WO2015041559A1 - Device for producing caramelised popcorn - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to equipment for the food industry, in particular, to devices for producing popcorn (popped corn) coated with caramel. The device for producing caramelised popcorn comprises, arranged on a frame with vertical posts, a caramelizer vessel with an agitator and an electric motor for driving the agitator, a mesh conveyor with a reversible electric motor, a fan, and containers for the finished popcorn and nonconforming product. The caramelizer is mounted on the vertical posts and is capable of rotating about a horizontal axis. The mesh conveyor is mounted on an incline and the lower end thereof is situated under the caramelizer, and the fan is situated at the upper end of the conveyor under the mesh thereof. The container for the finished popcorn is situated at the lower end of the conveyor, and the container for the nonconforming product is situated under the mesh conveyor in the middle part thereof.

Description

 A device for making caramelized popcorn

The invention relates to equipment for the food industry, in particular to devices for the preparation of popcorn (popcorn) coated with caramel.

 One of the tasks that popcorn producers have to solve is to prevent sticking and pelletizing of caramelized popcorn, which is facilitated by the high stickiness of hot caramel mass.

 In the caramelization device according to GB 937070, 1963, caramelized popcorn grains are coated after thoroughly mixing the popcorn with the caramel powder components directly in the caramelizer and then blowing the resulting mixture with hot air. After the process is complete, the caramelizer tank is emptied by turning around the horizontal axis, while the finished product is poured into the receiving tray located below. Ancillary equipment to ensure uniform distribution of the starting components and blowing the caramelizer significantly complicates and increases the cost of the device and complicates its use.

 In devices where popcorn is mixed with hot liquid caramel mass, forced cooling of the finished product is required until the stickiness disappears with protection of sticking of the popcorn grains during cooling. A known apparatus for cooling caramelized popcorn, containing a chamber with a loading funnel and an outlet tray, and a mesh shaft and a vibrating sieve located in the chamber, which is blown from below by air (Gulyaev V.N. Technology of food concentrates - M .: “Light and food industry ". 1981, p. 159). A separate device requires, before starting work, its linking with the caramelizer. In addition, personnel working with vibration devices has limitations imposed by safety requirements.

 The present invention allows to combine in one device the caramelizer itself and the device for cooling caramelized popcorn. In addition, the invention makes it possible to automate the loading of popcorn and the unloading of caramelized popcorn.

A device for preparing caramelized popcorn includes a container-caramelizer placed on a frame with vertical racks with an agitator and an electric motor for the agitator. On the same frame, a mesh conveyor with reversible electric motor, fan and containers for ready-made popcorn and for a substandard product. The caramelizer (caramelizer tank) is mounted on vertical racks with the possibility of rotation (tipping) relative to the horizontal axis. The mesh conveyor (conveyor with mesh belt) is installed obliquely and its lower end is placed under the caramelizer. A fan is located under the conveyor grid at its upper end. A container for ready-made popcorn is located at the lower end of the conveyor, and a container for non-conditioned product is located under the mesh conveyor in its middle part.

 The invention is illustrated by drawings.

 In FIG. 1 schematically shows a device for preparing caramelized popcorn (without a tank for semi-finished popcorn), front view, side view and top view. The drawing shows the movement of popcorn during cooling.

 In FIG. 2 - the device according to the invention in the process of unloading the finished product.

 FIG. 3 - a device for making caramelized popcorn with a tank for a semi-finished product, front view and top view.

 FIG. 4 a-g - successive stages of the operation of the device according to the invention.

 Positions in the drawings indicate the following details of the proposed device and some characteristics of its operation:

1 - caramelizer

 2 - caramelizer mixer electric motor

 3 - axis of rotation of the caramelizer

 4 - container for ready popcorn

 5 - conveyor frame

6 - fan

 7 - conveyor motor

 8 - drive shaft of the conveyor

 9 - capacity for substandard product

 10 - guide for idle conveyor branches

11 - guide for the working branch of the conveyor

 12 - transportation net

 13 - scraper

 14 - mesh tension device

 15 - ready popcorn

16 - direction of movement of the working branch of the conveyor 17 - chain or belt drive

 18 - substandard product

 19 - caramelizer mixer

 20 - air flow direction

21 - tank for semi-finished popcorn

 22 - tank tipping device frame

 23 - spring for tipping the tank

 24 - electromagnet for fixing the tank

 25 - tank handle

26 - spring for tipping the caramelizer tank

 27 - caramelizer handle

 28 — prefabricated popcorn

 29 - caramelized popcorn

 30 - bracket

31 - axis rotary tank

The preparation of caramelized popcorn takes place in caramelizer 1. The caramelizer according to the heating principle can be gas or electric. The caramelizer (caramelizer boiler) 1 is placed vertically and the ingredients for caramel preparation (sugar, water, oil, flavorings) are poured into it. With slow stirring with a stirrer, the caramel is heated to 150-170 ° C. As a rule, the caramel level in the caramelizer is about 5 cm. After the caramel is heated to the desired temperature, open popcorn is added to it and stirring is continued. The caramelizer is filled with popcorn about two-thirds of the volume. After the popcorn is mixed and evenly coated with caramel, the boiler is knocked over and the popcorn is poured onto the transport net. The mesh belt of the conveyor is driven by a reversible electric motor connected to the conveyor by a belt or chain transmission. The conveyor is installed with an inclination at an angle of 20-30 °, and its ends can additionally bend up. The mesh size of the mesh tape is selected so that the caramelized popcorn does not fall into it. Broken and crumbled grains of popcorn on the conveyor belt are not held and fall through the mesh cells into a container for a substandard product. Caramelized popcorn is carried away by the mesh belt of the conveyor, rises along its curved part and falls back to the straight section. In this case, an active collision of the parts of the caramel mass occurs and its separation into individual grains. A fan blows air while still hot caramelized popcorn, thereby speeding up the process of cooling it.

 After cooling and separation of the popcorn grains, the reversible electric motor drives the conveyor in the opposite direction, and caramelized popcorn is poured into the container for the finished popcorn. After this, the product preparation cycle can be started anew.

 Another embodiment of the conveyor is with automatic loading of popcorn and unloading of caramelized popcorn.

 This conveyor design allows you to fully automate the process of preparing popcorn. The operator needs to approach only once to load raw materials and unload the finished product. This design works as follows. The operator loads the popcorn semi-finished product 28 into the tank 21, puts the mixture for caramelization in caramelizer 1 (Fig. 4 A) and starts the process. As soon as the mixture has warmed up to the required temperature (in the range of 150 - 170 ° С), the tank with popcorn is automatically loaded into the boiler (Fig. 4B). After this, there is an automatic mixing process, which lasts 1 to 3 minutes (Fig. 4B). As soon as mixing is completed, the caramelizer automatically capsizes, and the caramelized popcorn 29 enters the net 12 for subsequent cooling (Fig. 4G). The cooling process is described in detail above. After a set time of 2 to 5 minutes, the cooling process ends, and the popcorn is unloaded in a container 4 for ready popcorn. After that, the operator needs to pick up the finished popcorn, return the caramelizer and the tank to its original position, load the popcorn semi-finished product and the mixture and restart the process.

 The device of this design option. An arm 30 is mounted on the main frame 5 of the conveyor (FIG. 3). An axis 31 is mounted on the arm 30, on which the tipping device frame 22 is fixed. A popcorn tank 21 is mounted in the frame 22. Using a torsion spring 23, the tank 21 tilts. In the horizontal position, the frame 22 is fixed by means of an electromagnet 24. The tank 21 goes into a tilting state automatically as soon as the electromagnet is switched off. In order to return the tank 21 to a vertical position, the operator must turn it back with the help of the handle 25. An electromagnet locks the frame. The caramelizer 1 itself works in a similar way. A torsion spring 26 is installed on the axis 3, which tilts the caramelizer 1. In the upright position, the caramelizer 1 is also fixed using an electromagnet. To return the caramelizer 1 to its original vertical position, the handle 27 is intended.

Claims

Claim  1. A device for preparing caramelized popcorn includes a container-caramelizer with a stirrer and an electric motor for a mixer placed on a frame with vertical racks, a mesh conveyor with a reversible electric motor, a fan and containers for ready-made popcorn and for a substandard product, and caramel the jam is mounted on vertical racks with the possibility of rotation relative to the horizontal axis, the mesh conveyor is installed obliquely and its lower end is placed under the caramelizer, and under the conveyor grid a fan is placed at its upper end, a container for ready-made popcorn is placed at the lower end of the conveyor, and a container for non-conditioned product is placed under the mesh conveyor in its middle part.  2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a tank for semi-finished popcorn, mounted on a vertical rack with a bracket with the possibility of rotation relative to the horizontal axis.  3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that a scraper is installed above the surface of the mesh conveyor at its upper end.  4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that its frame is provided for moving with rollers or wheels.