Patent Abstract:
A dispenser is provided for viscous condiments. The dispenser includes a tubular sidewall having opposite ends. One opposite end is open and can receive a plunger or piston therein for applying force to condiment contained within a compartment inside of the sidewall. The other end of the sidewall includes a dispenser valve assembly comprising a member secured to an inturned flange portion of the sidewall with the flange portion being generally normal to the sidewall. The dispenser valve assembly is suitably secured to the flange portion as by heat sealing to form a composite laminated structure that is resistant to the penetration of liquids from the condiments. A bead of hot melt can be provided to seal an exposed outer edge of the dispenser valve assembly and to seal the dispenser valve assembly to the sidewall. The dispenser valve assembly includes a valve plate having one or more selectively openable discharge openings formed therein that will open and close under the influence of pressure applied to the condiment within the dispenser.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     None. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     The dispensing of viscous condiments, e.g., mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, sandwich spreads and the like, is commonly done in restaurants. In order to handle the volume throughput requirements in restaurant kitchens, devices have been constructed for dispensing such condiments from tubes (packages) with the assistance of mechanical pump-type devices. Such devices are similar in construction to caulking guns. An example of such a device may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,231. While such devices have been effective, they do have some shortcomings. 
     It is desirable to eliminate material from the tubes that is not necessary. Even a small amount of material savings in a container can result in significant cost savings because of the large quantity required by restaurants, particularly in the fast food industry. However, to eliminate material, new assembly techniques may be needed necessitating new manufacturing equipment which adds again to the expense of the containers. Additionally, when viscous materials are contained in a container it is highly desirable to impede the migration of liquids such as water and lipids (fats) into the container material when such container material includes paperboard which can absorb and transfer such liquids by wicking. The absorption of such liquids can cause a detrimental appearance to the package and may even cause its unnecessary disposal. Typically, a condiment dispenser, such as that shown in the above-identified patent, was assembled using hot melt adhesives to join various container portions at the discharge end thereof. It would be desirable to reduce or eliminate this use of hot melt adhesive as a major element providing structural integrity to the package. Hot melt can cause detrimental generation of steam from moisture contained in various packaging components, particularly paperboard during assembly. The steam can cause problems such as forming tiny bubbles and/or holes through the hot melt thereby permitting oil and moisture to pass into raw edges of the paperboard tube. Thus, the tube (package) may become saturated, soften and begin to fall apart. 
     It is therefore desirable to provide an improved condiment dispenser. It is also desirable to provide an improved dispenser that has a reduction in the materials used and a reduction in the cost to manufacture. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a container usable as a dispenser for use with viscous flowable condiments. The container includes a sidewall that is generally tubular forming a storage compartment for a viscous condiment. The sidewall has opposite ends, one of which is preferably open for receipt of a piston therein. The piston can be used to apply force to the condiment within the container to induce dispensing. The other end of the container is a normally closed end having a dispensing valve assembly. The dispensing valves are located on a valve plate secured to a mount plate which is secured to an inturned flange formed as part of the sidewall. The sidewall may be a convolute formed tube with a longitudinal seam. A removable membrane cover may be secured over the dispensing valve assembly which will provide a tamper-evident seal. The membrane cover is attached to the dispensing valve assembly before the valve assembly is attached to the sidewall. A die may be used to cut the perimeter shape of the membrane cover so that it precisely fits within an opening formed by the inturned flange. A portion of the membrane cover may be reverse bent to provide for gripping and subsequent removal of the cover. The dispensing valve assembly may be secured to the inturned generally flat flange and have an outer exposed edge portion engaging a hot melt material to cover all or substantially all of the exposed edge. Preferred materials for the sidewall and a portion of the dispensing valve assembly are paperboard and can have a polymer coating thereon to help effect resistance to penetration by liquids, and to help effect the joining of various components to one another as by heat sealing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of a condiment dispenser shown partially in section and held by a dispensing gun in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmentary perspective view of the dispensing end of the condiment dispenser in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 2  but with a peel-off closure member covering the dispensing openings; and 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the dispensing end of  FIG. 3  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  is a fragmentary top view of a web of covers that are partially die cut and interconnected together via their ears prior to their securement to a valve assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     The same numbers used throughout the various figures designate like or similar parts and/or structure as described herein. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The reference numeral  1  designates generally a condiment dispenser for use in the storage and dispensing of viscous condiments  2  such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, sandwich spread and the like. Such condiments  2  can be water and/or lipid based. In a preferred embodiment, the condiment dispenser  1  includes a feed device  3  that may be in the form of a trigger gun for use in applying force to a piston  4  which will in turn pressurize the condiment  2  for dispensing through a dispenser valve assembly  5  having one or more dispensing openings  6 . During dispensing, the piston  4  moves toward the valve assembly  5 . The feed device  3  can be manually operated for example by having a trigger or may be power operated for example by having an electric motor-driver actuator. Preferably, the feed device  3  is easily sanitized as by washing without detriment to the feed device. 
     The condiment dispenser  1  includes a sidewall  10  that may be formed of a polymeric-coated paperboard having a longitudinal seam  11  formed by overlapping edge margin portions  12  which may be secured together as by heat sealing of the polymeric coating. Preferably, the paperboard of the sidewall  10  has a thickness suitable to contain the condiment in storage and under dispensing pressure. The polymeric coating may be polyethylene or the like as are known in the art. Seam  11  may be formed as by heat sealing edge margins  12  as is also known in the art. The sidewall  10  has an inturned flange portion  14  which has a significant portion thereof generally perpendicular to the sidewall  10  and relatively flat. The flange  14  has an outer face  15  and an opening  16  which is defined by an internal edge  17 . The outer face  15  of the flange  14  is flush to slightly below flush with the free end  13  of the sidewall  10 , e.g. about 3/16 inch or less. Preferably the opening  16  is generally round as best seen in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 . When the flange  14  is formed, a plurality of pleats  18  may occur which can be easily accommodated by subsequent assembly steps as described below. The pleats  18  add rigidity to the flange  14 . Flange  14  may be formed by a roll forming process and may be held in its formed position by attachment to the valve assembly  5 . 
     The valve assembly  5  closes one end of the chamber  19  formed by sidewall  10  and is adapted for the selective release of condiment  2  from the chamber  19 . In the illustrated structure, the valve assembly  5  is secured in covering relation to the opening  16  and is preferably secured to an inside face  20  of the flange  14 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the valve assembly  5  includes a mount plate  21  in the form of an annular ring or disk having opposite side faces  22 ,  23 , an outer perimeter edge  24  and an inner edge  25  defining a through opening  26 . Preferably, the opening  26  is in axial alignment with the opening  16  providing communication between the chamber  19  and the exterior of the dispenser  1 . 
     A slitted valve plate  31  is attached to the mount plate  21  preferably by securement to the face  22 . The valve plate  31  is preferably located on the interior side of the plate  21 . In a preferred embodiment, the valve plate  31  is in the form of a polymeric sheet, for example, low density polyethylene, having a plurality of the dispensing openings  6  in the form of die cut slits which can be in the form of an X for each opening. When the condiment  2  is pressurized by force applied to the piston  4 , flaps  32  formed by the X die cut slit will resiliently move outwardly allowing openings  6  to be exposed in the plate  31  for the condiment to flow through. During dispensing, the piston  4  moves along the chamber  19  toward the valve assembly  5 . When pressure is relieved, the flaps  32  move back to a closed or partially closed position. As shown, the plate  31  is secured to the face  22  as by heat bonding. In a preferred embodiment, the plate  21  is polymeric-coated paperboard element allowing heat bonding of the plate  21  to the flange  14  and to the valve plate  31 . The openings  6  are positioned inside or inwardly of the edge  25 . One or more openings  6  may be provided albeit four are shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 4 , the edge  24  of the plate  21  is sealed by a bead of hot melt  35 . Typically, during assembly of paperboard items, the paperboard will contain a certain amount of moisture. When the paperboard is heated, for example, during the application of hot melt or via the heat sealing process to join parts or areas together, the water in the paperboard will turn to steam and migrate out of the paperboard when possible. In the present invention, the openings  6  may be used as a steam vent should same be produced in the plate  21  during the application of hot melt as a caulking agent. 
     It should be pointed out that since plates  21  and  31  along with sidewall  10 , flange  14  and valve plate  31  all have polyethylene (or the like) coated surfaces, they can be heat welded together thereby eliminating the need for a hot melt to act as a structural component. Typically, when the paperboard elements are formed, they are die cut leaving “rough” edges that are uncoated. Such edges provide a means for ingress and egress of liquid vapor into the paperboard matrix. As best seen in  FIG. 4 , a bead of hot melt  35  is applied proximate the edge  24  of plate  21 , the sidewall  10 , and flange  14 . It has been found that this hot melt functions primarily to seal the package and since the structural integrity is accomplished via the heat welding of the poly coated surfaces, rather than via hot melt, less hot melt is required and it may be of a less complex nature. Thus, the package is inherently stronger and less expensive to construct. 
     A cover  45  in the form of a membrane may be provided to selectively close the openings  6  for storage and shipping of the dispenser  1 . The cover  45  may be adhesively secured the outer surface  23  of plate  21  in overlying relation to the openings  6 . The cover  45  may be in the form of a polymeric-coated paper element or may be a polymeric material. It is preferred that the cover  45  be resistant to penetration by liquids. With the construction of the package as described above, when the hot melt is applied as shown and described with respect to  FIG. 4 , the air tight seal between plate  21  and cover  45  closes off the escape route of steam to the outside. But for the construction of the present invention, the pressure of the steam would be high enough that it would pass through the hot melt rendering the hot melt caulking ineffective because oil and moisture then could pass into the raw edge  24  and saturate the paper and damage the integrity of the package. It is preferred that there be an air gap  26   a  between at least a portion of the cover membrane  45  and the outer surface  46  of the valve disk  31  to provide for the release of steam should any be generated in the plate  21  during and shortly after the application of the hot melt  35 . This gap  26   a  would allow for steam, if steam is generated, to move in the direction of the arrows  26   b  and be discharged through the opening  6  into the chamber  19 .  FIG. 4  shows the steam&#39;s path  26   b  as it exits plate  21 . Steam can exit plate  21  through edge  25 . Upon exiting edge  25  of plate  21 , the steam enters air gap  26   a . Once the steam is in air gap  26   a , it can then exit into chamber  19  and the atmosphere through openings  6 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the cover  45  has a plurality of circumferentially spaced ears  47  projecting from an outer perimeter  48  thereof. The cover  45  also includes a tab portion  50  having an ear  47 .  FIG. 4  is a sectional view of  FIG. 3  taken about line  4 - 4 . Therefore, neither the ears  47  nor the tab  50  are depicted in  FIG. 4 . However, both the ears  47  and the tab  50  can be seen in  FIG. 3 . 
     Preferably, during the manufacturing of valve assembly  5 , a plurality of covers  45  are included in a web made from a single piece of material. In the web, the covers  45  are partially die cut and interconnected together via their ears  47 . The valve assembly  5  may be appropriately aligned with a respective cover  45  in the web. Once the dispenser  1  is aligned with a cover  45 , the cover  45  may be bonded to the plate  21 . As shown, the bonding of the cover  45  to the plate  21  can take place in the annular ring area on surface  23  defined edges  17  and edge  25 . It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that one bonding method includes heat bonding cover  45  to plate  21 . After the cover is bonded to the plate  21 , the final die cutting of the cover from the web can be accomplished by cutting the ears  47 . Once the ears  47  are cut, the cover  45  is completely detached from the web. 
     As mentioned above, the cover  45  has a tab portion  50 . Tab portion  50  provides the user a place to grip the cover  45  to assist in its removal from the valve assembly  5 . After the cover  45  is bonded to the valve assembly  5 , but before the valve assembly  5  is secured to sidewall  10 , tab portion  50  may be folded back toward the outer surface of cover  45 . The folding of tab portion  50  allows surface  23  of plate  21  to be directly mated to the inner face  20  of flange  14  without the tab portion  50  interfering. If tab portion  50  were not folded, it could extend into the seal created between surface  23  and face  20 . This could prevent the proper sealing of plate  21  to sidewall  10 . Additionally, it would prevent the cover  45  from being removed from the dispenser  1  because the tab portion  50  of cover  45  would be permanently sealed between surface  23  and face  20 . It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that a tab portion  50  that is ¾″ long by ⅜″ wide is sufficient. 
     Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments of a novel invention. As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. The terms “having” and “including” and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of “optional” or “may include” and not as “required.” Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1