초록 ▼

A coating such as liquid milk chocolate is applied to articles such as confectionery bars. The bars are conveyed by conveyor under a curtain of liquid chocolate issuing through an outlet slot in a trough. A layer of air is caused to flow through the outlet slot in the trough so as to modify the flow

A coating such as liquid milk chocolate is applied to articles such as confectionery bars. The bars are conveyed by conveyor under a curtain of liquid chocolate issuing through an outlet slot in a trough. A layer of air is caused to flow through the outlet slot in the trough so as to modify the flow characteristics of the curtain. The layer of air permits a curtain of even thickness to be achieved.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. An apparatus for coating an article, comprising: a trough for a liquid material, said trough having an opening configured to form a curtain from said liquid material for coating the article; a first gas layer defined between a first surface of said liquid material and s

The invention claimed is: 1. An apparatus for coating an article, comprising: a trough for a liquid material, said trough having an opening configured to form a curtain from said liquid material for coating the article; a first gas layer defined between a first surface of said liquid material and said trough in a region proximate said opening; and a temperature controller for controlling a gas temperature of said first gas layer so that said gas temperature is substantially equal to a liquid temperature of said liquid material. 2. The apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a moving device for generating relative movement between the article and said curtain so as to coat the article with said liquid material. 3. The apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a second gas layer acting on said curtain to induce a change a direction of said curtain and/or a physical property of said liquid material forming said curtain. 4. The apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a second gas layer defined between a second surface of said liquid material and said trough in said region. 5. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said liquid material is a non-Newtonian liquid material. 6. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said liquid material is a Newtonian liquid material. 7. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said liquid material is chocolate. 8. The apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said liquid material is a non-Newtonian liquid material. 9. The apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said liquid material is a Newtonian liquid material. 10. The apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said liquid material is chocolate. 11. An apparatus for coating an article, comprising: a liquid supply trough having a pair of V-shaped walls ending at an outlet slot through which a liquid material can flow under the action of gravity to form a curtain of the liquid material for coating the article; an additional wall in said liquid supply trough, said additional wall being inclined at an acute angle relative to a first wall of said pair of V-shaped walls, said additional wall terminating a predetermined distance above said outlet slot to define an air-admission slot; and a source of pressurized air in fluid communication with said air-admission slot so that a first gas layer can be defined between a first surface of the liquid material and a portion of said first wall between said outlet slot and said air-admission slot. 12. The apparatus as in claim 11, further comprising a second additional wall in said liquid supply trough, said second additional wall being inclined at said acute angle relative to a second wall of said pair of V-shaped walls, said second additional wall terminating said predetermined distance above said outlet slot to define a second air-admission slot, said second air-admission slot being in fluid communication with said source of pressurized air so that the first gas layer can be defined between a second surface of the liquid material and a portion of said second wall between said outlet slot and said second air-admission slot. 13. The apparatus as in claim 11, further comprising a moving device for generating relative movement between the article and said curtain so as to coat the article with the liquid material. 14. The apparatus as in claim 11, further comprising a temperature controller for controlling a gas temperature of the first gas layer so that said gas temperature is substantially equal to a liquid temperature of the liquid material. 15. An apparatus for coating an article, comprising: a trough having an opening configured to form a curtain of liquid material for coating the article; a gas-admission slot in said trough above said opening; and a source of pressurized gas in fluid communication with said gas-admission slot so that said gas-admission slot is configured to insert a first gas layer between a first surface of the liquid material and a surface of said trough proximate said opening. 16. The apparatus as in claim 15, further comprising a temperature controller for controlling a temperature of said first gas layer so that said temperature is substantially equal to a temperature of said liquid material. 17. The apparatus as in claim 15, further comprising a second gas-admission slot in said trough above said opening, said source of pressurized gas being in fluid communication with said second gas-admission slot so that said second gas-admission slot is configured to insert a second gas layer between a second surface of the liquid material and a second surface of said trough proximate said opening. 18. The apparatus as in claim 17, further comprising a temperature controller for controlling a temperature of said first and second gas layers so that said temperature is substantially equal to a temperature of said liquid material. 19. The apparatus as in claim 15, further comprising a moving device for generating relative movement between the article and said curtain so as to coat the article with said liquid material. 20. The apparatus as in claim 15, wherein said liquid material is chocolate.