Abstract:
A sealed bag prefilled with a decorating food product having a decorating tip removably attached thereto and a method of removably attaching a decorating tip to a sealed bag prefilled with a decorating food product, whereby the decorating food product contents of the sealed prefilled bag are decoratively dispensable through said decorating tip by squeezing said prefilled dispensing bag.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates generally to pastry bags, and the like, for applying decorative icings, confectioneries and other toppings to cakes, pastries and other foods using decorating tips, and, more particularly, to a sealed bag pre-filled with a decorating food product and having a decorating tip attached thereto, and method for attaching a decorating tip to a sealed bag pre-filled with a decorating food product.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Decorative icings, confectioneries and other toppings have long been applied to cakes, pastries and other foods by using pastry bags fitted with decorating tips through which the icing, confectionary or topping is extruded to form a desired decorative design. The pastry bags are generally made of collapsible, flexible plastic or resin coated fabric and are typically formed in the shape of a truncated cone or conical-frustum with a large opening at the top end of the bag and a small opening at the bottom apex of the bag through which the decorating tip projects. The decorating tips are generally hollow, truncated, conical tubes or conical-frustums, typically made of stainless steel or plastic with a pattern formed in the apex through which the icing is extruded to form complimentary decorative design, such as a rose petal, leaf, star, ribbon and various other shapes and patterns.  
           [0005]    In use, the desired decorative icing, confectionary or topping is scooped into the bag through the large top opening. The top of the bag is then gathered and twisted to remove the air from the bag. The closed bag is then squeezed to force the icing, confectionary or topping out of the bag through the decorating tip. As the contents of the bag are being extruded, the bag is continually gathered and twisted at the top to maintain a consistent flow of the contents through the decorating tip until the decoration is completed or until all the contents are dispensed from the bag, at which time the bag may be opened for refilling and the process repeated.  
           [0006]    When decorating a cake or pastry, for example, a variety of decorating tips of different sizes and pattern shapes may be used by the decorating artisan, particularly when creating elaborate designs with multiple icing colors. It should be appreciated, therefore, that if the decorating tip is disposed on the inside of the filled pastry bag, as is conventional, the decorating artisan cannot readily switch decorating tips without first emptying the pastry bag. Accordingly, when creating the designs, the decorating artisan will typically utilize multiple pastry bags each fitted with a desired decorating tip and filled with the desired icing color.  
           [0007]    Others have attempted to provide a means to switch decorating tips on pastry bags without first having to empty the pastry bag to remove the previous decorating tip and insert the newly desired decorating tip. One such device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,523, utilizes a “universal coupler.” The universal coupler is comprised of two parts, a tubular element inserted into the pastry bag and a mating nut which receives the decorating tips. One end of the tubular element includes exterior threads which protrude through the small opening in the bottom apex of the pastry bag. The nut, threadably engages the protruding exterior threads of the tubular element and secures the decorating tip thereto. Thus, different tips can be used on the same pastry bag without having to empty the pastry bag each time a different decorating tip is desired by simply unthreading the nut from the tubular member, replacing the previous decorating tip with a new desired tip and rethreading the nut fitted with the new decorating tip back onto the tubular member. As such, the universal coupler minimizes the number decorating tips and pastry bags required and minimizes the labor required when it is desired to switch between decorating tips.  
           [0008]    While the foregoing universal couplers serve their intended purpose of minimizing labor and time required when switching decorating tips on pastry bags, there remains a need in the baking industry to minimize the time and labor devoted by the decorating artisan in preparation for the decorating process and clean up after the decorating process.  
           [0009]    For example, butter cream icing, used by bakers and decorating artisans for decorating most cakes and pastries, is produced by various bakery product manufacturers and shipped to retail bakeries in sealed bulk containers without any coloring added to the icing. Thus, the decorating artisan must ordinarily add food coloring to this “white” icing to achieve the desired icing color. To achieve the desired color, the decorating artisan will ordinarily remove a desired quantity of the white butter cream icing from the sealed bulk container and place it in a mixing bowl. The artisan or baker then adds the appropriate amounts of food coloring to achieve the desired color and then thoroughly mixes the butter cream icing with the food coloring to achieve a consistent color throughout the mixture. Once the desired color is achieved, the colored icing is spooned into the pastry bag previously fitted with the desired decorating tip. This process must be repeated for each desired color of icing, requiring considerable devotion of time, effort and skill to mix appropriately colored icings and to achieve consistent colors between batches.  
           [0010]    In addition to the steps required to mix, color, and fill the bags with icing, there is also typically a considerable amount of clean-up associated with this process. For example, during the coloring and mixing of the icing and filling of the pastry bags, some of the icing inevitably drips or is spilled onto the exterior of the bag, onto the work table, and on the artisan&#39;s hands and garments, or even in an undesirable location on the cake or pastry being decorated. Thus, there is a need in the industry to provide a pastry bag which minimizes the time and labor required to prepare decorative butter cream icing, and other confectionaries and toppings that provides for the ability to attach decorating tips thereto without having to empty the bag when it is desired to switch decorating tips, and which minimizes spilling, dripping and the amount of cleanup required. Preferably the pastry bag would be relatively inexpensive and disposable to eliminate the need for cleaning or laundering the bag and thereby improving handling and sanitation.  
           [0011]    Recently, many bakery product manufacturers have begun producing sealed bags pre-filled with fruit fillings, cream fillings, and the like which do not require, or at least are not generally applied in a decorative manner, using a decorating tip. Such bags currently available in the market include Reddi Paks® manufactured by Henry and Henry, Inc.; Portion Paks™ manufactured by H.C. Brill, Inc.; and Pouch Paks® manufactured by Dawn Food Products, Inc. All of these commercially available bags are generally tubular in shape and contain one to five pounds of product. The ends of the bags are heat sealed and angle cut. To dispense the filling, the user simply cuts a corner off of the bag and squeezes a desired amount of filling onto the pastry. After all the filling is dispensed from the bag, the empty bag is simply discarded.  
           [0012]    While the foregoing pre-filled sealed bags are ideal for dispensing fruit and cream fillings which do not require the use of a decorating tip, it should be appreciated that other than the embodiment disclosed in reference WO 01/94219, discussed immediately below, there is currently no similar type of bag for dispensing butter cream icings and other decorative confectionaries or toppings. This is due primarily to the fact that no one has yet devised a simple, efficient and economical way of attaching decorating tips to sealed pre-filled bags. It should be appreciated that absent the ability to attach a decorating tip to a pre-filled sealed bag, there is no advantage in providing such bags packaged with decorative icings or other decorative confectionaries or toppings, since the pre-filled sealed bags would just have to be emptied into another pastry bag fitted with a decorating tip in order to use the product in a decorative manner.  
           [0013]    As mentioned above, one attempt at providing a pre-filled, sealed bag fitted with a decorating tip for dispensing decorating icings is disclosed in reference WO 01/94219. In particular the WO 01/94219 reference discloses the use of a sealed pre-filled pouch with a nozzle heat sealed thereto. The nozzle includes exterior threads for threadably receiving a nut and decorating tip similar to U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,523 as described above. While the dispensing pouch disclosed in the foregoing reference may serve its intended purpose, it is not believed that such a bag will be commercially feasible or readily accepted by bakery product manufacturers due to the additional material and manufacturing costs required to produce such a dispensing pouch and due to the amount of capital required for the new equipment and retooling to produce such a product.  
           [0014]    Accordingly, there remains a need in the bakery industry which achieves the features and advantage of the dispensing pouch disclosed in WO 01/94219 but which does not require the bakery product manufacturer to purchase new equipment or to retrofit existing equipment in order to produce a pre-filled, sealed pastry bag to which decorating tips may be attached. In order to achieve this goal, it is believed that the manufacturing process should not require heat sealing a nozzle or decorating tip to the bag. Instead, it is believed that the most economical and efficient method of satisfying this need is to utilize the existing bags and equipment currently being used by anufactures for producing the fruit filling and cream filling sealed bags and providing a decorating tip coupler which may be attached after the bags are pre-filled and sealed with decorative icings, or other decorative confectionaries or toppings. By applying the decorating tip after the bag is filled with product, the manufacturer will not have to invest capital to purchase new equipment or to retool its existing equipment, or to change its current process for producing pre-filled, sealed bags  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0015]    The present invention comprises a sealed dispensing bag prefilled with a decorating food product having a decorating tip removably attached thereto whereby the decorating food product contents of the sealed prefilled bag are decoratively dispensable through said decorating tip by squeezing said prefilled dispensing bag. The present invention further comprises a method of removably attaching a decorating tip to a sealed dispensing bag prefilled with a decorating food product, whereby the decorating food product contents of the sealed prefilled bag are decoratively dispensable through said decorating tip by squeezing said prefilled dispensing bag.  
           [0016]    In the preferred embodiment, the dispensing bag is tubular in shape and includes sealed first and second ends with at least one end having an acutely angled corner. The present invention further comprises a decorating tip coupler adapted to receive any desired decorating tip. The preferred decorating tip coupler comprises an exteriorly threaded tubular member having a central through-bore. The decorating tip coupler also preferably includes a threaded nut for threadably receiving the exterior threads of the tubular member. The threaded nut also preferably includes a central bore adapted to removably receive and retain the decorating tip therein.  
           [0017]    The preferred method of removably attaching the decorating tip to the prefilled dispensing bag to the accomplishment of the preferred embodiment preferably comprises inserting the acutely angled corner of the bag through the central through-bore of the tubular member. The portion of the acutely angled corner of the bag projecting through the central through-bore is cut thereby preferably creating at least two acutely angled bag ends. The acutely angled bag ends are folded back over the exterior threads of the tubular member and the threaded nut with the decorating tip received therein is threaded onto the exterior threads of the tubular member and over the acutely angled bag ends thereby removably attaching the decorating tip to the prefilled dispensing bag. In use the decorating food product contents of the bag are decoratively dispensed through the decorating tip by squeezing the prefilled dispensing bag.  
           [0018]    To the accomplishment of the above objectives, features and advantages, this invention may be embodied in the forms illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific form illustrated and described without materially departing from the teachings herein. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art cone-shaped pastry bag with a decorating tip attached thereto using a prior art universal coupler.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  2 - 2  of FIG. 1 showing the exterior threaded tubular member of the prior art universal coupler disposed in the interior of the pastry bag, the nut of the prior art universal coupler is shown threaded onto the exterior threads to secure the decorating tip to the pastry bag.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3 illustrates a prior art pre-filled sealed bag filled with a fruit filling, cream filling or other food product not generally applied using a decorating tip.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4 illustrates a pre-filled sealed bag filled with a decorating food product generally applied using a decorating tip.  
         [0023]    FIGS.  5 - 7  illustrate the method of attaching a decorating tip to the pre-filled, sealed bag of FIG. 4 using an exterior coupler. In particular, FIG. 5 shows a corner of the pre-filled sealed bag inserted through the exterior threaded tubular member of the exterior coupler and further illustrates the location for cutting the corner of the sealed bag. FIG. 6 illustrates the method of folding the cut corner of the bag over the exterior of the exterior threaded tubular member prior to threading the nut with the decorating tip disposed therein onto the exterior threaded tubular member. FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the decorating tip attached to the pre-filled sealed bag of FIG. 4 using the exterior coupler.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024]    Drawing FIGS. 1 and 2, illustrate the prior art decorating tip coupler  10 , such as the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,523, attached to a conventional prior art pastry bag  12 . The coupler  10  is comprised of a tubular member  14  in the shape of a truncated cone or cone frustum. The tubular member  14  has a central through-bore  15  and includes an exteriorly threaded portion  16 . The coupler  10  further comprises a nut  18  having mating interior threads  20 . The threaded nut  18  includes a central through-bore  22  for receiving a decorating tip  24 . The decorating tip  24  is comprised of a hollow tube, generally in the shape of a truncated cone or cone frustum. The apex  26  of the decorating tip  24  may have a pattern formed therein for forming a complimentary design in the icing as the icing is extruded therethrough. As shown in FIG. 2, in the prior art method of attaching the coupler  10  to a pastry bag  12 , the tubular member  14  of the coupler  10  is positioned in the interior of the pastry bag  12  with only the exteriorly threaded portion  16  projecting through the small opening  28  in the bottom apex of the pastry bag  12 .  
         [0025]    Drawing FIG. 3, illustrates a commercially available tubular, sealed bag  30  prefilled with a food product filling  32 . These bags  30  are referred to in the industry as “vertical form fill seal bags” or “continuous flow sealed bags” and are sold under different product names such as Reddi Paks®, Handi Paks™, and Pouch Paks® depending on the manufacturer. These tubular sealed bags  30  are presently only filled with food product fillings  32  such as fruit fillings, cream fillings, or the like, that are generally not dispensed in a decorative manner using a decorating tip. The reason being, that, heretofore, no one had devised a method for attaching a decorating tip to such pre-filled, tubular, sealed bags  30 .  
         [0026]    Continuing to refer to FIG. 3, the pre-filled, tubular, sealed bags  30  include first and second sealed ends  34 ,  36 . The ends,  34 ,  36  are generally angle cut, to form at least one acute corner angle  38 . The purpose of having at least one acute corner angle  38 , is to enable the user to simply snip or cut off this corner at a predetermined location such that the filling can be dispensed directly onto a pastry or the like.  
         [0027]    In order to appreciate the features and advantages of the present invention, one needs to have an understanding of the features and advantages of these pre-filled, tubular, sealed bags  30  and the process under which these bags  30  are manufactured. The sealed prefilled tubular bags  30  have received significant commercial success since their introduction due to the labor savings and sanitation benefits achieved through their use. Prior to the introduction of these bags  30 , manufacturers shipped fruit fillings and cream fillings in sealed bulk containers. In order to use these fillings, the retail bakers would first have to open the sealed bulk containers, scoop out a desired quantity of the filling into a conventional cone-shaped pastry bag fitted with a dispensing tube (i.e. a decorating tip with a circular opening) in the manner previously described. The cone-shaped pastry bag may have been fitted with a universal coupler as shown in FIG. 1, or the dispensing tube may have simply been inserted into the cone-shaped pastry bag as previously discussed. Regardless of how the dispensing tube was attached to the cone-shaped pastry bag, the above described spilling, dripping and cleanup associated with the use of a conventional cone-shaped pastry bag was inevitable.  
         [0028]    The sealed, prefilled, tubular bags  30  overcame all of these disadvantages by eliminating the need for pastry bags altogether. Now, the baker can simply remove one of the sealed pre-filled, tubular bags from its shipping box, snip off the corner  38 , and squeeze the desired amount of filling  32  onto the pastry. When the bag  30  is empty, it is simply discarded. Thus, the sealed, prefilled tubular bags  30  offer significant labor savings, improved handling and sanitation benefits over the use of conventional bulk containers and pastry bags.  
         [0029]    The sealed, pre-filled, tubular bags  30  are also relatively inexpensive due to the ability of bakery product manufacturers to produce these bags  30  at incredible speeds and efficiencies. The sealed, prefilled, tubular bags  30  are generally produced from continuous rolls of plastic sheeting supplied by vendors. One end of the plastic sheeting roll is pulled toward a device which folds and heat seals the longitudinal edges of the plastic sheeting to form a plastic tube. The formed plastic tube is then pulled toward the filling injectors. The filling injectors inject the filling into the continuously moving plastic tube. At a predetermined location downstream of the filling injectors, a preselected length of the filled tube is pinched off and the ends heat sealed and cut, all in a continuous motion without stopping. While the foregoing process may be modified depending on the equipment used by a particular manufacturer, the general process is substantially the same, thus enabling these bags  30  to be produced with great economy and efficiency.  
         [0030]    With respect to the present invention  50  as illustrated in FIGS.  5 - 7  and as discussed in detail below, this same or substantially similar process may be used for producing a sealed bag  52  filled with butter cream icing or any other confection or food product that is desired to be extruded through a decorating tip for decorating purposes (hereinafter a “decorating food product”  54 ). Heretofore, as previously discussed, decorating food products  54  have not been available in the prior art sealed, prefilled, tubular bags  30  due to the inability of bakery product manufacturers and others to devise an efficient and cost-effective method of attaching a decorating tip to such bags  30 . It should be appreciated that absent the ability to attach a decorating tip to such bags  30 , there is no advantage to providing such bags filled with a decorating food products  54 , since the contents of the bag  30  would have to be emptied into a convention cone-shaped pastry bag fitted with a decorating tip in order to extrude the decorating food product in the desired decorative pattern.  
         [0031]    Accordingly, as shown in FIGS.  5 - 7 , the present invention  50  comprises a sealed, bag  52  at least partially pre-filled with a decorating food product  54 . In the preferred embodiment, the bag  52  is identical to the plastic bags  30  discussed above and currently being used for non-decorative food product fillings. The bag  52  includes sealed first and second ends  56 ,  58 . At least one sealed end  56 ,  58  of the bag  52  includes at least one acutely angled corner  60 . In the preferred embodiment, the bag  52  is generally tubular in shape, with substantially identical first and second sealed ends  56 ,  58 , with both ends having acutely angled corners  60 . However, it should be appreciated that the bag  52  may be made in any other desired shape, depending on various conditions, including aesthetics, shipping requirements, size requirements, ease of handling, equipment limitations, etc.  
         [0032]    The present invention  50  further comprises a decorating tip coupler  62  for removably securing any desired decorating tip  64  to the bag  52 . The coupler  62  is preferably of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,523, which is incorporated herein by reference. However, it should be appreciated that other decorating tip couplers of a generally similar design may also be used. As best illustrated in FIGS.  5 - 7 , the coupler  62  preferably includes a tubular member  66  having a central through-bore  67  and portion  68  with exterior threads  70  about its periphery. The tubular member  66  also preferably includes a tapered end portion  72  adapted to fit inside the tapered base  74  of the decorating tip  64  (best illustrated in FIG. 7). The preferred coupler  62  further includes a nut  76  having interior threads  78  for threadably matingly receiving the exterior threads  70  of the portion  68  of the tubular member  66 . Continuing to refer to FIG. 7, The nut  76  includes a central through-bore  80  having a diameter less than the diameter of the base  74  of the decorating tip  64 , such that the base  74  of the decorating tip  64  will not pass through the central bore  80 , thereby retaining the decorating tip  64  therein.  
         [0033]    In performance of the method of the present invention, the acutely angled corner  60  of one of the ends  56 ,  58  of the bag  52  is inserted through the central through-bore  67  of tubular member  66  as shown in FIG. 5. The acutely angled corner  60  of the bag  52 , projecting through the tubular member  66 , is pulled tight in order to extend a sufficient portion of the corner  60  through the tubular member  66  to enable the bag  52  to be secured to the coupler  62  as described hereinafter. The acutely angled corner  60 , projecting through the end  72  of the tubular member  66  is then cut with a scissor or other cutting device in a longitudinal direction as indicated by dashed line  82  in FIG. 5 to create a slit  88  (FIG. 7) therein thereby forming two acutely angled bag ends or ears  84 ,  86 . The ears  84 ,  86  are then folded back over the exterior of the tubular member  66  as illustrated in FIG. 6. The nut  76 , with a preselected decorating tip  64  disposed within the through-bore  80  thereof, is then threaded onto the exterior threaded portion  68  of the tubular member  66  over the folded back ears  84 ,  86 . The ears  84 ,  86  will conform to, and be pinched between, the exterior threads  70  of the tubular member  66  and the interior threads  78  of the nut  76 . Thus, it should be appreciated that by threading the nut  76  over the ears  84 ,  86 , the decorating tip  64  is securely attached to the bag  52 . When the bag  52  is squeezed, the decorating food product  54  will be forced out through the slit  88  previously cut along line  82  in the acutely angled corner  60  of the bag  52  and will be extruded in a complimentary design to the pattern formed in the apex  90  of the preselected decorating tip  64 .  
         [0034]    If product  54  remains in the bag  52  after completing a particular decorating project, the nut  76  with the decorating tip  64  may be removed, and a sealing end cap (not shown) substantially identical to the nut  76  but without a central bore  80  in its end, may be threaded onto the tubular member  66  over the ears  84 ,  86  as previously described. The bag  52  with the product  54  sealed therein by the sealing end cap, may be placed in a refrigerator or otherwise stored for later use.  
         [0035]    Based on the foregoing, it should be appreciated that unlike the dispensing pouch disclosed in reference WO 01/94219, no new equipment, retooling or process changes are required by the bakery product manufacturer to produce the sealed bag  52  pre-filled with a decorating food product  54  for practicing the present invention  50 . The bakery product manufacture may simply package the coupler  62  with the sealed, pre-filled bag  52  for later attachment by the baker or decorating artisan at the time of use. Alternatively, the coupler  62  may be sold separately by the bakery product manufacturer or the coupler  62  may purchased by the baker or decorating artisan from an independent source in order to practice the present invention  50 .  
         [0036]    Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention  50  has particular application and advantages for butter cream icings. With the present invention, the bakery product manufacturer can provide the bags  52  pre-filled with butter cream icings in a variety of colors. By doing so, bakers and decorating artisans would no longer be required to undertake the time consuming and labor intensive task of buying large amounts of white icing in sealed bulk containers, scooping out a desired quantity, adding food coloring, mixing the icing to achieve a consistent color, and then scooping the colored icing into a pastry bag fitted with a decorating tip—resulting in the inevitable associated spills, drips and cleanup. The manufacturer could charge a premium for such products as it is undoubted that most retail bakers would gladly pay such premiums to avoid the above described labor intensive process and sanitation issues associated with using conventional pastry bags. Further, the baker or decorating artisan would be ensured of consistent coloring between batches as such coloring could be precisely controlled by the manufacturer.  
         [0037]    It should also be appreciated that the present invention  50  may be used with other decorating food products that are desired to be decoratively extruded. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that if the bag  52  is made out of microwave-safe plastic or other microwave-safe material, the bag may be pre-filled with a product that would otherwise not be flowable at room temperature and must be heated before becoming flowable, such as certain types of chocolate, cheese, or other types of confectionaries or toppings. With the bag made of microwave-safe material, the bag can be placed into the microwave with or without the coupler and decorating tip attached in order to soften the product for use.  
         [0038]    Although only certain exemplary embodiments of the invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.