Patent ID: 8607459

Claim:
A fluid condiment dispensing utensil for dispensing a fluid condiment onto a food product, the condiment dispensing utensil comprising: a handle comprising an elongate hollow body having a proximal end and a distal end, the elongate hollow body defining a condiment-receiving reservoir adapted to contain a condiment; a food-carrying portion operably coupled to the proximal end of the handle; a dispensing port in selective fluid communication with the reservoir, and positioned on the food-carrying portion; and a fluid pump mechanism selectively fluidly coupling the reservoir and the dispensing port, the fluid pump mechanism being adapted to pump condiment from the reservoir through and out of the dispensing port onto the food product upon actuation, wherein the fluid pump mechanism includes— a hollow elongated tube having a first end and a second end, the first end extending into the condiment-receiving reservoir, a pump operably coupled to and in selective fluid communication with the second end of the tube, the pump comprising a chamber defining an internal volume, and a piston shiftably positioned within the chamber upon actuation of the pump mechanism such that the internal volume increases during an upstroke of the pump to pull fluid into the chamber from the reservoir, and decreases during a downstroke of the pump to force fluid out of the chamber via the dispensing port, and a hollow elongated barrel operably coupled to and in fluid communication with the pump at a first barrel end, and wherein the second barrel end is selective fluid communication with the dispensing port, wherein the food-carrying portion is shiftable with respect to the handle to actuate the fluid pump mechanism, such that when the food-carrying portion shifts toward the handle, the piston shifts within the chamber of the pump, thereby forcing fluid out of the chamber, through the hollow elongated barrel, and through and out of the dispensing port.