Patents by Inventor Erhard Hilker

Erhard Hilker has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9538773
    Abstract: An apparatus (1) for producing cores (33) of a fat-containing confectionery mass includes a molding apparatus (20) and a separate cooling apparatus (5). The molding apparatus (20) is cooled and serves to mold the cores (33). The molding apparatus (20) includes two molding rollers (23, 24) including a multitude of impressions (25). The molding rollers (23, 24) are driven in opposite directions. The impressions (25) hold the liquid confectionery mass flowing into the impressions (25) to form the cores (33). The cooling apparatus (5) includes a cooling roller (6) and is arranged upstream of the molding apparatus (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: CHOCOTECH GMBH
    Inventors: Birk Hochapfel, Erhard Hilker
  • Publication number: 20140030410
    Abstract: An apparatus (1) for producing cores (33) of a fat-containing confectionery mass includes a molding apparatus (20) and a separate cooling apparatus (5). The molding apparatus (20) is cooled and serves to mold the cores (33). The molding apparatus (20) includes two molding rollers (23, 24) including a multitude of impressions (25). The molding rollers (23, 24) are driven in opposite directions. The impressions (25) hold the liquid confectionery mass flowing into the impressions (25) to form the cores (33). The cooling apparatus (5) includes a cooling roller (6) and is arranged upstream of the molding apparatus (20).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Inventors: Birk Hochapfel, Erhard Hilker
  • Patent number: 8178149
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus (100, 100?) serve to continuously produce fruit leather from a fruit mass. The fruit leather does not include added sugar or fat. The fruit mass includes a share of dry substance of at least 50% and a share of water. The fruit mass exposed to vacuum is cooked for less than one minute in a way to reduce the share of water in the fruit mass to increase the share of dry substance in the fruit mass to approximately between 80% to 90%. The fruit mass is then formed to attain the fruit leather.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Chocotech GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Fleisch, Erhard Hilker, Klaus Markwardt
  • Patent number: 7698995
    Abstract: An apparatus (100, 100?) for thermally treating a confectionery mass includes a housing (1) having an approximately vertical axis (2), a core (3) being located in the housing (1) and being arranged in an approximately concentric way with respect to the axis (2) of the housing (1), a plurality of tubes (12) being located in the housing (1), each of the tubes (12) having an approximately vertical axis and being designed and arranged for a tempering medium to flow through them, and at least one deflecting element (13) being designed and arranged to connect the housing (1) to the core (3) such that a flow path of the confectionary mass through the apparatus (100, 100?) is determined, the flow path extending in a transverse direction with respect to the tubes (12), at least a part of the deflecting element (13) having a helical shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Chocotech GmbH
    Inventors: Lucian Demmel, Erhard Hilker, Klaus Markwardt
  • Publication number: 20090260565
    Abstract: An apparatus (1) serves for continuously producing a laminated confectionary mass (14), especially halva, from a base mass (11) and a separating mass (12). The apparatus (1) includes a stator (2) and a rotor (3) being arranged to rotate in the stator (2). An inlet (10) serves to introduce the base mass (11) and the separating mass (12). The rotor (3) does not include a center shaft such that a free space (17, 26) being located in a center portion of the apparatus (1) and being surrounded by the rotor (3) is formed. The rotor (3) includes a plurality of elements (16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 30) to combine the base mass (11) and the separating mass (12) and to coat the base mass (11) with the separating mass (12) to attain the laminated confectionary mass (14), to extract the laminated confectionary mass (14) in the free space (17, 26) and to convey the extracted laminated confectionary mass (14) along a processing path (13) extending in an longitudinal direction of the apparatus (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: CHOCOTECH GMBH
    Inventors: Jens FLEISCH, Alexander PREISLER, Erhard HILKER
  • Publication number: 20090169694
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus (100, 100?) serve to continuously produce fruit leather from a fruit mass. The fruit leather does not include added sugar or fat. The fruit mass includes a share of dry substance of at least 50% and a share of water. The fruit mass exposed to vacuum is cooked for less than one minute in a way to reduce the share of water in the fruit mass to increase the share of dry substance in the fruit mass to approximately between 80% to 90%. The fruit mass is then formed to attain the fruit leather.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: CHOCOTECH GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Fleisch, Erhard Hilker, Klaus Markwardt
  • Publication number: 20040253364
    Abstract: An apparatus (100, 100′) for thermally treating a confectionery mass includes a housing (1) having an approximately vertical axis (2), a core (3) being located in the housing (1) and being arranged in an approximately concentric way with respect to the axis (2) of the housing (1), a plurality of tubes (12) being located in the housing (1), each of the tubes (12) having an approximately vertical axis and being designed and arranged for a tempering medium to flow through them, and at least one deflecting element (13) being designed and arranged to connect the housing (1) to the core (3) such that a flow path of the confectionary mass through the apparatus (100, 100′) is determined, the flow path extending in a transverse direction with respect to the tubes (12), at least a east a part of the deflecting element (13) having a helical shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventors: Lucian Demmel, Erhard Hilker, Klaus Markwardt