MASS-DISTRIBUTING DEVICE AND MOULDING DEVICE COMPRISING A MASS-DISTRIBUTING DEVICE OF THIS TYPE

摘要

A mass-distributing device for supplying a mass of foodstuff starting materials suitable for consumption, in particular a meat mass, to one or more mould cavities of a moulding member for moulding three-dimensional products from the mass is provided. The device comprises a housing, which has an open side which can be turned towards the moulding member, in which a flexible abutment element for the housing to abut the moulding member is arranged. In the housing, a through-passage for the mass extends from an introduction opening in the housing to a discharge, which discharge opens at the open side of the housing. Pressure means are provided in order to position the flexible abutment element under pressure against the plane of the moulding member comprising one or more mould cavities, the pressure means being designed to set contact pressures in separate zones of the flexible abutment element.

主权项

1. A method for operating a moulding device for moulding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff starting materials suitable for consumption, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a cylindrical moulding member rotatable in a rotation direction by an associated drive device, the cylindrical moulding member including at least one mould cavity provided on an outer circumference thereof; providing a supply member configured to supply said mass of foodstuff starting materials to a mass-distributing device; providing the mass-distributing device for supplying said mass of foodstuff starting materials to said at least one mould cavity of the cylindrical moulding member, said mass-distributing device comprising:
a housing including a side turned towards the cylindrical moulding member, said side being provided with a curved flexible abutment element abutting an arc section of the cylindrical moulding member, in which a through-passage for said mass extends in the housing from an introduction opening, into which said supply member supplies said mass, to a discharge, wherein said discharge opens at the side of the housing which is turned towards the cylindrical moulding member, the curved flexible abutment element comprising a plurality of separate zones arranged in succession in a circumferential direction of the curved flexible abutment device; anda pressure device configured to position the curved flexible abutment element under contact pressure against the outer circumference of the cylindrical moulding member, wherein the pressure device comprises a plurality of individual pressure elements configured to separately set a contact pressure in each of the plurality of separate zones of the curved flexible abutment element,wherein the pressure device further comprises one or more edge zone pressure elements provided along one or both semi-circular outer edges of the curved flexible abutment element, the one or more edge zone pressure elements being configured to set a further contact pressure in said one or more edge zones, independently of setting of said contact pressure in at least one of said separate zones of the curved flexible abutment element by the plurality of individual pressure elements; and separately setting said contact pressures in each of said plurality of separate zones of the curved flexible abutment element and in said one or more edge zones.