Food production device

1 . A food production device, configured to provide texture to a mass of viscoelastic foodstuff material, which comprises:

an outer cylinder, comprising a cylindrical wall that extends around a longitudinal axis, wherein an interior of the outer cylinder is defined by the cylindrical wall and wherein the outer cylinder comprises an opening by which access is provided towards its interior,

an inner cylinder, which comprises an outer wall having a shape that substantially corresponds to the shape of the cylindrical wall of the outer cylinder,

wherein the inner cylinder is disposed in the interior of the outer cylinder and the outer wall of the inner cylinder faces the cylindrical wall of the outer cylinder,

wherein a closed-off texturizing chamber of the food production device is formed between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder having an internal volume, for receiving and retaining the mass of viscoelastic foodstuff material, and

a lid, which is configured to be mounted over the opening to close- off the texturizing chamber from its surroundings and configured to be opened to provide access towards the texturizing chamber when the texturizing has finished,

wherein the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder are rotatable with respect to each other around a rotation axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis, to effect a shear stress with the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder, which is configured to act onto the foodstuff material in the texturizing chamber,

wherein the outer cylinder comprises a head end wall at a first head end thereof,

wherein the opening is a head end opening at a second head end of the outer cylinder, opposite to the first head end,

wherein the lid is configured to be mounted at the second head end of the outer cylinder to close-off the head end opening,

wherein the internal volume of the texturizing chamber has an uninterrupted annular shape extending along a longitudinal axis,

wherein the internal volume of the texturizing chamber is closed and devoid of any openings, ports, valves, conduits, or interfaces permitting passage of the foodstuff material; and

wherein the texturizing chamber prevents transfer of any solid, liquid, or gaseous material between the internal volume and an external environment.

2 . The food production device according to claim 1 , wherein the lid and the inner cylinder together form a lid assembly that is removable from the outer cylinder to allow access to the interior of the outer cylinder.

3 . The food production device according to claim 2 , wherein the lid assembly comprises a stationary portion, which is configured to be attached to the outer cylinder, and a rotary portion within the stationary portion, wherein the rotary portion is rotatable with respect to the stationary portion and wherein the inner cylinder is fixedly connected to the rotary portion.

4 . The food production device according to claim 2 , wherein the inner cylinder comprises a displacement mechanism, which faces the head end wall of the outer cylinder.

5 . The food production device according to claim 2 , wherein the head end wall of the outer cylinder comprises an inverse cone-shaped end portion, a concave end portion and/or a screw portion, which faces the inner cylinder.

6 . The food production device according to claim 2 , wherein the inner cylinder is hollow, having an interior, and wherein the lid has an annular shape that defines a through passage towards the interior of the inner cylinder.

7 . The food production device according to claim 2 , wherein the lid assembly further comprises an electric motor that is attached to the lid, wherein the electric motor is configured to rotate the inner cylinder with respect to the lid.

8 . The food production device according to claim 1 , wherein the lid comprises a first locking element and wherein the outer cylinder comprises a corresponding second locking element at its second head end, wherein the first and second locking elements are configured to interlock, in order to effect closure of the lid on the outer cylinder.

9 . The food production device according to claim 1 , comprising an annular seal at an interface between the lid and the outer cylinder.

10 . The food production device according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical wall has an inner radius, wherein the outer wall of the inner cylinder has an outer radius, wherein a width of the texturizing chamber is defined as the difference between the inner radius of the cylindrical wall and the outer radius of the outer wall of the inner cylinder, and wherein the width is in a range between 5 mm and 100 mm.

11 . The food production device according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical wall of the outer cylinder and/or the outer wall of the inner cylinder comprises a corrugated surface to increase contact between the respective wall and the foodstuff material.

12 . The food production device according to claim 1 , further comprising a heater, which is configured to heat the texturizing chamber to heat the mass of viscoelastic foodstuff material.

13 . The food production device according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is provided in the cylindrical wall of the outer cylinder and/or the outer wall of the inner cylinder.

14 . The food production device according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a pressure regulator, which is configured to regulate a pressure level in the texturizing chamber.

15 . The food production device according to claim 1 , wherein the outer cylinder comprises a vent hole in its cylindrical wall or its head end wall, which is configured to provide a fluid passage between the interior of the outer cylinder and its surroundings.