Method for Making a Stable Stacked Snack Food Configuration
A method for making asymmetrical snack pieces that can be efficiently nested or stacked. A dough preform is mated with a mold as the preform is cooked into a snack piece. The preform takes the shape of the mold. The mold is designed such that the resultant snack piece, when resting upon a flat surface, has an apex and a base of equal height. This is achieved by making the mold such that the centroid of the snack piece lies in a plane that is parallel to a plane formed by the vertices of the snack piece. The snack pieces can then be efficiently nested or stacked.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for making a stable stacked snack food configuration and more particularly, to a method for making a stable stacked food configuration whereby the stacked snack food comprises vertices that are substantially parallel to a flat resting surface when the snack food is resting on its centroid.
2. Description of Related Art
Stacked tortilla chips are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,397, assigned to the same assignee of the present invention, discloses a method and apparatus for making stackable tortilla chips using a double mold form fryer.
For cooking, pre-forms are led towards the fryer by the bottom belt 30 starting at about the input-side roller 32. The pre-forms are then followed from above by the top belt 20 and led towards a point in the oil 52 where the bottom belt 30 comes into close proximity with the top belt 20. By at least this point, the pre-forms have made contact with at least one mold surface. While not depicted, molds are commonly placed on at least the exterior surface of the top belt 20 but may also be placed on the exterior surface of the bottom belt 30. Once the pre-forms are secured between the top and bottom belts 20, 30, which run substantially parallel to each other through the oil 52, they are introduced to the hot cooking oil 52 at an oil entry point 53. The pre-forms thereafter travel through the hot oil 52 in the oil pan 50 completely submerged until they emerge from the oil 52 at an oil exit point 55. A typical form fryer may be operated with an oil frying temperature between 240 to 400° F.
In addition to dual mold form fryers, a single mold form fryer such as one disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/347,993, assigned to the same assignee as the present invention can be used.
By using a form fryer, snack foods, such as potato crisps or tortilla chips, are capable of being fabricated with a standard and desirable shape. The frying of individual pieces presents numerous difficulties such as wrinkling, folding, clumping, and sticking to cooking surfaces. With the use of a form fryer, as opposed to other types of frying, a number of these difficulties can be resolved.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,338,606 and 6,409,461 discloses a method and apparatus for stacking tortilla chips that stacks tortilla chips oriented in the same direction. It should be noted that the orientation of the snack pieces 218 depicted in the snack food container 400 depicted in
As shown in
One prior art solution for providing a triangular snack piece that can be stacked is illustrated by U.S. Design Pat. D452,360S. Unfortunately,
Another prior art solution to this problem is illustrated by U.S. Patent Application 2002/0122852. The '852 Application teaches a containment well 12 having a symmetrical spherically shaped radius of curvature (see FIG. 1 of the '852 application). This configuration, however, fails to teach a method for making a stable, stacked snack piece configuration for asymmetrical snack pieces. Hence, there is a need for a method for making snack pieces that can be stably stacked upon one another. The method should permit a fried snack piece to have substantially equal height around product edges when resting upon its centroid. The method should be adaptable to various asymmetrical snack piece shapes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a method for making a stackable asymmetrical snack piece that can be packaged in a nested or stacked orientation. The snack pieces are made from a mold having at least two arc lengths integral to the mold. Each arc length has a radius of curvature. Based on the desired snack piece dimensions including length and height, the arc length and radius of curvature of the mold can be calculated such that when the dough piece is registered with the mold, each vertice of the dough piece will have a substantially equal height when resting upon a flat surface after the dough piece has been cooked in the mold. The dough piece takes the form of the mold as the dough piece is cooked into a snack piece. The resultant snack piece can then be efficiently stacked.
In one aspect, the mold comprises a method for making an asymmetrical snack piece with a symmetrical mold that does not require re-orientation prior to being stacked. The above as well as additional features and advantages will become apparent in the following written detailed description.
The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The present invention, in one embodiment, provides a method for making a snack piece such that when the snack piece is resting upon its centroid, the snack piece edges lie in a plane that is parallel to the resting surface. The present invention achieves this method by using a mold having at least two arc lengths, each arc length having a radius of curvature.
First, the arc length S, is calculated from equation 1 below.
S=Y−W [1]
Next, θr can be calculated with the help of Newton's Method of Iteration and equations from geometry. For example, from
2*H/S=(1−cos)(x))/x [2]
-
- where
θr=2x, or [3]
x=θr/2
For an initial guess, we can assume that:
k=H/S [4]
x(0)=2*k [5]
Then, applying Newton's Method of iteration, values of x can be calculated until the desired convergence is achieved. Thus,
x(n+1)=x(n)−cos(x(n)+k(x(n)−1)/(−sin(x(n)+k) [6-A]
Thus, for the first iteration,
x(1)=x(0)−cos(x(0)+k*(x(0)−1)/(−sin(x(0)+k) [6-B]
Once the desired convergence for x is achieved, θr can be calculated from equation 3 above. Equation 3 above indicates that θr=2x. Thus, a mold radius of curvature R can be calculated from equation 7 below.
R=2*S/θr [7]
The above formulas can be input into a spreadsheet algorithm to simplify the calculations.
The above invention will now be described with reference to an example. The example below illustrates the invention for an assymetric mold having only two radii of curvature. It should be noted that more radii of curvature will produce a more uniform mold.
EXAMPLE
Y=3 inches
W=1 inch
H=0.5 inches
From equation [1] above, we know that S1=Y−W, or that the first arc length S1 is 2 inches. Next for an initial guess for Newton's method of iteration used to first to calculate an angle, then a radius of curvature, equation [4] indicates that k=H/S1 or that k=0.5/2 or that k=0.25. Equation [5] indicates that x(0)=2*k, or 0.50. Applying Newton's method of iteration to equation 6 above results in the following:
x(1)=(0.5)−(cos(0.5)+0.25*0.5−1)/(−sin(0.5)+0.25), which reduces to
x(1)=0.511257
By similar methods, the following table can be calculated:
x(2)=0.511025
x(3)=0.511025
x(4)=0.511025
Then, solving equation 3 for θr1 reveals that θr1=2(0.511025)=1.022049. Next, equation 7 can be solved to determine the mold radius of curvature, which is R=2*2/1.022049. Thus, the mold radius of curvature is 3.913705.
The next step is to then solve for the second radius of curvature. The second arc length S2 is equal to the minor distance of W. Thus, we have the following:
Y=3inches
W=1 inch
H=0.5 inches
S2=1 inch
Next for an initial guess for Newton's method of iteration used to first to calculate an angle, then a radius of curvature, equation [4] indicates that k=H/S2 or that k=0.5/1 or that k=0.50. Equation [5] indicates that x(0)=2*k, or 1.0. Applying Newton's method of iteration to equation 6 above results in the following:
x(1)=(1.0)−(cos(1.0)+0.5*1.0−1)/(−sin(1.0)+0.50), which reduces to
x(1)=1.118026
By similar methods, the following table can be calculated:
x(2)=1.109188
x(3)=1.109144
x(4)=1.109144
Then, solving equation 3 for θr2 reveals that θ2=2(1.109144)=2.218288. Next, equation 7 can be solved to determine the mold radius of curvature, which is R2=2*1/2.218288. Thus, the second radius of curvature R2 is 0.901596.
The junction where the first arc length and second arc length come together can be abrupt. Hence, it may be desirable to smooth out the mold by providing a plurality of arc lengths, each having a radius of curvature.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the mold can be designed so that the snack piece centroid corresponds to a relatively flat section substantially in the center section so that the vertical displacement between the snack piece centroid and the chip centerline is minimal. Such a configuration can lessen potential cumulative height difference potential despite the fact that the centerline of the chip and the product centroid are not the same. In such an embodiment of the invention, a symmetrical mold can be designed to accommodate a dough piece having an asymmetrical shape.
As shown, the
It should be noted that various shapes can be used in accordance with the present invention and the shapes used are limited only by the imagination of those skilled in the art. For example, complex shapes can mimic the outline of a state, such as the state of Texas, or an animal, such as a cheetah, or other object.
A snack piece in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of vertices and each of the vertices have a substantially equal planar elevation, or height. For example, consider a snack piece made in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention having an axis of curvature and having a plurality of vertices. When the snack piece is resting upon a rigid, flat surface, each vertice will have a substantially equal distance or height from the vertice to the resting surface. Thus, the invention provides a method for making a stable, stacked snack piece configuration.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1.-5. (canceled)
6. A mold for a form fryer, said mold comprising:
- a first section having a first radius of curvature; at least one second section having a second radius of curvature integral with said first section;
- wherein said second radius of curvature is smaller than said first radius of curvature.
7. The mold of claim 6 wherein two second sections comprise end sections and wherein said first section comprises a center section disposed between said end sections.
8. The mold of claim 6 wherein said mold is symmetrical.
9. The mold of claim 6 wherein said mold is asymmetrical.
10. An asymmetrical stackable snack piece having an axis of curvature comprising:
- a centroid, such that when said snack piece rests upon said centroid on a flat surface, said flat surface defines a first plane; and
- a plurality of vertices, said vertices defining a second plane, wherein said second plane is substantially parallel to said first plane.
11. The snack piece of claim 10 wherein said snack piece is asymmetrical about a balance line passing through said centroid, wherein said balance line is parallel to an axis of curvature of said snack piece and said centroid is located away from a centerline of said snack piece.
12. The snack piece of claim 10 wherein said snack piece is substantially triangular.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 2, 2010
Publication Date: Jul 1, 2010
Inventors: Darin James Baylor (Frisco, TX), Edward Anthony Bezek (Frisco, TX), Kevin Matthew Trick (Dallas, TX)
Application Number: 12/715,900
International Classification: B29C 59/04 (20060101); A21D 13/00 (20060101);