초록 ▼

An apparatus (10) for at least partially freezing a food product which is at least partly liquid in a batch mode is disclosed including a double screw extruder (12) including first and second, substantially intermeshing, self-wiping screws (14, 16) rotatably received in a figure 8-shaped barrel (30)

An apparatus (10) for at least partially freezing a food product which is at least partly liquid in a batch mode is disclosed including a double screw extruder (12) including first and second, substantially intermeshing, self-wiping screws (14, 16) rotatably received in a figure 8-shaped barrel (30) with minimal clearance. In the preferred form, the freezing block (20) includes multiple refrigerant channels (36) spaced closely and in the most preferred form spaced approximately 0.32 centimeters from the barrel (30) and from each other. Thus, the refrigeration system can change the barrel surface temperature rapidly and specifically in approximately one second when the food product is introduced into the barrel (30). A ratio between the radius of the flight (40) at the crest (42) to the radius at the root (38) of the screws (14, 16) is in the order of 1.04 to reduce the total amount of product in the barrel (30) at any given time and decreasing the product residence time in the extruder (12). In the most preferred form, the food product is aerated and is supplied in discrete volumes from at least one and preferably from multiple sources (48), with the supply of discrete volumes for individual servings being delayed to substantially prevent intermixing in the extruder (12).

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [18.] Device for at least partially freezing a food product which is at least partly liquid comprising, in combination: first and second substantially intermeshing screws, with each of the screws including a root having an outer periphery and a flight disposed on the root, with each fli

[ We claim:] [18.] Device for at least partially freezing a food product which is at least partly liquid comprising, in combination: first and second substantially intermeshing screws, with each of the screws including a root having an outer periphery and a flight disposed on the root, with each flight having a crest, a leading face, and a trailing face; a housing assembly including a barrel, an entrance port in fluid communication with the barrel, and an exit port in fluid communication with the barrel, with the barrel having a figure 8-shape for rotatably receiving the first and second screws and having a configuration and size providing minimal clearance between the crests of the flights and the barrel, with the crest of the flight of the first screw closely sweeping the root of the second screw and the crest of the flight of the second screw closely sweeping the root of the first screw and with the leading face of the flight of the first screw closely sweeping the trailing face of the flight of the second screw so that the first and second screws are self-wiping; means for simultaneously rotating the first and second screws received within the barrel; means for supplying the product into the entrance port; and means for chilling the barrel for freezing the product on the barrel for being continually scraped therefrom by the crests of the flights of the first and second screws while the product is being conveyed from the entrance port to the exit port by the rotation of the first and second screws with the product being at least partially frozen before passing through the exit port; wherein the chilling means comprises at least one refrigerant channel extending through the housing assembly; and wherein the housing assembly comprises, in combination: a freezing block having an upstream end and a downstream end; an inlet block removably secured to and covering the upstream end, with the inlet block including the entrance port; and an exit plate removably secured to and covering the downstream end, with the exit plate including the exit port, with the barrel extending from the downstream end to the upstream end, with the refrigerant channel located exclusively in the freezing block to allow removal of the inlet block and the exit plate from the freezing block without requiring the refrigerant channel being disconnected from the source of refrigerant.