Packaged Dough Product and Method of Packaging

Abstract

A packaged food product includes a container having therein a cup for a food ingredient, at least one dough product and a plastic separator interposed between the cup and the at least one dough product. The separator includes a main body portion seated upon a rim of the cup, with the main body portion having a peripheral side surface in frictional engagement with an inner sidewall of the container. The separator also includes a column support extending from the main body portion and abutting a bottom of the cup. In a preferred embodiment, the column support takes an inverted frustoconical shape and is hollow, thereby enabling multiple separators to be nested for shipping and storing purposes. When the dough product(s) proof within the container, forces applied to the separator from the developed pressure are transferred through the main body portion and the column support to the bottom of the cup.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention pertains to the art of food production and, particularly, to a packaged dough product, as well as a method of packaging the dough product. More specifically, the present invention relates to a tubular container for packaging one or more dough products wherein at least one additional ingredients is provided in a separate cup within the tubular container, with a non-metal separator being interposed between the cup and the dough product(s).

Due to the time demands placed on consumers by the everyday activities of modern life, the preparation of food products and meals from scratch has decreased and the popularity of premade or partially premade foods has increased dramatically. One type of food product that has become increasingly popular in premade configurations are dough-based food products such as, for example, developed and undeveloped dough products. These dough products can be stored in either a refrigerated or frozen state for extended periods and are “freshly” prepared in a matter of minutes as desired by the consumer. In some instances, these dough products can represent a substantially final product requiring only a heating or baking step such as, for example, cookies, bread, breadsticks, biscuits, rolls and croissants. Alternatively, these dough products can represent components or building blocks of a final product such as, for example, a pie crust or pizza dough that will be combined with a variety of other ingredients to form the final product. Regardless of whether the dough product itself constitutes a final product or merely a component of the final product, these dough products constitute enormous time savers for the consumer in that the consumer need not prepare the dough products from scratch using base ingredients such as, for example, flour, water, eggs, yeast, salt, sugar and the like.

One popular method for packaging and storing dough products has been to use a can format where the dough product is contained within a cylindrical paperboard body having caps at both ends of the body. In such a container, the can body is torn open by the consumer to expose the can contents and enable the removal of individual dough products without substantial product deformation. While the can format does work very well for dough products alone, there are some instances in which it is desirable to include additional ingredients with the dough product to complete or enhance enjoyment of the final cooked dough product. Such additional ingredients can include, for example, condiments, fruits, icing, spices, nuts, candies and the like. To accommodate these additional ingredients in a can format, a variety of designs have been utilized for separating the additional ingredients from the dough. Certain known configurations employ the use of separate cups to store the additional ingredients. One common configuration employs a plastic cup covered by a thin metal lid or separator, generally stamped from an aluminum sheet. In the case of proofing of the dough products in the packaging, these cans and cups must be constructed to withstand substantial internal pressures. In connection with known metal lids, they have been found to be quite effective in withstanding deformation under the developed pressure. Still, there would certainly be cost and recycling benefits in employing plastic versus metal of these lids or separators. Unfortunately, plastic simply has less inherent strength and, given the desire to maintain a thin profile and reduce the amount of material employed, the use of metal separators dominates the market.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A packaged food product and method according to the invention includes a close-ended container body within which is located a cup for an additional ingredient, as well as one or more dough pieces atop the cup. Like the known prior art, the container body preferably constitutes a cylindrical, spirally wound paperboard body, although other materials could be employed. The cup includes a bottom wall and at least one sidewall leading to an upper annular rim defining an opening, opposite the bottom wall, with the opening leading to an interior storage cavity of the cup and being covered by a plastic separator which seats upon the rim. More specifically, the separator includes a main body portion and a central column support, both of which are formed of plastic. When the cup is positioned upon the rim, the central column support directly abuts the bottom wall.

The packaging process generally involves initially inserting the cup into an opening at a first end of the container, with the cup being either subsequently or pre-filled with one or more additional food ingredients. In one preferred embodiment, the cup is pre-filled with icing, although a wide range of additional ingredients could be employed. The cup is shifted within the container to a second, opposite end of the container. Either prior to inserting the cup or immediately thereafter, the separator is situated, with the main body portion sitting on the rim of the cup and the central column support projecting into the interior storage cavity and engaging the bottom wall of the cup. Although a certain tolerance is permitted to ease insertion into the container, an outer periphery of the main body portion preferably frictionally engages about an inner sidewall of the container. The second end of the container is sealed with an end closure or cap, either before or after insertion of the cup, one or more dough products are deposited into the container through the opening at the first end of the container, and then the opening at the first end is closed by another end closure or cap. During storage, the one or more dough products proof and expand, thereby increasing the pressure within the container. The forces exerted on the separator, particularly at a central portion of the main body of the separator where the material would be particularly prone to deformation, are advantageously transferred through the column support to the bottom of the cup and the end closure or cap at the second end of the container.

In one exemplary embodiment, the above packaging and method are used with icing as the additional ingredient and a plurality of cinnamon rolls as the dough pieces, and the sidewall of the container comprises a spirally-wound construction of an inner liner layer, an outer label layer and one or more intermediate layers of composite material, while both the cup and the entire separator are molded of plastic. The container and cup are both generally cylindrical. In addition, in particularly preferred embodiments, the central column support of the separator is hollow which, at least in part, eases insertion through the filled internal cavity. Furthermore, the central column support preferably tapers so as to take on an inverted frustoconical shape which further eases insertion but, in combination with its hollow configuration, also advantageously enables a plurality of the separators to be stacked with the various central column supports being nested, such as for shipping and storage purposes.

Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to common parts in the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective, partial cross-sectional view of a final packaged food product produced in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an upper perspective view of a separator employed atop a cup of the packaged food product.

FIG. 3 is a generally frontal view of the separator.

FIG. 4 is a lower perspective view of the separator.

FIG. 5 is a lower perspective view of the separator.

FIG. 6 illustrates a plurality of separators constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention being nested together.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention.

With initial reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a packaged food product 2 produced in accordance with the present invention. Packaged food product 2 comprises a container or can 5. Container 5 takes the form of a tube and includes a sidewall 6 having an inner surface 7 and an outer surface 8. In the embodiment shown, sidewall 6 is made of a composite material (e.g., paperboard) and is shown to include a spiral seam 9. Specifically, in a preferred embodiment, sidewall 6 comprises a spirally-wound construction of an inner liner layer of plastic and/or foil, an outer paper label layer and one or more intermediate layers of thin paperboard. Container 5 is closed at both ends, such as with first and second end closures or endcaps 12 and 13, which are crimped, seamed or otherwise secured to the bottom and top of sidewall 6, respectively, to establish an interior cavity 17. Endcaps 12 and 13 can be made from metal or plastic, for example.

One or more dough products are located within interior cavity 17. Specifically, in the embodiment shown, interior cavity 17 contains a plurality of stacked dough products 26-31 in the form of dough discs, which are used to make cinnamon rolls. However, at this point, it should be realized that the invention can be utilized in packaging various types of dough products, including dough discs, one or more sheets of dough or even a block of dough, for making a wide range of final products, including cookies, bread, biscuits, rolls, croissants, pie crust, pizza dough and the like.

Dough products 26-31 generate substantial pressure within container 5 during storage. In particular, dough products 26-31 undergo chemical reactions and generate gas pressure in a process known as “proofing”. Preferably, can 5 is configured to withstand internal pressures in the range of 8 to 35 psi (55 to 241 kPa) so that can 5 remains intact over the shelf life of dough products 26-31. To withstand such pressure, endcaps 12 and 13 engage end portions of sidewall 6, such as through a process of crimping or seaming, to retain dough products 26-31 despite significant force acting directly or indirectly on endcaps 12 and 13.

A cup 36 is shown positioned below dough products 26-31 within interior cavity 17. At least one additional food ingredient for use with dough products 26-31 is located within cup 36. For example, in the embodiment shown where dough products 26-31 take the form of discs used to make cinnamon rolls, cup 36 contains an additional food ingredient in the form of icing, which can be spread upon the subsequently cooked cinnamon rolls. In other embodiments, cup 36 can contain other ingredients such as garlic, herbs, spices, seasoning, cheese, butter, condiments, sauces, fruits, nuts, candies or the like. If desired, cup 36 can contain a plurality of additional food ingredients or multiple cups can be provided within interior cavity 17, each containing an additional food ingredient.

As illustrated, cup 36, like container 5, is generally cylindrical and includes a sidewall 50 and a bottom wall 55, which together define an inner cavity 60 for the one or more additional food ingredients. Sidewall 50 has an inner surface 65 and an outer surface 70. Cup 36 further includes an upper, annular rim 80, which defines an opening (not separately labeled) opposite bottom wall 55, i.e., cup 36 has an open top leading to inner cavity 60.

Important in connection with the present invention is the inclusion of a lid or separator 112 which is shown in FIG. 1 positioned atop annular rim 80 of cup 36. Separator 112 includes a main body portion 115 and a central support column 120. Separator 112 is formed from a non-metal material, preferably integrally molded of plastic, with main body portion 115 generally being disc-shaped and column support 120 extending from a central portion of main body portion 115. Further details of separator 112 and its importance in accordance with the overall invention will now be described in detail with specific reference to FIGS. 2-4.

Although separator 112 can take other shapes, main body portion 115 is shown to include a generally smooth upper surface 130 and a flat lower surface 140 (particularly see FIG. 4). In the particular embodiment depicted, upper surface 130 leads to a slightly raised circumferential edge portion 145 which defines, in part, a peripheral side surface 150. As mentioned above and clearly shown in these figures, column support 120 extends from a central portion (not separately labeled) of main body portion 115. This position is important since this central portion has the greatest tendency to deform when loaded due to pressure developed within container 5 as discussed above. With this in mind, the central positioning provides some symmetrical support for separator 112 within container 5 as will be discussed further below.

As also clearly shown by the particularly preferred embodiment of these figures, central column support 120 of separator 112 is hollow. Furthermore, although central column support 120 could be cylindrical or even diverge from bottom surface 140, column support 120 preferably tapers so as to take on an inverted frustoconical shape. Therefore, the opening which extends entirely through column support 120 is larger at 160 (FIG. 2) in upper surface 130 and smaller at 165 (FIG. 4) at the terminal, cantilevered end.

FIG. 5 illustrates the seating of separator 112 upon cup 36. More specifically, with reference to both FIGS. 1 and 5, separator 112 is configured to sit upon cup 36 with a circumferential edge of bottom surface 140 directly resting upon rim 80. At the same time, column support 120 extends into inner cavity 60 and directly abuts bottom 55 (see FIG. 1). Therefore, column support 120 is designed to have an associated length corresponding to the distance between rim 80 and bottom 55 of cup 36. In addition, main body portion 115 actually has a diameter which is slightly greater than an outer diameter of cup 36 as defined by sidewall 50. In other words, when properly centered upon cup 36, peripheral side 150 extends slightly, radially outward of sidewall 50 of cup 36. These preferred structural construction aspects provide multiple advantages. In particular, in connection with the preferred construction of column support 120, the hollow feature enables easy insertion into the food ingredient (not shown) supplied into cup 36. The tapering of column support 120 further eases insertion but, in combination with the hollow configuration, advantageously enables a plurality of the separators 112 to be stacked with the various central column supports 120 being nested, such as for shipping and storage purpose, in the manner clearly illustrated in FIG. 6.

Reference will now be again made to FIG. 1 in describing the packaging process for food product 2, with container 5 being shown in tubular form with openings at the top and bottom of sidewall 6. The packaging process generally involves initially inserting cup 36 into an opening at a first end of container 5, with cup 36 being preferably pre-filled with the one or more additional food ingredients, such as icing. Cup 36 is shifted within container 5 to a second, opposite end of container 5 which is closed off by endcap 12. Either prior to inserting cup 36 or immediately thereafter, separator 112 is situated, with main body portion 115 sitting on rim 80 of cup 36 and central column support 120 projecting into interior storage cavity 60 and engaging bottom wall 55 of cup 36. Although a certain tolerance is permitted to ease insertion of cup 36 into container 5, outer periphery 150 of main body portion 115 has the larger diametric dimension and is specifically sized to frictionally engage inner sidewall 7 of container 5 as it is inserted and placed upon cup 36. For this reason, it should also be noted that separator 112 could be forced to shift within container 5 in various ways, such as employing a solenoid plunger or the like which pushes separator 112 down within container 5 to seat upon rim 80 of cup 36.

At this point, it should be noted that, in connection with this process, the lower end of container 5 can be sealed with end closure or cap 12, either before or after insertion of cup 36 and separator 112. In either case, subsequently, the one or more dough products 26-31 are deposited into container 5 through the opening at the first or upper end of container 5, and then the upper opening is closed by end closure or cap 13, such as through a crimping process. During storage, the one or more dough products 26-31 proof and expand, thereby increasing the pressure within container 5. The forces exerted on separator 112, particularly at a central portion of main body portion 115 of separator 112 where the material would be particularly prone to deformation, are advantageously transferred through central column support 120 to bottom 55 of cup 36 and, in turn, end closure or cap 12 at the second end of container 5 as bottom wall 55 of cup 36 directly engages endcap 12.

As discussed above, the additional food ingredient can comprise icing, which can be spread upon dough products 26-31 after dough products 26-31 are baked. While the icing could be in direct contact with cup 36, in other embodiments, the icing can be provided in a pouch, with this pouch being located in cup 36. Of course, such an arrangement is not limited to icing but can also be used with the other additional food ingredients listed above (e.g., garlic, herbs, spices, seasoning, cheese, butter, condiments, sauces, fruits, nuts, candies, etc.).

Based on the above, it should be readily apparent that the present invention provides a cost-effective and efficient way to retain cups within cans when packaging dough products with additional ingredients, particularly by employing a separator made of recyclable plastic. With the structure of the separator, the developed forces exerted on the separator are effectively transferred where needed to assure the structural integrity of the separator. Furthermore, the preferred tapering of the central column support, in combination with hollow configuration, also advantageously enables a plurality of the separators to be stacked with the various central column supports being nested, such as for shipping and storage purpose. While certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have been set forth, it should be understood that various changes or modifications could be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For instance, although in the preferred embodiment both the container and cup are generally cylindrical in shape, it should be realized that different complementary geometric shapes could be employed, while still embodying a correspondingly shaped separator and the frictional fit arrangement as detailed above. In general, the invention is only intended to be limited by the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A packaged food product comprising:

a container including at least one sidewall, closed ends and an interior cavity;

a cup within the container, wherein the cup includes at least one sidewall, a bottom wall and an upper rim defining an opening, opposite the bottom wall, leading to an interior storage cavity of the cup;

at least one food ingredient within the cup;

at least one dough product within the interior cavity of the container; and

a separator interposed between the cup and the at least one dough product, said separator including a main body portion positioned upon the upper rim of the cup and a column support extending from the main body portion and abutting the bottom of the cup.

2. The packaged food product of claim 1, wherein the column support extends from a central portion of the main body portion.

3. The packaged food product of claim 2, wherein the column support is hollow.

4. The packaged food product of claim 3, wherein the main body portion includes an opening leading into the hollow column support.

5. The packaged food product of claim 4, wherein the hollow column support is inverted frustoconical in shape.

6. The packaged food product of claim 1, wherein the main body portion of the column support includes a peripheral side surface in frictional engagement with the at least one sidewall of the container.

7. The packaged food product of claim 6, wherein the main body portion of the separator has an upper surface leading to a raised circumferential edge portion which defines, in part, the peripheral side surface.

8. The packaged food product of claim 1, wherein separator is made entirely of plastic.

9. The packaged food product of claim 1, wherein the bottom wall of the cup directly engages one of the closed ends of the container, with the at least one dough product being located between another one of the closed ends of the container and the separator.

10. The packaged food product of claim 1, wherein both the container and the cup are substantially cylindrical in shape.

11. The packaged food product of claim 10, wherein the container has a spirally-wound construction of an inner liner layer, an outer label layer and one or more intermediate layers of composite material.

12. The packaged food product of claim 10, wherein the at least one dough product comprises a plurality of cinnamon rolls, and the at least one additional food ingredient comprises icing.

13. A method of packaging a food product comprising:

inserting a cup, having an internal cavity for at least one additional food ingredient, within an interior of a container;

closing an end of the container;

positioning a main body portion of a separator atop the cup, with a column support extending from the main body portion abutting a bottom of the cup;

depositing at least one dough product into the container, with the separator being located between the at least one dough product and the cup; and

closing an opposing end of the container.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising allowing the at least one dough product to proof and increase a pressure within the container after closing the first and second ends of the container.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising transferring forces, developed from the increase in pressure and exerted on the main body portion of the separator, to a bottom of the cup through the column support.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising frictionally fitting the main body portion of the separator against a sidewall of the container.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the main body portion of the separator has an upper surface leading to a raised circumferential edge portion which defines, in part, a peripheral side surface of the main body portion, with the peripheral side surface frictionally engaging the sidewall of the container.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein depositing the at least one dough product into the container includes depositing a plurality of cinnamon rolls, and inserting the cup into the container includes adding icing within the container.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising taking the separator from a stack of nested separators for positioning upon the cup.