Composite dough container with multiple stacked ingredient cups

Abstract: A composite container (10) for dough or other expandable product (P) includes a hollow cylindrical body (11) formed of composite material, a pair of end closures (14) for sealing the open end of the container body (11), a separator disk (18) disposed in the body (11) and dividing the container (10) into a first tubular portion for containing the product and a second tubular portion. A plurality of ingredient cups (16) are stacked bottom-against-top in the second portion of the container body (11). Each cup (16) is a cup-shaped member having a cylindrical tubular side wall (24), a bottom wall (26) closing one end of the side wall (24), and an open end defined by an upper edge (28) of the side wall (24). A membrane (32) engages the upper edge (28) to sealingly close the cup (16) with an additional ingredient such as condiment, icing, spices, etc., therein. The bottom of one cup (16) stacks on the upper edge of another cup so that the one cup is not supported by the membrane (32) of the other cup. The separator disk (18) engages an annular flange (30) on the upper edge of the adjacent cup. Axial forces exerted on the separator disk (18) by expanding product are transmitted to the side wall (24) of the adjacent cup, which transmits the forces to the side wall of the next cup, and so on, the forces ultimately being transmitted to the end closure (14).

Description: Field of the Invention The present invention relates to composite containers for packaging an expandable product such as dough along with additional ingredients such as condiments, icing, spices, or the like. Background of the Invention In the packaging of some refrigerated dough products in containers including spirally wound composite containers having double seamed metal ends, it is sometimes desirable to include additional ingredients, such as condiments, icing, spices, and the like, inside the container so that when the consumer opens the container to remove the refrigerated dough for baking, they will also have access to the additional ingredients. It has been common practice to package icing in a pouch, place the icing in a paper sleeve and position the paper sleeve at one end of the refrigerated dough container and to have a loose metal separator between the dough and the icing pouch positioned in the paper sleeve. However, this arrangement produced major problems in that the refrigerated dough in the container often exudes a "syrup"-like substance which can pass by the metal separator and penetrate the paper sleeve containing the icing pouch resulting in disintegration and crushing of the sleeve and ultimately in container failure. The edge of the metal separator often also cuts into the container liner allowing the dough "syrup" to wet the body of the container and subsequently leading to reduced shelf life of the refrigerated dough package. In order to overcome some of these problems, it has been suggested to utilize a small cup of plastic or like material to be positioned at one end of the refrigerated dough container with the open end facing the end closure for containing the additional ingredient within the cup. This type of arrangement is disclosed in prior U.S. Patent 3,182,890. However, the '890 patent does not disclose a container capable of containing more than one additional ingredient and keeping the ingredients separate from the dough and from each other. U.S. 4,114,784 (Hough et al) discloses a compartmented composite container including a snap-fit separator member formed to be seated and seal an open end of an ingredient cup to be stored in the container and a rigid support disk for isolating the cup from the remaining inner volume of the container. The separator member of US '784 occupies a relatively large volume within the container, which volume is essentially wasted and restricts the usable volume of the container. Other compartmented containers are referred to in US '784 such as US patent numbers 2,604,976 (Sarg), 2,949,369 (Zoeller et al), 3,851,757 and 3,962,476 (Turpin). Each of these prior art containers have two package components separated by a divider element which is snapped into a circumferential groove provided in the inner wall surface of the containers. The construction of these containers makes their opening by striking against a sharp edge difficult as this often leads to loosening of the divider element and spilling/leaking of the contents of the package components. Additionally, filling and packing of a second package component when a first package component is located within the container is difficult especially when also inserting and aligning the separator element within the container. Summary of The Invention The present invention provides a composite container for an expandable product such as refrigerated dough, which includes provisions for containing two or more additional ingredients in separate ingredient cups that are configured to resist deformation under the pressure loads exerted on the cups from expanding dough or other product, such that the cups remain sealed and the additional ingredients are thereby kept separate from the dough and from each other. To these ends, the invention provides a composite container for dough with multiple stacked cups for containing additional ingredients, and comprising: a tubular composite container body (11) having first and second open ends; first and second end closures (14) adapted to sealingly close the first and second open ends, respectively, of the container body; at least first and second ingredient cups (16) each including a generally tubular side wall (24) having a first uppermost edge (36) at an open end of the cup and further including a bottom wall (26) which closes the other end of the cup, and a removable membrane (32) which engages a second upper edge (28) of the tubular side wall for closing the open end of the cup, the cups being adapted to be stacked within the container body with the bottom wall (26) of the first cup resting on the first end closure (14) and the second cup stacked with the bottom wall (26) thereof supported by the second upper edge (28) of the first cup such that axial force imparted on the second cup toward the first cup is transmitted to the side wall (24) of the first cup; and a generally rigid separator disk (18) for separating dough in the container from the cups, the separator disk being configured to engage the first uppermost edge (36) of the second cup for transmitting axial force thereto; whereby pressure from dough in the container is exerted on the separator disk (18) and is transmitted from the separator disk through the side walls (24) of the cups to the first end closure (14) such that the cups are not substantially deformed. Preferably, the container body is generally cylindrical and the first uppermost edge of each cup is defined by a radially outwardly extending generally annular flange having an outer edge slightly smaller in diameter than the inner diameter of the container body such that the cups closely fit therein. The separator disk preferably includes a generally planar center portion having a circular outer periphery and a cylindrical ring joined to the outer periphery, the cylindrical ring being configured to engage the annular flange of the second cup for transmitting axial force thereto. Advantageously, the opposite sides of the separator disk are identical to each other such that the separator disk may be placed in the container body with either of the sides facing the stacked ingredient cups. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, each cup includes a raised rim upstanding from the outer edge of the annular flange and defining a first uppermost edge or surface of the cup, and each cup is closed by the membrane engaging the annular flange or second upper edge radially inward of the raised rim whereby the membrane is recessed below the first uppermost edge or surface of the cup. The engagement between the separator disk and the adjacent cup occurs at the raised rim and therefore the membrane is protected against being pushed in by pressure from the dough in the container. The side wall of each cup preferably includes longitudinally extending ribs for structurally reinforcing the side wall. The ribs advantageously are circumferentially spaced around the side wall so that the axial load-bearing strength of the cup is generally uniform about the circumference. Brief Description Of the Drawings The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partially broken away and in section, of a container having refrigerated dough or other expandable products therein and multiple stacked ingredient cups therein, which is constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is a somewhat enlarged fragmentary sectioned side view of the container of FIG. 1, showing the separator disk engaging the first uppermost edge of the innermost cup in greater detail; FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the ingredient cup and separator disk in accordance with the invention; and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of one of the ingredient cups taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3. Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a container 10 for refrigerated dough or other expandable products P in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. The container 10 comprises an elongate generally cylindrical body 11 having an interior wall 12 of a predetermined diameter. The container 10 further includes end closures 14. A preferred construction of the body 11 of the container 10 when used for refrigerated dough products P is a spirally-wound construction of composite material, typically including an inner liner layer of plastic and/or foil, multiple layers of thin paperboard, and an outer paper label layer. These spirally-wound composite containers are well understood by those with ordinary skill in the art and a full explanation hereof is not deemed necessary for an understanding of this invention. The end closures 14 are preferably metal ends seamed to the body portion 11 , as shown in FIG. 1 and which is also well known to those with ordinary skill in the art. The container 10 also includes at least two cups 16 for additional ingredients such as condiments, icing, spices, etc., and a separator disk 18 which separates the container into a first tubular portion 20 for containing dough or other expandable product P and a second tubular portion 22 for containing the cups 16 . The separator disk 18 is axially movable within the container 10 , and comprises a solid generally disk-shaped member whose outer diameter is slightly smaller than the diameter of the inner wall 12 of the container body 11 such that the separator disk 18 produces a firm friction fit with the inner wall 12 . With primary reference to FIGS. 2-4, each of the cups 16 comprises a cup-shaped member defined by a tubular side wall 24 having one end closed by a bottom wall 26 and the other end open. The open end is defined by a second upper edge 28 of the side wall 24 . A radially outwardly extending generally annular flange 30 is connected to the second upper edge 28 of the cup. A removable membrane 32 sealingly engages the second upper edge 28 and the annular flange 30 for sealing the contents C in the cup. The annular flange 30 and the separator disk 18 are configured to cooperate so that axial pressure exerted on the separator disk 18 by expanding dough or other product P is transmitted to the flange 30 and thence to the side wall 24 of the adjacent cup without disturbing the membrane 32 . To these ends, the flange 30 includes a raised rim 34 which upstands from the outer periphery of the flange. The top surface of the rim 34 defines a first uppermost surface 36 of the cup 16 . The separator disk 18 includes a generally planar center portion 38 having a circular outer periphery, and a cylindrical ring 40 connected to the outer periphery of the center portion 38 . The cylindrical ring 40 engages the first uppermost surface 36 of the raised rim 34 such that the center portion 38 of the separator disk is axially spaced from the membrane 32 , which engages the flange 30 inward of the raised rim 34 and therefore is recessed below the first uppermost surface 36 . Thus, axial pressure exerted by the product P on the separator disk 18 is transmitted from the cylindrical ring 40 to the raised rim 34 , and through the annular flange 30 to the side wall 24 of the innermost cup 16 . The separator disk 18 advantageously is configured such that its opposite sides are identical to each other, i.e., the disk is symmetric about a plane parallel to the planar center portion 38 . Accordingly, the separator disk 18 may be placed in the container with either of the sides facing the cups 16 . The cups 16 are configured to stack bottom-against-top so that axial load is transmitted through the side walls and so that the cups are not substantially deformed by the pressure load from the expanding product P . Thus, the side wall 24 is cylindrical such that the outer edge portion of the bottom wall 26 where it joins with the lower edge of the side wall will rest atop the second. upper edge 28 of another of the cups. Accordingly, axial force is transmitted down the stack of cups 16 via the side walls 24 to the end closure 14 . By virtue of their cylindrical construction, the side walls 24 carry the axial forces without substantially deforming. Moreover, the membranes 32 are not load-bearing members, and therefore the sealed connections of the membranes to the cups are not disturbed by the pressure of the expanding product. The side wall 24 of each cup preferably includes longitudinally extending ribs 42 which are circumferentially spaced about the side wall and extend generally radially outward from the outer surface of the side wall. The ribs 42 act as axial load-bearing columns for imparting further axial loading-bearing strength to the cups. Preferably, the radially outermost surfaces of the ribs adjacent the bottom wall 26 define an outer diameter that is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the raised rim 34 so that the bottom end of one cup will nest in the top end of another cup resting on the second upper edge 28 and flange 30 as previously described. Further, the ribs 42 preferably have a constant radial thickness over their length. In accordance with the invention, a stack of ingredient cups 16 having condiments, icing, spices, or the like sealed therein by membranes 32 are inserted upper-edge-first into one end of a container body 11 either individually and sequentially, or as a stacked unit. An end closure 14 (the lower end closure in FIG.1) is crimped onto the end of the can adjacent the bottom wall 26 of the lower or outermost cup. The separator disk 18 is inserted into the container body 11 , either before or after the cups are inserted. Once the separator disk 18 and the cups 16 are in place in the container and the lower end closure 14 is attached, a quantity of dough or other expandable product P is placed into the container above the separator disk, and the other end closure 14 is crimped onto the other end of the container body 11 . During subsequent storage and shipment, the product P may expand and thereby exert axial pressure on the separator disk 18 . The separator disk 18 transmits the resulting axial forces to the side wall 24 of the adjacent cup 16 , which in turn transmits the axial forces to the side wall of the next cup, and so on, until the forces are ultimately transmitted to the lower end closure 14 . Thus, substantially no load is carried by the closure membranes 32 of the cups, so that the sealed conditions of the cups are not compromised. In the drawings and the specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, the terms are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purpose of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims: A composite container for dough with multiple stacked cups for containing additional ingredients, and comprising: a tubular composite container body (11) having first and second open ends; first and second end closures (14) adapted to sealingly close the first and second open ends, respectively, of the container body;. at least first and second ingredient cups (16) each including a generally tubular side wall (24) having a first uppermost edge (36) at an open end of the cup and further including a bottom wall (26) which closes the other end of the cup, and a removable membrane (32) which engages a second upper edge (28) of the tubular side wall for closing the open end of the cup, the cups being adapted to be stacked within the container body with the bottom wall (26) of the first cup resting on the first end closure (14) and the second cup stacked with the bottom wall (26) thereof supported by the second upper edge (28) of the first cup such that axial force imparted on the second cup toward the first cup is transmitted to the side wall (24) of the first cup; and a generally rigid separator disk (18) for separating dough in the container from the cups, the separator disk being configured to engage the first uppermost edge (36) of the second cup for transmitting axial force thereto; whereby pressure from dough in the container is exerted on the separator disk (18) and is transmitted from the separator disk through the side walls (24) of the cups to the first end closure (14) such that the cups are not substantially deformed. The composite container of claim 1, wherein the container body (11) is generally cylindrical having inner and outer diameters, and the first uppermost edge (36) of each cup (16) is defined by a radially outwardly extending generally annular flange (30) having an outer edge slightly smaller in diameter than the inner diameter of the container body (11) such that the cups closely fit therein. The composite container as claimed in either one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the side wall (24) of each cup (16) includes longitudinally extending ribs (42) for structurally reinforcing the side wall. The composite container as claimed in either one of claims 2 or 3, wherein the separator disk (18) includes a generally planar centre portion (38) having a circular outer periphery and a cylindrical ring (40) joined to the outer periphery, the cylindrical ring being configured to engage the annular flange (30) of the second cup for transmitting axial force thereto. The composite container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the separator disk (18) includes opposite sides which are substantially identical to each other such that the separator disk can be placed in the container body (11) with either of the sides facing the stacked ingredient cups (16). The composite container as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein each cup (16) includes a raised rim (34) upstanding from the outer edge of the annular flange (30) and defining the first uppermost edge (36) of the cup, and wherein each cup is closed by the membrane (32) engaging the annular flange (30) radially inward of the raised rim (34), whereby the membrane is recessed below the first uppermost edge (36) of the cup. The composite container of claim 6, wherein the separator disk (18) is configured to engage the first uppermost edge (36) on the raised rim (34) of the second cup such that the membrane (32) of the second cup is not contacted by the separator disk (18).

Inventors: ANTAL KEITH E, REA KEITH R, ANTAL, KEITH E., REA, KEITH R.
Applicants: SONOCO DEV INC, SONOCO DEVELOPMENT, INC.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B65D81
IPC codes: B65D81, B65D25, B65D3, B65D21