Methods and apparatus for forming contoured edible pieces

Abstract

A method for forming thin edible pieces uses two continuous belts that cooperate to form a fill cavity. An edible mass, such as chocolate, is flowed into the fill cavity where it forms an edible blank which is transported on a belt path with the two belts moving in tandem. After the edible blank is released from the first or second continuous belt, a three-dimensional shape may be imparted to the edible blank at a forming station using one or more stamping dies or a forming drum. Using the techniques and apparatus described herein, novel edible products, and particularly novel chocolate products, can be made having shape characteristics that cannot be obtained using known molding or forming techniques.

1 - 64 . (canceled) 
     
     
         65 . A very thin chocolate product having a contoured shape characterized by:
 (a) having a thickness dimension of less than about 2.0 mm;   (b) having a substantially uniform thickness over the entire area of the product;   (c) having a smooth and unbroken surface finish;   (d) having at least one curve along at least one axis of curvature; and   (e) having a moisture content of less than 2.0%.   
     
     
         66 . The chocolate product according to  claim 65 , having a moisture content less than 1.5%. 
     
     
         67 . The chocolate product according to  claim 65  with at least two curves along a single axis of curvature. 
     
     
         68 . The chocolate product according to  claim 65 ,with at least one curve along two axes of curvature. 
     
     
         69 . The contoured chocolate product of  claim 65  with at least two curves along one axis of curvature and at least one curve along a second axis of curvature. 
     
     
         70 . The contoured chocolate product of  claim 65  wherein the contoured shape of the chocolate product can be defined in three-dimensional space by sets of polynomial equations of the form
     y   k   =a   k,0   +a   k,1   x+a   k,2   x   2 + . . . +a k,n   x   n    
     z   k   =b   k,0   +b   k,1   x+b   k,2   x   2   + . . . +b   k,n   x   n    
 where x varies between 0 and L where L equals the length of the contoured chocolate product. 
 
     
     
         71 . The contoured product of  claim 70  where at least two equations are used to define the contoured shape in terms of x and y, and where said equations defining the shape in terms of x and y are of the form
     y   1   =a   1,0   +a   1,1   x+a   1,2   x   2   + . . . +a   1,n   x   n    
     y   2   =a   2,0   +a   2,1   x+a   2,2   x   2   + . . . +a   2,n   x   n    
 
     
     
         72 . The contoured product of  claim 71  where the at least two equations define the edges of the product. 
     
     
         73 . The contoured product of  claim 70 , wherein at least two equations are used to define the contoured shape in terms of x and z, and, where the equations are of the form
     z   1   =b   1,0   +b   1,1   x+b   1,2   x   2   + . . . +b   1,n   x   n          z   2   =b   2,0   +b   2,1   x+b   2,2   x   2   + . . . +b   2,n   x   n      
     
     
         74 . The contoured product of  claim 73  wherein the at least two equations defining the contoured shape in terms of x and z define the edges of the product. 
     
     
         74 . The contoured chocolate product of  claim 65 , where the contoured shape can be defined in three dimensional space by a polynomial equation of the form
     z=a   0   +a   1,0   x+a   0,1   y+a   1,1   xy+a   2,1   x   2   y+a   1,2   xy   2   +a   2,2   x   2   y   2   + . . . +a   n,m   x   n   y   m      where x varies between 0 and L, where L is equal to the length of the product and y varies between f1(x) and f2(x),   where f1 is a function that describes the dependence between y and x for a first edge of the product, and f2 is a function that describes the dependence between y and x for a second edge of the surface.