System and method for manufacturing and processing a food product

Abstract

A system and method for manufacturing and processing a food product, such as forming, transporting, and slicing, is disclosed. The food product includes an elongated body having a generally D-shaped cross section.

1 . A food product formed in a mold to undergo cooking and processing operations, the food product comprising:
 an elongated body having a longitudinal axis;   a first side providing a substantially planer surface;   a second side extending substantially perpendicular to the first side;   a third side extending substantially perpendicular to the first side and substantially parallel to the second side;   a fourth side extending between the second side and the third side, and having a convex curvature extending away from the first side;   wherein the first side, second side, third side, and fourth side form a substantially D-shaped cross-section taken perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.   
   
   
       2 . The food product of  claim 1  wherein the second side and the third side are less than one-half the width of the first side. 
   
   
       3 . The food product of  claim 1  wherein the fourth side defines a semi-circular cross-sectional area and the first, second, and third sides define a rectangular cross-sectional area. 
   
   
       4 . The food product of  claim 3  wherein the first side, second side, and the third side are linear. 
   
   
       5 . The food product of  claim 1  wherein dimensions of the second side and the third side relative to the dimension of the fourth side are configured to allow the body to rest on the second side or the third side without tipping over. 
   
   
       6 . The food product of  claim 1  wherein the second side and the third side provide more than 50 percent of a total height of the D-shaped cross-section and the fourth side provides less than 50 percent of the total height of the D-shaped cross-section. 
   
   
       7 . A method for slicing elongated food products into a plurality of slices with a slicing apparatus coupled to a product supply system, the slicing apparatus providing a cutting zone defined at least partially by a cutting head and by a range of movement of a cutting element, the method comprising:
 providing a first food product, a second food product, a third food product, and a fourth food product, each of the food products having an elongated body having a longitudinal axis, a first side providing a substantially planer surface, a second side extending substantially perpendicular to the first side, a third side extending substantially perpendicular to the first side and substantially parallel to the second side, a fourth side extending between the second side and the third side and having a convex curvature I 1  extending away from the first side, wherein the first side, second side, third side, and fourth side form a substantially D-shaped cross-section taken perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;   arranging the first, second, third, and fourth food products in a series laterally across the cutting zone so that first food product and the fourth food product are located at the outer portion of the cutting head, the second food product is located between the first food product and the third food product, and the third food product is located between the second food product and the fourth food product;   orientating the fourth side of the first food product and the fourth side of the fourth food product to face in an opposite direction from each other that is outward and away from the second food product and third food product;   moving the cutting element to slice the food products.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the step of moving the cutting element comprises rotating a blade so that the cutting element orbits about an axis. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising the first side of the second food product to be adjacent the first side of the third food product. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising moving the first food product through a first D-shaped aperture in the cutting head, the second food product through a second D-shaped aperture in the cutting head, the third food product through a third D-shaped aperture in the cutting head, and the fourth food product through a fourth D-shaped aperture in the cutting head. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising conveying the sliced food product away from the cutting head. 
   
   
       12 . In an apparatus for slicing a plurality of food products, each food product having an elongated body having a longitudinal axis, a first side providing a substantially planer surface, a second side extending substantially perpendicular to the first side, a third side extending substantially perpendicular to the first side and substantially parallel to the second side, a fourth side extending between the second side and the third side, and having a convex curvature extending away from the first side, wherein the first side, second side, third side, and fourth side form a substantially D-shaped cross-section taken perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the improvement comprising:
 a cutting head having a plurality of “D”-shaped apertures, each “D”-shaped aperture configured to receive one of the “D”-shaped food products;   a cutting element with a cutting edge configured to move through a cutting path adjacent the cutting head; wherein the D-shaped apertures occupies a substantial portion of the cutting zone.   
   
   
       13 . The improved apparatus of  claim 12  further comprising a product supply system configured to move a first food product log, a second food product log, a third food product log, and a fourth food product log. 
   
   
       14 . The improved apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the food products are moved through the apertures in the cutting head by the product supply system and the cutting element is moved to sever slices of food product extending through the cutting head whereas the cutting head and the cutting path form a cutting zone. 
   
   
       15 . The improved apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the apertures are sequentially spaced apart along a line exiting across the cutting head. 
   
   
       16 . The improved apparatus of  claim 15  wherein orientating the fourth side of the first food product and the fourth side of the fourth food product to face in an opposite direction from each other that is outward and away from the second food product and third food product. 
   
   
       17 . A system for manufacturing a food product comprising:
 a plurality of food product molds;   a food product cooking system having plurality of tanks configured to receive the food product molds and to cook the food products within the molds using a heated water solution;   an apparatus to unload food product logs from the food product molds and onto a first conveying system;   a buffering and equilibrating apparatus coupled to the plurality of tanks by the first conveying system, and configured to cool core temperatures of the food product logs to a predetermined temperature;   a slicing apparatus configured to receive food products logs from the buffer and equilibrating apparatus by a second conveyor system and configured to slice the food product logs into a plurality of slices;   wherein the cycle time for cooling the food product logs is different than the cycle time for slicing the food product logs;   wherein the buffering and equilibrating apparatus is further configured to compensate for the difference in cycle times between the food product cooking system and the slicing apparatus.   
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein each food product log has an elongated body having a longitudinal axis, a first side providing a substantially planer surface, a second side extending substantially perpendicular to the first side, a third side extending substantially perpendicular to the first side and substantially parallel to the second side, a fourth side extending between the second side and the third side, and having a convex curvature extending away from the first side, wherein the first side, second side, third side, and fourth side form a substantially D-shaped cross-section taken perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein each food product mold comprises a base and a cover and the food product logs are orientated in the mold with the first side located at the bottom of the base and the fourth side provided by the cover. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the cycle time for cooling the food product logs is greater than the cycle time for slicing the food product logs. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the buffering and equilibrating apparatus comprises a plurality of sequential buffers with a plurality of tiers of food product logs. 
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 17  further comprising a multi-tier conveyor configured to transfer the food product logs to the slicing apparatus, wherein the multi-tier conveyor has less tiers than the buffers.