US 12,439,936 B2
Process and device for application of particles onto frozen confectionery
Thomas Aloisius Valentinus Amend, Singapore (SG)
Assigned to Societe des Produits Nestle S.A., Vevey (CH)
Appl. No. 18/257,000
Filed by SOCIETE DES PRODUITS NESTLE S.A., Vevey (CH)
PCT Filed Dec. 10, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/085279
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 12, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/128813, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 23, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 20214326 (EP), filed on Dec. 15, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0049743 A1, Feb. 15, 2024
Int. Cl. A23G 9/24 (2006.01); A23G 9/26 (2006.01); A23G 9/48 (2006.01); A23G 9/50 (2006.01); B65G 47/90 (2006.01)
CPC A23G 9/245 (2013.01) [A23G 9/26 (2013.01); A23G 9/48 (2013.01); A23G 9/503 (2013.01); B65G 47/90 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0202 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
 
1. Apparatus for decorating frozen confectionery on sticks, the apparatus comprising:
a coating station for applying coating material onto the frozen confectionery,
a particle dispensing station for applying particles onto the coated frozen confectionery,
a conveyor for moving the frozen confectionery past the coating station and the particle dispensing station, the conveyor comprising a gripper arranged on the conveyor and having a product attached position and an opened position for gripping and releasing the stick of the frozen confectionery, and
the conveyor comprising guides for moving the gripper with the frozen confectionery between a vertical position and a horizontal position, and wherein the apparatus further comprises
a heating station installed at a position between the coating station and the particle dispensing station, and wherein the gripper is arranged to hold the frozen confectionery in the horizontal position when passing the heating station and the; particle dispensing station and
a coating removal means for removing coating material on one side of the frozen confectionery, which coating removal means are at a position after the coating station in the direction of the movement of the conveyor and before the particle dispensing station wherein the coating removal means comprises airflow means adapted to partially remove coating material from one side of the frozen confectionery.