1. A method for modifying the wettability of a contact ring polymer surface, comprising:
irradiating the polymer surface of the contact ring with ultraviolet radiation.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer surface of the contact ring comprises polyalkylenes, polyaromatics, fluoropolymers, copolymers thereof, or mixtures thereof.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact ring is fabricated at least in part from a polymeric material.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet radiation is generated from a source comprising one or more of the devices elected from the group consisting of lamps, eximer lasers, and diodes.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet radiation is either pulsed or continuous.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet radiation comprises light emitted at a wavelength of less than about 243 nm.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein a desired wettability of the contact ring polymer surface is obtained by measuring the wettability thereof during the irradiation process.
8. A method for modifying the wettability of a contact ring polymer surface, comprising:
exposing the polymer surface of the contact ring to ozone.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the polymer surface of the contact ring comprises polyalkylenes, polyaromatics, fluoropolymers, copolymers thereof, or mixtures thereof.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the contact ring is fabricated at least in part from a polymeric material.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein the ozone is produced by an ozone generation device.
12. The method of claim 8, wherein the ozone is provided by a container of ozone.
13. The method of claim 8, wherein a desired wettability of the contact ring polymer surface is obtained by measuring the wettability thereof during the ozination process.
14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
exposing the polymer surface of the contact ring to ozone.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the ultraviolet radiation comprises light emitted at a wavelength of about 253.7 nm.
16. A method for controlling the wettability of a contact ring polymer surface, comprising:
rapidly solidifying a liquefied polymer surface of the contact ring.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the rapid solidification of the liquefied polymer surface is achieved by exposing at least a portion of the liquefied polymer surface to a fluid having an initial temperature substantially lower than ambient air temperature.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the fluid comprises air, nitrogen, helium, argon, gaseous carbon dioxide, ozone, water, liquefied air, liquid nitrogen, liquid carbon dioxide, or combinations thereof.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein the liquefied polymer surface of the contact ring is produced by melting a solid polymeric material.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the solid polymeric material comprises powder, pellets, flakes, granules, or combinations thereof.
21. The method of claim 16, further comprising one or more processes selected from the group consisting of:
irradiating the polymer surface of the contact ring with ultraviolet radiation; and
exposing the polymer surface of the contact ring to ozone.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the process of irradiating the polymer surface of the contact ring with ultraviolet radiation, the process of exposing the polymer surface of the contact ring to ozone, or both process, are carried out in the time interval selected from the group consisting of:
before the process of rapidly solidifying the liquefied polymer surface of the contact ring;
during the process of rapidly solidifying the liquefied polymer surface of the contact ring;
after the process of rapidly solidifying the liquefied polymer surface of the contact ring; and
combinations thereof.
23. A contact ring produced from the method of claim 1.
24. A contact ring produced from the method of claim 8.
25. A contact ring produced from the method of claim 16.
26. A contact ring produced from the method of claim 21.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of forming spherically shaped, dough products comprising:
delivering a dough sheet, having opposing first and second surfaces, on a conveyor along a dough travel path;
rotating a drum, having a sleeve extending about and being secured thereto supporting a plurality of cutter molds, provided in the dough travel path such that the plurality of cutter molds, provided with peripheral cutting edge portions and concaved bowl-shaped internal cavities, receive dough in the bowl-shaped internal cavities of the cutter molds to establish spherically shaped, dough products with flat bottom portions and rounded, ball-shaped main body portions while the cutting edge portions engage the dough;
severing the dough sheet by causing a concave-shaped front end portion of each cutter mold to initially engage the dough sheet upon rotation of the drum, followed by convex-shaped opposing side portions of each cutter mold, and then a concave-shaped rear end portion of each cutter mold engages the dough sheet during rotation of the drum, with each of the convex shaped opposing side portions having a curvature which mimics a side curvature of the sleeve, wherein the plurality of cutter molds directly engage and sever the dough upon rotation of the drum to form the spherically shaped, dough products; and
causing the dough products to be released back onto the conveyor from the bowl-shaped internal cavities.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the dough sheet is simultaneously shaped and cut into the spherically shaped, dough products.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the dough sheet is continuously delivered on the conveyor and the drum is continuously rotated such that the spherically shaped, dough products are continuously formed.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein causing the dough products to be released from the bowl-shaped internal cavities includes forcibly ejecting the dough products from the internal cavities.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein causing the dough products to be released from the bowl-shaped internal cavities includes injecting air into the internal cavities to forcibly eject the dough products.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the injecting air into the internal cavities includes introducing pressurized air into the drum and transferring the pressurized air into the bowl-shaped internal cavities.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising: simultaneously with forming the dough products, forming intermediate dough pieces between the dough products, with the intermediate dough pieces completely separating the dough products from one another.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein creating additional cuts in the dough sheet with radial extensions provided on each cutter mold, with the additional cuts facilitating removal of the spherically shaped, dough products from upon the conveyor.
9. A method for shaping and cutting a dough sheet into a plurality of spherical dough products conducted with an apparatus including a conveyor upon which a dough sheet travels, a rotatable drum mounted for rotation above the conveyor, a plurality of cutter molds disposed about the rotatable drum, each of the cutter molds including a peripheral edge portion, a dough engaging portion extending from the peripheral edge portion and having one of an arcuate shape and a sloping, tapered configuration, and a curved, annular side wall extending from the dough engaging portion and defining a concave, bowl-shaped internal dough receiving cavity having a base portion, with the peripheral edge portion establishing a cutting edge for each cutter mold wherein the cutting edge includes a front portion, a rear portion and opposing side portions, with the peripheral edge portion, the dough engaging portion, and the annular side wall, in combination, being configured to form a spherically shaped dough product and each of the opposing side portions including a curvature which is convex in shape, and a sleeve supporting the plurality of cutter molds, said sleeve extending about and being secured to the rotatable drum, while the curvature of each of the opposing side portions mimics a side curvature of the sleeve, said method comprising:
forcing dough into the internal, dough receiving cavities of the cutter molds so that the dough is shaped by the cutter molds when the dough sheet travels in a dough travel path and the drum is rotated;
engaging the dough with the cutting edges; and
severing the dough sheet into a plurality of generally spherically shaped, dough products.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising delivering air to the internal, dough receiving cavities of the cutter molds for ejecting the dough products.
11. The method of claim 9 further comprising simultaneously with severing the dough sheet into the plurality of spherically shaped dough products, forming intermediate dough pieces between the dough products, with the intermediate dough pieces completely separating the dough products from one another.
12. A method for shaping and cutting a dough sheet into a plurality of spherical dough products conducted with an apparatus including a conveyor upon which a dough sheet travels, a rotatable drum mounted for rotation above the conveyor, and a plurality of cutter molds disposed about the rotatable drum, each of the cutter molds including a peripheral edge portion and a curved, annular side wall extending from the dough engaging portion and defining a concave, bowl-shaped internal dough receiving cavity having a base portion, with the peripheral edge portion of each cutter mold including radial extensions and establishing a cutting edge for the cutter mold, with the cutting edge including a front portion, a rear portion and opposing side portions, with each of the front and rear portions being concave in shape and each of the opposing side portions being convex in shape wherein the peripheral edge portion, the dough engaging portion and the annular side wall, in combination, are configured to form a spherically shaped dough product, said method comprising:
forcing dough into the internal, dough receiving cavities of the cutter molds so that the dough is shaped by the plurality of cutter molds when the dough sheet travels in a dough travel path while the drum is rotated;
engaging the dough sheet with the cutting edges of the cutter molds; and
severing the dough sheet into the plurality of spherical dough products, while the radial extensions create additional cuts in the dough sheet which facilitate removal of the plurality of spherical dough products from the conveyor.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising delivering air to the internal, dough receiving cavities of the cutter molds for ejecting the dough products.
14. The method of claim 12 further comprising simultaneously with severing the dough sheet into the plurality of spherically shaped dough products, forming intermediate dough pieces between the dough products, with the intermediate dough pieces completely separating the dough products from one another.