Abstract:
A device to inject solid materials into foods and other objects. The device utilizes a hollow needle with a moving cover at one end. A plunger moves inside the hollow needle to push contents from the needle into the object to be injected. Various apparatus for moving the can be utilized.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/891,915, filed Jun. 26, 2001. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present inventions are directed primarily toward food preparation devices and particularly toward devices which inject substances into foods.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    It is common today for cooks in homes, bakeries and restaurants to use hypodermic type needles to inject marinades, flavorings and other liquid substances into meats and other food products. Such devices are also commonly used to inject more viscous liquids and semi liquids such as jellies, frostings, puddings, into such foods as cakes, cream puffs, eclairs and cupcakes. Typically these devices resemble oversized medical hypodermic syringes which the cook fills through the back of the barrel and hand operates by pushing a plunger. These devices allow flavorings to penetrate inside and throughout the food and provide foods with a moistness, texture, and/or taste they might otherwise lack.  
           [0004]    Commercial food injection devices have also been in common use for many years. Like their home and restaurant counterparts, these devices typically use hollow needles inserted into the food to inject liquids and semi liquid substances. Their applications include not only injecting flavorings and food substances such as already mentioned, but also liquid and semi liquid substances to increase food weight, decrease spoilage, and help in processing. Three such commercial food injection devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,455,928, Townsend—Means for Injecting Fluids Into Food Products; 5,275,095, Van Haren—Brine Injection Device; 5,881,640, Raevsager—Apparatus for Injecting Brine Into Food Products.  
           [0005]    All the aforementioned devices are limited to injecting liquids and semi liquids. Solid materials such as dried spices, salt, sugar, sunflower seeds, peanuts, garlic cloves, chunks of pineapple, jellybeans, chunky peanut butter, etc. cannot be injected using any of these devices.  
           [0006]    It would be useful to have a mechanism which could inject solid substances such as just mentioned into foods. Such a device also might find wider use in medical and other settings.  
           [0007]    As examples, whole peanuts could be injected into sesame rolls, or pineapple chunks injected into hams, or garlic cloves injected into a pot roast, or jellybeans injected into frosted cupcakes, or lemon chunks injected into rotisserie cooked chicken, or walnuts injected into roast beef, or ice cream injected into angel food cake, etc.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    Several embodiments of the present inventions are illustrated in the appended figures. In brief, all embodiments comprise four interrelated sections: the injection needle, the solid material mover, the power drive, and the material loading mechanism.  
           [0009]    Starting with the injection needle, embodiments as illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7, show two alternative constructions  20  and  22 , both having needles  21  and  23 , ending in penetrating points  24  and  26 , and both having movable port covers, shown respectively as  28  and  30 , to cover respectively injected solid exits  32  and  34 . Penetrating points  24  and  26  allow piercing into the object to be injected. Movable port covers  28  and  30  may serve either and/or both the purpose or purposes of structurally supporting penetrating points  24  and  26 , and/or restraining materials to be injected from leaving the needle until the materials are driven out by the solid material mover.  
           [0010]    In the embodiments as illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7, the solid material mover comprises plunger  36  which slides into and out of needle  21  or needle  23  and thus pushes solids out respectively through food injected solid exits  32  or  34  covered by respectively movable port cover  28  and  30 .  
           [0011]    In turn, plunger  36  is pushed into needle  21  or  23  by the power drive mechanism comprising pusher plunger  38  which slides inside of barrel  40  driven by manual pressure.  
           [0012]    [0012]FIG. 8 shows another configuration for the power drive mechanism comprising direct manual pressure on plunger  84 . This eliminates the need for pusher plunger  38 , barrel  40  and needle ring securing nut  54 .  
           [0013]    Other configurations for the power drive mechanism might also be employed. As examples, a solenoid drive such as used in electric staple guns, or a powered screw drive mechanism such as used in electric cookie presses, or a ratcheted screw drive mechanism such as used in electric caulking guns, or a flexible shaft drive such as used in orthopedic surgical equipment might also be used to replace the mechanism previously described.  
           [0014]    One example of a motor drive is illustrated in FIG. 9. As already described, this embodiment uses a gear reduced electric motor to drive a plunger which pushes material to be injected out of the injection needle and into the object to be injected.  
           [0015]    In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 through 7, the material loading mechanism comprises placing solids to be injected into needle  21  through opening  42  or into needle  23  through opening  44 . Openings  42  and  44  are opposite respectively penetrating points  24  and  26  on their respective needles  21  and  23 . In the example shown in FIG. 1 needle  21  or  23  must first be removed from barrel  40  by unscrewing needle ring securing nut  54  before materials may be loaded through openings  42  or  44 . Alternatively, pusher plunger  38  and plunger  36  may be backed out of barrel  40  and materials to be injected may be dropped into the back of barrel  40  where they may drop by gravity into needle  21  or needle  23 . Plunger  36  and pusher plunger  38  would then be reinserted into barrel  40 .  
           [0016]    Alternatively, the material loading mechanism may comprise splitting  46  needle  21  or splitting  48  needle  23  and hinging a portion of each needle so that the unhinged portion could dip into and scoop up solids and semi solids to be injected. This dipping and scooping is similar to a spoon scooping up material. After dipping, scooping and filling the needle, the hinged portion of the needle would be swung back into place and secured, as an example, by sliding ring  50  or  52  respectively over needle  21  or  23 , and plunger  36  driven by the power drive mechanism would push the solids or semi solids out respectively through injected solid exits  32  or  34 . Ring  50  or  52  could be held in place on their respective needles  21  and  23  by friction or by a small protrusion sliding over an indented groove to make a snap fit. Such snap fits are well known in the art and thus are not described in detail herein.  
           [0017]    To make operation easier of the material loading mechanism just described, hinge  72  might be biased so hinged needle portion  60  naturally springs outward as shown in FIG. 3 when ring  50  is removed from needle  21 . This would mean needle  21  would be naturally open for scooping when ring  50  was removed. Alternatively, or in conjunction with the above, finger lever  74  attached to hinged needle portion  60  might help with finger pressure to move hinged needle portion  60  to its open position as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3.  
           [0018]    Operating the embodiment comprises the steps of filling needle  21  or  23  with solids  66  using one of the material loading mechanisms such as just described or an equivalent. Once the embodiment is loaded and any needed reassembly completed, the needle is pierced into the object to be injected, and the power drive mechanism is activated, as an example by manual pressure as described above on intermediate thumb pads  60  and/or on primary thumb pad  58 . This causes solids  66  to be expelled from the embodiment as shown in FIG. 7.  
           [0019]    The embodiment may be constructed at any scale including: small-scales, appropriate for use in orthopedic surgery or other medical procedures such as implanting solid medicines or objects; intermediate scales such as illustrated in the appended figures for use in food preparation; to larger scales appropriate for inserting solid objects underground or other places.  
           [0020]    Likewise, many different materials may be appropriate for use in constructing embodiments of the present inventions. As examples, the embodiment shown may have needles  21  and  23  constructed from pliable plastics such as polypropylene, nylon, polyethylene or polycarbonate. Barrel  40 , pusher plunger  38 , and needle ring securing might as examples be made from ABS, polycarbonate, polypropylene, acrylic diecast aluminum etc. Medical embodiments of the present inventions might use similar materials or might be constructed from other materials such as stainless steel.  
           [0021]    Other features might easily be added to the preferred embodiment such as volumetric measuring markings on the side of needles  21  and  23  or barrel  40 . Clear or translucent materials on needles  21  and  23  and barrel  40  might help or be necessary in the use of such markings.  
           [0022]    The embodiment may also be used for injecting all viscosity of liquids, including: light viscosity liquids, semi liquids, highly viscous liquids, and liquids containing solids. To accomplish these tolerances between plunger  36  and the inside of the needle  21  or  23  might be adjusted so lighter liquids would be driven out. Also, movable port covers  28  or  30  might have to fit tightly when closed to keep lighter viscosity liquids from escaping before injection.  
           [0023]    For all embodiments described herein, many features detailed need not be necessary to practice the present inventions. Likewise, most features described herein can obviously be interchanged between embodiments even where they are not specifically shown. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0024]    [0024]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment incorporating the present invention.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 2 is an end view of needle  21  taken from penetrating point  24  end of needle  21 .  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 3 is a perspective side view of needle  21 .  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 4 is an end view of needle  23  taken from penetrating point  26  end of needle  23 .  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 5 is a perspective side view of needle  23 .  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of FIG. 1.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 7 is the cross-section view of FIG. 1 after solids  66  have been injected.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present inventions which eliminates the need for pusher plunger  30 , barrel  40  and needle ring securing nut  54 .  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 9 shows a motorized embodiment of the present inventions. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0033]    As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention utilizes barrel  40 , pusher plunger  38  (with modifications described below), and needle securing nut  54  similar to a typical home liquid food injecting syringe. Typical liquid injecting needle  56  is shown to illustrate how it might be interchanged with solid injecting needles  21  and  23 . Primary thumb pad  58  and intermediate thumb pads  60  are also shown. As illustrated by the dotted line thumb in FIG. 6, intermediate pads  60  help people with smaller hands press on pusher plunger  38  when it is extended.  
         [0034]    As shown in FIG. 2, four movable port covers  28  are shown in solid line in their closed positions, and in dotted line  29  in their open positions. Also shown in dotted line  60  is hinged needle portion in its open position and in solid line  59  in its closed position.  
         [0035]    Needle  21  is indicated as being cylindrical tube  25  terminated on one end by penetrating point  24 . Round cross-section cylindrical tube  25  is volumetrically efficient, easy to clean, and offers easy to fit orientation to cylindrical plunger  36  which fits within tube  25 .  
         [0036]    Other cross-sections than round might also be used however. As examples, elliptical, eye shape, square, egg shape, star shape, etc. cross-sections might also be employed. Depending on the item to be injected, these alternative cross-sections may work and may even provide additional benefits. As an example, an eye shape cross-section may help to close the needle hole after injection.  
         [0037]    Penetrating point  24  is shown as the tip of a cone formed from closed movable port covers  28 .  
         [0038]    Four movable port covers  28  are also indicated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. Fewer or more divisions for the port covers could also be used. As examples, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, etc. regularly or irregularly spaced port covers might replace the four regularly spaced covers shown. All that is necessary is that the port covers restrain materials within needle  21  from falling out before injection and that penetrating point  24  be strong enough to pierce the article to be injected.  
         [0039]    Cylindrical plunger  36  laterally slides into and out of needle  21 . This may be either a high tolerance or low tolerance fit depending on the coarseness of contents to be injected.  
         [0040]    As seen in FIG. 3, movable port covers  28  and the hinged needle portion in its open position  60 , as well as ring  50  are all shown in dotted lines. FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 shown how movable port covers  28  deflect to allow solid contents from needle  21  to exit. FIGS. 2 and 3 also show how the hinged needle portion swings out  60  to allow loading of needle  21  by scooping into the contents to be loaded like a spoon or by loading by other means such as hand inserting contents to be injected  66  into open needle  21 .  
         [0041]    Hinge  72  is indicated as being as molded living hinged such as might be used if needle  21  were molded from polypropylene or other suitable material. Hinged  72  is shown as being biased toward the hinged needle portion being in its open position as indicated by dotted line  60 . This bias assists in filling needle  21  by having the needle be naturally open and able to scoop or be filled by hand or other means until needle  21  is closed and ring  50  is fitted onto it.  
         [0042]    Referring to FIG. 4, shown in dotted line  64  is the hinged needle portion on its open position. Needle  23  is indicated as being cylindrical tube  27  terminated on one end by penetrating point  24  formed by an angled cut across the end of cylindrical tube  27 . Like needle  21 , cross-sections other than round might be advantageously employed.  
         [0043]    As seen in FIG. 5, movable port cover  30  in its open position  31 , and hinged needle portion  64 , as well as ring  52  are shown in dotted lines. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show in dotted line  31  how movable port cover  30  deflects to allow solid contents from needle  23  to exit. FIGS. 4 and 5 also show how hinged needle portion  64  swings out to allow loading of needle  23  by scooping into the contents to be loaded or by loading by other means such as hand inserting solid contents into open needle  23 .  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 1 shows the assembled embodiment of FIG. 1 readily injecting solids  66 . Hand  68  indicates one example of how the embodiment might be used. Dotted line thumb  70  shows an example of how a person with a smaller hand might operate the embodiment by pressing on disk shaped intermediate thumb pads  60 . Intermediate thumb pads  60  are circular ribs disposed orthogonal to the axis of pusher plunger  38 . These intermediate pads allow pusher plunger  38  to be pressed down, using one or two hands, without having to reach primary thumb pad  58  on the end of the pusher plunger  38 .  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present inventions which eliminates the need for pusher plunger  30 , barrel  40  and needle ring securing nut  54 . Also shown are markings  76  for measuring the amount of material to be injected. To utilize these markings, ring  78  and needle  80  would advantageously be made from clear or translucent material. This embodiment also incorporates intermediate thumb pads  82  to make it easier for people with small hands to use the embodiment similar to intermediate thumb pads  60  on embodiments described herein. Intermediate thumb pads  82  may provide support for two thumbs simultaneously or one thumb to press on plunger  84 . Likewise, primary thumb pad  86  may allow one or two hand operation.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 9 shows a motorized embodiment of the present inventions. Needle  88  does not have certain features of earlier embodiment including splitting  46  needle  88  and having related finger lever  74 . For all embodiments described herein, many features detailed need not be necessary to practice the present inventions. Likewise, most features described herein can obviously be interchanged between embodiments even where they are not specifically shown. As an example, needle  88  in FIG. 9 could be split  46  and could also have finger lever  74 .  
         [0047]    The embodiment shown in FIG. 9 has outer case  90  housing gear reduced motor driven ratchet gear  92  which drives in one direction  94  plunger  96  when plunger  96  is inserted into tubular track  98  and grooves  100  on plunger  96  engage ratchet gear  92 , and when also the user presses button switch  102  which activates rotation of ratchet gear  92 . Grooves  100  are held in engagement against ratchet gear  92  by pressure on the side of plunger  96  toward ratchet gear  92  from leaf spring  104 . Spring  104  assisted ratcheting engagement also allows plunger  96  to be inserted through tubular track  98  in direction  94  with manual pressure without activating rotation of ratchet gear  92 .  
         [0048]    Needle  88  can be inserted and removed from outer case  90  by sliding needle  88  into and out of slots  106 . This may be desirable for cleaning, or use of other needles, or for other purposes.  
         [0049]    The embodiment may be operated in a variety of ways. As an example, needle  88  could first be filled with materials to be injected. This could be done in several ways. As an example, before attachment to outer case  90 , needle  88  might be filled through its rear and needle  88  then attached to outer case  90 . As another example, materials to be injected could be dropped into hopper  108  and gravity fed into needle  88  etc.  
         [0050]    Plunger  96  could then be inserted  94  into tubular track  98  and pressed until it blocked the rear entry of needle  88 . The user could then pierce the item to be injected with needle  88  and press button switch  102  causing plunger  96  to drive the materials to be injected out of needle  88  and into the item to be injected.  
         [0051]    Needle  88  would then be removed from the item to be injected and plunger  96  removed from outer case  90  and needle  88  by plunger  96  being pulled in direction  94  through the tip of needle  88 .