Device and method for on-demand dispensing of spoonable or drinkable food products having visual appearance of multi-components

• US 20050112249A1
• Filed: 10/28/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Herrick, James Peter, Overbaugh, William, Farrell, Richard J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,559,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/249
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 2270/05 Gelled or liquid milk product, e.g. yoghurt, cottage cheese or pudding being one of the separate layers of a multilayered soft or liquid food product
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 9/133 Fruit or vegetables
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/28 for portioning or dispensing
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/282 for dispensing multi-flavour ice-creams
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/283 for filling containers with material
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/285 for extruding strips, cutting blocks and manipulating cut blocks
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 20/20 Making of laminated, multi-layered, stuffed or hollow foodstuffs, e.g. by wrapping in preformed edible dough sheets or in edible food containers
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 30/25 Co-extrusion of different foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0078 Ingredient cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0857 Cooling arrangements cooling systems per se F25B
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/108 of the peristaltic type
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/1234 to determine the total amount

Abstract

The invention relates to a dispensing system and method for on-demand dispensing of spoonable or drinkable food products in a container. Single servings or larger portions of these products can be dispensed. The system and method achieve dispensing of the product with a visual differentiation of the components in the container. The container may be translucent or transparent so that the consumer can view the visually differentiated product therein. The products form yet another embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. A method for delivering at least a single serve portion of a refrigerated but non-frozen spoonable or drinkable food product of fresh appearance on demand in a container which method comprises selectively pumping at least two food components of different specific characteristics from at least two separate storage sources to the container to dispense the product while effecting and maintaining a visual differentiation of the two components in the container.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the food components are pumped either sequentially or simultaneously.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the food product is pumped according to repeated sequential cycles of the at least two components in an alternative manner without movement of the container until a layered visual configuration in the container is obtained.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a pause is respected between each dispensing cycles that is sufficient to allow each layer to settle in the container.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the food product is pumped according to a simultaneous pumping of the two components while achieving a differential of the pumping rates between the two pumped components that is capable of providing a swirled visual differentiation of the two components in the container.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the visual differentiation is obtained by adjusting at least one pumping variable of one component differently from the other component and wherein the variable is selected from the group consisting of pump rate, pumping time, discharge cycling mode and a combination thereof.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the container is transparent or translucent to exhibit the visual differentiation of the components therein.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the components are merged before dispensing without thorough mixing.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the components are concentrically dispensed.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the innermost component is dispensed at a higher rate than the outermost component.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the innermost component is a white acidified dairy component and the outermost component is a fruit sauce.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the innermost component is dispensed at a flow rate of from about 10 to 30 grams/second and the outermost component is dispensed at a flow rate of from about 2 to 20 grams/seconds.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein one of the components is an acidified dairy component.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein one of the components is a fruit based or colored component.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein one of the components is a culinary component.

16. A dispensing system for on-demand dispensing at least a single serve portion of a refrigerated but non-frozen spoonable or drinkable food product in a container comprising:

storage members for separately storing a plurality of food components having different specific characteristics,

pump means associated with each storage member for independently transporting each food component from its respective storage member to a point of dispensing,

selection means for selecting a particular food product obtained as a combination of at least two of the food components,

control means adapted to control the actuation of at least two of the pump means in response to activation of the selection means during the serving of a portion of the particular food product to achieve the dispensing of the product while effecting and maintaining a visual differentiation of the at least two food components in the container.

17. The dispensing system according to claim 16, wherein the visual differentiation is obtained by controlling the pump means during dispensing of the products according to at least one variable selected from the group consisting of pump velocity, pumping time, discharge cycling mode and discharge arrangement.

18. The dispensing system according to claim 17, wherein the control means is adapted to selectively actuate the pump means in a sequential discharge cycling mode for the dispensing of the selected product.

19. The dispensing system according to claim 18, wherein the control means provides a layered visual differentiation in the selected product.

20. The dispensing system according to claim 17, wherein the control means are adapted to selectively actuate said pump means in a simultaneous discharge cycling mode for the dispensing the selected product.

21. The dispensing system according to claim 20, wherein the control means provides a swirled visual differentiation in the selected product.

22. The dispensing system according to claim 16, wherein each pump means transports the respective food component without directly contacting it.

23. The dispensing system according to claim 22, wherein each pump means transports a food component through a disposable hose attached to the storage member.

24. The dispensing system according to claim 23, wherein each pump means forces its respective food component to a merging means in which the food components are substantially merged without thorough mixing.

25. The dispensing system according to claim 24, wherein the merging means is a nozzle member that includes a separate inlet to receive the flow of each food component and adjacent outlets in which the incoming flows of food components are substantially merged toward the point of dispensing.

26. The dispensing system according to claim 25, wherein the adjacent outlets comprise a plurality of concentrically arranged dispensing channels for separately dispensing the food components.

27. The dispensing system according to claim 16, wherein the food components have different characteristics of color, flavor, viscosity, taste or a combination of one or more of such characteristics.

28. The dispensing system according to claim 27, wherein the food components are refrigerated.

29. The dispensing system according to claim 28, wherein one food component comprises at least one acidified dairy component.

30. The dispensing system according to claim 28, wherein one food component comprises at least one fruit based or colored component.

31. The dispensing system according to claim 28, wherein one food component is an acidified dairy component and another component is a fruit based component.

32. The dispensing system according to claim 28, wherein the food component comprises at least one culinary component.

33. The dispensing system according to claim 16, wherein each storage members comprises a flexible bag having a hose connected thereto by a fitment.

34. The dispensing system according to claim 33, wherein each pump means comprises a volumetric positive displacement pump which is individually engaged with one of the flexible hoses.

35. The dispensing system according to claim 34, wherein each pump means is a peristaltic pump.

36. The dispensing system according to claim 16, wherein the control means comprises:

a first motor for actuating a first series of at least two pump means,

a first selective clutch assembly for engaging selectively the pump means; and

a control center adapted to the control activation of both the first motor and the first clutch assembly for selectively driving the selected pump means.

37. The dispensing system according to claim 36, wherein the control center is adapted to control the activation of the first clutch assembly in either a sequential or a simultaneous driving mode.

38. The dispensing system according to claim 37, wherein the clutch assembly comprises:

a pair of magnetically operable clutches; and

a multi-piece drive shaft assembly comprising an inner shaft portion connected to a first pump and an outer shaft portion connected to a second pump;

wherein each magnetically operable clutch is connected to one of the two portions of the shaft so that said clutch may operate said portion of shaft upon the magnetic engagement of the clutch by an electrical impulse delivered under the control from the control center.

39. The dispensing system according to claim 36, wherein the control means further comprises:

a second motor for actuating a second series of two pumps;

a second selective clutch assembly for engaging selectively the pump means of the second series; and

a control center adapted to the control activation of the first and second motors and the first and second clutch assemblies for selectively driving the selected first and second series of pump means.

40. The dispensing system according to claim 16, wherein the selection means is adapted to select one desired visual configuration from a choice of at least two visual configurations.