Patent Application
20120090479
The present invention generally relates to the field of sweeteners. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for delivering a flavoring such as a highly concentrated sweetener to a fluid or beverage.
Natural non-sugar sweeteners and “artificial sweeteners,” with the term being understood to mean compounds such as such as sodium saccharin, calcium saccharin, aspartame, stevia extracts, etc, provide in their pure form a very concentrated sweetening effect. In their typical crystalline, powder, or granulated form, the volume required of these sweeteners in their pure and un-diluted state that would result in a sweetening effect equivalent to a teaspoon volume of the familiar sucrose sugar is so small that they must be combined with other “fillers” to increase the volume of the sweetener to be practical in certain uses.
The filler is added to substantially increase the volume of the sweetener product for packaging and use. The typical point-of-use package for these sweeteners is individual paper packets of distinctive colors, e.g., pink for Sweet'N Low®, yellow for Splenda®, and light blue for Equal®, among others.
When the artificial sweetener was first marketed decades ago, it was common practice by the manufacturers to include fillers in the sweetener to increase the volume in an effort to make a teaspoon volume of the sweetener product provide approximately the same sweetening effect as a teaspoon of granulated sucrose sugar. This practice, to varying degrees, persists to the present day.
In addition to the fillers, a myriad of various other additives are incorporated into non-sugar sweetener products. Certain of these additional additives provide free-flowing and anti-caking properties to the product. Therefore, it is not only the sweetener that must dissolve into solution when the sweetener is used, but also the fillers, binders, and additives.
Other flavorings and extracts are also available in concentrated forms. A flavor to be added to food is often a complex mixture of individual flavoring substances that has been combined or compounded to provide the desired taste perception, or flavor. In this way, the various human taste receptors are stimulated in a similar way as a known flavor. For example, the flavor humans perceive as “orange” is a complex mixture of over 100 individual substances that each contribute to the flavor as it is perceived by stimulating, among other things, the taste buds of the tongue and the olfactory receptors of the nose.
According to the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States, there are over 2,000 individual single chemically-defined flavoring substances used by flavor manufacturers to formulate flavors. Natural extracts (e.g. vanilla extract) are also used to formulate flavors, and may be directly added to foods in the manufacturing process.
Individual flavoring substances are most often simple organic chemicals composed of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur with a molecular weight of 300 or less, and can either be isolated or extracted from the foods in which they occur naturally, or they may be chemically synthesized.
It is common for flavoring substances to be used in a compounded flavor in similar low quantities at which they are present naturally in food. Accordingly, very little flavoring may be necessary, especially if the flavoring is concentrated, to provide a food or beverage with substantial flavoring.
As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, the present invention provides for a dispenser of sweetener by incorporating the sweetener upon a fluid flavoring apparatus, and having the sweetener substantially low volume by avoiding fillers, binders, and additives. The present invention can also be used to dispense other flavorings into a liquid or drink. Among other things, the present invention allows for a compact design of a fluid flavoring apparatus.
The present invention provides advantages and alternatives over the prior art by providing a fluid flavoring apparatus having a substantially pure sweetener compound that is substantially free of binders and fillers applied upon or within a portion of the fluid flavoring apparatus. The fluid flavoring apparatus may be of a material that is porous or fibrous, providing absorbent properties that allow for the sweeteners to be incorporated into the fluid flavoring apparatus.
Further, the fluid flavoring apparatus may have various geometric forms and profiles, and may incorporate holes, fibers, screens, flutes, grooves, or other geometric features that provide mechanical means to sequester and secure the sweetener to the fluid flavoring apparatus until it is presented into a fluid or beverage at which time, by stirring with the fluid flavoring apparatus partially immersed, it will be dissolved into the fluid or beverage, resulting in the fluid flavoring apparatus becoming substantially void of the applied sweetener, thus sweetening the fluid or beverage.
Also, the fluid flavoring apparatus may have geometric forms that facilitate dissolving and evenly distributing the sweetener throughout a fluid or beverage. For example, the fluid flavoring apparatus may incorporate a broad face, akin to a paddle, so as to increase the turbulence within a liquid when the fluid flavoring apparatus is stirred. Other geometric shapes may also be incorporated. For example, holes in the form of bores or grooves may be incorporated on the fluid flavoring apparatus to further create turbulence in a liquid.
Still further, other geometric shapes can be incorporated so as to provide further functionality to the fluid flavoring apparatus. For example, the fluid flavoring apparatus of the present invention may be made in the form of a paddle or spoon so as to provide scooping or spooning functionality. Also, the fluid flavoring apparatus of the present invention may be made in the form of a straw so as to facilitate the consumption of the fluid or beverage.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the substantially pure sweetener may be applied to or formed into the fluid flavoring apparatus during the manufacturing process of the fluid flavoring apparatus or the pure sweetener may be applied to the fluid flavoring apparatus in a subsequent process upon a pre-manufactured fluid flavoring apparatus.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sweetener that is applied to the fluid flavoring apparatus may be any one sweetener compound or a combination of sweetener compounds found to provide a desired sweetening effect.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, flavorings may also be incorporated into the fluid flavoring apparatus. For example, concentrated flavorings, including vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon, etc., may be incorporated or infused into the fluid flavoring apparatus of the present invention.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the fluid flavoring apparatus may be packaged individually and subsequently packaged in commingled multiples of individually packaged fluid flavoring apparatuses per package.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the fluid flavoring apparatuses are not individually packaged and may be commingled in multiples per package.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the fluid flavoring apparatuses may be commingled in a package that provides a means to open the package in such a manner as to expose only the portion of the fluid flavoring apparatus that is substantially free of applied sweetener.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the fluid flavoring apparatus, having the sweetener applied, may be presented for use in a purpose-built dispensing mechanism similar to a toothpick dispenser.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the fluid flavoring apparatus, each being individually packaged, may be presented for use in a purpose-built dispensing mechanism similar to a toothpick dispenser.
According to yet a further aspect of the present invention, the fluid flavoring apparatus may be of any size, shape, or length, and may have the appropriate amount of pure sweetener or combination of pure sweeteners applied thereto, as is suitable to provide sweetening effect equal to that of a typical “pack” or “teaspoon” of sugar or artificial sweetener.
According to yet a further aspect of the present invention, the fluid flavoring apparatus may be of any size, shape, or length, and may have more or less pure sweetener applied thereto, as is suitable to provide application for use with variations in liquid volumes and sweetening intensities.
The following drawings, wherein like elements are designated by like reference characters throughout the various views, will be used to more fully describe embodiments of the present invention.
With reference now to the figures, the present invention will be described. While the present invention will be described in connection with certain embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is in no way limited to such embodiments. Instead, it is contemplated that persons of skill in the art may make modifications to such embodiments within the scope of the invention. Thus, it is the intention of the applicant to cover all such alternatives and modifications as may fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
Turning now to
As further shown in
Sweetener compound 33a may include one or more of the following high-intensity sweeteners: saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, neotame, acesulfame potassium, stevia, and cyclamate. Sweetener compound 33a may also include erythritol, maltitol, sorbitol and xylitol as well as polyols. Many other sweeteners are also appropriate for use in the present invention. Sweetener compound 33a may also be comprised of other flavorings or extracts as may be desired to be dispensed into a beverage.
In the embodiment shown, sweetener 33a is contained within holes 33 so that when fluid flavoring apparatus 30 is placed in a liquid or beverage and stirred, sweetener 33a will dissolve into the liquid or beverage. The dimensions of holes 33 are preferably chosen so as to facilitate the dissolving of sweetener 33a into the liquid or beverage. In an embodiment of the invention, a user of fluid flavoring apparatus 30 can visually confirm that all or most of sweetener 33a is dissolved by looking through the holes. Where most or all of the holes are empty, a user can be assured that the fluid flavoring apparatus 30 has been sufficiently stirred.
In an embodiment of the invention, fluid flavoring apparatus 30 is made of plastic with a length 31 of approximately 6 inches, a width 35 of approximately 0.25 inches, a thickness 34 of approximately 0.06 inches, a diameter of holes 33 of 0.04 inches, a sweetener zone length 32 of approximately 2 inches, and a sweetener-free zone length 36 of approximately 3 inches. In yet another embodiment, fluid flavoring apparatus 30 is made of wood with substantially similar dimensions. Many other dimensions, however, are possible without deviating from the teachings of the present invention.
In an embodiment of the invention, the number of holes 33 can be approximately 100. Dimensions of holes 33 are chosen so as to provide an appropriate quantity of sweetener 33a. For example, the volume, V, for the collection of holes 33 is given by the formula
V=Nπr2t
where N is the number of holes, r is the radius of an individual hole and t is the thickness 34 for the fluid flavoring apparatus. Thus, for a desired sweetening effect, the volume, V, of particular sweetener 33a can be known. With such information, there can then be variability of design where the radius of holes, the thickness 34, and the number of holes, and the type of flavoring, among other things, may be adjusted to provide the desired sweetening or flavoring effect.
Because an embodiment of the invention makes use of a substantially pure sweetener 33a, such sweetener can be concentrated thereby requiring a small volume of sweetener. In turn, the number of holes that are required may be small, the thickness may be kept small, or the radius may be kept small. These various factors can be a matter of design with the result, in any case, being a fluid flavoring apparatus 30 where the sweetener 33a does not substantially increase its size or bulk.
Note that although certain embodiments of the present invention are described in conjunction with a sweetener such as sweetener 33a, the present invention may also incorporate other flavorings instead of or in conjunction with sweeteners without deviating from the teachings of the present invention. For example, instead of using a sweetener, extracts or flavorings may be used.
In other embodiments, sweetener compound 33a may be non-sugar or sugar-based compounds), where the compound form a labyrinth structure. For example, sweetener compound may be a sugar based compound such as what is known as a foam or dry foam sweetener containing sugar, hydroxypropylcellulose, and aqueous silicon dioxide.
Shown in
As shown, fluid flavoring apparatus 60 includes two substantially tubular lumens 65 and 66. As further shown the lumens include a length 70 of lumens that are intact and a length 62 of lumens that are skived. As shown, sweetener 62a is preferably applied along the length 62 of the skived lumens.
In an embodiment, the internal diameters of the lumens 65 and 66 (see
In an embodiment of the invention, fluid flavoring apparatus 60 is made of plastic. Length 61 of approximately 3 inches is preferably constructed to a sufficient dimension so as to provide for sweetener area 62 and sweetener 62a to be submerged in a typical beverage cup or glass while in use and still have enough length 70 protruding above the cup or glass to be used to hold onto fluid flavoring apparatus 60 while stirring the beverage. The wall thickness of lumens 65 and 66 (
Because the present invention uses a sweetener and other flavorings that are concentrated and low in volume, there can be much variability in design while keeping within the teaching of the present invention. For example, shown in
As shown in
Shown in
Fluid flavoring apparatus 102 as shown in
Fluid flavoring apparatus 103 is yet another modification of fluid flavoring apparatus 30 that incorporates a large empty hole with many smaller sweetener filled holes.
Shown in
Shown in
Many other embodiments are possible while keeping within the teachings of the present invention. For example, other embodiments may incorporate geometrical features such as undulations, fibers, screens, flutes, grooves, holes, skivings, slots, slits, openings, scallops, imprintings, perforations, texturings.
Shown in
As illustrated in
Dispensing drum 90 is formed having groove 91 along its length to provide a cradle into which a fluid flavoring apparatus will fall by gravity when the groove is positioned toward the fluid flavoring apparatuses sequestered in enclosure volume 94. The dispensing drum, having received a fluid flavoring apparatus in the groove, can be rotated manually upon axle journals 96 and 97. The axle journals are supported in bearing bores in the sides of the enclosure at 96 and 97. The manual rotation of the drum is via either of the knobs at 104 or 105. The preferably counterclockwise rotation of the drum, as viewed in
By rotating the drum around further to cause the drum groove to once again come into contact with the multitude of fluid flavoring apparatuses within the enclosure, the cycle may be repeated.
While the invention has been generally described above in connection with certain preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is in no way limited to such illustrated and described embodiments. To the contrary, it is contemplated that persons of skill in the art may make modifications to such preferred embodiments within the scope of the invention. Thus, it is the intention of the applicant to cover all such alternatives and modifications as may fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the teachings of the present invention, can be extended to different geometric forms or configurations. Moreover, the teachings of the present invention can be extended to various types of flavorings, including highly concentrated flavorings. It should also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that such modifications do not depart from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
