Patents Examined by Chaim A Smith
  • Patent number: 10351327
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to containers and other shaped articles (e.g., trays and dishes) for containing articles such as food products (e.g., cuts of meat and poultry or liquid-sensitive electronic parts) in shaped articles in which a wicking material is interposed between two thermoformed trays, at least one of which is perforated. Liquid can flow through the perforated tray into the wicking material and then elsewhere (e.g., to a cavity) in the space between the two trays. The disclosure also relates to hollow shaped articles (e.g., bottles and jars) for containing fluids. In manufacture of such hollow shaped articles, the wicking material serves as a manufacturing aid and can be removed after formation of the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Converter Manufacturing, LLC
    Inventor: Millard F. Wallace
  • Patent number: 10336531
    Abstract: A capsule is provided for use in a machine for preparing a consumable product from capsules. The capsule includes a body that defines an interior space with an opening. A cover is disposed over the opening and is adapted to shrink sufficiently when pierced by the injection system to allow pressure to build beneath the cover up to a maximum pressure. A filter is disposed in the interior space to define a steeping chamber between the filter and the cover and is adapted to restrict the flow of fluid sufficiently to cause the steeping chamber to fill with fluid without exceeding the maximum pressure. Ingredients are disposed in the interior space for preparing a desired product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: 2266170 Ontario Inc.
    Inventors: Liberatore A. Trombetta, Yucheng Fu, Shelby Parkinson
  • Patent number: 10334868
    Abstract: A system for providing a single serving of a frozen confection, wherein the system comprises a pod comprising at least one ingredient for providing a single serving of a frozen confection; the system cools the pod; the system introduces water into the pod; the system simultaneously stirs the contents of the pod while scraping at least one wall of the pod to prevent a build-up of the frozen confection on the at least one wall of the pod; and the system ejects the frozen confection out of the pod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Sigma Phase, Corp.
    Inventor: Matthew Fonte
  • Patent number: 10315831
    Abstract: Microwave foodstuff packages and methods of making and using the same. The microwave foodstuff packages include only a single gusset and/or a Z-fold configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignees: General Mills, Inc., General Mills Brasil Alimentos Ltda.
    Inventors: Randal Joseph Monforton, Donald Stephen Mathers, Valdir Jose Chiomento, Danilo Doriguelo De Melo
  • Patent number: 10279985
    Abstract: A granulated nutritional supplement dispensing machine extracts single-serving doses from a multi-serving supplements cartridge for delivery as a drinkable solution. A lead serving chamber is pierced so that its powered contents drain into a mixing cup together with a metered quantity of water from an integrated water tank. A vibrator unit assists drainage of the granulated materials from the lead serving chamber. The mixing cup is rotated at high speed to blend the water and supplements into a slurry. The supplements cartridge is indexed after (or before) use so that an unopened serving chamber is presented each time for extracting its supplements. This enables partially-used supplements cartridges to be used in the machine, as is conducive in multiple-user households. The supplements cartridge is configured with read-write data capability to indicate whether or not the contents of each serving chamber have been emptied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Life Boost, Inc.
    Inventors: Ted Matthew Mills, Jeffrey Thomas Linton, Chase Ryan Linton
  • Patent number: 10279973
    Abstract: The invention concerns pack (1) with an inner volume (2) in which a food or beverage ingredient (7) is stored and in which a beverage is produced when water is introduced inside, —said inner volume (2) being defined by two sheets of material (10) joined to one another at their edges and said inner volume (2) presenting a generally plane shape defining a plane (P) vertically oriented during beverage production, —said pack comprising at least one inlet (3) for introducing water in the inner volume and at least one outlet (4) for delivering the beverage from said inner volume, the water inlet (3) and the beverage outlet (4) being included in one single insert (5), said single insert (5) being positioned at the bottom of the pack and being partially positioned between two joined edges of the sheets of material (10), —said water inlet (3) being closed by one sheet of material (10) defining the inner volume (2), —wherein the single insert (5) comprises a centering hole (53) extending essentially perpendicularly to
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Nestec S.A.
    Inventors: Silvio Butscher, Thomas Kaeser, Alfred Yoakim, Cynthia Scherz, Jean-Luc Denisart
  • Patent number: 10266286
    Abstract: A product package can have a tray and a combination flexible/rigid lid design. The design can include a rigid or semi-rigid frame and a flexible film that is transparent or translucent. The film can be fixedly attached to the frame and releasably attached to the package tray. The product package can (a) maintain a seal until opened by a consumer, (b) enable a consumer to view the product through the lid, (c) be opened with a single step, and/or (d) be resealed and reused.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: The Hillshire Brands Company
    Inventors: Mary Lou Resh, Jason Kroeyr, Matt Guske, Jeff Czarny
  • Patent number: 10259612
    Abstract: A container includes a metal end applied and sealed to an all-thermoplastic container body by a crimp-seaming or double-seaming operation. The metal end has an outer curl joined to a chuck wall that extends down from the curl. One or both of the inner surface of the container side wall and the outer surface of the chuck wall has/have a heat-sealable material thereon. The metal end is crimp-seamed or double-seamed to the container body and the heat-sealable material(s) are heated to soften or melt such that the interface between the chuck wall and the side wall is fused. The interface is oriented along a direction relative to internal pressure exerted on the metal end such that stress on the interface caused by the internal pressure is predominantly shear stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: SONOCO DEVELOPMENT, INC.
    Inventors: Trevor Price, Jeremy Morin
  • Patent number: 10252849
    Abstract: Disclosed are a compressed-type instant noodle packaging box and a method of manufacturing the same. The packaging box comprises a cuboid packaging box main body (1) of a volume slightly larger than that of the instant noddle block and a box cover (2) covering the packaging box main body, and further comprises a folding container of which a bottom face (4) is adhered together with a bottom face inside the packaging box main body, wherein after opening out in the packaging box main body, the folding container is a cuboid barrel body (14) higher than the packaging box main body; a separately packaged instant noodle bag, seasoning bag and cutlery bag are placed on an upper face of the folding container, and after the box cover covers the packaging box main body, the whole is provided on the outside thereof with a layer of heat-shrinkable film for sealing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Inventor: Changjin Piao
  • Patent number: 10231470
    Abstract: A molding container including a lid that can be smoothly pulled out of a molded frozen dessert with no damage to the molded frozen dessert is provided. A frozen dessert container assembling method of assembling: a main body capable of containing a frozen dessert; a first lid including a first peripheral edge portion and a protrusion that forms an inner space on the inner radius side of the first peripheral edge portion; and a second lid including a second peripheral edge portion and a cover portion is provided. This method includes the steps of: feeding the main body; causing the protrusion of the first lid to be contained in the main body and fitting the first peripheral edge portion and an opening of the main body to each other; and covering the inner space of the first lid with the cover portion of the second lid and fitting the first peripheral edge portion and the second peripheral edge portion to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Akagi Nyugyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sota Inoue
  • Patent number: 10231464
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for co-extruding an elongated food product wherein the method comprises measuring the product characteristics of the viscous gelling agent provided and wherein the physical state of the collagen is controlled by balancing the process settings of the at least one subsequent processing step based upon the product characteristics measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: MAREL TOWNSEND FURTHER PROCESSING B.V.
    Inventors: Geert Johannes Lok, Johannes Marinus Quirinus Kools, Johannes Martinus Meulendijks, Patricia Rosa Maria Hoekstra-Suurs
  • Patent number: 10214344
    Abstract: A cartridge for extracting a beverage by injecting a fluid, comprising a containment body which is adapted to contain a substance from which the beverage is to be extracted and is adapted to receive the fluid, the containment body comprising at least one opening for the outflow of the beverage, which is adapted to prevent an increase in hydraulic pressure inside the cartridge when the fluid is injected, the containment body further comprising a plurality of raised portions for hindering the flow of the beverage, which are arranged in a mutually offset arrangement around the outflow opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: ILLYCAFFE' S.P.A.
    Inventors: Luca Mastropasqua, Ferruccio Seganfreddo, Giuseppe Cutuli, Gianluca Giamba
  • Patent number: 10194671
    Abstract: A method for processing vegetables to reduce unpleasant odor and/or taste, and/or to minimize discoloration, deterioration, degradation, or rot over a period of storage time is described. The method includes: subjecting the vegetable to mechanical size reduction; heating or freezing the vegetable for a pre-determined period; and bringing the softened vegetable product into contact with one or more reactive oxygen species selected from: peroxides; superoxides; and ozone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Cauli-Rice LTD
    Inventors: Nigel Parker, Joanna Misa-Harris
  • Patent number: 10189622
    Abstract: A pack including at least one single-use capsule or pod for a portioned beverage which has two opposite bases, and a side wall connecting the two bases defining therewith a chamber for containing an aromatic substance; the pack has a sealed container for containing the capsule or pod housed in a protective inert gas atmosphere; more specifically the sealed container copies at least in part the shape of the capsule or pod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: AZIONARIA COSTRUZIONI MACCHINE AUTOMATICHE A.C.M.A. S.P.A.
    Inventors: Massimo Scrivani, Mario Spatafora
  • Patent number: 10182577
    Abstract: Described are methods and compositions relating to dough compositions leavened by chemical leavening systems that include acidic chemical leavening agent and encapsulated basic chemical leavening agent, wherein the dough composition can be refrigerated in a low pressure package that contains a carbon dioxide atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: General Mills, Inc.
    Inventor: David J Domingues
  • Patent number: 10167135
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a single-portion package (1) presenting a flow distribution element (4) provided so as to divide the internal volume into a first free space (1.1) and a second compartment (1.2) containing at least one substance, and whereby said flow distribution element (4) is displaced along successive positions along and relative to the sidewall (3.1) under the fluid pressure developing on said first space (1.1), and so that it initially confines said substance and it then confines and/or compresses said substance. The present invention further relates to a system (10) for preparing liquid products and comprising at least two of said single-portion packages (1, 1?) preferentially presenting different flow distribution elements (4, 4?) so that it results for example in different first spaces (1.1, 1.1?) and respective compartments (1.2, 1.2?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: MITACA S.r.l.
    Inventors: Edoardo Macchi, Francesco Minerba
  • Patent number: 10160594
    Abstract: A capsule for preparing a beverage and connectable to a machine for supplying sanitized liquid to the capsule is disclosed. The capsule includes a product compartment and a spout that includes a housing and a fluid connector adapted to be fluidly connected to the machine and to supply liquid inside the product compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Nestec S. A.
    Inventors: Philippe Baenninger, Youcef Ait Bouziad, Heinz Wyss, Jean-Marc Flick
  • Patent number: 10149563
    Abstract: Disclosed is a transportable cake carrier that protects tall, multilayer pastry products from the perils of unexpected turns, uneven pavement, pot-holes and sudden stops of the vehicles doing the delivery. In addition to vehicle borne perils the new and unique carrier addresses ease of placement and removal of the pastry from the carrier, keeping the pastry refrigerated and placement and removal of the carrier from the vehicle. A unique combination of tying the top, base, pedestal and layer separators firmly together, with a sturdy, easy to clean and reusable housing and outstanding human engineering make transport damage a thing of the past. In addition this unique carrier fulfills the spirit of federal LEEDs sustainability requirements with completely reusable components and by keeping ruined product out of the landfills.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Inventors: Julianne Margolis Chapin, Scott Chapin
  • Cap
    Patent number: 10124939
    Abstract: A cap adapted to cover an end of a cask for maturation of a spirit, comprises a body having an outer plate and a flange extending from the outer plate, and an inner plate spaced from the outer plate. The inner plate lies between the outer plate and the end of the cask when the cap is in place on the end of the cask. A layered or ridged spacer can separate the plates, and can permit fluid transfer in the space between the plates. The inner plate can be resistant to vapor transfer, and can be pressed against the outer surface of the end of the cask when the cap is in place on the end of the cask, and leaves an annular area of the end of the cask uncovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: SANGOBEG LIMITED
    Inventors: Kenneth Sinclair Hooker, James Ross Morrison
  • Patent number: 10093445
    Abstract: A convertible container assembly comprising a convertible container body. The container body includes angular series of conversion demarcations, defining an angular conversion section, and, optionally, at least one storage conversion demarcation, defining a storage conversion section. The angular conversion section includes a portion of a sidewall of the container body and a bottom portion of the container body. The angular conversion section toggles between an expanded configuration having a common horizontal upper rim and a compressed configuration creating a new container body support surface, angling the upper rim. The depth conversion section toggles between an expanded configuration as a container and a compressed configuration collapsing the container for storage. The conversion section can employ a single section or a series of sections, wherein the series of sections enable an accordion styled formation when collapsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Inventor: Allen D. Hertz