WO2010046581A1

WO2010046581A1 - Volumetric division of dough, sweetened dough, pastry or the like

Info

Publication number: WO2010046581A1
Application number: PCT/FR2009/051959
Authority: WO
Inventors: Henri Baissas
Original assignee: Henri Baissas
Priority date: 2008-10-23
Filing date: 2009-10-14
Publication date: 2010-04-29
Also published as: AR073970A1; FR2937503A1; FR2937503B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (4) for volumetrically dividing dough, sweetened dough, pastry or the like (1) for forming into balls (2), comprising a conveyor (3) for conveying said dough or the like (1) towards cutting means (5) in the form of at least one vertically moving blade (6), said cutting means (5) comprising means (7) for dusting the dough or the like (1) with flour on each side of said blade (6), said flour dusting means (7) being actuated by the downward movement of said blade (6), the device being characterized in that said flour dusting means (7) take the form of at least one flour holding funnel, the converging walls (8) of said funnel being designed to be movable so that they are moved apart by the downward movement of the blade (6) and close up as the blade rises.

Description

VOLUMETRIC DIVISION OF BAKERY PASTE, VIENNOISERIE, PASTRY OR THE LIKE

The present invention is in the field of production of bakery products, pastries, pastry or the like. The invention relates more particularly to the volumetric division of bakery dough, pastries, pastry or the like for the formation of dough pieces. The invention relates to a device for volumetric division of bakery dough, pastry, pastry or the like for the formation of dough.

In traditional bakery, the dough used to make bread is hydrated on the order of 60%. The complete production tools, namely handling, transport, volumetric division, shaping and resting of the dough, are designed for the work of a paste having a content of 60 to 70% in water. Specific material should be considered for higher hydration up to 85%. Indeed, the higher the water content in a dough, the more its adhesion increases. Each of the dough processing operations then becomes more difficult to implement, requiring steps of chalking support or lubrication tools. An existing dividing device described in document FR 2 682 561 attempts to solve these problems. Such a device comprises a conveyor belt on which the paste is poured from a hopper to cutting means. Thus conveyed, the dough arrives in a band at a cutting disc cutting it by a vertical translation, then achieving a long dough.

In order to limit the adhesion of the paste on this disc, the latter is floured on each side. To do this, a flour box carried by a frame is associated with the disc. Located at the top, during the ascent of said disc, it enters the box and is covered with flour before the next cut. Scrapers are planned to maintain the tightness of the box at the exit of the disc. However, such a device is not entirely satisfactory.

Another known device is described in US 1,747,954. It relates to the continuous cutting of a dough in the form of a thin strip, for making dough pieces. The cutting tool is constituted of a plurality of vertical blades, actuated to move from a retracted high position to a lower cutting position, and vice versa. In the high position, said blade is floured on each side by means of rotating brushes bringing flour from a container on the surface of the sides of the blade. In addition, these brushes make it possible to clean the residue of dough remaining on said blade. Such a device has the disadvantage of only flour the cutting tool, by means of complex brushes to implement. In addition, the latter also clean the blade, dirty and lose their effectiveness. The invention aims to overcome the drawbacks of the state of the art while providing a new solution for the volumetric division of pasta bakery, pastry, pastry or the like very strong hydration, ranging from 90 to 110% of water content. In addition, the invention makes it possible to cut leavened and highly hydrated pastes without degrading their alveolar structure.

To do this, the invention uses a chalking dough cutting tools but also the latter at the precise location of the cut and at the time of this operation, especially throughout the descent of the cutting tools. In addition, a specific reciprocal movement of the cutting means longitudinally improves the cutting of the dough, and a translation providing a clear separation of the dough and the rest of the dough. Thus, the subject of the present invention is therefore a device for volumetric division of bakery dough, pastry, pastry or the like for forming dough pieces, comprising a carrier for conveying said paste to cutting means in the form of at least one blade in vertical displacement, said cutting means comprising means for chalking the dough on each side of said blade, said chalking means being actuated by the descent of said blade.

Such a device is characterized in that the said chalking means are in the form of at least one funnel for storing the flour, the convergent walls of the said funnel being provided so as to move apart under the action of the down the blade and tighten at the time of recovery.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following detailed description of the nonlimiting embodiments of the invention, with reference to the appended figures in which:

- Figure 1 is a perspective view in rear view of an embodiment of the volumetric dividing device according to the invention;

- Figures 2A, 2B and 2C is a schematic vertical sectional view of three successive steps of cutting a dough; and

FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C are similar views of FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C of another embodiment of the device according to the invention. The present invention relates to the volumetric division of dough 1 bakery, pastry, pastry or the like for the formation of at least one dough 2.

More particularly, but not exclusively, the division of the dough 1 according to the invention allows a rectilinear cut dough 2, for example for bread or baguette type products.

The volumetric division stage will find its implantation within the treatment of the pulp 1, downstream being the step of elaboration of the pulp 1 until it is discharged on conveying means 3 which convey it to the stage cutting, more specifically targeted by this invention. Upstream are a stage of growth or fermentation and cooking.

In general, the dough 1 is stored in a hopper, undergoing a first fermentation, and is then poured onto the conveying means 3. These are generally in the form of a conveyor belt equipped with a mat driven in translation by rollers and return rollers (not shown). In particular, in a traditional production mode, out of trouble, the dough is placed in bins where it is left to rest, then returned to the hand before a new stage of rest during which is continued its fermentation. Then, it is poured on a mat that leads to the cutting. In order to reproduce the artisanal processing in an industrial production mode, said conveying means 3 may be in the form of several belt conveyors arranged in vertical superposition. A hopper located in the upper part slowly pours the paste 1 in a thick on the highest conveyor the latter stretched as it flows to one end, the pulp 1 then pouring on a second driven conveyor reverse. The dough 1 then undergoes a turnaround, movements contributing to the good quality of the finished product. It will be noted here that the drive speed of the second conveyor is faster than that of the one above it so as to form elongations of the dough 1, refining the thickness of the latter over the entire width of said second conveyor. Finally, the dividing device 4 according to the invention may be disposed at the end of the second conveyor or at the end of a third conveyor situated further below, the pulp 1 being further inverted.

The surface of the belts of the conveyors is floured in order to prevent the adhesion of the very sticky paste 1 because of its high hydration.

At the level of the division device 4, the dough 1 undergoes a dough-cutting operation 2 which is poured directly onto another conveyor, preferably equipped with a fillet type cooking support, plate, mold or the like. As mentioned above, the volumetric division according to the invention consists of at least one step of vertically cutting said dough 1 by cutting means 5.

According to the preferred embodiment, the cutting takes place longitudinally, in a transverse plane, orthogonal to the direction of movement of the conveyor conveying the dough 1. This cut forms a dough 2 of long form, such as a band, over the entire width of said conveyor.

During the descent of said cutting means 5, the invention provides a chalking of the place of the dough 1 at which the cutting means 5 are applied. More particularly, the flour is deposited along at least one line extending on the surface of the dough 1, on either side and along the cutting means 5, at the level of the cutting line. Preferably, such chalking is carried out throughout the descent of the cutting means 5. In other words, the removal of the flour can continue to take place while the cutting means 5 are in the process of slicing the dough 1. To do this, this chalking in a precise location is done by gravitation of the flour from said cutting means 5. The actuation of the latter allows the flow of the flour that covers the dough 1 to 1 desired place.

Said cutting means 5 are in the form of at least one blade 6. The latter can be in rectilinear form, such as a rectangle, and is actuated in a vertical movement, from top to bottom at the time of cutting, and conversely during its ascent, by suitable motorization means.

During this cutting step, the blade 6 descends to come into contact with the dough 1, cutting the dough to the support formed by the conveying means 3. A dough 2 is then cut from the rest of the dough 1 located on the other side of said blade 6. In order to limit the adhesion of the paste 1 to the surface of the blade 6, said cutting means 5 comprise means 7 for chalking the paste 1 on each side of said blade 6. In addition, said chalking means 7 are actuated by the descent of said blade 6.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C, the said chalking means 7 are in the form of at least one funnel for storing the flour. Converging walls 8 of said funnel are provided movable so as to deviate under the action of the descent of the blade 6 and to tighten at the time of its ascent.

In particular, the mobility of said walls 8 may result from the elasticity of the material constituting them. This mobility can also come from an adequate articulation, including a freedom of movement in translation of the walls 8 which, in the rest position, come into contact at the lower end of each other under the effect of their own weight.

The spacing thus results from the insertion of the blade 6 at the lower ends of said wall 8, pushing the latter. The space thus created drops a quantity of flour that is deposited below, on the dough 1, at the precise location where the blade 6 comes into contact.

It will be noted here that said chalking means 7 enclose the blade 6 so that the latter is fully floured on its cutting surface, namely the wire and the faces at least on the height of dough 1 to be sliced.

In addition, according to another characteristic, at the time of the rise of the blade 6, the lower ends of the walls 8 are rubbing, in the manner of a scraper, against the plate of the blade 6 at its faces. This friction allows the cleaning of any paste residue 1 which would have remained stuck at the time of cutting. Thus wiped, the blade 6 is floured again in the funnel in the retracted position. According to yet another characteristic, the cutting means 5 are provided movable in the direction of movement of the conveying means 3. In particular, at the moment when the blade 6 is located in the lower part, in contact with the conveyor, as can be seen in FIG. 2C, all the cutting means 5, namely the blade 6 and the chalking means 7, can move rapidly so as to shift the dough 2 coming from to be formed. This movement is anticipated faster than the speed of movement of the conveyor belt so as to push the dough 2, forming a space between each piece of dough 1 cut. Just as quickly, the cutting means 5 return in the opposite direction in the initial position. During this movement, the blade 6 can be reassembled to be ready for a new cut.

In addition, the conveyor may be provided timed so as to stop regularly at the time of this rapid transverse movement. This step of moving in a transverse movement in the cutting direction allows to separate the dough 2 from the rest of the dough 1. Advantageously, this thrust of the dough 2 by the blade 6 allows to eject it directly to its cooking support. This rapid movement limits the deterioration of said dough 2 through other manipulations. As such, it will be noted that the cutting means 5 are located at one end of the conveying means 3, in order to allow the ejection of said dough 2.

According to the embodiment shown in Figures 3A, 3B and 3C, said cutting means comprise at least two blades 6. The latter extend parallel to one another.

At the time of cutting, the two blades 6A and 6B are lowered simultaneously, as previously mentioned, until slicing completely the dough 1. The chalking is performed in a similar manner on both sides of said blades 6A, 6B, at the level of the faces that will be in contact with the dough 1.

It will be noted that, for the readability of the figures, a space has been represented between the blades 6A and 6B. In reality, these can be juxtaposed without space between them. In particular, only one of the two blades 6A, the one located upstream is mounted movably transversely to the section, in the direction of advancement of the conveyor. Thus, the other blade 6B remains fixed and blocks the advance of the dough 1. Then the blade 6A returns in the low position against the blade 6B, to go together in the high position. Moreover, the opposite ends of the blades 6A and 6B allow, during this transverse movement, to close the funnel halves thus divided, keeping the flour inside thereof. According to another feature, in order to improve the sharpness of the cut of the dough 1, said cutting means 5 can be mounted movably in an additional displacement, namely that they move in an alternating longitudinal movement. This movement back and forth over the width of the conveyor allows, arrived in the lower part in contact with said conveyor, to slice the remaining dough nets 1.

According to yet another characteristic, said blade 6 (or 6B in the case of two blades 6A and 6B) comprises, mounted in translation along the latter, at least one point 9 of separation of the pulp residues. This point 9 moves against the blade 6, on the rear face, in contact with the belt of the conveyor, slicing the remains of dough 1 uncut by said blade 6.

Said tip 9 is particularly visible in the rear view of FIG. 1. It is mounted on a rod 10 extending along said blade 6. Said tip 9 thus slides along this rod 10.

Said tip 9 and its support rod 10 can also go back to the moment of the rise of the blade 6, being floured by the same principle as previously mentioned. The division according to the invention thus allows an improved volumetric division, through improved cutting and chalking tools provided for this purpose.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples illustrated and described above which may have variants and modifications without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. Device (4) for volumetric dough division (1) of bakery, pastry, pastry or the like for the formation of dough pieces (2), comprising a conveying medium (3) of said dough (1) to cutting means (5) in the form of at least one blade (6) in vertical displacement, said cutting means (5) comprising means (7) of chalking the dough (1) on each side of said blade (6), said chalking means (7) being actuated by the descent of said blade (6), characterized in that said chalking means (7) are in the form of at least one funnel for storing the flour, the converging walls (8) said funnel being movable so as to deviate under the action of the descent of the blade (6) and to tighten at the time of its ascent.

2. Device (4) division according to claim 1, characterized in that said blade (6) is movably mounted in an alternating longitudinal movement.

3. Device (4) division according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said blade (6) comprises, mounted in translation along the latter, at least one point (9) of separation of the pulp residues (1).

4. Device (4) division according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cutting means (5) are movably mounted in a transverse movement.