Apparatus and method for producing scored dough pieces

US11730169B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• General Mills, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Chad Arnall · Webb City, US
• Steven J. Cox · Orr, US
• Paul Henderson · Carlisle, GB
• Kara M. Hobart · New Hope, US
• Olivia Murch · Minneapolis, US
• Todd A. Rasmussen · North Branch, US
• Michael Snyder · Las Vegas, US
• Rodney W Worthy · Oronogo, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 3, 2020
• Grant date: Aug 22, 2023
• Expiry date: Oct 3, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A21D6/008
• WIPO field: Other special machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

Frozen un-proofed dough pieces are produced by pinching an upper skin of an un-proofed dough body to a lower skin and producing a score through the upper skin prior to freezing. The un-proofed dough pieces are formed by mass production, with an un-proofed dough sheet being cut to form dough strips which are then cut into the un-proofed dough pieces, with the score for each un-proofed dough piece being formed either before, during or after the individual un-proofed dough pieces are actually created, but before freezing.