US 12,324,439 B2
Production of precooked formed meat patties
Kent Bearson, Naperville, IL (US); Dejing Fu, Lisle, IL (US); Frederick Dorsey, Chicago, IL (US); Nicholas Miller, Downers Grove, IL (US); and Liza John, Downers Grove, IL (US)
Assigned to The Hillshire Brands Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed by The Hillshire Brands Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Mar. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/705,852.
Application 17/705,852 is a division of application No. 16/937,911, filed on Jul. 24, 2020, granted, now 11,284,628.
Application 16/937,911 is a division of application No. 16/081,591, granted, now 11,980,200, issued on Mar. 29, 2022, previously published as PCT/US2016/031312, filed on May 6, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/302,013, filed on Mar. 1, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0217985 A1, Jul. 14, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A22C 7/00 (2006.01); A23B 4/005 (2006.01); A23B 4/06 (2006.01); A23L 5/10 (2016.01); A23L 13/50 (2016.01); A23L 13/60 (2016.01)
CPC A22C 7/0076 (2013.01) [A22C 7/00 (2013.01); A22C 7/003 (2013.01); A23B 4/005 (2013.01); A23B 4/06 (2013.01); A23L 5/10 (2016.08); A23L 13/52 (2016.08); A23L 13/67 (2016.08)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for producing a cooked meat patty, the apparatus comprising:
a first grinder for coarse grinding a meat product wherein a coarse particle size of the meat product is in the range of ⅜ inch to ⅝ inch;
a blender for blending the coarse ground meat product with first ingredients to a temperature T1 wherein 30° F.≤T1≤40° F.;
a second grinder for fine grinding the blended meat product wherein a fine particle size is less than the coarse particle size;
a former for forming the fine ground meat product into an uncooked patty at temperature T1 by depositing the ground meat product into a mold, wherein the mold does not include a top and does not include a bottom;
a scraper for scraping an excess fine ground meat product off said mold, wherein the scraper includes an air bladder which inflates to engage the scraper;
a precooker for precooking the uncooked patty in the mold to thereby form a precooked patty having a skin of depth D comprising denatured protein, wherein said skin is formed on at least an area on the outside of the precooked patty, and wherein at least a first portion of the meat product disposed beneath said skin is at temperature T1; and
a cooker for cooking the precooked patty to thereby form the cooked patty wherein said at least a first portion of the meat product is at a temperature T2.