Patent · US Expired

Method for impregnating porous material with liquid flavoring

US5656315A · kind A · utility

20Cited by
6References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 13, 1994
Grant dateAug 12, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 13, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA23L27/70
  • WIPO fieldFood chemistry
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A method for impregnating porous material with a liquid flavoring. The porous material comprises embossed sheets or disks of porous absorbent material, each of which is dispensed automatically onto a conveyor. Each individual disk is squirted automatically with a selected amount of liquid flavoring and then immediately packaged automatically. The selected amount of flavoring is less than the amount required to supersaturate the disk. Thus, by a passive capillary action, or "wicking" effect, dispersal of the flavoring liquid throughout the disk continues during the packaging step. This method reduces the amount of flavoring which is wasted in conventional impregnation methods. Further, the use of the capillary action to complete the saturation process allows the packaging to be commenced prior to completion of the saturation process and thereby substantially increases the speed with which the process can be completed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.