JP7558067B2 - Manufacturing method for containerized frozen desserts - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for producing frozen desserts in containers.

Frozen drinks, made by stirring and mixing liquid and ice into a slurry, were initially sold in limited outlets such as cafes, but as their popularity grew they began to be sold in convenience stores as well.
Frozen drinks sold at convenience stores are known to have a configuration in which, for example, ice cream is contained in a container body, and the ice cream contained in the container body is fitted with an inner plug to maintain a cavity (for example, Patent Document 1).
When enjoying a frozen drink, the stopper is removed to release the recess formed in the ice confection, and an external force is applied to the container body to break up the recess in the ice confection, after which liquid is poured in.

Such conventional products require the use of a special inner stopper to maintain the space in which the drink is placed, and this creates a wasteful inner stopper when eating, which goes against the growing need to reduce waste, etc. Another problem is that the task of removing the inner stopper from the ice cream is cumbersome and unsanitary.
In view of this, there have been proposed frozen dessert manufacturing devices and methods for forming a recess without an inner plug (for example, Patent Document 2 or Patent Document 3).

The method of forming a frozen dessert material described in Patent Document 2 is a method of continuously hardening the frozen dessert material into a hollow concave shape, in which the frozen dessert material before freezing is repeatedly put into and taken out of a cooled convex mold, forming a concave portion in the frozen dessert material while freezing and hardening the frozen dessert material (see, for example, claim 8 of Patent Document 2).
The method for producing frozen desserts described in Patent Document 3 involves inserting a first mold into a frozen dessert material before freezing to form a recess, and then inserting a second mold into the recess to perform finishing (see, for example, the abstract of Patent Document 3).
Furthermore, Patent Document 4 discloses a frozen dessert having a space formed therein for arranging a liquid material.

Patent No. 5952508 Patent No. 6592068 JP 2020-10651 A JP 2013-153732 A

The methods of forming frozen dessert ingredients described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 are both methods of freeze-hardening the frozen dessert ingredients while forming recesses in the "unfrozen" frozen dessert ingredients. For this reason, the manufacturing equipment must incorporate, for example, a liquid nitrogen supply and circulation path in order to keep the convex mold for forming the recesses at the extremely low temperature required for freezing. This requires a large amount of liquid nitrogen, which creates problems such as complex manufacturing equipment and high manufacturing costs.

In addition, because the frozen dessert ingredients are freeze-hardened while forming depressions in the "unfrozen" frozen dessert ingredients, if the hardening is insufficient, only a thin portion near the surface of the depression will freeze, and the depression will be pushed by the soft, flowing frozen dessert around it, which can cause deformation or a decrease in the volume of the depression. This makes it difficult to break down the depression in the frozen dessert (loosen the frozen dessert). Another issue is that pouring liquid tends to overflow from the depression, making it difficult to mix the frozen dessert ingredients and liquid.

The present invention provides a method for producing a frozen dessert in a container having a hole therein, by a novel method that has not been conceived of in the prior art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing containerized frozen desserts, which includes a step of using a specified hole-punching tool to make necessary holes in "frozen" frozen dessert ingredients that have been filled into a container and frozen to a specified hardness.

The present invention is a method for producing a containerized frozen dessert, which includes the steps of filling a container with a predetermined amount of frozen dessert ingredients, which has a bottom and side walls rising from the periphery of the bottom and an open top, freezing and hardening the predetermined amount of frozen dessert ingredients filled in the container until the predetermined amount of frozen dessert ingredients is frozen to a predetermined hardness, drilling holes from above using a predetermined hole-making tool on the top surface of the predetermined amount of frozen dessert ingredients in the container while maintaining the predetermined amount of frozen dessert ingredients, and covering the container with the hole and the predetermined amount of frozen dessert ingredients with a lid.

The step of drilling holes in the present invention may include a step of leveling the excavated frozen confectionery material produced during excavation on the upper surface of the frozen confectionery material.
The present invention may further comprise the step of storing the covered container at -18°C or below.
In the present invention, the predetermined hardness in the freeze-hardening step may be a maximum stress of hardness of 0.50N to 8.82N.

In the present invention, in the freeze-hardening step, the frozen confectionery material may be frozen so that the central temperature of the frozen confectionery material is -10°C to -18°C.
The predetermined hole punch used in the present invention may be one whose temperature is adjusted to 0°C to 40°C.
The predetermined hole punch used in the present invention may be one whose temperature is adjusted to 10°C to 20°C.

The predetermined hole punch of the present invention may have one or more pushing blades.
The predetermined hole punch of the present invention may be twisted with respect to the pushing direction of the pushing blade.
The frozen dessert material of the present invention may comprise an ice cream mix or a mixture of ice cream mix and shaved ice.

According to the present invention, there is no need to use a special convex molding device that requires cooling control or a hole forming device that uses a cooling medium such as liquid nitrogen, and it is possible to simply add a hole drilling process to conventional manufacturing equipment, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency.
Furthermore, since the holes are made after the frozen dessert ingredients are filled in the container and frozen and hardened, no complicated equipment is required. Also, there is a high degree of freedom in changing the shape of the hole-making tool. Furthermore, since the holes are made after the frozen dessert ingredients are frozen and hardened, the size and shape of the holes are relatively stable. Furthermore, since the shape and surface area of the holes can be easily changed, various effects are achieved, such as the ease with which the frozen dessert ingredients break apart when liquid is poured in for consumption.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a process for producing a containerized frozen dessert according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a container 11 filled with a frozen confectionery ingredient 10. FIG. 3 shows an example of a hole punching tool 20 used in the hole punching step, where (A) is a front view, (B) is a top view, and (C) is a bottom view. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the contents of the hole punching process performed using the hole punching tool 20. As shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a smoothing step which is carried out as necessary after the hole punching step. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a pressing tool 16 used in the smoothing process. 7A and 7B are diagrams showing examples of the shape of the drilling portion of the hole punching tool, where (A) is an overall view and (B) is a bottom view. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the shape of the drilling part of the hole punching tool, where (A) is an overall view and (B) is a bottom view. 9A and 9B are diagrams showing examples of the shape of the drilling portion of the hole punching tool, where (A) is an overall view and (B) is a bottom view. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the shape of the drilling portion of the hole punching tool, where (A) is an overall view and (B) is a bottom view. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the shape of the drilling portion of the hole punching tool, (A) being an overall view, and (B) being a bottom view. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the shape of the drilling portion of the hole punching tool, (A) being an overall view, and (B) being a bottom view.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing each step of a process for producing a containerized frozen dessert according to one embodiment of the present invention.
In the process for producing containerized frozen desserts, first, frozen dessert ingredients (frozen desserts such as ice cream and shaved ice) before being frozen and hardened are produced (steps S1 to S5).

In the manufacture of frozen dessert ingredients, an ice cream mix (hereinafter simply referred to as "mix") is prepared (Step S1). The mix is, for example, a mixture of ingredients such as dairy products, sugar, fats and oils, stabilizers, emulsifiers, flavorings, and colorings, which are then dissolved. Shaved ice may also be prepared by crushing ice into small pieces (Step S2). The mix and shaved ice are then mixed (Step S3) and, if necessary, may be sized to make the ice even finer (Step S4). The resulting mixture of mix and shaved ice is then frozen (Step S5) to produce the frozen dessert ingredients.

In freezing (step S5), the mixture of mix, shaved ice and air is introduced into the freezer and rapidly cooled to, for example, -2°C to -9°C while being stirred, until it is frozen. By rapidly freezing while being vigorously stirred, air is entrapped in the mix as air bubbles. The ratio of the volume of the entrapped air to the volume of the mix is called overrun, and the overrun is adjusted so that it is, for example, 0 to 100%. The frozen dessert material completed by freezing (step S5) is a mix (and shaved ice) that is frozen but not hardened, and is fluid.

Depending on the type of containerized frozen dessert to be produced, for example, if the frozen dessert is ice cream, shaved ice is not mixed in, so the above-mentioned steps S2, S3, and S4 may be omitted.
Next, containers are supplied to the filling machine (step S11), and the supplied containers are filled with frozen confectionery ingredients (step S12).

The container has a bottom and side walls rising from the periphery of the bottom, and an open top. The container may be made of any material, such as plastic, paper, metal, etc. In the filling step (step S12), a fluid frozen dessert material is poured into the open top opening of the supplied container from above, and a predetermined amount of the frozen dessert material is filled into the container.
FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a container filled with frozen dessert ingredients.

For example, when filling a container 11 with V ₁ ml of frozen dessert material 10, it is desirable to use a container 11 with a volume of (1.3 to 1.5) x V ₁ ml, for example. This is because, since the V ₁ ml of frozen dessert material 10 filled in the container 11 is frozen and hardened, and a hole is made in it, the surface of the frozen dessert material 10 rises by the volume of the hole made, V ₂ ml, but even in this case, the frozen dessert material 10 can be stored reliably and easily eaten.

That is, a container 11 is used in which the relationship between the volume _V0 of the container 11, the volume _V1 of the frozen confectionery material 10 to be filled, and the volume _V2 of the hole to be formed satisfies _V0 ≧ _V1 + _V2 .
The frozen dessert material 10 filled in the container 11 is transported to a freezing process (step S13), where the frozen dessert material 10 is frozen and hardened to a predetermined hardness.
In the freezing process (step S13), the specified hardness for freezing and hardening the cold confectionery material 10 is preferably a maximum stress of the hardness of the cold confectionery material 10 of 0.50 N (when the central temperature of the cold confectionery material 10 is -10°C) to 8.82 N (when the central temperature of the cold confectionery material 10 is -18°C).

By bringing the frozen confectionery material 10 to the above-mentioned hardness, or by bringing the central temperature of the frozen and hardened frozen confectionery material 10 to the above-mentioned temperature, the next step, the hole-making step (step S14), can be carried out smoothly.
In the hole making process (step S14), holes are made by drilling from above into the upper surface of the frozen confectionery material 10 in the container 11 using a specified hole making tool.

3 shows an example of a hole punching tool 20 used in the hole punching step. (A) is a front view of the hole punching tool 20, (B) is a top view of the hole punching tool 20, and (C) is a bottom view of the hole punching tool 20.
Referring to FIG. 3, the hole punching tool 20 has an excavation part 22, a base 23, and a fixed part 24, which are connected from the bottom to the top around the vertically extending central axis 21. The excavation part 22 includes a pointed lower end 220, three tip blades 221 extending obliquely upward from the lower end 220, and three pushing blades 222 formed at equal intervals around the central axis 21 from the tip blades 221 upward. Each of the three pushing blades 222 has a shape in which the width expands laterally around the central axis 21, and the width gradually increases from the bottom to the top. The outer edges 223 extending up and down of the three pushing blades 222 form pointed blades. In addition, the thickness of the three pushing blades 222 gradually increases toward the central axis 21. Furthermore, the outer edges 223 of the three pushing blades 222 are twisted clockwise when viewed from above. In other words, the three pushing blades 222 are twisted clockwise with respect to the pushing direction of the pushing blades 222 .

When the hole punch 20 is configured to have three twisted pushing blades 222 as in this embodiment, simply by pressing the hole punch 20 down from above the frozen and hardened frozen dessert material 10, it excavates and opens a hole in the frozen dessert material 10, while twisting and loosening the frozen dessert material 10, making it easier to push the excavated frozen dessert material produced during excavation upward.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the details of the hole punching process performed using the hole punching tool 20 described with reference to FIG.

In the hole punching process, the container 11 containing the frozen dessert material 10 that has been frozen and hardened in the freezing process (step S13) is transported and stopped at the hole punching position. The hole punching position is, for example, a position where the center of the top surface of the frozen dessert material 10 contained in the container 11 faces the lower end 220 of the hole puncher 20. The fixed part 24 of the hole puncher 20 is fixed to, for example, an actuator 15 that moves up and down of the manufacturing equipment. The actuator 15 then moves the hole puncher 20 vertically up and down.

As shown in FIG. 4(A), when the container 11 containing the frozen dessert material 10 is stopped at a position opposite the hole puncher 20, the actuator 15 starts moving the hole puncher 20 vertically downward. Then, as shown in FIG. 4(B), the lower end 220 of the hole puncher 20 pierces the top surface of the frozen dessert material 10. As the hole puncher 20 is moved further downward, the three pushing blades 222 penetrate into the interior of the frozen dessert material 10 while loosening it, as shown in FIG. 4(C), to excavate the frozen dessert material 10.

When the cold dessert material 10 is pushed by the pushing blade 222, the cold dessert material 10A is pushed to the extent that the volume of the pushing blade 222 is equal to the cold dessert material 10A, which is loosened and deformed. Then, since the deformed cold dessert material 10A has nowhere to escape inside the container 11, it moves along the blade surface of the pushing blade 222 and rises up on the upper surface of the cold dessert material 10. In other words, the excavated cold dessert material 10A excavated by the hole puncher 20 rises up on the upper surface of the cold dessert material 10 in the container.

The hole punch 20 is lowered to a predetermined position and the punching of the hole in the frozen confectionery material 10 is completed (Figure 4 (C)), and then the hole punch 20 is moved vertically upward by the actuator 15, as shown in Figure 4 (D).
In the hole punching process shown in FIG. 4, the hole punching tool 20 is configured to be moved vertically up and down by the actuator 15 (i.e., it only moves up and down without rotating). When the hole punching tool 20 is lowered to excavate the frozen dessert material 10, the three pushing blades 222 of the hole punching tool 20 are twisted in the pushing direction (downward movement direction). Therefore, the frozen dessert material 10 pushed downward by the three pushing blades 222 is subjected to a force in the twisting direction by the amount of the twisting of the three pushing blades 222, and is loosened and deformed. As a result, a hole larger than the shape of the hole punching tool 20 can be punched in the frozen dessert material 10.

However, instead of the above-mentioned configuration, the hole puncher 20 held by the actuator 15 may be freely rotatable around the central axis 21. In that case, the hole puncher 20 is lowered by the actuator 15, and as shown in FIG. 4(B), the lower end 220 of the hole puncher 20 is pierced into the upper surface of the frozen dessert material 10. When the hole puncher 20 is further moved downward, the hole puncher 20 excavates the frozen dessert material 10 while rotating to the right around the central axis 21 along the twist of the three pushing blades 222, and penetrates into the inside of the frozen dessert material 10. When the hole puncher 20 is raised, the hole puncher 20 rises while rotating to the left around the central axis 21 along the twist of the three pushing blades 222, and separates from the frozen dessert material 10. Thus, a hole can be made in the frozen dessert material 10 that reflects the shape of the hole puncher 20, i.e., the twist of the three pushing blades 222.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a smoothing step that is performed as necessary after the hole making step (step S14).
The smoothing process is a processing process for smoothing the upper surface of the frozen confectionery material 10, which has been punched with holes in the hole punching process and has a raised upper surface.
In the leveling process, as shown in Fig. 5(A), the pressing plate 17 of the pressing tool 16 is pressed against the top surface of the frozen dessert material 10 with the holes 12 for a predetermined short period of time. Then, the pressing tool 16 is raised. As a result, as shown in Fig. 5(B), the top surface of the frozen dessert material 10 in the container is leveled flat.

The pressing tool 16 used in the smoothing process may be a circular flat pressing plate 17 as shown in Fig. 6(A), or may be a pressing plate 17 that is inclined diagonally upward from the center to the periphery as shown in Fig. 6(B), or may be a pressing plate 17 that is inclined gently in a curve from the center to the periphery as shown in Fig. 6(C).
Referring again to FIG. 1, the temperature and hole punching suitability of the hole punching tool 20 used in the hole punching step (step S14) were confirmed by experiment, and the following results were obtained.

The temperature of the hole punch 20 was adjusted to 0°C, 10°C, 20°C, 30°C, 40°C, and 50°C for the frozen confectionery material 10 with a product temperature of -14°C, and holes were made with the hole punch 20 at each temperature. As a result, the holes made in the frozen confectionery material 10 had a stable hole shape when the temperature of the hole punch 20 was 0°C to 40°C, and more preferably when the temperature of the hole punch 20 was 10°C to 20°C.
In this embodiment, the hole punch 20 is integrally molded from stainless steel. However, the hole punch 20 may be made of a metal with good thermal conductivity, such as copper or aluminum, or may be made of a metal with a copper-plated or aluminum-plated surface. In the case of a metal with good thermal conductivity, the contact surface between the hole punch 20 and the frozen confectionery material 10 is easily loosened, making it easier for the hole punch 20 to penetrate into the frozen confectionery material 10.

After the hole punching process (step S14) is completed, the container 11 containing the frozen confectionery material 10 with the hole 12 punched therein is transported to the lid covering process (step S15).
In the lid covering step (step S15), a lid to cover the container 11 is supplied, and the supplied lid is automatically placed on the container 11, completing the containerized frozen dessert.
The completed containerized frozen desserts are packed into cardboard boxes in a predetermined number of units in a cardboard box packing process (step S16).The containerized frozen desserts in the cardboard boxes are then sent to a storage process (step S17) where they are stored and managed at a low temperature of -18°C or lower.

[Hole drilling methods and their suitability]
Various studies were conducted on hole punching tools that can be used in the hole punching step (step S14) in the above-described embodiment.
7 to 12 are diagrams showing examples of shapes of the drilling portion (the portion that penetrates into the frozen confectionery material to drill a hole) of the hole puncher examined.

In Fig. 7 to Fig. 12, (A) is an overall view of the excavation part, and (B) is a bottom view of the excavation part. The excavation part 31 shown in Fig. 7 has a single blade shape. The excavation part 32 shown in Fig. 8 has a four-blade shape. The excavation part 33 shown in Fig. 9 has a six-blade shape. The excavation part 34 shown in Fig. 10 has an eight-blade shape. Each of the blades 31 to 34 in Figs. 7 to 10 was made using an acrylic plate or a wooden plate. Each of the blades 31 to 34 is used as a pushing blade that moves up and down against the frozen dessert material. On the other hand, the excavation part 35 shown in Fig. 11 is a so-called drill bit. Also, the excavation part 36 shown in Fig. 12 is a drill bit for woodworking. The excavation parts 35 and 36 shown in Figs. 11 and 12 are not pushing blades, but rotating blades that are used by rotating.

When holes were drilled in the frozen dessert material with each of the excavation sections 31 to 36, it was confirmed that the desired holes could be drilled in the frozen dessert material with the one-blade, four-blade, and six-blade push blades shown in Figures 7 to 9. It was confirmed that the eight-blade push blade shown in Figure 10 had a large number of blades, and therefore the holes in the frozen dessert material were easily crumbled.
It was also confirmed that holes could be made well in the frozen dessert material using the rotary blade (drill bit) shown in Figures 11 and 12.

According to the above considerations, the hole punching tool can be a push blade with one blade or two to six blades, or a rotary blade such as a drill bit. Also, the hole punching tool is not limited to being made of metal, and can be made of resin such as acrylic, wood, bamboo, etc., as long as there are no problems in terms of safety and hygiene.
Furthermore, it was confirmed that when the hole punching tool is a pushing blade, the pushing blade may be provided with a twist in the pushing direction.

It should be noted that when eating frozen desserts with holes in a container, it has been confirmed that frozen desserts with holes formed using a conventional inner stopper form better slurry when liquid is poured into them than frozen desserts with holes drilled in them with a drill bit (rotary blade) after freeze-hardening. In this case, a good slurry is one in which only a small amount of liquid separates when 50°C liquid is poured into the frozen dessert, the lid is closed and the container is shaken up and down or the container is kneaded several times by hand, and then the contents are transferred to a funnel equipped with a mesh with a mesh size of approximately 2.5 mm.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10, 10A Frozen dessert material 11 Container 12 Hole 15 Actuator 16 Pusher 17 Pusher plate 20 Hole puncher 21 Central shaft 22, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 Excavation portion 220 Lower end 221 Tip blade 222 Pusher blade 223 Outer edge 23 Base 24 Fixed portion

Claims (10)

A step of filling a predetermined amount of frozen dessert material into a container having a bottom surface and a side wall rising from the periphery of the bottom surface and an open top surface;
A step of freezing and hardening the frozen dessert material filled in the container until a predetermined amount of the frozen dessert material is frozen to a predetermined hardness;
A step of drilling a hole from above using a predetermined hole punching tool on the top surface of a predetermined amount of frozen confectionery material that has been frozen and hardened in the container while maintaining the amount of the frozen confectionery material; and a step of covering the container containing the predetermined amount of frozen confectionery material with a lid.
The method for producing a containerized frozen dessert comprises: The method for manufacturing containerized frozen desserts according to claim 1, wherein the step of drilling the holes includes a step of leveling the excavated frozen dessert material on the top surface of the frozen dessert material. The method for producing containerized frozen desserts according to claim 1 or 2 further comprises a step of storing the covered container at -18°C or lower. The method for producing containerized frozen desserts according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the predetermined hardness in the freeze-hardening step includes a maximum hardness stress of 0.50 N to 8.82 N. The method for producing containerized frozen desserts according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in the freeze-hardening step, the frozen dessert ingredients are frozen so that their central temperature is -10°C to -18°C. The method for producing containerized frozen desserts according to claim 1, wherein the specified hole punch used has a temperature adjusted to 0°C to 40°C. The method for producing containerized frozen desserts according to claim 1, wherein the specified hole punch used is one whose temperature is adjusted to 10°C to 20°C. The method for producing containerized frozen desserts according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined hole punching tool has one or more pushing blades. The method for producing containerized frozen desserts according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined hole punch is twisted relative to the pushing direction of the pushing blade. The method for producing containerized frozen desserts according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the frozen dessert ingredients include ice cream mix or a mixture of ice cream mix and shaved ice.

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