MXPA99004335A - Spout for a frozen dessert bag - Google Patents

Abstract

A bag for a frozen dessert dispenser includes a spout which has a tab which projects down into the bag to ensure that the bag does not cover the outlet opening. The spout also includes an indentation which mates with a projection on the dispenser to ensure that the tab is properly oriented in the dispenser.

Description

NOZZLE FOR FROZEN DESSERT BAG BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Frozen dessert dispensers (ice creams) that use flexible bags to contain the frozen dessert are known, as shown in United States of America Patent # 5,421, 484"Beach". These dispensers provide an efficient and sanitary way to contain and dispense frozen desserts. However, certain problems still exist with these dispensers.

In a dispenser like the one taught by the "Beach" patent, the frozen dessert is pressed out of the mouthpiece by pushing against the bag with a piston. When the dispenser finishes dispensing, the piston is released and can fall down. Also, when the door is opened to change an empty bag, the pistons are released for all the bags, which again can allow all the pistons to fall. Whenever the piston moves down, the frozen dessert inside the bag can also fall to the bottom of the bag, leaving a hole in the top of the bag. When the piston again pushes against the bottom of the bag to squeeze out more frozen dessert, the empty top portion of the bag can be deformed. In many cases the upper empty portion is deformed so that it partially or completely covers the opening of the bag through which the frozen dessert must pass. Then, while the piston pushes against the bottom of the bag, the dessert can not be pressed out through the opening, and the dispenser does not work.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problem described above. The present invention provides a flap in the nozzle of the flexible bag, which projects down the nozzle, preventing the flexible bag from deforming, and thus preventing the bag from closing the opening.

The present invention also provides a slit or depression in the nozzle, and a coupling projection in the dispenser which ensures that the fin is correctly oriented in the dispenser when the bag is installed in the dispenser.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a side sectional view of the dispenser made according to the present invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a portion removed from the dispenser of Figure 1, showing the portion of the nozzle; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the nozzle of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a bottom perspective view of the nozzle of Figures 1 and 2; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of a portion removed from the interior of the body in the area of the nozzle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED INCORPORATION Figure 1 is a side sectional view showing an example of a dispenser 10, made according to the present invention. The dispenser 10, includes a body 12, which is made of two pieces 14, 16, which are clamped together to form an interior 18 and an exterior 20. There is a piston 22, either in or on the body, for pressing ar pos re conge aoua del dispensador. At the upper end of the body 12 there is a passage 24 going from the interior 18 to the exterior 20 through which frozen dessert passes out of the dispenser 10. In this embodiment, the aisle 24 includes a horizontal portion 26 and a vertical portion 28. A valve member 30 slides up and down the vertical portion 28 to open and close the passage 24. The valve member 30 is operated by a crank 32, which rotates about a pivot point 34, formed of a pin passing through a hole in the handle 32 and which is fixed to the machine.

As is well known in the art, the entire apparatus shown in Figure 1 is preferably located within a refrigerated cabinet, except crank 32 and the outer opening of the aisle 24. This becomes clear by showing the top of the ghost cabinet in Figure 1. As is also well known in art, the manual movement of the crank 32 up and down not only controls the valve member 30 to open and close the passage 24, but also controls the movement of the piston 22 so that the piston 22 is pushing upward, squeezing product towards outside the dispenser 10 when the crank 32 is pushed down, opening the aisle 24, and the piston 22 is released and allowed to fall again when the crank 32 is turned upward, closing the aisle 24.

The piston 22 is preferably operated using air pressure to push the piston up and then releasing the air pressure when it is not desired to dispense frozen dessert.

Inside the interior 18 of the body 12 there is a flexible plastic bag 36, which is impermeable to water. The pouch 36 has a cylindrical shape, which corresponds to the cylindrical shape of the interior 18. Near the top of the pouch 36, on the side wall of the pouch 36 there is an opening 38. A one, only shape that the dessert frozen can leave the bag 36 is through the nozzle 40. The nozzle 40 has an external diameter corresponding to the internal diameter of the horizontal portion 26 of the passage 24, so that, when the upper and lower parts 14, 16 of the body 12 are put together, nozzle 40 is received in aisle 26 and fits fully.

The nozzle 40 is cylindrical, and has an axis 42. The nozzle 40 also has two annular projections 44 on its outer surface which are received in annular grooves 46 in the passage 24 to axially properly locate the nozzle in the passageway 24.

Figures 3 and 4 show the nozzle 40 in greater detail. The nozzle 40 has a flange 48 at its first end, which provides a surface on which the bag 36 is welded. There is also an elongate fin 50 projecting downward from the flange 48. In this preferred embodiment, the fin 50 extends downwardly from the outer surface of the nozzle 40, substantially perpendicular to the axis of the nozzle 40, a distance that is greater than twice the external diameter of the nozzle. It is to be expected that the flap 50 should extend downwardly at least the distance of an external diameter beyond the nozzle in order to prevent the bag 36 from bending over itself and thereby closing the opening 38.

Figures 3 and 4 show that the nozzle 40 has a slit 52 on its surface external to the bottom of the nozzle, at the first end of the nozzle. The slit 52 is conical so that, at the first end of the nozzle 40, it is at the outer diameter of the nozzle, and then, as it extends toward the second end of the nozzle 40, the slit 52 becomes deeper , until there is a well-marked tier at the other end of the indentation.

Claims (7)

Figure 5 shows that there is a corresponding wedge projection 54 at the bottom of the aisle 2e, and Figures 1 and 2 show how the slit 52 receives the projection 54 to ensure that the fin 50 is correctly oriented in the dispenser, pointing downwards to prevent the bag 36 from bending over the opening 38. If the nozzle 40 is not oriented correctly, with the wedge-shaped projection 54 received in the slit 52 of the nozzle, then the two pieces 14, 16 of the body 12 do not They will close properly, since the body fits completely around the mouthpiece 40 when the body is closed. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the flap 50 is directed directly downward, so as not to interfere with the movement of the frozen dessert out of the bag 36 and through the opening 38. Once the piston reaches the flap 50, the flap 50 bends inward, to rest more parallel to the axis 42 of the nozzle, as the last of the frozen dessert is pressed out of the nozzle 40. The piston 22 stops in the annular groove 56 in the cylindrical body 12, so that the fin 50 is not pushed past this point. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made in the embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the present invention. WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A bag for dispensing frozen dessert, including: an elongated, flexible, and water-impermeable bag having an upper end and lower end and defining an opening near its upper end; , nozzle including a tubular body of the nozzle defining an axis, an internal diameter, an external diameter, an external surface, an internal surface, and first and second ends; at least one annular projection of the external surface of said tubular body of the nozzle; an elongated fin projecting outwardly from said nozzle body at said first end of said nozzle body within said nozzle, said elongate fin extending substantially perpendicularly to said axis of said nozzle tubular body over a distance at least as long as the external diameter of said body of the nozzle.

2. A bag for frozen dessert dispensing machine as described in claim 1, wherein said fin extends downwardly from the bottom of said nozzle, and further includes a slit in the lower side of the outer surface of said tubular body of the nozzle .

3. A bag for a frozen dessert dispensing machine as described in claim 2, wherein said slot is conical so that, at the first end, it is even with the outer diameter of the nozzle body and, as it progresses towards the second end of the nozzle , a substantial distance of the outer diameter of the body of the nozzle is indented, forming a tier.

4. A frozen dessert dispenser, including: a body, including an upper portion and a lower portion, which are secured together to define an interior and exterior, and a passage from said interior to said exterior at an end of said interior; a piston that moves along said interior to press frozen dessert out of the interior through the aisle; a flexible bag within said interior, said flexible bag including an opening and a nozzle in said opening, said or resting in said passage, said nozzle with an axis and defining an outer annular ring, and said passage defining an annular recess receiving said ring ring; said nozzle including an elongated fin projecting into the bag at a distance at least as long as the diameter of said nozzle in a direction substantially perpendicular to said axis.

5. A frozen dessert dispenser as recited in claim 4, wherein said aisle includes a projection, which extends over only a portion of the circumference of the aisle, and said nozzle includes a corresponding slit that engages the projection in a manner that ensures that said fin is correctly oriented in said dispenser.

6. A nozzle for a bag for a frozen dessert dispenser, including: a tubular body defining an external diameter, an internal diameter, an axis, an internal surface and an outer surface and first and second ends; at least one projection on said external surface; a flange in said tubular body at said first end, and. a fin projecting from said flange substantially perpendicularly to said axis, so that said fin extends from the external surface of said tubular body at least the outer diameter distance of said tubular body.

7. A nozzle for a bag as described in Claim 6, and further includes a slit in the outer surface of said tubular body that is adapted to engage with a corresponding projection in the dispenser so as to ensure that the fin is correctly oriented in the dispenser. ABSTRACT A bag for a frozen dessert dispenser including a nozzle having a flap projecting down into the bag to ensure that the bag does not cover the exit opening. The nozzle further includes a slit that engages a projection in the dispenser to ensure that the fin is correctly oriented in the dispenser. Sitradu3. oc