type.

According to another characteristic of the invention, a separation device is associated with the welding device to allow the separation or prepare the separation of said or each exudate pocket from the corresponding cooking pocket after the pinching and sealing steps. of said or each communication channel, and in the welding position of the welding head.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the separation device is fixed between two heating elements of the welding device.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the separation device consists of a heating element provided so as to be able to locally melt, either partially or entirely, the thickness of a junction strip incorporating said or each channel of communication.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the separation device consists of a blade mounted to move between a retracted position and a cutting position where it can cut or pre-cut a junction strip, two strips respectively serving as a seat to the two heating elements, the two strips being arranged in a non-tangent manner so as to clear a passage to allow the blade to descend to its cutting position. According to another characteristic of the invention, the installation also incorporates a handling device designed to release the food product, wrapped in a cooking bag, from the cooking mold, the welding device or the welding device and the separation being mounted on the handling device.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the installation incorporates a pressing device mounted on the handling device and which is used for, before or before and during the welding step, compressing said or each cooking bag in order evacuate a residual amount of exudate contained therein to said or each corresponding exudate bag.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the pressing device intended to be applied to the upper wall of said or each cooking bag so as to be able to push laterally the residual amount of exudate contained in the cooking pocket towards said or each exudate pocket. According to another characteristic of the invention, the pressing device is provided with at least one recess allowing the mounting of gripping means on the handling device.

The invention finally covers a process for removing food product, in particular ham, from at least one cooking mold of a stackable unit, the food product being wrapped in a cooking bag provided with at least one exudate pocket, the cooking bag being arranged in a main compartment of said cooking mold, the main compartment being closed at its ends by a transverse wall, said or each cooking pocket being joined to at least one exudate pocket by means of a junction strip incorporating at least one communication channel, the method incorporating a step of demolding said baking mold from the food product wrapped in the baking bag.

The demolding process is remarkable in that it further comprises a step of pinching said or each communication channel on a strip and a step of sealing by thermo-welding of said or each communication channel, these steps being set implemented before said demolding step.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the steps of pinching and closing off said or each communication channel are included in a step of preparing said release step consisting in positioning means for gripping the cooking bag, so as not to slow down the production cycle of the food product.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the method comprises a step of pressing the cooking bag containing the food product, the pressing step taking place before or before and during the steps of pinching and closing off said or each channel. Communication.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the method comprises a step of separation or of preparation for the separation of the exudate pockets from the cooking pocket after the steps of pinching and closing off said or each communication channel.

The characteristics of the invention mentioned above, as well as others, will appear more clearly on reading the following description of an exemplary embodiment, said description being made in relation to the accompanying drawings, among which: FIG. . 1 shows a partial perspective view of a stackable unit comprising baking molds according to the invention, FIG. 2 shows a view in longitudinal section of a stackable unit according to the invention, FIG. 3 shows a partial perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a stackable unit comprising baking molds according to the invention, FIG. 4a shows a cross-sectional view of a stackable unit consisting of a plurality of food product cooking molds provided with pressing means mounted on spring (s) according to the invention, FIG. 4b shows a cross-sectional view of a stackable unit consisting of a plurality of food product cooking molds provided with pressing means fixedly mounted according to the invention, FIG. 5a shows a sectional view of a detail of a support bar and of a device for welding a food product cooking package according to the invention, FIG. 5b shows a sectional view of a detail of a welding device, in its welding position, of a food product cooking package according to the invention, FIG. 5c represents a sectional view of a detail of a first alternative embodiment of a support bar of a stackable unit according to the invention, Fig. 5d shows a sectional view of a detail of a second alternative embodiment of a support bar of a stackable unit according to the invention, FIG. 5e shows a sectional view of a detail of a third alternative embodiment of a support bar arranged in a stackable unit according to the invention, FIG. 5f shows a sectional view of a detail of a fourth alternative embodiment of a support bar arranged in a stackable unit according to the invention, FIG. 6a shows a sectional view of a detail of a separation device mounted on a device for welding a food product cooking package according to the invention, FIG. 6b shows a sectional view of a detail of an alternative embodiment of a separation device mounted on a device for welding a cooking package for a food product according to the invention, FIG. 7 shows a longitudinal view of a food product handling device wrapped in a cooking package placed in a cooking mold according to the invention, and FIG. 8 shows a longitudinal view of a device for pressing a food product wrapped in a cooking package placed in a cooking mold according to the invention.

The invention which is described below is related to the cooking of ham. It will be understood that it can be applied to other types of food product.

The stackable unit 102 shown in FIG. 1 comprises at least one baking mold 100 of food product, in this case three in this FIG. 1 and which are mounted in a frame 116.

Each baking mold 100 of a stackable unit 102 shown in FIG. 2 essentially consists of at least one cell 110 forming a main compartment Cl. In this FIG. 2, two main compartments C1 are shown. The main compartments C1 are delimited in particular by transverse walls 112. The stackable unit 102 also comprises at least one secondary compartment C2 adjoining said or each main compartment Cl. Two secondary compartments C2 are shown in this FIG. 2. The bottom of said or each secondary compartment C2 is preferably open.

In an alternative embodiment of the stackable unit 102 shown in FIG. 3, the bottom of the secondary compartment C2 is here closed by an extension of the cells in said secondary compartment C2. In Fig. 2, the cell 110 is intended to receive at least one cooking package P consisting of a cooking pocket PI intended to contain a food product, such as ham, and which is connected to at least one exudate pocket P2 by via at least one communication channel intended to allow, during the cooking of the ham, the transfer of the exudates from a cooking pocket PI into a corresponding exudate pocket P2. Said or each communication channel is advantageously formed in a junction strip P3 joining each cooking pocket PI to each exudate pocket P2. A cooking pocket PI is placed in each main compartment C1, and at least one exudate pocket P2 is placed in each secondary compartment C2.

In Fig. 2, two cooking packages P are shown and each cooking package P consists of a cooking pocket PI disposed in a main compartment C1 and an exudate pocket P2 disposed in a secondary compartment C2. The useful volume of a PI cooking bag is greater than that of an P2 exudate pocket. The cooking package P is made of a heat-sealable material.

In Fig. 2, at least one support bar 120 is arranged in said or each secondary compartment C2. In this FIG., Two support bars 120 are disposed respectively in the two secondary compartments C2. In Fig. 1, each support bar 120 comprises a base 130 mounted respectively by its ends in supports 115 fixed to the walls of the frame 116. Each base 130 is here removably mounted to allow its disassembly to facilitate cleaning or that of stackable unit 102.

In another embodiment shown in Figs. 4a and 4b, each base 130 is here fixed by welding to the walls of the frame 116 to simplify the manufacture of the stackable unit 102. Advantageously, each base 130 is mounted at its ends in indentations 118 produced in said walls of the frame 116.

In Fig. 5a, at least one strip 140, intended in particular to serve as a welding support for a joining strip P3, is removably mounted in the upper face of said or each base 130. The strip 140 is made of a flexible plastic material , preferably a silicone-based material. It is made up, in FIG. 5a, of a seat 142 supported by a core 144 providing the strip with a T-shaped section. A groove 132 produced in the upper part of the base 130 allows the fitting by fitting of the core 144 of the strip 140, the seat 142 then resting on the upper face of the base 130.

In Figs. 5a and 5b, said or each base 130 in which the strip 140 is mounted is mounted in a non-tangent manner to a transverse wall 112, which makes it possible to facilitate cleaning of said or each baking mold 100 and of the stackable unit 102 .

In a first alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 5c, said or each base 130 is mounted tangentially by a lateral face to a transverse wall 112, which makes it possible to reduce the width of the joining strip P3.

The base 130 is of the mono-component type, as shown in FIGS. 5a to 5c or is constituted, in a second alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 5d, a central wall 115b disposed between two side walls 115a, 115c. The thickness of the central wall 115b is substantially identical to that of the core 114 of the strip 140, the free end of the central wall 115b being disposed back from the free ends of the side walls 115a, 115c so as to form a groove 132 able to allow the fitting by fitting of the core 144 of the strip 140.

In Figs. 4a and 4b, each stackable unit 102 shown is intended to be stacked on another stackable unit 102 of a lower row. The bottom of each main compartment C1 of a cooking mold 100 is provided with a pressing means 104 intended to press the ham wrapped in a cooking pocket PI placed in each cooking mold 100 of another stackable unit 102 of lower row. The pressing means 104 is advantageously constituted in this FIG. 4a, of a cover mounted on spring (s) or of a cover fixedly mounted on said mold, as shown in FIG. 4b.

To shape the ham into specific shapes, sometimes a pressing means 104 is used which has a concave section. In this case, and to avoid tearing or creasing the film covering the cooking bag, in particular the part of the film covering the transverse partitions 112, during the implementation of the pressing means 104, the base 130 is provided in Fig. 3 of notches 136 of geometrically comparable shapes to those of the transverse partitions 112. The periphery of the film can then be folded down by conforming to the profile of said notches 136. Note also the presence of notches 119 made in the side walls of each baking mold 100 to allow the mounting of said or each support bar 120 in the stackable unit 102.

In a third and a fourth variant embodiments shown respectively in FIGS. 5th and 5f, said or each support bar 120 is no longer fixed to the frame 116 of the stackable unit 102 by means of the base 130, but on the contrary can be brought into the stackable unit 102 in such a manner so that the strip 140 fixed to said or each base 130 can serve as a welding support to said or each junction strip P3. This construction makes it possible to limit the manufacturing cost of each baking mold 100 or of each stackable unit 102 since said or each base 130 and the corresponding strip 140 are no longer part of the stackable unit 102, but of a manufacturing installation. of food product.

In Fig. 5th, the base 130 can advantageously be brought in a horizontal direction H by a displacement device comprising, for example, a double-acting cylinder (shown diagrammatically at reference 400). The base 130 can then be housed in notches 118 or 119.

In Fig. 5f, the base 130 can advantageously be brought in a vertical direction N by a displacement device comprising, for example, a double-acting cylinder (shown diagrammatically in reference 410).

In Fig. 5a, a welding device 300 has also been shown. The welding device 300 is intended to allow the assembly by thermo-welding of the films constituting respectively the joining strips P3, so as to close by pinching and then by thermo-welding, and after cooking and cooling the ham, said or each communication channel between a cooking pocket PI and an exudate pocket P2.

In Figs. 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e and 5f, the welding device 300 comprises at least one welding head 310 of the type operating by heat welding and which is provided with at least one heating element 320, preferably of the electrical type , which can be brought opposite the upper face of a strip 140 which then serves as a seat for said or each heating element 320 in the position for welding the heating element 320 by heat welding. This welding position of the heating element 320 is shown in FIG. 5b. A handling device 200 shown in FIG. 7 is also used in particular to allow the release of the ham, wrapped in its cooking package P, from the cooking mold 100. The handling device 200 is provided for this purpose with gripping means making it possible to pull on the packaging of cooking P. In this Fig. 7, the gripping means advantageously consist of a plurality of suction cups 210 making it possible to pull the cooking package P through its upper wall. The gripping means can also consist of pliers, not shown in this FIG.

In a first embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the welding device 300 is advantageously mounted on the handling device 200. This arrangement makes it possible to include the pinching and sealing step of said or each communication channel in a step of preparation for demolding said or each baking package P of its baking mold 100, in particular when positioning the gripping means of said or each baking package P, which does not slow down the demolding cycle, and therefore the manufacturing cycle Ham.

In a second embodiment, not shown, the welding device 300 is of the portable type.

The cooking of the ham takes place in the following way: the ham is placed in a cooking pocket PI of a cooking package P which should be closed by vacuum heat-sealing. Then, each cooking package P is brought into said or each cooking mold 100 of a first stackable unit 102 in such a way that the cooking pocket PI rests in a main compartment Cl and that said or each exudate pocket P2 is positioned in a secondary compartment C2, each junction strip P3 then resting respectively on a strip 140.

Another stackable unit 102 is then placed on the first stackable unit 102 so that the pressing means 104 of each main compartment C1 is placed respectively on each main compartment C1 of said baking mold 100 of the first stackable unit 102 so as to ability to compress said or each PI cooking bag to allow exudates rejected by the ham during cooking to be transferred into said or each P2 exudate pocket Other stackable units 102 can in this way be successively stacked on top of each other. The stackable unit 102 of the last upper row is preferably not filled with ham. It is used as a means of pressing the stackable unit 102 of lower rank. After cooking and cooling the ham, the stackable unit 102 of higher rank is removed and the welding device 300 is then brought above said or each baking mold 100 of the stackable unit 102 of lower row, in such a way that before demolding, each heating element 320 of the welding device 300 is brought into its welding position, that is to say when each heating element 320 pinches a junction strip P3 on a strip 140. Said or each heating element 320 is then put into service and said or each communication channel is then closed by heat welding.

At the end of the operation for closing said or each communication channel, the suction cups 210 are then put into service to demold the ham, wrapped in its respective cooking package P.

During this operation, the suction cups 210 pull on the upper wall of said or each cooking pocket PI, which creates a depression in said or in each cooking pocket PI. However, the communication channel or channels having just been closed, the exudates cannot return to said or each PI cooking bag.

The process for removing the food product from a cooking mold of the invention makes it possible to prevent the exudates extracted during the cooking of the food product from returning to the cooking bag during the step of removing the food product wrapped in its cooking packaging. The step of closing the communication channels can advantageously be included in a step of preparing the food product from the mold and therefore does not slow down the food product manufacturing cycle.

It is also possible, at the end of the step of closing said or each communication channel and before the step of demolding the ham, wrapped in its respective cooking package P, to separate or prepare the separation of said or each pocket with exudates P2 from said or each corresponding cooking pocket PI without there being oozing exudate from one or the other of said pockets PI and P2. In a first alternative embodiment of the invention declined in two embodiments, shown respectively in Figs. 6a and 6b, a separation device 150a or 150b is advantageously associated with the welding device 300 preferably comprising two heating elements 320. The separation device 150a or 150b is intended to allow the separation or at least to allow the preparation separation of the exudate pockets P2 from the cooking pocket PI after the pinching and sealing steps of said or each communication channel, and in the welding position of the heating element 320. The separation devices 150a and 150b are used in certain processes for manufacturing j ambon.

The separation device 150a of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 6a is of the thermal type. It is fixed between the two heating elements 320 of the welding device 300. The separation device 150a advantageously consists of a heating element so as to be able to locally melt, either partially or entirely, the thickness of a strip of junction P3.

The separation device 150b of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6b is here of the sectioning type. It advantageously consists of a blade 152, disposed between the two heating elements 320. The blade 152 is mounted movable in the directions represented by the arrows E, that is to say in a vertical direction, between a visible retracted position in this Fig. 4b and a cutting position, not shown, where it can cut or pre-cut a joining strip P3. To allow the blade 152 to descend to its cutting position, provision has been made to mount two strips 140 advantageously arranged in a non-tangent manner. The two strips 140 also serve respectively to support the two heating elements 320 in the welding position of the heating element 320.

In this first alternative embodiment of the invention, said or each exudate bag P2 can be recovered by gravity, at this stage of the ham production, falling through the open bottom of said or each secondary compartment C2. It will be noted that said or each cooking pocket PI as well as said or each exudate pocket P2 are hermetically closed after the communication channels have been closed by heat welding.

In a second variant embodiment of the invention, a pressing device 400, shown in FIG. 8, is implemented for, before or before and during the welding step, compressing said or each cooking bag PI in order to evacuate a residual quantity contained therein towards said or each corresponding pocket with exudates P2. This pressing device 400 is advantageously mounted on the handling device 200. The pressing device 400 can be provided with at least one recess 412 allowing the mounting of gripping means on the handling device 200. In FIG. 8, these gripping means advantageously consist of a plurality of suction cups 210 making it possible to pull the cooking package P via its upper wall.

During the pressing step and before or before and during the step of sealing by heat-sealing the communication channels, a positive pressure can be allowed in the suction cups 210 to compress said or each cooking pocket PI at the location said or each recess 412 to increase the effect of the pressing device 400.

This second variant embodiment of the invention makes it possible to manufacture ham whose content of exudates is reduced compared to the known techniques used to manufacture said ham.

Furthermore, this second alternative embodiment, when associated with a welding device 300 can advantageously be implemented independently of the other elements of this invention.

Claims

1) Stackable unit (102) for cooking food products, in particular ham, the stackable unit comprising at least one baking mold (100), each baking mold (100) comprising at least one main compartment (Cl) closed at its ends by a transverse wall (112) and at least one secondary compartment (C2), said or each main compartment (Cl) being designed to receive a cooking bag (PI) containing the food product at the time of cooking then that said secondary compartment (C2) is provided for an exudate pocket (P2) joined to said or a cooking pocket (PI) by means of a junction strip (P3) incorporating at least one communication channel, characterized in that it comprises at least one support bar (120) consisting of a base (130) on which is fixed at least one strip (140), said or each support bar (120) being mounted on said stackable unit (102) in such a way that its r tab (140) is located under a joining strip (P3) when said cooking (PI) and exudate (P2) pockets are in place in their respective compartments (Cl, C2) and serves as a welding support for said strip of junction (P3).

2) stackable unit (102) according to claim 1, characterized in that the base (130) of said or each support bar (120) is mounted respectively by its ends in supports (115) fixed to a frame (116) of the stackable unit (102).

3) stackable unit (102) according to claim 2, characterized in that the base (130) of said or each support bar (120) is mounted by its ends in notches (118) formed in said walls of the frame (116).

4) stackable unit (102) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that said or each base (130) is mounted in notches (119) made in the side walls of said or each baking mold (100) in the secondary compartments (C2) of the stackable unit (102).

5) Stackable unit (102) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said or each base (130) is provided with notches (136) of shapes geometrically comparable to those of the transverse partitions (112).

6) Stackable unit (102) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said or each base (130) is removably mounted. 7) Stackable unit (102) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said or each base (130) is fixed by welding to the frame (116) of the stackable unit (102).

8) stackable unit (102) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said or each base (130) has in its upper part a groove (132) provided for mounting by fitting a core (144) that comprises said strip (140) and the rest on the upper face of the support (130) corresponding to a seat (142) of said strip (140).

9) stackable unit (102) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said or each base (130) consists of a central wall (115b) disposed between two side walls (115a, 115c), l the thickness of the central wall (115b) being substantially identical to that of the core (114) of the strip (140), the free end of the central wall (115b) being set back from the free ends of the side walls ( 115a, 115c) so as to form a groove (132) capable of allowing the fitting by fitting of the core (144) of the strip (140).

10) Stackable unit (102) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said or each base (130) is mounted non-tangentially to a transverse wall (112).

11) Stackable unit (102) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said or each base (130) is mounted tangentially by a side face to a transverse wall (112).

12) Stackable unit (102) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said strip (140) is made of a silicone-based material.

13) Installation for manufacturing a food product, in particular ham, the installation comprising at least one stackable unit (102) comprising at least one baking mold (100) comprising at least one main compartment (Cl) closed at its ends by a transverse wall (112) and at least one secondary compartment (C2), said or each main compartment (Cl) being designed to receive a cooking bag (PI) containing said food product during its cooking while said or each secondary compartment (C2) is designed to receive an exudate pocket (P2) joined to said or a cooking pocket (PI) by means of a junction strip (P3) incorporating at least one communication channel, characterized in that that it comprises at least one support bar (120) consisting of a base (130) on which is fixed a strip (140) and which can be brought into the stackable unit (102) in a position such that said strip (140) can be housed under a joining strip (P3) when said cooking (PI) and exudate (P2) pockets are in place in their respective compartments and serve as a welding support for said junction strip (P3). 14) Food product manufacturing installation according to claim

13, characterized in that said or each base (130) is brought into position in the stackable unit (102) in a horizontal direction (H).

15) Food product manufacturing installation according to claim

14, characterized in that said or each base (130) is brought into position in the stackable unit (102) in a vertical direction (N).

16) Installation for manufacturing a food product according to one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that it comprises a welding device (300) provided with at least one heating element (320) intended to pinch and to seal by thermo-welding said or each communication channel of a joining strip (P3) in a position for welding the heating element (320), a strip (140) when it is in position in a cooking unit ( 102) serving as a basis for said audit or for each heating element (320).

17) Installation for manufacturing a food product according to claim 16, characterized in that the welding device (300) is portable. 18) Food product manufacturing installation according to one of claims 13 to 17, characterized in that a separation device (150a, 150b) is associated with the welding device (300) to allow in the welding position of the welding head (310) separation or preparing the separation of said or each exudate pocket (P2) from the corresponding cooking pocket (PI). 19) Food product manufacturing installation according to claim 18, characterized in that the separation device (150a, 150b) is fixed between two heating elements (320) of the welding device (300).

20) Food product manufacturing installation according to claim 19, characterized in that the separation device (150a) consists of a heating element provided so as to be able to locally melt, either partially or entirely, the thickness d 'a connecting strip (P3) incorporating said or each communication channel.

21) Food product manufacturing installation according to claim 23, characterized in that the separation device (150b) is consisting of a blade (152) mounted movably between a retracted position and a cutting position where it can cut or pre-cut a joining strip (P3), two strips (140) respectively serving as a seat for the two heating elements ( 320), the two strips (140) being arranged in a non-tangent manner so as to clear a passage to allow the blade (152) to descend towards its cutting position.

22) Installation for manufacturing a food product according to one of claims 13 to 21, characterized in that it also incorporates a handling device (200) provided for removing from the baking mold (100) the food product, wrapped in a cooking bag (PI), the welding device (300) or the welding device (300) and the separation device (150a, 150b) being mounted on the handling device (200).

23) Food product manufacturing installation according to one of claims 13 to 22, characterized in that it incorporates a pressing device (400) mounted on the handling device (200) and which is implemented for, before or before and during the welding step, compressing said or each cooking bag (PI) in order to evacuate a residual quantity of exudates contained in it towards said or each corresponding bag of exudates (P2).

24) Installation for manufacturing a food product according to claim 23, characterized in that the pressing device (400) intended to be applied to the upper wall of said or each cooking pocket (PI) so as to be able to push laterally the residual quantity of exudate contained in the cooking bag (PI) towards said or each exudate bag (P2).

25) Food product manufacturing installation according to claim 24, characterized in that the pressing device (400) is provided with at least one recess (412) allowing the mounting of gripping means on the handling device (200) .

26) Method for demolding a food product, in particular ham, from at least one baking mold (100) of a stackable unit (102), the food product being wrapped in a baking bag (PI) provided with at least one exudate pocket (P2), the cooking pocket (PI) being disposed in a main compartment (Cl) of said baking mold (100) while the exudate pocket is disposed in a secondary compartment (C2) of said baking mold cooking (100), said or each cooking pocket (PI) being combined with at least one exudate pocket (P2) by means of a joining strip (P3) incorporating at least one communication channel, the method incorporating a step of demolding said cooking mold (100) from the food product wrapped in the cooking pocket (PI), characterized in what the method further comprises a step of pinching said or each communication channel on a strip (140) and a step of sealing by heat welding of said or each communication channel, these steps being implemented before said demolding step.

27) A process for demolding a food product according to claim 26, characterized in that the steps of pinching and of closing off said or each communication channel are included in a step of preparation of said step of demolding consisting in positioning means for gripping the cooking bag (PI), so as not to slow down the production cycle of the food product.

28) A process for demolding a food product according to claim 27 or 28, characterized in that it comprises a step of pressing the cooking bag.

(PI) containing the food product, the pressing step occurring before or before and during the pinching and sealing steps of said or each communication channel.

29) A process for demolding a food product according to one of claims 26 to 28, characterized in that it comprises a step of separation or of preparation for the separation of the exudate bags (P2) from the cooking bag (PI) after the steps of pinching and closing said or each communication channel.