Patent Publication Number: US-2018027866-A1

Title: Condiment Distribution Device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/368,534 filed on Jul. 29, 2016. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to culinary utensils and tools. More specifically, the present invention provides a condiment distribution device configured to evenly distribute a condiment throughout a container of food. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many individuals enjoy consuming snacks with added condiments. Condiments can be added to a variety of foods to enhance present flavors or to provide additional flavoring. An example of such a food is popcorn, which is often topped with melted butter. It can be difficult to apply melted butter to a container of popcorn such that the melted butter is evenly distributed. One method of adding melted butter to a container of popcorn is to pour the butter over the top of the container. While the top layer of popcorn receives the melted butter, and while some of the melted butter filters down to popcorn in the lower part of the container, much of the popcorn remains untouched by the butter, resulting in an uneven distribution of flavor. 
     Since it can be difficult to evenly apply a condiment to a food item, some individuals may attempt to evenly distribute the condiment after it has been applied to the food. In the case of popcorn and melted butter, once melted butter is poured into the popcorn container, some individuals may shake the container to distribute the melted butter. However, this can cause butter to spill from the container, potentially making a mess and wasting food. Further, if the melted butter is very hot, shaking the container can cause the melted butter to spatter on to the individual, which may cause injury. In order to address the above problems, the present invention provides a novel condiment distribution device that is configured to evenly distribute a condiment throughout a container of food. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known means of condiment distribution now present in the known art, the present invention provides a condiment distribution device wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when applying a condiment to a container of food. The condiment distribution device includes a tube having an open upper end and an open lower end defining a channel therebetween. A plurality of apertures are disposed on the tube. The device further includes a funnel comprising an open upper end and a connector having an open lower end, wherein the connector is removably securable to the open upper end of the elongated tube. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a condiment distribution device that is configured to evenly distribute a condiment throughout a container of food. 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout. 
         FIG. 1  shows a side view of an embodiment of the condiment distribution device. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the condiment distribution device. 
         FIG. 3  shows a side view of an alternate embodiment of the condiment distribution device. 
         FIG. 4  shows a side view of an embodiment of a condiment distribution device inserted into a container of popcorn. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the condiment distribution device. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for evenly distributing a condiment throughout a container of food. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a side view of an embodiment of the condiment distribution device. The condiment distribution device  10  includes an elongated tube  11  having an upper end  12  and a lower end  13 . An upper opening  14  is disposed on the upper end  12  and a lower opening  15  is disposed on the lower end  13 , defining a channel therebetween that extends through the length of the tube  11 . Additionally, a plurality of apertures  21  are disposed along the length of the tube  11 , wherein the apertures  21  are in fluid communication with the channel. In the shown embodiment, the apertures  21  are disposed on the tube  11  in a linear arrangement. In some embodiments, the tube  11  may comprise multiple groups of linearly arranged apertures disposed around the circumference thereof. 
     The lower end  13  of the tube  11  comprises a conical portion  22 . The conical portion  22  tapers inwardly from an upper end  23  to a lower end  24  thereof, such that the tip or lower end  24  has a diameter less than a diameter of the upper end  23 . The narrower tip allows the device  10  to be easily inserted into a container of food, such as a bucket of popcorn, in order to apply a condiment thereto. 
     The device  10  further includes a funnel  16  comprising a conical portion  17  having an open upper end  19  and a connector portion  18  having an open lower end  20 . The open lower end  20  of the connector  18  is configured to receive the upper end  12  of the tube  11 . In this way, the tube  18  is removably securable to the connector  18  of the funnel  16  via frictional engagement therewith. However, in alternative embodiments, the the tube  18  is removably securable to the funnel  16  via any fastener adapted to maintain fluid communication therebetween. Additionally, the width of the funnel  16  is greatest at the open upper end  19  thereof, so that a condiment may easily be poured into the funnel  16  where it will ultimately flow out of the apertures  21  and the lower opening  15  of the tube  11 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the condiment distribution device. In an alternate embodiment, the tube  11  includes a first plurality of apertures  21  and a second plurality of apertures  31  that are disposed along the tube  11  in an offset arrangement, such that each individual aperture of the first plurality of apertures  21  is offset from an adjacent aperture of the second plurality of apertures  31 . When a condiment is poured into the funnel  16 , it flows through the connector  18  into the tube  11 , and flows out of the tube via the lower opening  15 , the first plurality of apertures  21 , and the second plurality of apertures  21 ,  31 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , there is shown a side view of an alternate embodiment of the condiment distribution device. In another alternate embodiment, the device  10  includes a heating element  41  disposed within the tube  11 . The heating element  41  is operably connected to a power supply  42 , such as a battery. The heating element  41  is configured to heat a condiment flowing through the tube  11 , so that it is heated when applied to a food item. The heating element  41  may be a resistive heating element or any other suitable heating element  41  capable of heating a condiment. 
     The upper opening  14  on the upper end  12  of the tube  11  may be removably secured to the rotating condiment dispensing device  10 , because rotation of the tube  11  provides for a more even application of the condiment. In the shown embodiment, the tube  11  comprises one or more stirring rods  35  extending radially and outwardly therefrom which help to evenly distribute a condiment throughout the food. In the shown embodiment, two stirring rods  35  are disposed on opposing sides of the tube  11 , such that the two stirring rods  35  are linearly aligned along their respective horizontal axes, which provides for even stirring of the condiment as it exits the apertures  21  and the open lower end  15  of the tube  11 . Further, a length of each stirring rod  35  is less than the length of the tube  11 . In alternate embodiments, the one or more stirring rods  35  can be disposed elsewhere along the tube  11 . In an embodiment with both stirring rods  35  and the heating element  41 , the stirring rods  35  are disposed toward the lower end  13  of the tube  11  and the heating element  41  is disposed toward the upper end  12  of the tube  11 . 
     In the shown embodiment, the tube  11  comprises a solid wall  32  disposed on an upper third thereof, and a perforated wall  33  having a plurality of apertures  21  thereon disposed on a lower third of the tube  11 , such that an upper third of the tube  11  has no apertures, while a lower two thirds of the tube has apertures  21  thereon. The solid wall  32  of the upper third of the tube  11  prevents condiment from spilling if an upper portion of the tube  11  is exposed after insertion into a container of food for condiment application. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , there is shown a side view of an embodiment of a condiment distribution device inserted into a container of popcorn. In use, the tube  11  is inserted into a container  101  of popcorn  102  so that a condiment such as melted butter can be easily and evenly applied thereto. A user may pour melted butter into the upper opening  19  of the funnel  16 . The melted butter then flows downward via gravity through the tube  11 , and exists the tube through the apertures  21  and the lower opening  15  thereof. Since the apertures  21  are disposed along the length of the tube, the melted butter exits the tube  11  evenly along the length thereof, which evenly distributes the melted butter to popcorn  102  in the upper, lower, and middle portions of the container  101 . In this way, the condiment distribution device can be utilized to easily apply melted butter to a container of popcorn  102 , such that the melted butter is evenly distributed throughout the container  101 . 
     It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.