Patents by Inventor Jacque L. Malfait

Jacque L. Malfait 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: 7141257
    Abstract: The present invention includes puffed food starch material snack, in particular starch material from grains, having an improved crispy texture and a more aesthetic appearance and methods for preparing them. In general terms, the products are snack chips, cakes, crackers or the like, made from food starch material. Preferably, the starch material is provided primarily in the form of individual kernels or pellets of a cereal grain, such as rice, corn, wheat, rye, oats, millet, sorghum, barley, buckwheat, or mixtures thereof. Quantities of other food starch materials may also be employed as a co-mixed constituent, or the primary source of bulk starch material, for example potato starch material. A quantity of the grain is puffed (expanded) in a manner which forms a snack product of considerable crispiness, lightness, and unique texture to both the mouth and eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: The Quaker Oats Company
    Inventor: Jacque L. Malfait
  • Patent number: 7135201
    Abstract: The present invention includes a method of making a puffed-food starch material snack, in particular starch material from grains, having an improved crispy texture and a more aesthetic appearance. The products may be snack chips, cakes, crackers or the like, made from food starch material. Preferably, the starch material is provided primarily in the form of individual kernels or pellets of a cereal grain, such as rice, corn, wheat, rye, oats, millet, sorghum, barley, buckwheat, or mixtures thereof. According to one method, a puffing chamber is provided having inner surfaces and a chamber volume. A bulk amount of the food starch material is placed into the puffing chamber. The bulk amount of food starch material is caused to volumetrically expand. The expanding food starch material is constrained in its expansion in at least a first dimension, while permitting unconstrained expansion of the bulk amount in at least a second dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: The Quaker Company
    Inventor: Jacque L. Malfait
  • Patent number: 6929813
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of making a puffed food starch material product. A food starch material capable of volumetric expansion in three dimensions is placed into a puffing chamber. Expansion of the food starch material includes constraining expansion of the food starch material in at least a first dimension while permitting unconstrained expansion of the food starch material in a second dimension to produce a unitary, puffed food starch material product with at least one surface having a wavy contour. In a method of making a puffed food starch material product of the present invention, a puffing chamber is provided having inner surfaces and a chamber volume. A bulk amount of the food starch material is placed into the puffing chamber. The bulk amount of food starch material is caused to volumetrically expand. The expanding food starch material is constrained in its expansion in at least a first dimension, while permitting expansion of the bulk amount in at least a second dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: The Quaker Oats Company
    Inventor: Jacque L. Malfait
  • Patent number: 6899909
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of puffing a food starch material capable of becoming amorphous into a food starch material product. The method includes forming food starch material pellets by extruding gelatinized food starch flour in an extruder. The pellets are then placed in a puffing chamber and heated under pressure until the pellets become amorphous. The amorphous food starch material product is then expanded to form a puffed, unitary product composed of all the pellets placed in the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: The Quaker Oats Company
    Inventor: Jacque L. Malfait
  • Publication number: 20040146623
    Abstract: The present invention includes puffed food starch material snack, in particular starch material from grains, having an improved crispy texture and a more aesthetic appearance and methods for preparing them. In general terms, the products are snack chips, cakes, crackers or the like, made from food starch material. Preferably, the starch material is provided primarily in the form of individual kernels or pellets of a cereal grain, such as rice, corn, wheat, rye, oats, millet, sorghum, barley, buckwheat, or mixtures thereof. Quantities of other food starch materials may also be employed as a co-mixed constituent, or the primary source of bulk starch material, for example potato starch material. A quantity of the grain is puffed (expanded) in a manner which forms a snack product of considerable crispiness, lightness, and unique texture to both the mouth and eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2004
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventor: Jacque L. Malfait
  • Patent number: 6676983
    Abstract: The present invention includes a method of making a puffed food starch material snack, in particular starch material from grains, having an improved crispy texture and a more aesthetic appearance. The products may be snack chips, cakes, crackers or the like, made from food starch material. Preferably, the starch material is provided primarily in the form of individual kernels or pellets of a cereal grain, such as rice, corn, wheat, rye, oats, millet, sorghum, barley, buckwheat, or mixtures thereof. Quantities of other food starch materials may also be employed as a co-mixed constituent, or the primary source of bulk starch material, for example potato starch material. A quantity of the grain is puffed (expanded) in a manner which forms a snack product of considerable crispiness, lightness, and unique texture to both the mouth and eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: The Quaker Oats Company
    Inventor: Jacque L. Malfait
  • Patent number: 6632465
    Abstract: The present invention includes puffed-food starch material snack, in particular starch material from grains, having an improved crispy texture and a more aesthetic appearance and methods for preparing them. In general terms, the products are snack chips, cakes, crackers or the like, made from food starch material. Preferably, the starch material is provided primarily in the form of individual kernels or pellets of a cereal grain, such as rice, corn, wheat, rye, oats, millet, sorghum, barley, buckwheat, or mixtures thereof. According to a method of making the puffed food starch material product of the present invention, a puffing chamber is provided having inner surfaces and a chamber volume. A bulk amount of the food starch material is placed into the puffing chamber. The bulk amount of food starch material is caused to volumetrically expand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: The Quaker Oats Company
    Inventor: Jacque L. Malfait
  • Publication number: 20030180428
    Abstract: The present invention includes puffed-food starch material snack, in particular starch material from grains, having an improved crispy texture and a more aesthetic appearance and methods for preparing them. In general terms, the products are snack chips, cakes, crackers or the like, made from food starch material. Preferably, the starch material is provided primarily in the form of individual kernels or pellets of a cereal grain, such as rice, corn, wheat, rye, oats, millet, sorghum, barley, buckwheat, or mixtures thereof. Quantities of other food starch material es may also be employed as a co-mixed constituent, or the primary source of bulk starch material, for example potato starch material. A quantity of the grain is puffed (expanded) in a manner which forms a snack product of considerable crispiness, lightness, and unique texture to both the mouth and eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2003
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Inventor: Jacque L. Malfait
  • Publication number: 20030170366
    Abstract: The present invention includes puffed-food starch material snack, in particular starch material from grains, having an improved crispy texture and a more aesthetic appearance and methods for preparing them. In general terms, the products are snack chips, cakes, crackers or the like, made from food starch material. Preferably, the starch material is provided primarily in the form of individual kernels or pellets of a cereal grain, such as rice, corn, wheat, rye, oats, millet, sorghum, barley, buckwheat, or mixtures thereof. Quantities of other food starch material es may also be employed as a co-mixed constituent, or the primary source of bulk starch material, for example potato starch material. A quantity of the grain is puffed (expanded) in a manner which forms a snack product of considerable crispiness, lightness, and unique texture to both the mouth and eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Publication date: September 11, 2003
    Inventor: Jacque L. Malfait
  • Patent number: 6607767
    Abstract: The present invention includes a method of making a puffed food starch material snack, in particular starch material from grains, having an improved crispy texture and a more aesthetic appearance. The products may be snack chips, cakes, crackers or the like, made from food starch material. Preferably, the starch material is provided primarily in the form of individual kernels or pellets of a cereal grain, such as rice, corn, wheat, rye, oats, millet, sorghum, barley, buckwheat, or mixtures thereof. According to one method, a puffing chamber is provided having inner surfaces and a chamber volume. An amount of the food starch material is placed into the puffing chamber. The amount of food starch material is caused to volumetrically expand. The expanding food starch material is constrained in its expansion in at least a first dimension, while permitting unconstrained expansion of the amount in at least a second dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: The Quaker Oats Company
    Inventor: Jacque L. Malfait
  • Patent number: 6602536
    Abstract: The present invention includes puffed-food starch material snacks, in particular starch material from grains, having an improved crispy texture and a more aesthetic appearance and methods for preparing them. In general terms, the products are snack chips, cakes and crackers made from food starch material. A quantity of the grain is puffed (expanded) in a manner which forms a snack product of considerable crispiness, lightness, and unique texture. According to a method of making the puffed food starch material product of the present invention, a puffing chamber is provided having inner surfaces and a chamber volume. A bulk amount of the food starch material is placed into the puffing chamber. The bulk amount of food starch material is caused to volumetrically expand. The expanding food starch material is constrained in its expansion in at least a first dimension while permitting expansion of the bulk amount in at least a second dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: The Quaker Oats Company
    Inventor: Jacque L. Malfait
  • Publication number: 20030138542
    Abstract: The present invention includes puffed-food starch material snack, in particular starch material from grains, having an improved crispy texture and a more aesthetic appearance and methods for preparing them. In general terms, the products are snack chips, cakes, crackers or the like, made from food starch material. Preferably, the starch material is provided primarily in the form of individual kernels or pellets of a cereal grain, such as rice, corn, wheat, rye, oats, millet, sorghum, barley, buckwheat, or mixtures thereof. Quantities of other food starch materials may also be employed as a co-mixed constituent, or the primary source of bulk starch material, for example potato starch material. A quantity of the grain is puffed (expanded) in a manner which forms a snack product of considerable crispiness, lightness, and unique texture to both the mouth and eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Inventor: Jacque L. Malfait
  • Patent number: 6569481
    Abstract: The present invention includes a method of making a puffed food starch material snack, in particular starch material from grains, having an improved crispy texture and a more aesthetic appearance. The products may be snack chips, cakes, crackers or the like, made from food starch material. Preferably, the starch material is provided primarily in the form of individual kernels or pellets of a cereal grain, such as rice, corn, wheat, rye, oats, millet, sorghum, barley, buckwheat, or mixtures thereof. According to one method, a puffing chamber is provided having inner surfaces and a chamber volume. A bulk amount of the food starch material is placed into the puffing chamber. The bulk amount of food starch material is caused to volumetrically expand. The expanding food starch material is constrained in its expansion in at least a first dimension, while permitting unconstrained expansion of the bulk amount in at least a second dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: The Quaker Oats Company
    Inventor: Jacque L. Malfait
  • Publication number: 20020071892
    Abstract: The present invention includes puffed-food starch material snack, in particular starch material from grains, having an improved crispy texture and a more aesthetic appearance and methods for preparing them. In general terms, the products are snack chips, cakes, crackers or the like, made from food starch material. Preferably, the starch material is provided primarily in the form of individual kernels or pellets of a cereal grain, such as rice, corn, wheat, rye, oats, millet, sorghum, barley, buckwheat, or mixtures thereof. Quantities of other food starch material es may also be employed as a co-mixed constituent, or the primary source of bulk starch material, for example potato starch material. A quantity of the grain is puffed (expanded) in a manner which forms a snack product of considerable crispiness, lightness, and unique texture to both the mouth and eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 1999
    Publication date: June 13, 2002
    Inventor: JACQUE L. MALFAIT
  • Patent number: 4952416
    Abstract: A process is described to provide an improved instantized parboiled rice that maintains the texture, appearance and flavor characteristics of eating quality parboiled finished rice product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1990
    Assignee: General Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Abraham, Jacque L. Malfait, Arnold J. White
  • Patent number: 4857348
    Abstract: A process is described to provide an improved instantized parboiled rice that maintains the texture, appearance and flavor characteristics of eating quality parboiled finished rice product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1989
    Assignee: General Foods Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Abraham, Jacque L. Malfait, Arnold J. White
  • Patent number: D440378
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: The Quaker Oats Company
    Inventor: Jacque L. Malfait