Patents by Inventor Udo Bernhardt

Udo Bernhardt 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).

  • Publication number: 20160330979
    Abstract: A device for orienting wound dough products includes a first conveyor belt circulating with a first conveying speed and transporting a wound dough product having an end protruding from a circumference of the dough product. A second conveyor belt receives the wound dough product from the first conveyor belt and circulates with a second conveying speed which is different from the first conveying speed. The difference between the first conveying speed and the second conveying speed sets the wound dough product received from the first conveyor belt in a desired rolling motion on the second conveyor belt, wherein after the wound dough product has reached a defined end position in which the end of the wound dough product abuts on the second conveyor belt, the rolling motion of the wound dough product stops.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventor: Udo Bernhardt
  • Patent number: 9456613
    Abstract: A method and device for forming dough in a U or annular shape includes a gripper carrier, at least one retaining jaw attached to the gripper carrier and first and second pivot carriers. The pivot carriers are each supported about a respective pivot axis in the gripper carrier and perform an opposite pivot motion. The second pivot carrier is supported by a shaft that extends into and engages the gripper carrier, such that a pivotal motion of the second pivot carrier engages the shaft with the gripper carrier to simultaneously pivot and lift the second pivot carrier so to lift one end of the dough piece in relation to another end of the dough piece. Shaping jaws are attached to the first and second pivot carriers and can be brought into contact with the respective dough piece on an opposite second side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: FRITSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Udo Bernhardt, Rainer Wagner
  • Publication number: 20150282494
    Abstract: A method and device for forming dough in a U or annular shape includes a gripper carrier, at least one retaining jaw attached to the gripper carrier and first and second pivot carriers. The pivot carriers are each supported about a respective pivot axis in the gripper carrier and perform an opposite pivot motion. The second pivot carrier is supported by a shaft that extends into and engages the gripper carrier, such that a pivotal motion of the second pivot carrier engages the shaft with the gripper carrier to simultaneously pivot and lift the second pivot carrier so to lift one end of the dough piece in relation to another end of the dough piece. Shaping jaws are attached to the first and second pivot carriers and can be brought into contact with the respective dough piece on an opposite second side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventors: Udo Bernhardt, Rainer Wagner
  • Patent number: 9101145
    Abstract: A device for forming dough in a U or annular shape includes a gripper carrier, at least one retaining jaw attached to the gripper carrier and first and second pivot carriers. The pivot carriers are each pivotably supported about a respective pivot axis in the gripper carrier and perform an opposite pivot motion. The second pivot carrier is pivotally supported by a shaft that extends into and engages the gripper carrier, such that a pivotal motion of the second pivot carrier engages the shaft with the gripper carrier to simultaneously pivot and lift the second pivot carrier in a direction of the respective pivot axis so to lift one end of the dough piece in relation to another end of the dough piece. Shaping jaws are attached to the first and second pivot carriers and can be brought into contact with the respective dough piece on an opposite second side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: FRITSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Udo Bernhardt, Rainer Wagner
  • Patent number: 8876519
    Abstract: An apparatus for the knotting of a dough strand into a desired form, particularly for the knotting of a dough strand into a pretzel form, wherein the dough strand subject to stretching of the dough strand length is knotted around a form element that provides the desired form for a dough strand with larger starting length than the actual length of the dough strand and/or the desired form with an increased form size, whereupon the form element that establishes the desired form is removed, at least partially, so that the dough strand that was placed into the desired form contracts into a final size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Fritsch GmbH
    Inventor: Udo Bernhardt
  • Publication number: 20130224355
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for orienting wound dough products (02) in a defined end position, wherein the dough product (02) is produced by winding a triangular or trapezoidal dough piece (01), and wherein the dough product (02) is wound starting from the base (03) of the dough piece (01), and wherein the narrower tip (04) of the dough piece (01) forms an end (05) protruding on the outside on the circumference of the dough product (02), and wherein the end position of the dough product (02) is defined by a specific position of the end (05) protruding on the outside, wherein the wound dough product (02) is driven along a predefined segment or for a predefined time with a driving torque or a driving force so as to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the dough product in order to thereby effect a rolling motion of the dough product (02) on a support (08, 14), wherein the rotational direction of the rolling motion of the dough product (02) corresponds to the winding direction from the inside to the outsi
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Inventor: Udo Bernhardt
  • Publication number: 20130216672
    Abstract: A dough processing system for processing a U-shaped strand of dough comprising a processing head, which has two gripping means for looping the dough strand, and a shaping table, which is provided with positioning means for positioning the dough strand, wherein the shaping table is embodied as a processing table, in which various positioning means of the processing table have multiple different processing functions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: Fritsch GmbH
    Inventor: Udo Bernhardt
  • Publication number: 20130059051
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for forming substantially straight, in particular wound, croissant dough pieces (36) in a U-shape or annular shape, comprising a gripper unit (09), wherein the gripper unit (09) comprises: a gripper carrier (10); at least one retaining jaw (11, 17, 24), which is rigidly or movably attached to the gripper carrier (10) and which can be brought in contact with the dough piece (36, 37, 38, 41) on a first side; two pivot carriers (16, 23), which are each pivotably supported about a pivot axis in the gripper carrier (10) and which perform an opposite pivot motion (19, 26); and shaping jaws (18, 25), which are each rigidly or movably attached to the pivot carrier (16, 23) and which can be brought into contact with the dough piece (36, 37, 38, 41) on the opposite second side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Inventors: Udo Bernhardt, Rainer Wagner
  • Publication number: 20120219656
    Abstract: Process for the knotting of a dough strand into a desired form, particularly for the knotting of a dough strand into a pretzel form, wherein the dough strand subject to stretching of the dough strand length is knotted around a form element that provides the desired form for a dough strand with larger starting length than the actual length of the dough strand and/or the desired form with an increased form size, whereupon the form element that establishes the desired form is removed, at least partially, so that the dough strand that was placed into the desired form contracts into a final size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: FRITSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Udo Bernhardt
  • Patent number: 8173191
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for the automated production of knotted dough products, in particular pretzels. Said device comprises: a shaping table (2) for horizontally supporting a U-shaped bent dough strand (46); a shaping tool (6) that can be activated to vertically support the U-shaped bent dough strand (46), the shaping table (2) and activated shaping tool (6) forming a common stop for the U-shaped bent strand (46); and a knotting head (9) for seizing the ends of the dough strand and for knotting said strand (46). According to the invention, the knotting head (9) can be displaced from a seizing position (48), in which the ends of the U-shaped bent dough strand (46) are seized, into an extension position (49), in which the dough strand is extended, then into a knotting position (51), in which the dough strand is knotted and finally into a placing position 52, in which the ends of the dough strands are placed on the central part of the dough strand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Fritsch GmbH
    Inventor: Udo Bernhardt
  • Publication number: 20100233340
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for the automated production of knotted dough products, in particular pretzels. Said device comprises: a shaping table (2) for horizontally supporting a U-shaped bent dough strand (46); a shaping tool (6) that can be activated to vertically support the U-shaped bent dough strand (46), the shaping table (2) and activated shaping tool (6) forming a common stop for the U-shaped bent strand (46); and a knotting head (9) for seizing the ends of the dough strand and for knotting said strand (46). According to the invention, the knotting head (9) can be displaced from a seizing position (48), in which the ends of the U-shaped bent dough strand (46) are seized, into an extension position (49), in which the dough strand is extended, then into a knotting position (51), in which the dough strand is knotted and finally into a placing position 52, in which the ends of the dough strands are placed on the central part of the dough strand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: FRITSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Udo Bernhardt
  • Publication number: 20100159098
    Abstract: Process for the knotting of a dough strand into a desired form, particularly for the knotting of a dough strand into a pretzel form, wherein the dough strand subject to stretching of the dough strand length is knotted around a form element that provides the desired form for a dough strand with larger starting length than the actual length of the dough strand and/or the desired form with an increased form size, whereupon the form element that establishes the desired form is removed, at least partially, so that the dough strand that was placed into the desired form contracts into a final size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: FRITSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Udo Bernhardt
  • Publication number: 20070048423
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for the automated production of knotted dough products, in particular pretzels. Said device comprises: a shaping table (2) for horizontally supporting a U-shaped bent dough strand (46); a shaping tool (6) that can be activated to vertically support the U-shaped bent dough strand (46), the shaping table (2) and activated shaping tool (6) forming a common stop for the U-shaped bent strand (46); and a knotting head (9) for seizing the ends of the dough strand and for knotting said strand (46). According to the invention, the knotting head (9) can be displaced from a seizing position (48), in which the ends of the U-shaped bent dough strand (46) are seized, into an extension position (49), in which the dough strand is extended, then into a knotting position (51), in which the dough strand is knotted and finally into a placing position 52, in which the ends of the dough strands are placed on the central part of the dough strand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2005
    Publication date: March 1, 2007
    Inventor: Udo Bernhardt
  • Patent number: 6158315
    Abstract: Method for producing individual dough pieces from a continuous line of dough, in which a row of separate, individually complete contours running diagonally or perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the line is cut out of the end section of the line of dough, which correspond to the dough pieces, these contours or dough pieces lying in a row next to one another are removed from the end of the line and delivered rotated or pivoted or otherwise positioned for further processing, with the cutting devices that are used to cut out the row of dough pieces at the end of the line being used as a whole or in part to remove and deliver or otherwise position, guide, hold, rotate, and/or displace the cut-out dough pieces, and with the cutting devices being returned to the end of the line after delivery for another cutting-out process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: A. Fritsch GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Klaus Nowotny, Udo Bernhardt