The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 04, 1994
Filed:
May. 14, 1993
Donald E Lucke, Madison, WI (US);
Oscar Mayer Foods Corporation, Madison, WI (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and process are described for quickly freezing the surface of certain loaf-shaped products prior to slicing. The apparatus of the invention includes a heat exchanger having a shaped contact surface thereon. The heat exchanger is positioned to hold and support a food loaf and refrigerant is circulated continuously therethrough to provide the contact surface at a fairly constant temperature. A retractable clamp applies pressure to the opposite side of the food loaf to compress the loaf against the refrigerated contact surface and thereby accelerate the crusting cycle. After a short cycle time of between about 30 and about 90 seconds, the clamp can be retracted and the loaf can be ejected onto a slicer feed for subsequent slicing thereof. In a second embodiment, the clamp is provided as a second heat exchanger to compress the food loaf against the contact surface of the first heat exchanger while simultaneously crusting at least one of the opposing sides of the loaf.