초록 ▼

The triple coextrusion of snack food products having highly uniform and integral individual layers is achieved by the use of a compact, precisely toleranced coextrusion die which may be mounted at the outlet end of a cooker extruder. The coextrusion die includes a die block with smooth, unobstructed

The triple coextrusion of snack food products having highly uniform and integral individual layers is achieved by the use of a compact, precisely toleranced coextrusion die which may be mounted at the outlet end of a cooker extruder. The coextrusion die includes a die block with smooth, unobstructed flow passages for each material. The outer passages for the casing material are substantially coaxial with the central axis of the die block and extend from end to end. A central bore and an annular passage having their central axes aligned with the central axis of the die block at its outlet end extend upstream to filler feed ports. The feed port entrances are at the outer surface of the die block between its ends. The side ports and filler feed lines connected to them do not interfere with a substantially straight flow path of casing material directly from a cooker extruder. A protruding tip formed at the outlet end of the die block by the bore and annular passage extends into a converging block or cone. The separate streams of casing material from the outer passages of the die block converge or reform in the cone into a seamless, unitary annular outer casing layer enrobing the outer filler, which enrobes the inner filler. The small diameter extrudate rope may be continuously shaped into small diameter snack products in a post-extrusion process such as crimping or molding with no substantial excess or waste.

대표청구항 ▼

A method for preparing a triple co-extrudate having an outer layer enrobing two fillers, comprising: supplying a flow of an outer layer material into an inlet end of a die block, wherein said flow is oriented substantially coaxially with a central axis of the die block and comprises at least two str

A method for preparing a triple co-extrudate having an outer layer enrobing two fillers, comprising: supplying a flow of an outer layer material into an inlet end of a die block, wherein said flow is oriented substantially coaxially with a central axis of the die block and comprises at least two streams exiting an outlet end of the die block, and supplying a flow of a first filler material into the die block through a first feed port having an entrance at an outer surface of the die block and between the inlet and outlet end of the die block, wherein said flow of first filler material exits the outlet end of the die block through a bore having a central axis aligned with the central axis of the die block, and supplying a flow of a second filler material into the die block through a second feed port having an entrance at the outer surface of the die block and between the inlet and outlet end of the die block, wherein said flow of second filler material exits the outlet end of the die block through an annular passage surrounding said bore and having a central axis aligned with the central axis of the die block.