Patents on the soles of your shoes...: Oh, patents! 3D printed pizza

Friday, August 31, 2018

Oh, patents! 3D printed pizza

How do you feed astronauts for five years, the approximate time it takes to travel to planet Mars, and back to earth?

This is the kind of problem that NASA strives to address with 3D printed food. 3D printed food is regularly prepared food that is dehydrated, and subsequently rehydrated into a paste. The paste is then used as ink for 3D printing food.

Nothing tastier than 3D printed gummy bears and pizza in outer space!

Tasty down on earth also…. This is the case for the NASA-funded research at Beehex, Inc., where CEO Anjan Contractor has recycled his space 3D printing technology into a 3D food printer that extrudes pizza dough, tomato sauce, and cheese, to print pizza --on earth, for commercial purposes.

Nozzles of different sizes extrude different amounts of molten food ink under pressurized air. The food prepared with 3D printers is prepared very fast – 3 minutes to extrude, 6 minutes to cook. The process is “cleaner, quicker, more efficient and consistent…” than non-printed food. Finally, the food is customizable in ways previously unparalleled. It can be printed in any shape, using any number of customizable ingredient pastes.

The various components of the Beehex Inc., food printer invention are recited in three recently filed US patent applications:

US20170259482A1 - Apparatus for performing three-dimensional printing

This patent discloses the essential components of a 3D printer that can extrude various viscous materials, including edible materials like melted chocolate -- without dripping from the nozzles. The 3D printer comprises a printer cartridge, an extruder, multiple rods and screws designed to guide the extrusion of materials, and a control system designed to control both the extruder and the pneumatic (air compressor) system.

US20180020683A1 - 3D-print system with integrated cnc robot and automatic self-cleaning mechanism

This patent addresses the issue of customizing pizza printing according to dietary health and safety constraints (e.g.; printing gluten-free crusts), and more specifically the issue of cleaning without leaving traces of micro-organisms, such as allergens or bacteria, which could contaminate food preparation. In the prior art of food systems, parts coming in contact with food are all disposable, but this is very expensive. The invention thus consists in providing a permanent and automated means of cleaning the 3D food printer, in view of preventing the formation of biofilms, and removing food residues in the tubing and on the nozzles, in a cost-effective manner.

US20180042245A1 - System, apparatus and method for customizing and generating a 3D printed food

This patent specifically discloses the customization of pizza printing shapes and ingredients, including means for mobile communication with the 3D pizza printer. The mobile communication means enable users to send the specifics of their orders to the 3D pizza printer.

Figure 1B of the Beehex 3D food printer, extracted from the patent US20170259482A1, is included below, together with an image of the marketed Beehex 3D food printer.