Pin-less socket for frozen confections

US7730831B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• NESTEC S.A. · CH

Inventors

• Christian Mange · Dublin, US
• Matthias Ruppert · Frebershausen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 25, 2005
• Grant date: Jun 8, 2010
• Expiry date: Jan 8, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T24/44966
• WIPO field: Food chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A pin-less socket apparatus and manufacturing system for assembling a frozen confection using such socket apparatus including a socket for accepting a conical food product therein, the socket having a hook with one or more teeth located at an outer periphery of the socket, a hinge located on an outside of the socket, the hook movably attached to the socket via the hinge, a force mechanism for holding the hook in place against the socket. The force mechanism takes the form of either an annular spring or O-ring located around the socket and hook or a linear spring attached to the hook in a lever-type manner. The manufacturing system includes a coating area for coating a wafer cone with a moisture-resistant layer, a filling area having a filler for inserting a semi-frozen confection into the wafer cone, a cooling area for accepting the wafer cone with the semi-frozen confection and including a hardening tunnel for freezing the wafer cone and the semi-frozen confection, and a dipping area including more than one pin-less socket apparatus for accepting the wafer cone and moving the wafer cone through a dipping bin. Within the system, the coating, filling, cooling, and dipping areas may …