Patent Application
20120148715
The present invention is related to apparatus designed for the preparation of confectionaries and is more particularly directed to the coating, or dipping, of fruits such as strawberries with chocolate.
The coating of strawberries is typically done by hand in which each berry is partially submerged in liquid chocolate. Complete coating of strawberries is inhibited by the strawberry leaves, or leaflets, which usually have oval or serrated leaves in a five petal arrangement.
Such leaves are snuggly abutting the strawberry, which makes full coating difficult. On the other hand, promotion of a good chocolate coat is found by the density of the fruit and seeds, which help keep the chocolate more tight and contained to the berry.
The present invention is directed to a dipping system for coating of stemmed fruit, such as strawberries.
In accordance with the present invention, a conveyer may be provided for transporting stemmed fruit from a loading station to a receiving station and a UV station may be disposed between the loading and receiving stations for surface microbial disinfection of the stemmed fruit carried by the conveyer prior to coating.
A dipping station is provided and disposed between the UV and receiving stations and includes a heated coating reservoir. Coating of the fruit occurs upon passage of the conveyer, carrying the fruit, over the heated coating reservoir.
Importantly, fruit holding clips are provided for suspending the fruit from the conveyer and enabling coating of the fruit without submersion of the fruit clips, fruit leaves, or the conveyer in the coating reservoir.
With stemmed fruit, such as strawberries, each holding clip includes a spaced apart upper and lower bracket with the upper bracket having a slot for removably securing a fruit stem proximate an end thereof and the lower bracket having a slot for removably securing the fruit proximate the fruit with leaves disposed atop the lower bracket to prevent coating of the leaves during dipping.
Preferably, the upper and lower brackets are parallel with one another and each have slots at opposing ends thereof. A rod may be provided and attached to the conveyer belt for supporting the upper and lower brackets in the spaced apart arrangement.
A reservoir pulley may be provided for guiding the conveyer toward the reservoir to a point wherein the strawberry fruit is submerged and coated without submerging strawberry leaves or the lower bracket. A depth adjuster is provided and connected to the reservoir pulley for adjusting guidance of the conveyer toward the reservoir in order to adjust an amount of submersion of the strawberries into the coating reservoir.
It follows that a method in accordance with the present invention provides for coating of stemmed fruit by providing a fruit holding clip having an upper bracket with a slot for removably receiving a fruit stem proximate an end thereof and a lower bracket spaced apart from the upper bracket which includes a slot for removably securing the fruit stein proximate the fruit with leaves disposed atop the lower bracket.
The method then further includes inserting the fruit stem proximate one end thereof into the upper bracket slot and inserting the fruit stem proximate the fruit into the lower bracket slot with the fruit leaves disposed atop of the lower bracket and thereafter using the clip to dip the fruit into the coating.
The advantages and features of the present invention will be better understood by the following description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
With reference to
A UV (ultraviolet) station 50 is disposed on the frame 46 between the loading station 38 and receiving station 42, which includes a conventional UV bulbs for surface microbial disinfection of the fruit 34 carried therethrough by the conveyer 16. A dipping station 54 includes a coating reservoir 58 held to a selected temperature by a heating element 62. The reservoir 58 may be of conventional design with a drain 66 for removal of the coating 70 from the reservoir 58 as needed.
With particular reference to
More specifically, with continued reference to
As best shown in
A depth adjuster 118 connected to a pulley axle 122 is provided for adjusting the guidance of the conveyer 16 toward the reservoir 58 by way of a depth adjuster wheel 124 and screw 126.
Although there has been hereinabove described a specific berry dipper and method in accordance with the present invention for the purpose of illustrating the manner in which the invention may be used to advantage, it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited thereto. That is, the present invention may suitably comprise, consist of or consist essentially of the recited elements. Further, the invention illustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element which is not specifically disclosed herein.
Accordingly, any and all modifications, variations or equivalent arrangements which may occur to those skilled in the art, should be considered to be within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.
