U.S. patent application number 13/622723 was filed with the patent office on 2013-03-28 for method and system for filling food pouches.
This patent application is currently assigned to INFANTINO, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Infantino, LLC. Invention is credited to Colette Gartner Cosky, Paul Claude Gilles, John L. Hradisky, Elizabeth Zack.
Application Number | 20130074456 13/622723 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47909702 |
Filed Date | 2013-03-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130074456 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hradisky; John L. ; et
al. |
March 28, 2013 |
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FILLING FOOD POUCHES
Abstract
A stand of a system for filling food pouches includes a first
side support structure that includes a lower end portion and an
upper end portion. The stand also includes a second side support
structure that includes a lower end portion and an upper end
portion. The stand further includes an upper support structure
which extends between the upper end portion of the first side
support structure and the upper end portion of the second side
support structure. The upper support structure includes at least
one mount receptacle that defines an aperture configured to receive
a spout of a food pouch, to facilitate suspending a food pouch from
the upper support structure. Systems and methods for filling food
pouches are also described herein.
Inventors: |
Hradisky; John L.; (Aurora,
OH) ; Cosky; Colette Gartner; (San Diego, CA)
; Gilles; Paul Claude; (Amherst, OH) ; Zack;
Elizabeth; (Brooklyn, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Infantino, LLC; |
Streetsboro |
OH |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
INFANTINO, LLC
Streetsboro
OH
|
Family ID: |
47909702 |
Appl. No.: |
13/622723 |
Filed: |
September 19, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61538375 |
Sep 23, 2011 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/473 ;
53/235 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2575/58 20130101;
B65B 2039/009 20130101; B65B 39/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
53/473 ;
53/235 |
International
Class: |
B65B 1/04 20060101
B65B001/04 |
Claims
1. A stand of a system for filling food pouches, the stand
comprising: a first side support structure comprising a lower end
portion and an upper end portion; a second side support structure
comprising a lower end portion and an upper end portion; and an
upper support structure, the upper support structure extending
between the upper end portion of the first side support structure
and the upper end portion of the second side support structure;
wherein the upper support structure comprises at least one mount
receptacle, the at least one mount receptacle defining an aperture
configured to receive a spout of a food pouch, to facilitate
suspending a food pouch from the upper support structure.
2. The stand of claim 1, wherein: the at least one mount receptacle
comprises a first rail and a second rail laterally spaced from the
first rail, the first rail and the second rail cooperating to at
least partially define the aperture, the first rail and the second
rail being configured to engage a spout of a food pouch.
3. The stand of claim 2, wherein: the upper support structure
comprises an upper surface; and the at least one mount receptacle
further comprises a recessed surface vertically spaced from the
upper surface of the upper support structure, and a wall
surrounding the recessed surface and extending upwardly from the
recessed surface to the upper surface of the upper support
structure.
4. The stand of claim 3, wherein: the upper support structure
comprises a perimeter; the aperture defined by the at least one
mount receptacle extends through the perimeter; and each of the
first rail and the second rail comprises at least one tab extending
inwardly into the aperture defined by the at least one mount
receptacle.
5. The stand of claim 2, wherein: the upper support structure
further comprises a floor, the floor comprising an upper surface
and a lower surface; and the at least mount receptacle further
comprises a recessed surface vertically spaced from the upper
surface of the floor, and a wall surrounding the recessed surface
and extending upwardly from the recessed surface to the upper
surface of the floor.
6. The stand of claim 5, wherein: the aperture defined by the at
least one mount structure comprises an open end; and each of the
first rail and the second rail is integral with the floor.
7. The stand of claim 6, wherein: the upper support structure
further comprises a perimeter and a rim extending upwardly from the
floor of the upper support structure and around the perimeter of
the upper support structure.
8. The stand of claim 5, further comprising: a lower support
structure integral with each of the lower end portion of the first
side support structure and the lower end portion of the second side
support structure, the lower support structure comprising a base,
the base comprising an upper surface and a lower surface; wherein
the lower support structure further comprises at least one circular
wall extending upwardly from the upper surface of the base and at
least one post extending upwardly from the upper surface of the
base and surrounded by a respective one of the at least one
circular wall.
9. The stand of claim 2, wherein: the at least one mount receptacle
comprises a plurality of the mount receptacles.
10. A system for filling food pouches, the system comprising: a
stand comprising a first side support structure, a second side
support structure, and an upper support structure, the first side
support structure comprising a lower end portion and an upper end
portion, the second side support structure comprising a lower end
portion and an upper end portion, the upper support structure
extending between the upper end portion of the first side support
structure and the upper end portion of the second side support
structure; at least one funnel configured for selective contacting
engagement with the upper support structure of the stand and
configured for connection to a food pouch suspended from the stand,
each of the at least one funnel defining an interior chamber
configured to receive food; and a plunger configured for selective,
sliding engagement with each of the at least one funnel, within the
interior chamber defined by each respective funnel, to facilitate
forcing food out of the interior chamber into a respective food
pouch suspended from the upper support structure of the stand.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein: the upper support structure
comprises at least one mount receptacle, the at least one mount
receptacle defining an aperture configured to receive a spout of a
respective food pouch suspended from the stand.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein: the at least one mount
receptacle comprises a first rail and a second rail laterally
spaced from the first rail, the first rail and the second rail
cooperating to at least partially define the aperture.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein: the upper support structure of
the stand comprises an upper surface; and the at least one mount
receptacle further comprises a recessed surface vertically spaced
from the upper surface of the upper support structure, and a wall
surrounding the recessed surface and extending upwardly from the
recessed surface to the upper surface of the upper support
structure.
14. The stand of claim 13, wherein: the upper support structure
comprises a perimeter; and the aperture defined by the at least one
mount receptacle extends through the perimeter.
15. The system of claim 10, wherein: the at least one mount
receptacle comprises a plurality of the mount receptacles and the
at least one funnel comprises a plurality of the funnels, each of
the funnels being in selective contacting engagement with a
respective one of the mount receptacles.
16. The system of claim 12, wherein: the upper support structure
comprises a floor, the floor comprising an upper surface and a
lower surface; and the at least mount receptacle further comprises
a recessed surface vertically spaced from the upper surface of the
floor, and a wall surrounding the recessed surface and extending
upwardly from the recessed surface to the upper surface of the
floor.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein: the aperture defined by the at
least one mount structure comprises an open end; and each of the
first rail and the second rail is integral with the floor.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein: the upper support structure
further comprises a perimeter and a rim extending upwardly from the
floor of the upper support structure and around the perimeter of
the upper support structure.
19. The system of claim 12, further comprising: a lower support
structure integral with each of the lower end portion of the first
side support structure and the lower end portion of the second side
support structure, the lower support structure comprising a base,
the base comprising an upper surface and a lower surface; and the
lower support structure further comprises at least one circular
wall extending upwardly from the upward surface of the base, and at
least one post extending upwardly from the upper surface of the
base and surrounded by a respective one of the at least one
circular wall.
20. The system of claim 10, wherein: for each of the at least one
funnel, the funnel comprises a housing comprising an inner surface
and the funnel further comprises a neck that is integral with the
housing, and a connector that is integral with the neck, the
connector being configured to threadedly engage a spout of a food
pouch.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein: the plunger comprises a first
end member, a second end member and a connecting member extending
between the first end member and the second end member, the first
end member being configured to facilitate grasping the plunger by a
hand of a user, and the second end member being configured to
slidingly engage the inner surface of the housing of the
funnel.
22. The system of claim 21, wherein: each of the first end member
and the second end member of the plunger is generally
disk-shaped.
23. A method for filling food pouches using a system comprising a
stand and at least one funnel, each of the at least one funnel
defining an interior chamber, the method comprising: supporting at
least one food pouch with the stand of the system; connecting each
of the at least one funnel of the system to a respective one of the
at least one food pouch; filling at least a portion of the interior
chamber defined by each of the at least one funnel with food; and
forcing at least a portion of the food out of the interior chamber
defined by each of the at least one funnel into a respective one of
the at least one food pouch.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the system further comprises a
plunger, and wherein: forcing comprises selectively inserting the
plunger into the interior chamber defined by each of the at least
one funnel, and pushing the plunger downwardly to force at least a
portion of the food within the respective interior chamber into a
respective one of the at least one food pouch.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein the stand of the system
comprises an upper support structure, and wherein: supporting
comprises suspending each of the at least one food pouch from the
upper support structure of the stand of the system.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein: suspending comprises slidingly
engaging each of the at least one food pouch with the upper support
structure of the stand of the system.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein: connecting comprises threading
each of the at least one funnel of the system onto a spout of a
respective one of the at least one food pouch.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein the system further comprises at
least one cap, and wherein the method further comprises: removing
each of the at least one food pouch from the stand; and closing
each of the at least one food pouch with a respective one of the at
least one cap.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the priority benefit of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/538,375, "Method and
Apparatus for Filling Food Pouches", filed Sep. 23, 2011, which is
hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This application relates generally to methods and apparatus
for filling food containers, and more particularly to methods and
apparatus for filing food pouches, for example, baby food
pouches.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Collapsible and expandable pouches for containing baby food
are known.
SUMMARY
[0004] According to one embodiment, a stand of a system for filling
food pouches includes a first side support structure, which
includes a lower end portion and an upper end portion. The stand
also includes a second side support structure that includes a lower
end portion and an upper end portion. The stand further includes an
upper support structure, which extends between the upper end
portion of the first side support structure and the upper end
portion of the second side support structure. The upper support
structure includes at least one mount receptacle, which defines an
aperture configured to receive a spout of a food pouch, to
facilitate suspending a food pouch from the upper support
structure.
[0005] According to another embodiment, a system for filling food
pouches includes a stand that includes a first side support
structure, a second side support structure, and an upper support
structure. The first side support structure includes a lower end
portion and an upper end portion. The second side support structure
includes a lower end portion and an upper end portion. The upper
support structure extends between the upper end portion of the
first side support structure and the upper end portion of the
second side support structure. The system also includes at least
one funnel configured for selective contacting engagement with the
upper support structure of the stand and configured for connection
to a food pouch suspended from the stand. Each of the at least one
funnel defines an interior chamber configured to receive food. The
system also includes a plunger configured for selective, sliding
engagement with each of the at least one funnel, within the
interior chamber defined by each respective tunnel, to facilitate
forcing food out of the interior chamber into a respective food
pouch suspended from the upper support structure of the stand.
[0006] According to another embodiment, a method for filling food
pouches is provided. The method uses a system that includes a stand
and at least one funnel. Each of the at least one funnel defines an
interior chamber. The method includes supporting at least one food
pouch with the stand of the system and connecting each of the at
least one funnel of the system to a respective one of the at least
one food pouch. The method further includes filling at least a
portion of the interior chamber defined by each of the at least one
funnel with food, and forcing at least a portion of the food out of
the interior chamber defined by each of the at least one funnel
into a respective one of the at least one food pouch.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] Various embodiments will become better understood with
regard to the following description, appended claims and
accompanying drawings wherein:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a front, top perspective view of a system for
filling food pouches according to one embodiment, with portions of
two food pouches being shown in association with the system;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a top, rear perspective view of the system of FIG.
1, with portions of three food pouches being shown in association
with the system;
[0010] FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view similar to FIG. 2, but
with a tray of the system omitted, with one of a plurality of
funnels of the system of FIG. 1 being omitted, and with one of the
food pouches being depicted spaced apart from the system of FIG.
1;
[0011] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a portion of an upper support
structure of a stand of the system of FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 5 is a partially exploded, elevational view depicting a
portion of a food pouch, with an associated cap being spaced apart
from a spout of the food pouch;
[0013] FIG. 6 is a partially exploded, elevational view depicting a
portion of another food pouch, with an associated cap being spaced
apart from a spout of the food pouch;
[0014] FIG. 7 is a top, rear perspective view depicting a system
for filling food pouches according to another embodiment, with a
portion of one food pouch being depicted in association with the
system, a first funnel of the system being depicted in a stored
position on a lower support structure of a stand of the system, and
a second funnel of the system being depicted on an upper support
structure of the stand;
[0015] FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view of the system of FIG. 7,
depicting the second funnel of the system connected to the food
pouch and depicting a third funnel of the system in a stored
position on the lower support structure of the stand;
[0016] FIG. 9 is a top, rear perspective view of the stand of the
system of FIG. 7;
[0017] FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the stand of the system of
FIG. 7;
[0018] FIG. 11 is a bottom plan view of the stand of the system of
FIG. 7;
[0019] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a food pouch according to
another embodiment;
[0020] FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of the food pouch of FIG.
12;
[0021] FIG. 14 is a top plan view of the food pouch of FIG. 12;
[0022] FIG. 15 is a perspective, cut-away view depicting one of the
funnels of the system of FIG. 7 and depicting a plunger of the
system of FIG. 7 positioned partially within the funnel, with the
funnel and the plunger being shown apart from the remainder of the
system; and
[0023] FIGS. 16A-16E depict a method for filling food pouches
according to one embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] FIGS. 1-4 illustrate a system 10 for filling food pouches,
for example, food pouches 12 shown in FIGS. 1-3. The system 10 can
also be used to fill any of a variety of other food pouches, for
example food pouch 112 (FIGS. 7, 8 and 12-14), food pouch 212 shown
in FIG. 5, and food pouch 312 shown in FIG. 6. The system 10 can
include a tray 30 and a stand 40 that can be positioned on top of,
and supported by, the tray 30. The stand 40 can be configured to
receive and support one or more of any of a variety of food
pouches, for example, one or more of the food pouches 12, 112, 212
and 312. Stand 40 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to receive and support
three (two shown in FIG. 1) of the food pouches 12. However, in
other embodiments, stands can be provided that can receive and
support a single food pouch, two food pouches, or more than three
food pouches.
[0025] The system 10 can also include one or more funnels 70, which
can be positioned on top of the stand 40 and can be threaded onto
respective ones of the food pouches 12. System 10 can also include
at least one plunger 80 that can be used in association with the
funnels 70, as subsequently described, to force food through the
funnels 70 into respective ones of the food pouches 12. The system
10 can also include a plurality of caps 90 (one shown in FIG. 16E),
which can be used to close respective ones of the food pouches 12
after at least partially filling the food pouches 12 with food. In
another embodiment, the tray 30 may be omitted, with stand 40 being
placed directly on top of a support surface, such as an upper
surface of a countertop or a table. The components of system 10,
i.e. tray 30, stand 40, funnel 70, plunger 80 and cap 90 can be
packaged as a kit of parts, either with or without one or more food
pouches, for example one or more of the food pouches 12, 112, 212
and 312.
[0026] Food pouch 12 can include a bag 14 (FIG. 3) that defines a
chamber (not shown), and can at least partially collapse when
empty. The bag 14 can expand to a predetermined volume to
accommodate food being forced into the chamber defined by the bag
14. The food pouch 12 can also include a spout 16 (FIG. 3), which
can define a passage that communicates with the chamber defined by
the bag 14. The spout 16 can be attached to bag 14 prior to filling
bag 14, and can include an upper threaded portion having external,
male threads. The spout 16 can also include one or more mount
members that can engage the stand 40 such that food pouch 12 can be
supported by, and suspended from, the stand 40. In one embodiment,
as shown in FIG. 3, the spout 16 can include a pair of axially
spaced flanges 18, which can slidingly engage the base 40 as
subsequently described. In one embodiment, the spout 16 may or may
not include a check valve to prevent food from entering the food
pouch after initially filling the food pouch.
[0027] The tray 30 can include a base 32 (FIG. 1), or lower support
structure, which can include an upper surface 34 (FIG. 2) and a
lower surface (not shown). The tray 30 can also include a flange 36
that can extend around a perimeter of the tray 30. The flange 36
can be integral with base 32 and can extend upwardly above the
upper surface 34 of the base 32. Flange 36 can have a variety of
configurations. For example, the flange 36 can be contoured to
achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance, as shown in FIGS. 1
and 2. In one embodiment, the flange 36 can cooperate with one or
more other parts of the tray 30 (e.g., base 32) to retain food that
might be spilled during the subsequently described filling
process.
[0028] As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the stand 40 can include a left side
support structure 41, which can include a lower end portion 42 and
an upper end portion 43, and a right side support structure 44,
which can include a lower end portion 45 and an upper end portion
46. The stand 40 can also include an upper support structure 48
that can extend between, and can be integral with, the upper end
portion 43 of the left side support structure 41 and the upper end
portion 46 of the right side support structure 44. The stand 40 can
also include a front wall 47, which can include a decorative
portion (not shown) formed thereon. The front wall 47 can be
integral with at least the upper support structure 48. The stand 40
can be substantially open at a rear end, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3,
to facilitate slidingly engaging the food pouches 12 with stand 40.
The stand 40 can also be substantially open at a front end, as
shown in FIG. 1. The stand 40 can also include various
reinforcement members, such as ribs 50 (FIG. 2) secured to the left
side support structure 41 and similar ribs (not shown) secured to
the right side support structure 44. In other embodiments, stands
can be provided that do not include ribs.
[0029] The upper support structure 48 can include an upper surface
52, a plurality of mount receptacles 54, and a perimeter 56 (FIGS.
2-4). As shown in FIG. 4 for one of the mount receptacles 54, each
mount receptacle 54 can define an aperture 58, which can be
configured to receive the spout 16 of a respective one of the food
pouches 12 and can extend through the perimeter 56 of the upper
support structure 48. In one embodiment, each aperture 58 can be
open at a rear end. Each mount receptacle 54 can include a first
rail 60, which can be adjacent to one side of the respective
aperture 58, and can further include a second rail 62, which can be
laterally spaced from the first rail 60 and can be adjacent to an
opposite side of the respective aperture 58. The first rail 60 and
the second rail 62 can extend in a generally rearward to forward
direction and can cooperate to at least partially define the
aperture 58. The first rail 60 can include at least one tab 64, or
protrusion, which can extend inwardly into the respective aperture
58. Similarly, the second rail 62 can include at least one tab 66,
or protrusion, which can extend inwardly into the respective
aperture 58. Each of the mount receptacles 54 can also include a
recessed surface 68, which can be planar and can be vertically
spaced from the upper surface 52 of the upper mount structure 48.
Each mount receptacle 54 can also include an upwardly extending
wall 69, which can extend in a generally circular arc and can
surround the recessed surface 68, and can extend upwardly from the
recessed surface 68 to the upper surface 52 of the upper support
structure 48.
[0030] Each of the food pouches 12 can slidingly engage, and can be
supported by, the stand 40. The spout 16 of each food pouch 12 can
be aligned with a respective aperture 58 and the respective food
pouch 12 can be moved forwardly such that at least one of the
flanges 18 of spout 16 can slidingly engage the first rail 60 and
the second rail 62. For example, in one embodiment, each of the
first rail 60 and the second rail 62 can be positioned vertically
between the two flanges 18, such that an upper one of the flanges
18 can slide along an upper surface of each of the first rail 60
and the second rail 62 as the spout 16 is moved within the aperture
58. The lower one of the flanges 18 can be spaced from and below
the first rail 60 and the second rail 62, or alternatively, can
slide along a lower surface of each of the first rail 60 and the
second rail 62. Aperture 58, tab 64, tab 66, and spout 16 can be
sized such that spout 16 can engage the upper support structure 48
in a snap fit as it slides into a portion of the aperture 58
forward of tabs 64 and 66. In other embodiments, food pouches can
be provided with spouts having different configurations that can
engage and be supported by stands having the same or different
configurations as stand 40 to achieve a variety of mount or support
configurations. The upper support structure 48 can be positioned
such that, for each of the food pouches 12, a bottom of bag 14 is
suspended above, or alternatively contacts, the tray 30, or any of
a variety of suitable support surfaces if tray 30 is not used.
[0031] Each of the components of system 10, i.e., tray 30 (if
used), stand 40, funnel 70, plunger 80 and cap 90, can be
manufactured from any suitable material. In one embodiment, each of
the components can be made of any suitable plastic material, and
can be formed using any suitable molding process. In one
embodiment, the upper support structure 48 can be integrally formed
with the upper end portion 43 of the left side support structure
41, the upper end portion 46 of the right side support structure
44, and the front wall 47, for ease of manufacturing. In this
embodiment, the lower end portion 42 of the left side support
structure 41 and the lower end portion 45 of the right side support
structure 44 can be formed separately. Alternatively, the stand 40
can be formed as a unitary structure.
[0032] The funnel 70 can define an interior chamber 71 which is
suitable for receiving food. The funnel 70 can include a housing
72, which can be generally cylindrically shaped and can define at
least a portion of the interior chamber 71. In other embodiments,
funnels can be provided that include housings having other shapes,
e.g., frosts-conical shapes, generally pyramidal shapes,
rectangular or square tubular shapes, or any other suitable shape.
In such embodiments, plungers can be provided that can have
different shapes than the shape of plunger 80, and plungers can be
provided that can change shape as they are used to force food
downward through an associated housing having a variable
cross-section, e.g., a sponge that can change shape to conform to
the shape of a variable cross-section housing. The housing 72 can
include an inner surface 73. The funnel 70 can further include a
neck 74 (FIGS. 168-16D) that can be integral with the housing 72
and can be tapered inwardly, such that the neck 74 can include a
minimum inside diameter which can be smaller than an inside
diameter of the housing 72 of funnel 70, which can facilitate
forcing food out of the funnel 70. The funnel 70 can also include a
connector 76 that can be integral with the neck 74 and can include
internal or female threads, which can be configured to threadedly
engage the external, or male threads of the spout 16 of food pouch
12. When the connector 76 is threadedly engaged with the spout 16,
the chamber defined by the bag 14 of the food pouch 12 can
communicate with the interior chamber 71 defined by the funnel 70,
via the passage defined by the spout 16. The funnel 70 can also
include an upper lip 78 (FIG. 1) that can be integral with an upper
end of the housing 72 and can be contoured as desired to achieve an
aesthetically pleasing appearance and to guide entry of plunger 80
into the interior chamber 71 defined by funnel 70.
[0033] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, 16C and 16D, the plunger 80 can
include a first end member 82, a second end member 84 and a
connecting member 86 extending between the first end member 82 and
the second end member 84 (FIGS. 16C and 16D). The first end member
82 can be configured to facilitate grasping the plunger 80 by a
hand of a user. In one embodiment, the first end member 82 can be
generally disk-shaped, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, 16C and 16D. However,
the first end member 82 can have any of a variety of suitable
alternative configurations. The connecting member 86 is shown to
include a plurality of circumferentially spaced and contoured ribs
87, but can have any of a variety of suitable alternative
configurations. The second end member 84 can also be generally
disk-shaped, as shown in FIGS. 16C-16D, and can include an outside
diameter that can be substantially the same as, or slightly smaller
than, the inside diameter of the housing 72 of funnel 70, such that
the second end member 84 can slidingly engage the inner surface 73
of the housing 72 of funnel 70, or can be radially spaced from the
inner surface 73 by a relatively small distance. The configuration
of end member 84 can facilitate forcing food downward through the
housing 72 into and through the neck 74 of funnel 70 and into the
food pouch 12, as a result of pushing downward on the first end
member 82, while preventing or at least substantially preventing
food from leaking between a radially outer surface of the second
end member 84 and the inner surface 73 of the housing 72 of funnel
70.
[0034] FIGS. 7-11 illustrate a system 110 for filling food pouches,
for example, food pouches 112 (one shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 12-14).
The system 110 can also be used to fill any of a variety of other
food pouches, for example, food pouch 12 (FIGS. 1-3), food pouch
212 shown in FIG. 5, and food pouch 312 shown in FIG. 6. The system
110 can include a stand 140, which can be configured to receive and
support one or more of any of a variety of food pouches, for
example, one or more of the food pouches 12, 112, 212 and 312.
Stand 140 is shown in FIGS. 7-9 to be configured to receive and
support three food pouches, with one of the food pouches 112 being
shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. However, in other embodiments, stands can
be provided that can receive a support a single food pouch, two
food pouches, or more than three pouches, but can otherwise be
configured the same as, or similar to, stand 140.
[0035] The system 110 can also include one or more funnels 170,
which can be positioned on top of stand 140 and can be threaded
onto a respective food pouch, e.g., food pouch 112. The system 110
can also include at least one plunger 180, which can be used in
association with the funnels 170, as subsequently described, to
force food through the funnels 170 into respective food pouches,
e.g., food pouches 112. The system 110 can also include any of a
variety of caps, such as caps 90 of system 10, which can be used to
close respective food pouches, e.g., food pouches 112, after at
least partially filling the food pouches. The components of system
110, i.e. stand 140, funnels 170, plunger 180 and caps 90 can be
packaged as a kit of parts, either with or without one or more food
pouches, for example, one or more of the food pouches 12, 112, 212
and 312. Similar to food pouch 12, the food pouch 112 can include a
bag 114 (FIGS. 12-14) that defines a chamber (not shown) and can at
least partially collapse when empty, and can expand to a
predetermined volume to accommodate food being forced into the
chamber defined by the bag 114. Food pouch 112 can also include a
spout 116, which can define a passage that communicates with the
chamber defined by the bag 114. The spout 116 can include a pair of
axially spaced flanges 118, which can slidingly engage the base 140
as subsequently described. The spout 116 can include an upper
threaded portion having external, male threads, which can be
threadedly engaged with a funnel 170 during the process of filling,
or partially filling, food pouch 112, and can threadedly engage a
cap (e.g., cap 90) to close pouch 112 after completion of the
filling process. Similar to spout 16, the spout 116 may or may not
include a check valve.
[0036] Referring to FIGS. 7-9, the stand 140 can include a left
side support structure 141, which can include a lower end portion
142 and an upper end portion 143, and a right side support
structure 144, which can include a lower end portion 145 and an
upper end portion 146. The stand 140 can also include an upper
support structure 148 that can extend between the upper end portion
143 of the left side support structure 141 and the upper end
portion 146 of the right side support structure 144. The stand 140
can be substantially open at a rear end, as shown in FIGS. 7-9, to
facilitate slidingly engaging food pouches (e.g., food pouches 112)
with stand 140. For example, in one embodiment, the stand 140 can
include a rear wall 149, which can define an opening 151 (FIGS. 7
and 9), which can facilitate slidingly engaging food pouches (e.g.,
food pouches 112) with stand 140. The stand 140 can include a front
wall 147, which can define an opening 153 (FIG. 7), such that the
stand 140 can also be substantially open at a front end. In one
embodiment, the rear wall 149 and the front wall 147 can be
integrally formed, using any suitable molding process, with the
left side support structure 141 and the right side support
structure 144.
[0037] The stand 140 can also include a lower support structure
130, which can extend between the lower end portion 142 of the left
side support structure 141 and the lower end portion 145 of the
right side support structure 144. The lower support structure 130
can include a base 132, which can include an upper surface 134
(FIG. 9) and a lower surface 135 (FIG. 11). The base 130 can also
include a flange 136 (FIG. 9) that can extend around a perimeter of
the base 130. The lower support structure 130 can also include at
least one circular wall 137 extending upwardly from the upper
surface 134 of the base 132, and at least one post 138 extending
upwardly from the upper surface 134 of the base 132 and surrounded
by a respective circular wall 137 of the lower support structure
130. The stand 140 can also include a plurality of feet 139, which
can be secured to the base 132 of the lower support structure 130,
and can extend below the lower surface 135 of the base 132. The
configurations of the circular walls 137 and posts 138 can
facilitate storing funnels 170 on the base 130, when not in use, as
shown in FIG. 7 for one of the funnels 170, and as subsequently
described.
[0038] The upper support structure 148 can include a floor 120,
which can include an upper surface 121 and a lower surface 122, as
shown in FIG. 7. The upper support structure 148 can also include
at least one mount receptacle 154 (FIG. 9). Each mount receptacle
154 can define an aperture 158 (FIGS. 9-10), which can be
configured to receive a spout of a food pouch (e.g., spout 116 of
food pouch 112) to facilitate suspending the food pouch (e.g., food
pouch 112) from the stand 140. In one embodiment, aperture 158 can
have an open end 159 (FIG. 10), to facilitate receiving a spout of
a food pouch (e.g., spout 116 of food pouch 112). The upper support
structure 148 can include a rim 124 extending upwardly from the
floor 120 and around a perimeter of the upper support structure
148, as shown in FIG. 7.
[0039] Each mount receptacle 154 can include a first rail 160,
which can be adjacent to one side of the respective aperture 158,
and can further include a second rail 162, which can be laterally
spaced from the first rail 160, and can be adjacent to an opposite
side of the respective aperture 158. The first rail 160 and the
second rail 162 can be integral with the floor 120, and can extend
in a generally rearward to forward direction and can cooperate to
at least partially define the aperture 158. In one embodiment, the
first rail 160 can include at least one tab (not shown), or
protrusion, which can extend inwardly into the respective aperture
158. Similarly, in one embodiment, the second rail 162 can include
at least one tab (not shown), or protrusion, which can extend
inwardly into the respective aperture 158. In such embodiments, the
tabs of rails 160 and 162, aperture 158, and the spout of a food
pouch (e.g., spout 116 of the food pouch 112) can be sized and
configured such that the spout of the food pouch (e.g., spout 116
of the food pouch 112) can engage the upper support structure 148
of stand 140 in a snap fit.
[0040] Each of the mount receptacles 154 can also include a
recessed surface 168, which can be planar and can be vertically
spaced from the upper surface 121 of the floor 120 of the upper
support structure 148. Each mount receptacle 154 can also include
an upwardly extending wall 169, which can extend in a generally
circular arc and can surround the recessed surface 168. The
upwardly extending wall 169 can extend upwardly from the recessed
surface 168 to the upper surface 121 of the floor 120 of the upper
support structure 148.
[0041] Each of the components of system 110, e.g., stand 140,
funnel 170, plunger 180 and cap 90, can be manufactured from any
suitable material. In one embodiment, each of the components can be
made of any suitable plastic material, and can be formed using any
suitable molding process. The upper support structure 148 and the
lower support structure 130 can be made separately from one
another, and separately from the remaining components of stand
140.
[0042] The funnel 170 and the plunger 180 can be configured similar
to, or the same as, funnel 70 and plunger 80 of system 10,
respectively, and can be associated with one another and with stand
140, in the same or a similar manner as the funnel 70 and plunger
80 are associated with one another and with stand 40 of system 10.
As shown in FIG. 15, the funnel 170 can define an interior chamber
171, which is suitable for receiving food, and can include a
housing 172, which can be generally cylindrically-shaped and can
define at least a portion of the interior chamber 171. In other
embodiments, funnels can be provided that include housings having
other shapes, e.g., frusto-conical shapes, generally pyramidal
shapes, rectangular or square tubular shapes, or any other suitable
shape. In such embodiments, plungers can be provided that can have
different shapes than the shape of plunger 180, and plungers can be
provided that can change shape as they are used to force food
downward through an associated housing having a variable
cross-section, e.g., a sponge that can change shape to conform to
the shape of a variable cross-section housing.
[0043] The funnel 170 can further include a neck 174 that can be
integral with the housing 172 and can define a portion of the
interior chamber 171. The neck 174 can be tapered inwardly, such
that the neck 174 can include a minimum inside diameter which can
be smaller than an inside diameter of the housing 172 of funnel
170, which can facilitate forcing food out of the funnel 170. The
funnel 170 can also include a connector 176 that can be integral
with the neck 174 and can be configured to engage the external
thread, or threads, of a spout of a food pouch (e.g., spout 116 of
food pouch 112). In one embodiment, the connector 176 can include
an outer shell 179 and an inner attachment portion 192, which can
be integral with the outer shell 179 and can include an internal
thread, or threads, which can be configured to engage the external
thread, or threads, of a spout of a food pouch (e.g., spout 116 of
food pouch 112). When the inner attachment portion 192 is
threadedly engaged with a spout of a food pouch (e.g., spout 116 of
food pouch 112), the chamber defined by the bag of the food pouch
(e.g., the chamber defined by the bag 114 of food pouch 112), can
communicate with the interior chamber 171 defined by funnel 170,
via the passage defined by the spout of the food pouch (e.g., the
passage defined by spout 116 of food pouch 112). The funnel 170 can
also include an upper lip 178, which can be integral with an upper
end of the housing 172 and can be contoured as desired to achieve
an aesthetically pleasing appearance and to guide entry of plunger
180 into the interior chamber 171 defined by funnel 170. When
desired, one or more of the funnels 170 can be stored, when not in
use, by aligning each funnel to be stored with one of the posts 138
and placing the funnel 170 on top of the base 132 of the lower
support structure 130 such that the post 138 can extend into the
attachment portion 192 of the connector 176 of the funnel 170, and
the outer shell 179 of the connector 176 can rest on the upper
surface 134 of the base 132, surrounded by one of the circular
walls 137.
[0044] As shown in FIG. 15, the plunger 180 can include a first end
member 182, a second end member 184 and a connecting member 186
extending between the first end member 182 and the second end
member 184. The first end member 182 can be configured to
facilitate grasping the plunger 180 by a hand of a user. In one
embodiment, the first end member 182 can be generally disk-shaped.
However, the first end member 182 can have any of a variety of
suitable alternative configurations. The connecting member 186 is
shown to include a plurality of circumferentially spaced and
contoured ribs 187, but can have any of a variety of suitable
alternative configurations. The second end member 184 can also be
generally disk-shaped, as shown in FIG. 15, or can have any other
suitable alternative configuration. The second end member 184 can
include an outside diameter that can be substantially the same as,
or slightly smaller than, an inside diameter of the housing 172 of
funnel 170, such that the second end member 184 can slidingly
engage an inner surface 173 of the housing 172 of funnel 170, or
can be radially spaced from the inner surface 173 by a relatively
small distance. The configuration of the second end member 184 can
facilitate forcing food downward through the housing 172 into and
through the neck 174 of funnel 170 and into a food pouch (e.g.,
food pouch 112), as a result of pushing downward on the first end
member 182, while preventing or at least substantially preventing
food from leaking between a radially outer surface of the second
end member 184 and the inner surface 173 of the housing 172 of
funnel 170.
[0045] FIGS. 16A-16E illustrate a method for filling food pouches
according to one embodiment, with the method being illustrated with
the system 10 and a single food pouch 12. FIG. 16A illustrates tray
30, food pouch 12 and stand 40 in an exploded view, spaced from one
another. The stand 40 can be positioned on top of, and supported
by, tray 30 as shown in FIG. 16B, with the tray 30 being positioned
on any suitable support surface (not shown), for example, an upper
surface of a countertop or a table. In other embodiments, the tray
30 can be omitted, and the stand 40 can be positioned directly on
any suitable support surface, for example, an upper surface of a
countertop or a table. The food pouch 12 can be slidingly engaged
with, and supported by, the stand 40 as shown in FIG. 16B. The
funnel 70 can be positioned on top of the stand 40 and threaded
onto the food pouch 12, as illustrated generally in FIGS. 16B and
16C. For example, the connector 76 of the funnel 70 can be threaded
onto the spout 16 of the food pouch 12, as indicated generally by
arrow 75 in FIG. 16B, with the female threads (not shown) of the
connector 76 engaging the male threads of the spout 16 of the food
pouch 12. When the connector 76 is threaded onto spout 16, the
connector 76 can engage, or contact, the recessed surface 68 (not
shown in FIGS. 16A-16D) of the respective mount receptacle 54.
Various food products, which can have a consistency that permits
the food product to be poured from one container into another, can
be prepared and/or initially contained within a pitcher, blender,
or other suitable container, which can have significantly larger
volume than food pouch 12, with a portion of the food then being
poured into the funnel 70, as indicated generally by the arrow 77
in FIG. 16C. The food, which can be a wide variety of foods, for
example applesauce, pudding, custard, or any other food of the type
that is typically available in baby food jars, can at least
partially fill the interior chamber 71 of the funnel 70.
[0046] The plunger 80 can then be inserted into the funnel 70 and
pushed downwardly, as indicated generally by arrow 85 in FIGS. 16C
and 16D, to force the food out of the funnel 70 and into the food
pouch 12. After the food pouch 12 has been filled to a desired
level, the funnel 70 can be disconnected, or unscrewed, from the
spout 16 of food pouch 12, and the food pouch 12 can be removed
from the stand 40. Then the cap 90 can be threaded onto the food
pouch 12, as shown in FIG. 16E, to close the food pouch 12. In one
embodiment, the male threads of spout 16 and the mating female
threads of cap 90 can be configured such that the cap can be
tightened or removed in less than one revolution. In other
embodiments, one or more revolutions may be required. Also, in
other embodiments, caps can be provided for closing food pouch 12,
which can have any of a variety of suitable external configurations
that can be different than the external configuration of cap 90
shown in FIG. 16E. This process can be repeated with other food
pouches, for example food pouches 12, 112, 212, 312 or food pouches
having any other suitable configuration.
[0047] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, food pouches 212 and 312 can
include bags 214 and 314, respectively, spouts 216 and 316,
respectively, and can be closed by caps 290 and 390, respectively.
The stand 140 of system 110 can be positioned directly on any
suitable support surface, for example, an upper surface of a
countertop or a table, rather than on a tray such as tray 30. A
method of filling food pouches according to another embodiment,
using system 110, can otherwise be similar to, or the same as, the
method illustrated in FIGS. 16A-16E and described above, using
system 10.
[0048] Use of the systems 10, 110 to fill food pouches, for example
food pouches 12, 112, 212, and 312 with various food products, for
example baby food, can result in various advantages. For example, a
caretaker such as a parent or guardian, can prepare a food product
of his or her choice, such as may be selected for reasons of
nutrition, diet, economy and activity, i.e., location where the
food is to be consumed, for instance by preparing the food using a
blender. A relatively large volume of the food product can be
prepared in this manner and a relatively smaller amount of the food
product, for example an amount that is suitable for a child's meal
or snack, can be dispensed into one of the food pouches 12, 112,
212 and 312. The closed, self-contained food pouches 12, 112, 212,
312 can be conveniently taken on walks, errands, or longer trips,
or frozen for use later. When desired, the cap (e.g., 90) can be
removed from the food pouch (e.g., 12) and food can be forced out
of the food pouch (e.g., 12) by squeezing the respective bag (e.g.,
14), for consumption, for example by a child. The use of the stands
40, 140 to support the food pouches 12, 112, 212, 312 during
filling can simplify this process and can avoid what could
otherwise be an awkward and difficult filling process due to the
necessity to hold multiple parts during the filling process.
Systems 10, 110 can each include only one, or multiple, funnels
(e.g., 70, 170) for use in filling multiple food pouches (e.g., 12,
112, 212, and 312). Also, systems 10, 110 can each include only
one, or multiple, plungers (e.g., 80, 180) for use with multiple
funnels (e.g., 70, 170).
[0049] While various embodiments of a stand of a system for filling
food pouches, a system for filling food pouches, and a method for
filling food pouches, have been illustrated by the foregoing
description and have been described in considerable detail, it is
not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the
appended claims to such detail. Additional modifications will be
readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
* * * * *