PIPING TIP CAP

Abstract

A cap which frictionally engages a piping tip has a generally conical cover portion with an interior surface, an exterior surface, a closed end and an open end sized to fit over a piping tip; a gripping portion on the exterior surface of the closed end of the cover portion; and a plurality of protuberances on the interior surface of the cover portion extending toward the closed end of the cover portion. The cap can include a circular ridge extending circumferentially around the interior surface of the cap, the ridge sized to fit within a circular indentation in the piping tip to maintain the cap on the piping tip.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

This application relates generally to decorator tips for dispensing food materials onto items such as frosting onto cakes and/or other piped foods. More specifically, this application relates to a piping tip cap for securing to a piping tip.

SUMMARY

The application of food material and confectionary material, such as cake frosting, to a food product generally involves urging the material through a piping tip having a generally conical shape with an orifice at the narrow end thereof. When not in use, the piping material near the orifice is exposed to the air, risking contamination and dehydration, which clogs the piping tip, making subsequent use difficult. The present invention is a system for capping a piping tip with a cap that is held in place by frictional engagement with the piping tip. Described herein is a piping tip cap and a piping tip cap system for capping a piping tip that is easy to use and solves the problems mentioned above. The device is of simple construction, inexpensive to produce, economical to maintain, and can be used in conjunction with all forms of piping tips.

In particular, this application discloses a piping tip cap comprising a generally conical cover portion having an interior surface, an exterior surface, a closed end and an open end sized to fit over a piping tip, a gripping portion on the exterior surface of the closed end of the cover portion and a plurality of frictional elements affixed to the interior surface of the cover portion for holding the cap in position over the piping tip.

This application further discloses a piping tip cap system comprising a generally conical piping tip and a generally conical piping tip cap having mating elements for maintaining the cap in position on the piping tip. These mating elements include a circular indentation extending circumferentially around the exterior surface of the piping tip and a similarly sized circular ridge extending circumferentially around the interior surface of the cap, the ridge sized to fit within the circular indentation in the piping tip to maintain the cap in position on the piping tip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings, when considered in connection with the following description, are presented for the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the subject matter sought to be protected.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a piping tip cap disclosed herein;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a piping tip cap disclosed herein;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a piping tip cap system disclosed herein; and

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a third embodiment of a piping tip cap system disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, shown are perspective views of first and second embodiments of the piping tip cap 10 disclosed herein. The invention comprises a piping tip cap 10 comprising a generally conical cover portion 14 having an interior surface 16, an exterior surface 18, a closed end 20 and an open end 22 sized to fit over a piping tip, a gripping portion 24 on the exterior surface 18 of the closed end 20 of the cover portion 14 and a plurality of frictional elements affixed to the interior surface 16 of the cover portion 14 for holding the cap 10 in position over the piping tip. The gripping portion 24 can be affixed to the cover portion 14 or can be integral with the cover portion 14, and can be in a shape which is easy to grip, for example, as a tab (FIG. 1) or as a loop (FIG. 2).

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, shown is a perspective and a partial cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a piping tip cap system disclosed herein. This embodiment is a piping tip cap system comprising a generally conical piping tip 12 having an exterior surface 28 and an open narrow end 30, and a generally conical piping tip cap 10 having mating elements for maintaining the cap 10 in position on the piping tip 12. These mating elements include, for example, a circular indentation 32 extending circumferentially around the exterior surface 28 of the piping tip 12 and a similarly sized circular ridge 34 extending circumferentially around the interior surface 16 of the cap 10, the ridge 34 sized to fit within the circular indentation 32 in the piping tip 12 to maintain the cap 10 in position on the piping tip 12.

As shown in FIG. 4, the plurality of frictional elements 26 affixed to the interior surface 16 of the cover portion 14 comprises a plurality of interior protuberances, such as scales, extending toward the closed end 20 of the cover portion 14. Further embodiments of the invention include a plurality of frictional elements (exterior protuberances), such as scales, or a textured (e.g. pebbled) surface on the exterior surface 18 of the cover portion, to provide the user with a better grip when handling the cap 10. Also shown in FIG. 4 is the circular ridge 34 extending inward from the open end of the cap 10. The open end of the cap 10 is optionally formed of a flexible, or elastomeric, material, such as a silicone-based material. Further embodiments of the invention comprise a plurality of scales affixed to the exterior surface 28 of the piping tip 12, with the scales extending away from the open narrow end 30 of the piping tip 12 in order to frictionally engage the scales on the interior 16 of the cap 10.

To use the piping tip cap 10 of the invention, the cap 10 is pressed down onto the piping tip 12 such that the frictional elements 26 of the cap 10 frictionally engage the piping tip 12. When the embodiment of the invention having a ridge 34 in the cap 10 and a corresponding indentation 32 in the piping tip 12 is employed, the cap 10 is pressed onto the piping tip 12 until the ridge 34 in the cap 10 engages the indentation 32 in the piping tip 12 to hold the cap 10 in place.

While the present disclosure has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

1. A piping tip cap comprising:

a generally conical cover portion having an interior surface, an exterior surface, a closed end and an open end, said open end adapted to fit over a piping tip;

a gripping portion on said exterior surface of said closed end of said cover portion; and

a plurality of frictional elements affixed to said interior surface of said cover portion.

2. The piping tip cap of claim 1, wherein said gripping portion is integral with said cover portion.

3. The piping tip cap of claim 1, wherein said gripping portion comprises a tab.

4. The piping tip cap of claim 1, wherein said gripping portion comprises a loop.

5. The piping tip cap of claim 1, wherein said plurality of frictional elements affixed to said interior surface of said cover portion comprises a plurality of protuberances extending toward said closed end of said cover portion.

6. The piping tip cap of claim 5, wherein said protuberances comprise scales.

7. The piping tip cap of claim 1, further comprising a textured surface on the exterior surface of said cover portion.

8. The piping tip cap of claim 7, wherein said textured surface is a pebbled surface.

9. The piping tip cap of claim 2, wherein:

said gripping portion comprises a shape selected from the group tab and loop;

said plurality of frictional elements affixed to said interior surface of said cover portion comprises a plurality of scales extending toward said closed end of said cover portion; and

said exterior surface of said cover portion includes a textured surface.

10. A piping tip cap system comprising:

a generally conical piping tip including: (a) an exterior surface; (b) an open narrow end; and (c) a circular indentation extending circumferentially around said exterior surface of said piping tip; and

a generally conical piping tip cap including: (a) an interior surface; (b) an exterior surface; (c) a closed end; (d) an open end, said open end adapted to fit over said open narrow end of said piping tip; (e) a gripping portion integral with said exterior surface of said closed end of said cap, said gripping portion having a shape selected from the group tab and loop; and (f) a circular ridge extending circumferentially around said interior surface of said cap, said ridge sized to reside within said circular indentation in said piping tip to maintain said cap on said piping tip.

11. The piping tip cap system of claim 10, wherein said circular ridge extends inward from said open end of said cap.

12. The piping tip cap system of claim 11 wherein said open end of said cap is formed of an elastomeric material.

13. The piping tip cap system of claim 12, wherein said elastomeric material is a silicone-based material.

14. The piping tip cap system of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of interior protuberances affixed to said interior surface of said cap extending toward said closed end of said cap.

15. The piping tip cap system of claim 14, wherein said interior protuberances comprise scales.

16. The piping tip cap system of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of scales affixed to said exterior surface of said piping tip, said scales extending away from said open narrow end of said piping tip.

17. The piping tip cap system of claim 15, further comprising a textured surface on said exterior surface of said cap.

18. A method of affixing a cap to a piping tip comprising the steps:

providing a piping tip cap including: (a) a generally conical cover portion having an interior surface, an exterior surface, a closed end and an open end, said open end adapted to fit over a piping tip; (b) a gripping portion on said exterior surface of said closed end of said cover portion, said gripping portion comprising a shape selected from the group tab and loop; and (c) a plurality of scales on said interior surface of said cap extending toward said closed end of said cover portion; and

placing said cap over the piping tip such that said scales frictionally engage said piping tip.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the piping tip has a circular indentation extending circumferentially around an exterior surface of the piping tip and said cap further comprises a circular ridge extending circumferentially around said interior surface of said cap, said ridge sized to fit within the circular indentation in the piping tip to maintain said cap on the piping tip.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of pressing said cap onto the piping tip until said ridge in said cap engages the indentation in the piping tip.