Process and apparatus for forming a wave chip product

US7332189B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• KRAFT FOODS HOLDINGS, INC. · US

Inventors

• Mihaelos N. Mihalos · Palisades Park, US
• Theodore N. Janulis · Dover, US
• Chris E. Robinson · Sparta, US
• Carol Wines · Longmont, US
• Allison Antonini · Union, US
• Joseph Fierro · Marathon, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 1, 2003
• Grant date: Feb 19, 2008
• Expiry date: Dec 4, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A23L7/117
• WIPO field: Food chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Thin snack chips having a curved or wave shape are obtained by forming, shaping or curling baked chips into a curved or wave configuration before they become too cold and rigid so as to result in breakage during forming. The essentially flat, malleable baked chips, still hot from baking in an oven may be continuously transported on a conveyer belt into a nip or gap formed between the conveyer belt and a rotating forming roller to curve or curl the malleable baked chips around the roller. The malleable baked chips are subjected to a guided curtain of air to cool and set the chips in a curved or wave configuration and to remove or blow the curved or wave chips off of the rotating forming roller onto the conveyor belt.