Method and device for creating frozen pellets of a foodstuff

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method of forming frozen ice cream pellets includes supplying an ice cream premix into a loading vessel; loading a loading cylinder with the ice cream premix from the loading vessel, the loading cylinder being connected to the loading vessel; applying a machine-controllable force to expel the ice cream premix from the loading cylinder as ice cream premix pellets; and exposing the ice cream premix pellets to a cryogenic fluid, thereby at least partially freezing the ice cream premix pellets.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for forming frozen ice cream pellets, comprising:
 an injector apparatus for depositing ice cream pellets, the injector apparatus including;
 a loading vessel; and 
 a reciprocating piston apparatus for supplying ice cream premix to the loading vessel; and 
   a cooling medium positioned to receive the ice cream pellets deposited by the injector apparatus, the cooling medium capable of at least partially freezing the ice cream pellets.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a loading cylinder connected to a lower portion of the loading vessel and configured to deposit the ice cream pellets in response to a force applied by the reciprocating piston apparatus. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the reciprocating piston apparatus comprises a piston and a loading chamber defining a chamber sized to allow the piston to travel therethrough, wherein reciprocation of the piston changes a volume of the chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a conveyor belt for transporting the ice cream pellets. 
     
     
         5 . An apparatus for forming frozen ice cream pellets, comprising:
 an injector apparatus for depositing ice cream pellets, the injector apparatus including;
 a loading vessel; 
 a loading cylinder connected to a lower portion of the loading vessel and configured to deposit the ice cream pellets; and 
 a pressurized source connected to the loading vessel for supplying fluid pressure to the loading vessel; and 
   a cooling medium positioned to receive the ice cream pellets deposited by the injector apparatus, the cooling medium capable of at least partially freezing the ice cream pellets.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising a conveyor belt for transporting the ice cream pellets.