Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L7/00—Cereal-derived products; Malt products; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L7/10—Cereal-derived products
  • A23L7/161—Puffed cereals, e.g. popcorn or puffed rice
  • A23L7/174—Preparation of puffed cereals from wholegrain or grain pieces without preparation of meal or dough
  • A23L7/183—Preparation of puffed cereals from wholegrain or grain pieces without preparation of meal or dough by heating without using a pressure release device
  • A23L7/187—Discontinuously-working apparatus

Definitions

• This invention concerns an automatic pop-corn dispensing machine for use in recreation areas, places of entertainment and catering in general and leisure centers.
• this invention refers to an automatic pop-corn dispenser which can be considered the self-service type, as it dispenses predefined single-dose quantities of product on insertion of a coin of the corresponding value.
• the pop-corn dispenser according to the invention uses a new-design heating system no longer based on traditional oil heating but on a system which conveys air heated by special electrical elements, and above all uses a mixing device which allows the product to be perfectly salted and excellent from the quality point of view.
• This invention can be used in the field of machinery and equipment for the production and dispensing of pop- corn.
• pop-corn consists of toasted kernels of corn: during cooking, the humidity contained inside is transformed into steam and presses on the outer shell until it yields, causing the characteristic "pop".
• Pop-corn is generally produced by machines which, comprise a container or pan containing a certain amount of oil at the bottom, usually coconut oil either alone or combined with betacarotene.
• the pop-corn machine functions with a very simple system that consists of heating the oil in the pan, for example by means of electrical elements, and of adding a certain quantity of kernels of corn to the pan.
• the machines may also be equipped with conveying and dispensing means that allow the user and/or customer to extract the processed and finished product.
• microwave type devices Another system for the production of pop-corn uses microwave type devices. According to this solution the microwave system produces a similar effect to the pan- cooking of the product, the difference being that oil is not used.
• the kernels of corn are normally contained in a permeable sachet, for example in transpirable paper, together with an appropriate quantity of flavouring, i.e. salt, and sometimes colouring or betacarotene.
• This invention proposes to provide a machine for the production, and automatic dispensing of singles doses of pop-corn, that can eliminate or at least reduce the problems described above.
• the ⁇ nvention also proposes to provide a machine for the production of pop-corn which is simple in construction so as not to have too great an impact on production costs.
• the machine according to the invention for the production, and automatic dispensing of pop-corn in single doses also comprises mixing devices that allow the product to be dispensed perfectly mixed and appropriateLy salted.
• the ⁇ nvention in the appropriate size, can be used both in the industrial production of pop-corn and in coin- operated single-dose dispensers installed in any type of public setting such as: cinemas, bars, restaurants, amusement arcades, camp sites, pubs, etc., where the user can produce an on-demand single-dose of product by inserting a coin or token and pressing a pushbutton to start the cycle .
• the machine makes it possible to create the conditions appropriate for the formation of pop-corn. These conditions allow the kernels of corn to "pop" and expand to up to 30 times their original volume.
• This process takes place without the use of oil or other types of fat and in such a way that the kzernel is hit by dry steam, favouring the permeability of the product and preparing it for salting.
• the working cycle begins with the heating- of the pop ⁇ corn form ⁇ ng chamber by means of the flow of hieat provided by electrical elements that allow a rapid increase in temperature.
• the corn When the temperature reaches around 250 0 C, the corn is poured in and spread over a grid, far away from the direct source of heat where it would burn.
• the chamber is ventilated with heated air which strikes the kernels of corn, causing them to quickLy "pop” .
• the production cycle is thus greatly reduced and is over in around 40 seconds.
• the physical mass decreases by up to 30 times and favours evacuation from the forming chamber b;y means of a slight flow of air.
• the heated air carries the popcorn in an appropriately sized and supplemented cyclone where it is tossed in dry- steam saturated environment and salted according to the weight of the corn in the cycle.
• the corn transformed into perfectly salted pop-corn falls by gravity into the special container .
• figure 1 shows a schematic overall view of the machine according to the invention
• figure 2 is a schematic view of the right side
• figures 3 and 4 show schematic views of the machine from the left side and the rear respectively
• figure 5 is a plan view of the machine
• - figures 6 and 7 are schematic perspective and cross- section views of the toasting chamber
• figures 8, 9 and 10 are schematic views showing the side, the front and the cross-section of the gravity- trap with a rocker arm
• - figures 11 to 13 show schematic views of the volumetric doser from the front and in crross-section in the two closing and dispensing phases
• figures 14 to 16 show schematic perspective, cross- section and plan views of the processing cyclone
• - figures 17 and 18 are schematic perspective and cross- section views of the elastic spiral doser unit
• figures 19 and 20 represent schematic perspective and cross-section views of the optional distilled water mist sprayer
• the machine for the production and automatic dispensing of pop ⁇ corn in single doses comprises an outer casing or shell 10 which represents the container of all the internal functioning parts.
• the container 10 houses a storage tank 11 for the kernels of corn, an optional supplementary tank 12 for distilled water, a tank of salt 13 and a heat generator 14.
• the particularity of the machine according to the invention is due first of all to the presence of a cyclone 15 and of a channelized ventilation system consisting of a fan 16 and channelized ducts 17 which form a closed pathway.
• the machine also comprises a front compartment, providing access from the outside of the machine, which, being positioned below the cyclone 15, makes it possible to house a recipient 18 to contain the pop-corn which falls from the cyclone.
• the toasting chamber 19 which, as can be seen better in figures 6 to 10, has a truncated cone shape in order to satisfy two fundamental requirements of the production cycle: the wide base is equipped with a grid 20 on which the kernels of corn are spread, preventing too thick a layer and also preventing the popping of one kernel from triggering the popping of unprocessed kernels, while the narrow neck: 21 causes an increase in the speed of the heated air, favouring the start of the processing cycle of the already formed kernels of popcorn.
• a cluct 22 Alongside the toasting chamber is a cluct 22 on the upper part of which is a doser 23 which measures a predetermined quantity of kernels of corn to be toasted and transfers them into the infeed duct 22.
• the doser 23 consists of an upper Jhopper designed to hold the corn transferred from the upper tank 11, and comprises a tubular shaped dosing element 24 open along one s ⁇ de.
• the dosing element 24 is positioned hoarizontally below tlie hopper and is operated by a lever 25 countered by a spring 26 and activated by a solenoid 27, turning on its axis to move from a closed position with the opening facing upwards to a dosing position with the opening facing downwards.
• the two positions of the dosing element are achieved by the tripping of the solenoid 27.
• This mechanism provides a. sealed condition and protects the corn, from any heat rreflow which could damage it.
• a closing device 23' consisting of a rocker arm door with electrically controlled closing.
• This closing device 23' solves two important problems: the dispersion of heat from the infeed channels of the mass to be processed, and thus the loss of energy which could also damage the stored product, and also different cooking times caused by non-continuous product inffeed.
• the rocker arm door 23' instead, feeds the product all together.
• the cyclone 15 consists of a substantially cylindrical casing whose upper part houses the end of a coupling 28 forming part of the hot air circulation duct, while the delivery duct 29 leading from the toasting chamber 19 is located on the side of the casing.
• the mouth of the coupling 28 is equipped with a grid 28' which prevents the pop-corn entering th.e hot air return pathway.
• the delivery duct 29 conveys the corn transformed into pop-corn by the toasting chamber 19, by means of the flow of hot air produced by the fan 16 and heated by the electrical element 14.
• the lower part of the cyclone 15 has a flared section 30 ending in an outlet 31 from which tb_e cooked and salted pop-corn falls into the recipient 18.
• One of the main features of the ⁇ nvention is due to the fact that the cyclone 15 also acts as the mixing chamber of the pop-corn with the salt from the duct 32 delivered by a salt doser 33 positioned below the flavouring powder tank 13.
• flavouring powder doser consists of a horizontal duct 34 equipped internally with an elastic spiral device 35 without an axial shaft and operated by an appropriate gearmotor fitted on the power takeoff 36.
• the doser 33 makes it possible to dose small amounts of flavouring powder in proportion to the quantity of product to be flavoured.
• the elastic spiral device can perform movements with consider-able curvature and allows any excess flavouring to be retur-ned to the storage container 13.
• the cyclone 15 forces the popcorn, into a long whirl where, during its fluctuating movement, it is flavoured with the ingredients fed in by the doser- 33.
• the processed pop-corn falls by gravity into the recipient 18, while the heated air tlfciat has caused the toasting- and the transfer is filtered! and recirculated, allowing considerable energy savings.
• the production of pop-corn can be further processed in the cyclone 15 with small amounts of watery steam at a high temperature.
• the steam is generated by emitting small amounts of high temperature water spray into the circuit of the air heated by the element 14 and circulated by the fan 16.
• the water is emitted by a spray 37 shown in figures 19 and 20 which emits atomized water directly into the flow at 250 0 C and which evaporates immediately.
• the spray can be adjusted by means of the spring 38 which establishes the opening pressure of the valve.
• the water is kept pressurized by a special pump.
• the entire system controlled by an automatic electronic control unit, makes it possible to dispense predetermined single-dose amounts of pop-corn into the recipient 18.
• the pop-corn dispenser can be produced in an industrial version and in this case a continuous amount of pop-corn can be produced or dispensed as required and controlled by the pushbuttons.
• this dispenser makes it possible to achieve all the aims described above, starting with the excellent quality of the dispensed product and the practicality and simplicity of the machine, which above all requires very limited maintenance.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Nutrition Science (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
• Grain Derivatives (AREA)
• Cereal-Derived Products (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=35784890

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (6)

Citations (8)

• 2004
  • 2004-10-27 IT IT000169A patent/ITVR20040169A1/it unknown
• 2005
  • 2005-10-26 WO PCT/IT2005/000620 patent/WO2006046268A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (8)

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