Roberto Capodieci of Mars last Tuesday secured US patent 6210728: Ultrasonic forming of confectionery products. This is an improvement over his 1999 patent  5871783 for the same end-use, and 5928695 which proposes ultrasound as a clean, continuous slitter.


In this latest, he moves from silhouette to 3D to texture, all using ultrasound.


Current Competition in this field:
Ackermann
, Plasta Fiber Industries, Idemitsu Kosan, Nestlé, and Wrigley, and for ultrasonics QST Industries,and 3M.


Abstract:



    The invention provides for the manufacture of food products. In one preferred form, methods and apparatus are provided for cutting individual confectionery products from a slab or strip of product material into a product with a particular silhouette. In another form, the invention provides methods and apparatus for both cutting and forming individual confectionery products from strips or ropes. The process can be used for simply forming products from pre-cut segments or other blanks of confectionery material, including imparting a relatively precise texture, finish or detail to such products. The products may, but need not, be subsequently enrobed in chocolate or another coating. The confectionery material may also include candied fruit bits, dry fruits, nuts, or the like.

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First of 16 Claims:


A method of forming a plurality of individual confectionery products each having a desired three dimensional shape and desired surface finish, said method including providing a pair of opposed ultrasonic product forming tools each having a product forming cavity in its end face, each of said cavities having an interior with a desired shape and surface finish and each being defined in part by margins forming at least one cutting edge portion,  positioning said pair of forming tools with said cavities in opposed facing relation and spaced apart by a predetermined distance,  continually advancing a confectionery feedstock from a supply source and over a support surface along a given feed path at a predetermined continuous feedstock advancing rate,  periodically lengthening said feed path by moving said support surface in a direction opposite the direction of said advancing feedstock at a rate equal to said feedstock advancing rate, thereby rendering said feedstock  immobile for a given duration, and during said given duration, contacting a portion of said feedstock with said at least one cutting edge portion and said cavity interiors to cut and form a finished piece, and subsequently withdrawing said tools from each other and moving said support surface in the direction of said feedstock advance so as to shorten said feed path by an amount equal to the amount said feed path was previously lengthened; and  repeating the above steps to form a plurality of individual confectionery products.


By Navroz Havewala, just-food.com correspondent