US 12,434,487 B1
Method and system for producing cereal pieces with printed images
Craig S. Lundquist, Richfield, MN (US); Bruce J. Button, Minneapolis, MN (US); Troy Alan Heuring, Waverly, MN (US); and Goeran Walther, Plymouth, MN (US)
Assigned to General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US)
Filed by General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US)
Filed on Nov. 15, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/987,133.
Int. Cl. B41J 3/407 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 3/407 (2013.01) 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
16. A production system for mass producing cereal pieces comprising:
a conveyor configured to direct a plurality of strips with a strip of dough material having an exposed face portion being one of the plurality of strips;
a printing assembly configured to create a series of images upon successive regions of the exposed face portion of the strip, wherein the printing assembly is configured to create each image by printing the image in a section of the exposed face portion and re-printing the image upon itself in the section of the exposed face portion multiple times and wherein the printing assembly is configured to print a respective said series of images upon successive regions of each of the plurality of strips;
a cutting unit configured to cut the strip into individual food pieces, with each food piece including a periphery and the image being located entirely within the periphery; and
a finishing unit configured to process the individual food pieces in creating cereal pieces having the images thereon.