Convertible marinade container/dispenser having a flexibly compressible wall, and method of using same

A container for holding and dispensing a marinade includes a container body, a cap, and a nozzle. The container body includes a compressible accordion-pleated wall. The cap attaches to the container body, and may include a removable central disc. The nozzle is provided for cooperating with the container body to transfer a marinade into a comestible workpiece. A user may break the removable central disc out of the cap to form an opening therein, place the nozzle below the cap and push a nozzle tube upwardly through the cap opening, and may then attach the cap to the container body such that the nozzle tube extends outwardly therefrom. A method of marinating a comestible workpiece includes steps of inserting a container nozzle into an opening formed in the workpiece, and compressing the container to shorten an accordion-pleated wall portion thereof, thereby injecting a marinade into the workpiece.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a convertible dual function container/dispenser for storing and dispensing a marinade, and to a method of using the container/dispenser to inject marinade into a comestible workpiece. More particularly, the present hive on relates to a convertible container/dispenser which is easily transformed from a storage configuration to a dispensing configuration. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a convertible container/dispenser having a flexibly compressible wall, which can be flexibly compressed to force marinade outwardly from the container, and to a method of injecting a marinade into a comestible workpiece, using the described container.

2. Description of the Background Art

Marinades are used in the cooking and food preparation arts to infuse flavors and seasonings into a foodstuff before cooking. Marinades are primarily used with meats, fish and poultry. It has been known that foodstuffs can be immersed in a marinade before cooking. It has also been a known practice to inject a liquid marinade into an interior portion of a foodstuff with a specialized marinade injector, such as the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,483,810 or 3,530,785.

However, the use of this type of known marinade injector normally involves each of the following necessary steps.

1. Obtain or make up a liquid marinade.

2. Check the specialized injector to ensure internal and external cleanliness, and clean if necessary.

3. Transfer the marinade from the vessel in which it is initially stored into the specialized injector to fill the specialized injector with the liquid marinade.

4. Clean up any spillage, as required.

5. Clean any tools (funnels, etc.) used in the transfer operation, as appropriate.

6. Inject the marinade into the food product, as needed.

7. Clean the specialized injector in preparation for its next use.

8. Store the specialized injector until needed again.

It will be observed that the above sequence of steps is relatively complicated and involved, and that it requires a number of cleaning operations.

A number of different containers are known for storing and/or for dispensing fluids.

U.S. Pat. No. Des.286,856, issued in 1986 discloses a bottle having a substantially cylindrical shape, and including collapsible accordion-type side walls.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,483,810 discloses a marinade injector which resembles a medical syringe, with a needle at one end and a plunger extension at the other end. The device of this reference includes a cylindrical body with smooth sides.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,530,785 discloses another marinade dispenser having a cylindrical body with smooth sides, and inside the dispenser body, a movable plunger is attached to a needle, and the needle and plunger move together when pressure is applied to the body.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,557,788 discloses a compressible plastic container having accordion-type walls, with an injector nozzle housed within the container. The injector nozzle may be extended out and threadably attached to the top of the container when it is ready for use. The side walls of the container may be collapsibly compressed to expel fluid from the container out of the injector nozzle.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,745 discloses a collapsible bottle for holding a carbonated beverage. The container of this reference includes an accordion-pleated wall section.

Although the known devices have some utility for their intended purposes, a need still exists in the art for an dual-function storage and dispenser bottle, for use in both storing and dispensing liquid marinades. A need further exists in the art for an improved method of injecting a marinade from a storage container into a comestible workpiece.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a dual-function vessel which is useable for both storing and dispensing a marinade. The vessel hereof may store a liquid marinade in a sealed and protected condition, and when ready to use, the vessel may be adapted, in a few simple steps, to convert it into a dispenser for injecting a liquid marinade into a food product. Since the container is relatively inexpensive, it may simply be discarded after use, without the necessity of cleaning and storing it.

A storage/dispenser vessel according to the invention includes a container body, a cap, and a nozzle. The container body includes a flexibly compressible wall portion. In a preferred embodiment, the container body includes an accordion-pleated wall portion.

The cap is provided for attaching to the container body with the nozzle base trapped between the cap and the container body. Preferably, the cap has an upper surface with a removable central portion, which is preferably disc-shaped.

The nozzle is provided for attaching to the container body, and for transferring a marinade from the container into a meat workpiece or other comestible workpiece.

A user may break the removable central portion out of the cap to form an opening therein, may place the nozzle extending upwardly below the cap, and push a nozzle tube outwardly through the opening, and may then attach the cap to the container body such that the nozzle tube extends outwardly therefrom.

Then, a tip portion may be cut off of the nozzle, the nozzle may be inserted into an opening formed in a comestible workpiece, and the container body may be flexibly compressed to inject the liquid marinade outwardly from the nozzle and in the food product.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for storing and dispensing a marinade.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now toFIGS. 1-9of the drawings, a combination container/dispenser, for holding and dispensing a marinade, according to a first embodiment of the present invention, is shown generally at10. The container10includes a container body12, a cap14, and a nozzle16(FIGS.3-5).

The container body12includes a flexibly compressible accordion-pleated wall18. The container body12also includes a floor20at the bottom of the wall18, and a neck22integrally attached to the top of the wall18. The container body12defines a hollow reservoir therein, for holding and storing a liquid marinade.

The container body12is preferably made of a flexibly resilient plastic material, which may be polyethylene, polypropylene, a copolymer of one of these, or another flexible plastic material known in the art.

The cap14is provided for attaching to the container body12, and for retaining the nozzle16in association with the container body. The cap14fits sealingly onto the neck22, and may be internally threaded, or may snap-fit thereon. Preferably, the cap14has a flattened upper surface with a removable central portion15, which is preferably disc-shaped. The removable central portion15, where used, is provided to facilitate transformation of the container/dispenser10from the storage orientation to the dispensing orientation thereof. The cap may include an annular band30, integrally attached to and extending downwardly from the cap upper surface. The annular band30is preferred to have threads formed internally therein, which are threadably engageable with corresponding external threads on uppermost section23of the container neck22(FIG.7).

The nozzle16is provided for attaching to the container body12, and for transferring a liquid marinade from the container into a comestible workpiece, such as a meat roast, chicken or turkey.

To convert the container/dispenser from the containing to the dispensing mode, the cap14is first removed from the container body12. The removable central portion15is then broken out of the cap14to form a central opening25therein. The nozzle16is then removed from the container body12, inverted and placed extending upwardly below the cap, as shown in FIG.6. The nozzle tube17is then pushed outwardly through the opening25. The nozzle base24remains below the cap14, since it is too large to pass through. The cap14is then re-attached to the container body12such that the nozzle tube17extends outwardly therefrom.

Then, a tip portion26is cut off the nozzle16, the nozzle is inserted into an opening formed in a food product, such as the chicken50illustrated inFIG. 9, and the container body12is flexibly compressed to inject the liquid marinade outwardly from the container/dispenser10and into the food product.

Referring now toFIGS. 10-11, a combination container/dispenser, for holding and dispensing a marinade, according to a second embodiment of the present invention, is shown generally at110. The container110includes a container body112, a cap14, and a nozzle16.

The cap14and nozzle16are the same as those previously discussed in connection with the first embodiment, and shown inFIGS. 5-6.

The container body112includes a flexibly compressible wall118. The container body112also includes a floor120at the bottom of the wall118, and a neck122integrally attached to the top of the wall118. The container body112defines a hollow reservoir therein, for holding and storing a liquid marinade.

The container body112is preferably made of a flexibly resilient plastic material, which may be polyethylene, polypropylene, a copolymer of one of these, or another flexible plastic material known in the art.

In order to prepare for injecting marinade into a comestible workpiece using the container110ofFIG. 11, the cap14is first removed from the container body112. The removable central portion15is then broken out of the cap14to form a central opening25therein. The nozzle16is then removed from the container body112, inverted and placed extending upwardly below the cap, as shown in FIG.6. The nozzle tube17is then pushed outwardly through the opening25. The nozzle base24remains below the cap14, since it is too large to pass through. The cap14is then re-attached to the container body112such that the nozzle tube17extends outwardly therefrom.

Then, a tip portion26is cut off the nozzle16, the nozzle is inserted into an opening formed in a food product which is a comestible workpiece, such as the chicken50illustrated in FIG.9.

Marinade is ejected from the container shown inFIGS. 10-11by compressing opposed areas of the container wall section118inwardly, towards the central axis of the container body, as shown by the phantom lines in FIG.11. This forces liquid marinade outwardly from the nozzle tip and into the comestible workpiece.

Although the present invention has been described herein with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, the foregoing description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art will realize that many modifications of the preferred embodiment could be made which would be operable. All such modifications, which are within the scope of the claims, are intended to be within the scope and spirit of the present invention.