Patent Application
20160279665
The present disclosure is related to the field of dispensing viscous food products. More particularly, the present disclosure is related to a puncturing device for containers of viscous food product.
A viscous food product, as used herein includes food products such as, but not limited to pancake batter, syrups, and various types of condiments that include mayonnaise, guacamole, ketchup, and mustard. Such foods are often provided to restaurant and food service providers in rigid paper or plastic tubes. The viscous food products are dispensed or served using sauce dispensing guns. Many viscous food products are pasteurized or treated for consumption using high-pressure pasteurization. Prior art tubes and other rigid or semi-rigid container have been used. However, development in packaging and particularly high-pressure pasteurization techniques used in treatment of viscous food products make these rigid or semi-rigid containers ill suited for use. Rather, flexible containers such as bags or pouches containing the viscous food product are desired. One example of such a solution is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/413,608 filed on Mar. 6, 2012 entitled Dispenser for Viscous Food Products, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
However, flexible containers for viscous food products present their own challenges, including repeatedly dispensing consistent portion size. Some embodiments of flexible containers use a “self-sealing” orifice exemplarily constructed with cuts through the flexible container, creating one or more panels out of the material of the flexible container, which due to the physical and mechanical properties of the material itself, viscous food product in the container, and the shape of the one or more panels, dispense viscous food product therethrough when pressure is applied to the flexible container.
Solutions are desired to create such self-sealing orifices in flexible containers of viscous food products in manners that promote the repeated dispensing of consistent portion size therethrough.
A puncturing device for cutting self-sealing orifices in flexible containers containing viscous food include a housing. A plunger is translatable within the housing between a retracted position and an extended position. At least one blade is secured to the plunger. The blade is configured to cut a self-sealing orifice in a flexible container containing viscous food.
An exemplary embodiment of a system for dispensing viscous food includes a viscous food dispenser. The viscous food dispenser includes a dispensing gun, at least one piston actionable by a trigger of the dispensing gun and a cylinder. The cylinder includes an at least partially open end. At least a portion of the at least one piston is received within an open interior of the cylinder. A flexible container contains viscous food product. The flexible container is located within the cylinder between the at least one piston and the at least partially open end. A portion of the flexible container is exposed through the at least partially open end. A puncturing device includes a housing. A plunger is translatable within the housing between a retracted position and an extended position. At least one blade is secure to the plunger. The housing is configured to engage the viscous food dispenser to align the at least one blade with the portion of the flexible container exposed through the at least one open end. The at least one blade is configured to cut a self-sealing orifice in the flexible container when the plunger is translated to the extended position.
An exemplary embodiment of a puncturing device for cutting self-sealing orifices in flexible containers containing viscous food includes a housing. The housing includes a handle tube and a dispenser tube and a shoulder extending between the handle tube and the dispenser tube. At least one blade is configured to cut a self-sealing orifice in a flexible container containing viscous food. A plunger is secured to the at least one blade and is translatable within the handle tube between a retracted position wherein the at least one blade is retracted into the handle tube and an extended position wherein the at least one blade extends into the dispenser tube. A spring extends between the handle tube and the plunger. The spring is configured to place a biasing force against the plunger to bias the plunger in the retracted position.
The housing 12 may include a handle tube 16 connected to a dispenser tube 18 by a shoulder 20. The housing 12 further includes a plurality of openings 22, which may be arranged in an elongated fashion along the handle tube 16. In an exemplary embodiment as depicted in
The plunger 14, as will be described in further detail herein, generally includes a handle 28 connected to a shaft 30 that is arranged to slidably move with in at least the handle tube 16. In an exemplary embodiment, the shaft 30 includes a plurality of ribs 32 which is exemplarily depicted in
A retainer cap 34 is secured at the top of the handle tube 16 in a manner to surround the plunger 14, and in an embodiment, the shaft 30 of the plunger 14. In the embodiment depicted, the retainer cap 34 is constructed of two or more cap portions 36. The cap portions 36, or retainer cap 34 are secured to the housing 12, exemplarily by at least one set screw 38 that extends through the housing 12 and at least into a portion of the retainer cap 34. It will be recognized that in alternative embodiments, other connection solutions, including, but not limited to screw fit, snap fit, and friction fit may be used to secure the retainer cap 34 to the housing 12 while in other embodiments, the retainer cap 34 may be formed as an integral portion of the housing 12 or may be secured for example by adhesive or ultrasonic welding. Embodiments of the retainer cap 34 further include a plunger cut out 40 through the retainer cap 34. In embodiments, the plunger cut out 40 is dimensioned to match a shape of the shaft 30 of the plunger 14. In the embodiment depicted, the shaft 30 is in a cross-sectional shape of a cross and therefore, the depicted plunger cut out 40 is also exemplarily in a cross shape. This difference between the shaft 30 of the plunger 14 and the plunger cut out 40, alignment of the plunger 14 as it travels within the housing 12 as will be described in further detail herein.
The at least one blade 26 is secured to the shaft 30 of the plunger 14 by a blade head 46. In exemplary embodiments, the at least one blade 26 may be injection molded or cast into the blade head 46 while in alternative embodiments, the blade head 46 may be constructed in two or more pieces and the at least one blade 26 secured within the blade head 46 as the pieces of the blade head 46 are assembled. In the embodiment depicted in
The shaft 30 of the plunger 14 further includes a spring ledge 52 to which the spring 24 is secured. The spring 24 may exemplarily abut the spring ledge 52, or may be connected to the spring ledge, exemplarily by extending through a portion of the spring ledge 52. In embodiments, the spring 24 creates a biasing force between the plunger 14 and the housing 12 to bias the plunger 12 in a retracted position wherein the at least one blade 26 is retracted into the open interior of the handle tube 16. In an exemplary embodiment, the spring 24 engages the plunger 14 at the spring ledge 52 and engages the housing 12 at housing fingers 54, particularly at a top 56 of the housing fingers 54. The ribs 32 of the shaft 30 of the plunger 14 may further include alignment projections 58 which will be described in further detail herein which may also be formed as part of the blade head 46. The alignment projections 58 form respective alignment recesses which slidingly engage the housing fingers 54 to further ensure that the plunger 14 translates coaxially to the handle tube 16 to keep the at least one blade 26 in alignment with the blade hole 44 through the shoulder 20, and also to limit any additional error or movement by the at least one blade 26 either during translation or engagement with a flexible container of viscous food product when cutting a self-sealing orifice therein, as will be described in further detail herein.
The cylinder is exemplarily constructed of a flexible, semi-flexible or resilient material. The cylinder 64 includes an end 72, which is partially “closed” by a flange 86 of which the end 72 is comprised, thus forming an opening 74 through the cylinder 64 exposing a portion of the flexible container 66 filled with viscous food product. The flange 86 is exemplarily a ring or ring-like in shape forming the opening 74 that is exemplarily circular and exemplarily of a size sufficiently large such that an entirety of a self-sealing orifice 76 formed in the flexible container by the puncturing device 10 as described herein is fully exposed by the opening 74. In use, the opening 74 is sufficiently large such that the self-sealing orifice 76 can be formed in the flexible container 66 with the puncturing device while the flexible container 66 is held within the cylinder 64. The opening 74 is large enough to encircle each of a plurality of panels 78 forming the self-sealing orifice 76. In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one panel 78 of the self-sealing orifice is formed by at least one cut 80 through the flexible container 66 by the puncturing device 10. While the embodiment depicted in
The self-sealing orifice 76 is exemplarily embodied with four, flexible plastic triangular-shaped panels 78 defined by two substantially orthogonal cuts 80 through the material of the flexible container 66. The cuts 80 are exemplarily of equal length and are further exemplarily orthogonal to one another. However, it will be recognized that any of a variety of cut orientations for arrangements may be used in exemplary embodiments and as may be recognized by a person of ordinary skill in the art to achieve the dispensing properties desired of the self-sealing orifice 76. Non-limiting examples of self-sealing orifice configurations may include asymmetric arrangements of cuts, more or fewer than four cuts, multiple cuts (e.g. two, three, or more) forming a single panel, and panels of asymmetric sizes or shapes. It will be recognized that the puncturing device will be configured, including, but limited to the number and arrangement of blades and the blade head in order to achieve the order, shape, and orientation of panels in the self-sealing orifice.
When a viscous food product inside the cylinder (and exemplarily within the flexible container 66 within the cylinder 64) is urged against the panel 78, the force of the viscous food product against the panels 78 causes the panels 78 to react or bend outwardly. In the embodiment depicted, the panels are all substantially equal and thus have substantially equal bias and mechanical properties such that the force of the viscous food product is evenly applied to each of the panels 78. This may exemplarily occur when the self-sealing orifice is centered within opening 74. Since the panels 78 consist of the same flexible yet resilient material from which the flexible container 66 is constructed, the panels 78, when substantially equal in shape and area, will react or bend outwardly in substantially the same way. When a force applied to the panels 78 from the viscous food product is removed, the panels 78 will return to their original shape in substantially the same way at substantially the same time.
It will be recognized that in alternative embodiments, the puncturing device may be configured to create either one panel with multiple cuts or asymmetric panels and/or cuts depending upon the mechanical properties of the self-sealing orifice desired for the dispense of the viscous food product. Additional embodiments may locate the self-sealing orifice in a particular location or orientation within the opening 74 relative to the flange 86. Location of the self-sealing orifice 76 in this manner may further affect the mechanical properties of the dispense of the viscous food product.
The self-sealing orifice 76 formed by the at least one panel 78 is considered to be “self-sealing” because the stiffness of the material from which the flexible container 66 and the at least one panel 78 is constructed causes the at least one panel 78 to return to its original shape and position and because the at least one cut 80 that defines the at least one panel 78 is configured for the particular food product in the flexible container 66 to flow therethrough. The at least one panel 78 thus opens responsive to an applied force supplied by a viscous food product but then is configured to close when this deflection force is removed or relieved. The efficacy of the self-sealing orifice 76, e.g. the tightness of the orifice 76, will thus depend in part upon the resilience or stiffness of the material from which the flexible container wall is formed, the thickness of the material from which the flexible container is formed, the length, width, and orientation of any cuts 80 as well as the shape, surface area, and orientation of the at least one panel, and the viscosity of the material to be dispensed.
While not depicted, the dispensing gun 60 includes at least one piston, exemplarily actuated by a trigger 82. In the embodiment depicted in
The opening 74 is defined by a flange 86 forming the front end 72 of the cylinder 64. The flange 86 is exemplarily depicted as a ring or annulus shape which may exemplarily form a circular opening 74, although it is recognized that other shapes or configurations of the flange 86 may be used in alternative embodiments. The flange 86 holds the flexible container 66 in the cylinder 64, especially when the piston (not depicted) of the dispensing gun 60 pushes the flexible container and the viscous food product contained therein toward the second end 72 of the cylinder 64. The flange 86 serves the functions of retaining the flexible container 66 within the cylinder 64 and directs the force applied to the viscous food product within the flexible container 66 against the self-sealing orifice 76.
The front end 72 of the cylinder 64 is retained by the front end 70 of the gun 62 in a forward most position for the cylinder 64. When aligned this way, a portion of the flexible container 66 is exposed out of the front end 70 of the gun 62 and the opening 74 located in the end 72 of the cylinder 64.
The puncturing device 10 is further secured to the end of the dispenser 60. While in the embodiment exemplarily depicted, the puncturing device 10 is located with the dispenser tube 18 surrounding both the cylinder 64 and the front end 70 of the dispensing gun 62, it will be recognized that in an alternative embodiment, the dispenser tube 18 may receive only the cylinder 64 containing the flexible container 66 of viscous food product. The dispenser tube 18 of the puncturing device 10 is dimensioned such at to securely fit over the front end 70 of the dispensing gun 62. The puncturing device 10 is further oriented such that the handle tube 16 and plunger 14 containing the blades 26 are also aligned with a desired position of the self-sealing orifice 76 in the flexible container 66. In an exemplary embodiment, the handle tube 16, plunger 14, and at least one blade 26 is aligned axially with the center of the opening 74 in the cylinder 64 which exposes a portion of the flexible container 66. In an exemplary embodiment, therefore the blade hole 44 is coaxially aligned with the opening 74. However, it will be recognized that in alternative embodiments, another position of the at least one blade 26 may be desired relative to the opening 74 and the puncturing device 10, including, but not limited to the handle tube 16, dispenser tube 18, plunger 14, and the at least one blade 26 may be configured accordingly. In a still further exemplary embodiment, the blade hole 44 is similarly aligned with the desired position of the self-sealing orifice 76 to be made in the flexible container 66. In exemplary embodiments, the puncturing device 10 may include a registration feature to ensure proper alignment of the blades 26 with the desired location of the self-sealing orifice.
Exemplarily by overcoming this biasing force with a greater translation force placed on the plunger 14, the plunger 14 translates within the handle tube 16 to an extended position exemplarily depicted in
Exemplary embodiments of the functional device as described herein facilitate a user to consistently and repeatedly form a self-sealing orifice in flexible containers of viscous food product. As the position, dimensions, and arrangement of the cuts of the self-sealing orifice as well as the mechanical properties of the flexible container itself contribute to the repeated dispense of consistent portions of viscous food product therefrom upon actuation of the dispenser, such repeatable creation of the self-sealing orifice is desired. Embodiments of the puncturing device disclosed herein enable a user to quickly and repeatedly properly align the puncturing device with the flexible container, whether the flexible container is located within a cylinder and/or a dispensing gun. Such features make the puncturing device as disclosed herein easy to use by users and the puncturing device is biased to be held in the retracted position such that the at least one blade is surrounded by the housing which promotes safety of the user. The orientation and configuration of various openings through the housing further facilitate cleaning of not only the at least one blade, but the spring and plunger, as well as any other portion of the puncturing device that may come in contact with the viscous food product.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
