DEVICE FOR DISPENSING OF A FLAVORING SUBSTANCE

Description

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/781,290 filed Mar. 10, 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Current equipment dispenses liquid flavorings in popcorn by drizzling on a container using a hand pump or an automatic dispenser at a specified rate.

In general, the apparatus dispenses a flavoring agent (typically coconut oil) on the top of the food product in a container, applying it only to the top of the food product. Sometimes, the container is partly filled with the food product before dispensing the flavoring, followed by addition of more food product along with additional dispensing of the flavoring.

However, the current apparatus is used with the assumption that the flavoring will slowly seep from the top of the food product, e.g., popcorn, through the container and flavor the popcorn below. This is not the case. There is typically a layer that forms on the very top where the popcorn is soggy, below that, the popcorn is flavored well and in another layer below that, the popcorn is unflavored. The top two layers are confined to about 1 inch of the top of each layer.

Uneven flavoring occurs even when producing multiple rounds of layering food and flavoring. Overall, the popcorn, or other food product, is unevenly flavored and the layers cause inconsistent taste and consistency throughout the whole container of popcorn.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1: a. This shows an embodiment of holes every 10 degrees which is the maximum requirement. b. This shows an embodiment of holes every 180 degrees which is the minimum requirement.

FIG. 2: This shows X equals 0.1 to 2 inches and Y equal 3 to 36 inches.

FIG. 3: a. This shows a tip which can be used in a permanent device. It will be easier to penetrate the bulk food. b. This shows a disposable device in which the end is heat sealed, as shown by cross hatching.

FIG. 4: a. This shows a circular shaped hole which will be created on the outer peripheral surface of the device. b. This shows an elongated hole which will be created on the outer peripheral surface of the device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to the device that substantially obviates one or more of the problems described above and overcomes limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device which allows the flavoring to be projected evenly throughout a container, thereby creating a more uniform and pleasurable taste and consistency.

To achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device having an intake passage adapted to the apparatus for dispensing the flavoring, including: a tubular body having the intake passage formed therein; dispensing holes formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tubular body in such a manner as to be at least two thirds of the way up from the sealed end and adapted to dispensing the flavoring by projecting it through the intake passage and out in multiple directions, the dispensing holes communicate the outside with the intake passage.

It may be preferable that the dispensing holes are formed in various forms, or shapes, and may be of different sizes.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a device having an intake passage for drawing a fluid liquid phase flavoring from a reservoir, including: a tubular body having the intake passage formed therein, the tubular body having a closed end portion; and at least two or more dispensing holes formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tubular body in such a manner as to be adjacent to the closed end portion of the tubular body, and adapted to dispensing the fluid liquid phase flavoring drawn through the intake passage and dispensed in multiple directions, the dispensing holes transmit the flavoring from the intake passage to the food product to be flavored.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tubular body, which has an intake passage for drawing a fluid liquid phase or emulsion-based flavoring, including: a tubular body having the intake passage formed therein, the tubular body having a closed end portion; a corrugated part formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tubular body in such a manner as to be adjacent to the closed end portion; and at least two or more dispensing holes formed on the corrugated part, and adapted to dispensing the fluid liquid phase or emulsion-based flavoring drawn through the intake passage in multiple directions, the dispensing holes transmit the flavoring from the intake passage to the food product to be flavored.

The device comprising: a tubular body and having the input passage adapted to join with a pressurized flavoring delivery system; the opposite end being sealed. Additionally holes are placed in the tubular body at predetermined distances; with the holes extending as little as one sixteenth of the way up to the whole device being perforated from the sealed end of the tubular body. The outer peripheral surface of the tubular body will contain the dispensing holes. The dispensing holes will be placed in the tubular body in such a manner as to be evenly spaced so as to dispense the flavoring substance equally throughout the food product, and adapted to dispensing the fluid liquid-phase, or emulsion-based flavoring in multiple directions. The dispensing holes allow the fluid liquid-phase, or emulsion based flavoring to be dispensed and spread into the food substance and evenly dispersing said flavoring.

This device can be used with most containers, cups, cones, paper bags, cardboard containers, plastic containers and metal containers. The tube can range in size from 1/64 of an inch to 10 inches in diameter. The holes range between 1/256 of an inch and 2 inches in diameter. The holes will appear from every 10 degrees to 180 degrees around the tube. The tube is anywhere from 1 inch to 12 feet in length. The tube could be made of plastic, paper, cardboard, metal, glass, rubber, silicone, composites and other industrially suitable material.

The device of the invention can be used to achieve consistent flavoring for ice cream, milkshakes, smoothies and malts as well as cereal, chips, nuts and other bulk foods.

A delivery means can include a manually operated pump, an electric pump, including a piston system designed to function as a manually driven syringe.

EXAMPLES

• • 1. 1/16 inch hole diameter, ⅛ inch tube diameter, 90 degree rotation 2 holes every 0.5 inches. Weak Stream
  • Spray Pattern Diameter
  • Trial 1: 13.6 inches
  • Trial 2: 11.7 inches
  • Trail 3: 12.4 inches
  • 2. Hole diameter decreases from ⅛ to 1/32 of an inch, ⅛ inch tube diameter, 90 degree rotation 2 holes every inch. Weak Stream
  • Spray Pattern Diameter
  • Trial :14.625 inches
  • Trial 2: 31.5 inches
  • Trail 3: 30.75 inches
  • 3. 1/32 Hole diameter, ¼ inch tube diameter, 90 degree rotation, 2 holes every inch.
  • Medium Stream
  • Spray Pattern Diameter
  • Trial 1: 46.875 inches
  • Trial 2: 37.125 inches
  • Trial 3: 43.5 inches
  • 4. 1/32 hole diameter, ⅛ inch tube diameter, 90 degree rotation, 2 holes every inch.
  • Strong Stream
  • Spray Pattern Diameter
  • Trial 1: 63.625 inches
  • Trial 2: 74.25 inches
  • Trial 3: 67.5 inches
  • 5. Another embodiment involves the use of a device within the specifications cited above but the delivery system would be marketed with the device for a consumer application. The device uses tubing corresponding to the specifications of one of the above detailed descriptions.
    • a. One delivery system embodiment is a disposable prefilled packet containing a flavoring that may be microwaved and dispensed, especially a popcorn, or other bulk food flavoring such as butter; however, the flavoring need not be microwaved when regarding applications that do not require heating, such as flavoring sauces, salad dressings, etc. A dispensing tool may also be required to squeeze the flavoring packet to create pressure and so spray the flavoring into the food item. The tube can be attached by the manufacturer or by the consumer either pre or post microwaving.
    • b. Another delivery system embodiment is a disposable bottle, it may be either single or multiuse, which has the potential capacity to be microwaved a number of times. This can be attached to the tube by the manufacturer or by the consumer pre or post microwaving. The bottle is squeezed to dispense the flavoring into the bulk food product.
    • c. An additional delivery system involves a durable tube and syringe combination. This allows for the introduction of any flavoring agent or foodstuff to the syringe. The plunger depression will inject the flavoring agent into the dispensing tube and produce a jet of flavoring from dispensing holes of the detachable or undetachable tube.