Patent Application
20250026538
The present invention relates generally to extrusion systems, and, more specifically, to an extrusion device having a flexible pouch that holds material that is to be extruded.
Transferring viscous materials is known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 10,631,906 issued to Globerman, et al., discloses concepts related to transferring viscous materials from a first to a second container by means of a transfer piston mechanically coupled between the two containers.
In addition, manufacturing of various metallic materials often include extrusion methodologies. For example, although steel is difficult to shape into custom shapes and sizes, steel is often subject to a heating and cooling process wherein chemical properties of the steel are changed to make extruding the steel possible. These extrusion techniques allow efficient changing of the form and shape of the steel using techniques such as extrusion.
Another extrusion technique can be found in non-metallic material such as caulk in a caulking gun. Caulk is a viscous material that is intended to be placed into small cracks, such as places like drywall joints that are formed during construction. A typical caulking gun requires a rigid cartridge having a large shaft equal to the length of the cartridge or tube of caulk in order to extrude the caulk from the caulk cartridge through a spout where the caulking can be controlled for placement into desired locations.
Further, extruding food products often includes extrusion of viscous material such as sandwich condiments. Often, these condiments are extruded from a container by introducing air into the container such that a pump mechanism in the container can be used to extrude the contents from the container, contents such as sandwich condiments where a user can find pump action containers filled with popular condiments that a user desires to put onto a sandwich.
What is needed is an extruder that can be used to more efficiently extrude both food and non-food materials. The following disclosure relates to further improvements in the extrusion art; non-obvious improvements, as demonstrated by the failure of those of ordinary skill in the art to implement such improvements after having available the benefit of these earlier extrusion disclosures.
It has been discovered that at least the aforementioned challenges are resolved by an extrusion system as disclosed herein. Upon viewing the present disclosure, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that variations of principles according to the present invention could be contemplated.
For example, in one inventive embodiment, an extruder apparatus is disclosed that has a flexible pouch system, an extrusion device, and a spout. The flexible pouch system is for holding material that is to be extruded. The extrusion device has a squeezing mechanism that is configured to accept one of possibly many flexible pouch systems via a fitment that can be used to provide a pathway to an adjustable spout where material is extruded.
The squeezing mechanism is for squeezing the flexible pouch system that has been placed into the extrusion device. The pouch system is evacuated of at least a portion of the material found within.
As stated, the fitment is part of the flexible pouch system. The fitment may include threads that allow the flexible pouch system to have a cap to securely contain material within the pouch when not in use.
The spout is mechanically coupled to the fitment that the extrusion device accepts. The spout is for delivering portions or all of the material of the pouch system to a location exterior of the extruder apparatus. This occurs when the squeezing mechanism of the extrusion device is engaged.
In certain embodiments the extruder apparatus extrudes material from the flexible pouch system such as peanut butter, honey, mayonnaise, cream cheese, icing, or even non-food products such as axle grease.
In other embodiments, the extruder apparatus has the squeezing mechanism set to completely evacuate the flexible pouch system. Regardless, the spout is adjustable to alter the location where the material of the flexible pouch system is to be extruded.
In some preferred embodiments, multiple form factors can be used to create the squeezing mechanism.
Further, the squeezing mechanism may include clamp arms that are specially designed to engage with the flexible pouch system. For example, a reciprocating plunger is often used to turn a screw that drives a clamping plate. In this way, a need for a long shaft to extrude material is eliminated.
With these adaptations, the squeezing mechanism is able to squeeze the flexible pouch system to optimally extrude its contents.
In another similar embodiment, an extruder apparatus is disclosed with a pouch system for holding material to be extruded. This extrusion is accomplished by an extrusion device that has a squeezing mechanism. The squeezing mechanism is configured to accept the pouch system, so that the squeezing mechanism may squeeze the pouch system.
Squeezing the pouch system allows material from within the pouch system to be extruded through a spout because it is mechanically coupled to a fitment.
The fitment provides for sliding into a slot of the extrusion device and securely attaching the pouch system to the extrusion device. Thus, the pouch system is allowed to be securely coupled to the extrusion device by means of the fitment. The fitment can also hold the material of the pouch system when it is apart from the extrusion device.
Finally, the spout is mechanically coupled to the fitment of the pouch system. The spout is for delivering portions of the material of the pouch system to a location that is exterior to the extruder apparatus. This occurs when the squeezing mechanism of the extrusion device is engaged, such that portions of the material in the pouch system are extruded through the spout.
In some embodiments, the extruder apparatus extrudes viscous material like the following: peanut butter, honey, mayonnaise, cream cheese, and axle grease. The extruder apparatus can be set to completely evacuate the pouch system.
In other embodiments, the extruder apparatus has a spout that is adjustable to alter the location where the material of the pouch system is to be extruded. Further, the extruder apparatus has a squeezing mechanism that includes multiple form factors, and the squeezing mechanism includes clamp arms specially designed to engage with the pouch system wherein the squeezing mechanism includes a clamp plate having an opening hole for accepting the fitment. As a result, the squeezing mechanism is able to squeeze the pouch system to optimally extrude its material contents.
For purposes of a full disclosure, another extruder apparatus is herein described. Similar to the other extrusion disclosures, a pouch system holding material to be extruded is included with an extrusion device that is configured to accept the pouch system, the extrusion device for compressing the pouch system.
The pouch system is mechanically coupled to a fitment for sliding into a slot of the extrusion device. The fitment is used for securely coupling the pouch system to the extrusion device. This allows the pouch system to be securely coupled to the extrusion device. The fitment is also configured to hold the material of the pouch system when the pouch system is apart from the extrusion device.
Like other disclosures herein a spout can be found that is mechanically coupled to the fitment of the pouch system. The spout is for delivering the material of the pouch system, in part or as a whole, to a location exterior of the extruder apparatus. When the compressing mechanism of the extrusion device is engaged, the portions of the material are extruded through the spout.
Similar to other embodiments, the material of the pouch system can be one of the following: peanut butter, icing, honey, mayonnaise, cream cheese, and axle grease.
The compressing mechanism of this embodiment can be set to completely evacuate the pouch system.
In addition, the spout can be adjustable to alter the location where the material of the pouch system is to be extruded.
Like the squeezing mechanism, the compressing mechanism comprises multiple form factors, and includes clamp arms specially designed to engage with the pouch system. The compressing mechanism is able to compress the pouch system to optimally extrude its material contents. The compressing mechanism includes a clamp plate having an opening hole for accepting the fitment.
The foregoing is a summary and thus contains, by necessity, simplifications, generalizations, and omissions of detail; consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Other aspects, inventive features, and advantages of the present invention, as defined solely by the claims, will become apparent in the non-limiting detailed description set forth below.
The present invention may be better understood, and its numerous objects, features, and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings.
The following provides a detailed description of examples of the present invention and should not be taken to be limiting of the invention itself. Rather, any number of variations may fall within the scope of the invention, which is defined in the claims following this detailed description.
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention illustrated in accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same or similar reference numerals are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts, acts, or steps. The drawings are in simplified form.
In the illustrated embodiment, extruder system 100 is illustrated as having an extrusion device 102, with a flexible pouch 104. Flexible pouch 104 is illustrated as having a fitment 106 attached. In addition, a spout 108 is shown for receiving material from within flexible pouch 104 when such material is extruded therefrom. Spout 108 is adjustable for custom location when evacuating material from flexible pouch 104.
Of note, flexible pouch 104 is replaceable by different pouches that hold different materials such that extruder system 100 is able to be used to extrude different materials depending upon the contents disposed within flexible pouch 104. In particular, the material is a viscous material that does not easily flow such as a gooey substance, a substance such as peanut butter, mayonnaise, honey, or another difficult to handle substance.
The material within flexible pouch 104 is dependent upon a user's pouch selection for extrusion with extrusion system 100. Upon viewing, those of ordinary skill in the art can imagine a variety of materials such as food or non-food material like axle grease or oil paint.
Complementary clamp plate 113 is mechanically coupled to partial clamp plate 110 by means of a pivot point 114. Pivot point 114 allows complementary clamp plate 113 to move in as to allow convenient acceptance of fitment 106 of flexible pouch 104 into opening hole 112 of extrusion device 102.
Specifically,
Specifically, more details regarding fitment 106 and spout 108, both of
In addition, a cap 306 or dispensing valve is available that prevents leakage of the material that is found within flexible pouch 102. Cap 306 also eliminates or reduces material exposure to air and can be placed upon fitment 106, spout 108, or other portion of extruder system 100 that would serve the purpose of material leakage prevention, reduce exposure to air, or otherwise.
Upon viewing the present disclosure, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other equivalent materials and steps could be substituted to realize the presently disclosed invention.
Although various disclosure embodiments have been described in the foregoing detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it will be understood that the presently disclosed invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but indeed may assume numerous arrangements, re-arrangements, modifications, and substitutions of elements or steps without departing from the spirit and intended scope of the invention herein set forth. The appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of this invention.
Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is solely defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those with skill in the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim element is intended, such intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such limitation is present.
For a non-limiting example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim elements. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim element by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim element to inventions containing only one such element, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an”; the same holds true for the use in the claims of definite articles.
