Patent Application
20230217934
The invention pertains to the art of food and, more particularly, to sheeted dough products and to their apparatus for and methods of production.
Due to the time demands placed on consumers by the everyday activities of modern life, the preparation of food products from scratch has decreased and the popularity of premade or partially premade foods has increased dramatically. Such products include pre-made dough in sheeted form that is ready-to-bake (or that is frozen and just needs to be thawed before baking). Examples of pre-made dough sheets include pie crust dough sheets, pizza crust dough sheets and crescent roll dough sheets. Typically, sheets of dough are formed (e.g., between rollers) and usually undergo further processing (e.g., cutting) before they are packaged and refrigerated or frozen. In the case of pre-made pie crust dough sheets, oval or circular pieces are typically cut from a sheet of pie dough and sized so as to fit in conventional pie pans and the oval or circular pieces are rolled up and packaged. Similarly, in the case of pre-made pizza dough sheets, circular or rectangular pieces are cut and sized to fit conventional baking sheets and the pieces are rolled up and packaged. However, consumers may desire to make unconventionally sized and/or shaped foods using pre-made dough (e.g., mini-pies or mini-pizzas).
The present invention provides a product, and a method and an apparatus for making a product, that gives consumers enhanced flexibility in creating food items from pre-made sheeted dough. In particular, the present invention provides a readily dividable dough sheet piece and a method and apparatus for making such a dividable dough sheet piece. More specifically, a dough sheet piece cut from a dough sheet is defined by a perimeter and has a plurality of sub-pieces defined within the perimeter. Each sub-piece of the dividable dough sheet piece is defined by one or more lines of structural weakness. The lines of structural weakness provide predetermined breaking or separation points within the dividable dough sheet piece. As such, the dividable dough sheet piece can be used as a whole or can be divided (via the lines of structural weakness) into the pre-defined sub-pieces for alternative use.
The dividable dough sheet piece is preferably cut from a dough sheet and made from a dough suitable for making a pie crust or a pizza crust. However, other doughs, such as doughs for other refrigerated or frozen sheeted dough products, can be used to form the dividable dough sheet piece. Preferably, the perimeter of the dividable dough sheet piece defines an oval or circle. However, other shapes can be defined by the perimeter in accordance with the present invention (e.g., various polygon shapes). The lines of structural weakness in the dividable dough sheet piece can define a various number of sub-pieces (e.g., seven) and can define sub-pieces of various shapes (e.g., a hexagon or other polygonal shape). The lines of structural weakness can be score lines and/or include perforations. Dough trimmings can exist external to the defined sub-pieces of the dividable dough sheet piece and can be repurposed (e.g., reshaped as decorative topping) by the consumer after the sub-pieces are separated therefrom.
In some embodiments, the dividable dough sheet piece is made from dough suitable for making pie crust. A pie crust can be prepared by placing the dough sheet piece as a whole (i.e., with its sub-pieces and any trimmings intact) into a pie pan. Alternatively, the sub-pieces of the dough sheet piece can be separated therefrom along their respective lines of weakness and individually placed into cups of a muffin tin to prepare mini-pie crusts.
In other embodiments, the dividable dough sheet piece is made of dough suitable for making pizza crust. The intact dough sheet piece can be used to prepare a pizza crust or the sub-pieces thereof can be separated and used to prepare mini-pizza crusts.
In one embodiment, the dividable dough sheet piece is made from a dough sheet which is transported by a conveyor system and passes beneath a rotary cutter configured to repeatedly cut dough pieces from the dough sheet. Preferably, each full rotation of the rotary cutter results in one dough sheet piece being cut from the dough sheet. The rotary cutter includes a shaft and a plurality of blades extending radially outward from the shaft and being curved around the circumference of the shaft. An outer blade defines and encloses an interior area and inner blades are located in the interior area. The outer blade is configured to cut individual dividable dough sheet pieces from the dough sheet (i.e., cut to form the outer perimeter of each dividable dough sheet piece). Each of the inner blades includes a plurality of teeth configured to create the lines of structural weakness within the dividable dough sheet piece. Preferably, the teeth score (to form score lines) or perforate the dough sheet piece to create the lines of structural weakness at the same time the dough sheet piece is being cut from the dough sheet by the outer blade. The inner blades of the rotary cutter are arranged to form the number (e.g., seven) and shapes (e.g., hexagon) of the sub-pieces of the dividable dough piece. In other embodiments, multiple cutter devices are spaced along the conveyor to sequentially perform the functions of the inner and outer blades.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding structure in the various views.
Detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention. In addition, any numerical value listed herein modified by the word “about” includes a margin of error of +/−10%. Additionally, as used in connection with the present invention, terms such as “perpendicular” do not necessarily require, for example, that the relevant items be perfectly parallel. Instead, these terms include a margin of error of +/−5° (regardless of whether the error is by design or due to inherent manufacturing limitations) so long as the error does not prevent the present invention from functioning as intended. The modifier “substantially” increases the margin of error to +/−10°.
With initial reference to
In accordance with the invention, dividable dough sheet piece 1 has lines of structural weakness 3 that define a plurality of sub-pieces 6. In the embodiment shown in
Lines of structural weakness 3 provide pre-determined breaking points within dough sheet piece 1 that are optionally employed by a consumer to separate sub-pieces 6 from a remainder of dough sheet piece 1 as discussed further below. Lines of structural weakness 3 can be score lines and/or include perforations. Score lines are cuts in the surface of the dough sheet piece and do not extend completely through the dough sheet piece. Score lines may be continuous or broken (i.e., a series of disconnected cut segments). Contrasted with score lines, perforations extend through the dough sheet piece. If a line of structural weakness 3 includes perforations, the perforations may be a series of spaced perforations with certain perforation lines being common to multiple sub-pieces 6 as shown in
In the embodiment shown in
In
In
Again, dough sheet 30 is preferably made from a dough suitable for making a pie crust or a pizza crust. However, other doughs, such as doughs for other refrigerated dough products, can be used to make dough sheet 30. Also preferably, dough sheet 30 is made using wheat flour. However, dough sheet 30 can be made using one or more types of known flours (e.g., gluten-free flour), as desired. Further, it should be recognized that the width of dough sheet 30 can vary.
Dough sheet 30 passes beneath a rotary cutter 40, which is configured to repeatedly cut dough pieces 1 from dough sheet 30 as dough sheet 30 is transported in direction 33. For example,
Rotary cutter 40 is configured such that contact between rotary cutter 40 and dough sheet 30 or conveyor belt 36 causes rotary cutter 40 to rotate in a direction 45 as dough sheet 30 and conveyor belt 36 travel in direction 33. Alternatively, a motor and transmission (collectively labeled 48) can be provided for causing rotary cutter 40 to be positively driven to rotate in direction 45. In either case, each full rotation of rotary cutter 40 results in one dough piece 1 being cut from dough sheet 30. Although not mandatory, it has been found beneficial from a strength standpoint to arrange rotary cutter 40 as depicted such that a leading edge of the first dough sub-piece 6 in the direction of travel is a flat edge 3 (generally perpendicular to the direction of travel) versus having a point or area between adjacent dough pieces leading.
At this point, it should be understood that the terms “polygonal”, “hexagonal”, “elliptical”, “circular”, “circle”, “oval”, “hexagon”, “polygon” or the like confer general geometric shapes only in accordance with the invention. By way of example, stating that each sub-piece 6 has the shape of a hexagon does not mean that each peripheral section is perfectly straight or that each section has the same exact wall dimensions. In fact, since dough sheet 30 is under some tension as it moves along conveyor 36, there will inherently be some initial expansion or stretching of the dough, followed by a contraction after each dough piece 1 is formed. Therefore, somewhat “elongated” hexagons can be establish in an oval or elliptical dough piece 1, with the knowledge that the cut dough piece 1 will contract, resulting in a final product which will be closer to circular overall, along with dough sub-pieces 6 which are closer to hexagonal overall. Preferably the ratio of the dimension of dough piece 1 in the direction of travel to the dimension of dough piece 1 perpendicular to the direction of travel will actually be in the range of about 1.00-1.20, depending on sheeting line operational parameters and dough formulation, while still resulting in a final, generally circular dough piece 1. Certainly, employing such elongated cutting dimensions in making circular pie crusts is known in the art, with the invention adapting this concept, by extension, for use in connection with forming dough sub-pieces 6. In any case, dough sheet 30 with various dough pieces 1 cut therein is further processed and dough pieces 1 are packaged. For example, dough pieces 1 are separated from dough sheet 30 and are rolled (e.g., individually or in stacked pairs) and placed in packages (e.g., spiral-wound cylinder) in rolled form. However, alternative or additional processing and packaging can be employed after dough pieces 1 are cut from dough sheet 30, depending on the manufacturer's needs.
Rotary cutter 40 further includes a plurality of blades 65 and 70 extending radially outward from shaft 50 and being curved around the circumference of shaft 50. More specifically, an outer peripheral blade 65 defines and encloses an interior area 66. Inner blades 70 are located in interior area 66. Outer blade 65 is configured to cut dough pieces (e.g., dough pieces 1) from dough sheet 30. In other words, the location of the cut performed by outer blade 65 in dough sheet 30 corresponds to the outer perimeter of the resulting dough piece 1 (e.g., outer perimeter 2). As shown, outer blade 65 is shaped so as to cut an oval dough piece. However, in other embodiments, outer blade 65 can be shaped to cut non-oval dough pieces (e.g., circular pieces).
In the embodiment shown, each of inner blades 70 includes a plurality of spaced teeth 71. Teeth 71 are configured to create lines of structural weakness 3 within dividable dough sheet piece 1. In particular, teeth 71 perforate dough sheet pieces 1 at the same time that dough sheet pieces 1 are being cut from dough sheet 30 by outer blade 65. Teeth 71 can also be used to make score lines, and contiguous cutting edges could be employed for this purpose. Again, for purposes of the invention, score lines are cuts in the surface of the dough sheet piece 1 and do not extend completely through the dough sheet piece 1. Score lines may be continuous or broken (i.e., a series of disconnected cut segments). Contrasted with score lines, perforations extend through the dough sheet piece. Preferably, if teeth 71 are to form lines of structural weakness 3 that include perforations, the perforations are formed as a series of disconnected perforations that create a narrow web of dough between sub-pieces 6. Teeth 71 shown in
In the embodiment of
Based on the above, it should be readily apparent that the present invention provides a dough sheet piece that provides consumers with the option of easily separating therefrom dough sub-pieces depending on the consumer's desired end product, as well as an apparatus and method for producing the dough sheet piece and method for using the dough sheet piece. While certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have been set forth, it should be understood that various changes or modifications could be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the functions performed by inner and outer blades 65 and 70 need not be performed simultaneously as in the embodiment described above. Instead, these operations could be performed sequentially, such as with one cutting or forming unit located downstream of another cutting or forming unit along the conveyor. One potential alternative embodiment along these lines is represented in
