US 12,137,702 B2
Print head for printing a food product layer-by-layer and a system comprising a print head
Floris Petran Hoff, Eindhoven (NL); and Stefan Cornelis Gerardus Dorssers, Panningen (NL)
Assigned to BYFLOW B.V., Eindhoven (NL)
Appl. No. 16/488,747
Filed by BYFLOW B.V., Eindhoven (NL)
PCT Filed Mar. 12, 2018, PCT No. PCT/NL2018/050149
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 26, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/169389, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 20, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 2018501 (NL), filed on Mar. 13, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0045990 A1, Feb. 13, 2020
Int. Cl. A23G 1/20 (2006.01); A23P 20/20 (2016.01); A23P 20/25 (2016.01); A23P 30/20 (2016.01); B29C 64/106 (2017.01); B29C 64/209 (2017.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01)
CPC A23G 1/206 (2013.01) [A23P 20/20 (2016.08); A23P 2020/253 (2016.08); A23P 30/20 (2016.08); B29C 64/106 (2017.08); B29C 64/209 (2017.08); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A print head, comprising:
a nozzle configured to print a food product layer-by-layer;
a nozzle heater configured to heat the nozzle to thermally condition melted food product to reach a desired temperature before depositing the melted food product;
a reservoir integrally formed with the print head, the reservoir including at least one heating unit configured to melt solid food product to be received in the reservoir, and the reservoir further including an exit positioned in a bottom of the reservoir;
a screw conveyor configured to convey the melted food product from the exit to the nozzle;
a travel path positioned radially outward and around the screw conveyor, the travel path extending from the exit to the nozzle;
a temperature controller positioned adjacent the travel path for thermally conditioning the melted food product as the melted food product is conveyed along the travel path, the temperature controller comprising:
a heat exchanger comprising:
a heat conducting metal wall positioned radially outward of the screw conveyor and extending along an upper section and a lower section of the travel path; and
a supply line and a discharge line for circulating fluid through the heat exchanger:
a first heating coil positioned radially outward of the heat conducting metal wall and extending along the upper section of the travel path; and
a second heating coil positioned radially outward of the heat conducting metal wall and extending along the lower section of the travel path;
wherein the first and second heating coils are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the travel path and extend longitudinally coextensive with the heat conducting metal wall; and
a processor unit configured to control:
a temperature of the at least one heating unit of the reservoir; and
the temperature controller to control a temperature of the heat exchanger and to independently control a temperature of the first heating coil and a temperature of the second heating coil.