Dough product and method of packaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9828138-B2
Application number	US-201414514447-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2014
Priority date	Oct 15, 2014
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A canned dough product includes at least one dough product loaded in a lower compartment of a container and at least one additional ingredient provided in an upper compartment, with the upper and lower compartments being spaced by a separator. The dough expands upon proofing in the container, causing the separator to shift and vary the volumes of the compartments. The expanding dough abuts a central region of the separator, causing the separator to flex, engage an inner surface of the container and become fixed in the container, while the lower compartment becomes fluidly sealed from the upper compartment and different pressures are established in the compartments.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A canned dough product comprising:
a container having an interior cavity defined between spaced ends of the container;
at least one dough product which is housed and proofs within the container;
at least one additional ingredient housed within the container; and
a separator dividing the interior cavity into a first compartment housing the at least one dough product and a second compartment housing the at least one additional ingredient, said separator including an upstanding wall portion, a flat base portion leading to the upstanding wall portion and a central region defined by a dome and spaced radially inward from both the base portion and the upstanding wall portion, with both the upstanding wall portion and the central region extending in a common direction from the base portion, wherein the separator is configured to a) initially float within the container so as to enable volumes of the first and second compartments to vary and b) subsequently become fixed within the interior cavity at a position spaced from the ends of the container upon proofing of the at least one dough product by the dough product abutting and deflecting the central portion resulting in the upstanding wall engaging and sealing against an inner surface of the interior cavity.

2. The canned dough product of claim 1 , wherein the domed, central region includes a concave portion exposed to the first compartment and a convex portion exposed to the second compartment.

3. The canned dough product of claim 1 , wherein the domed, central region includes a convex portion exposed to the first compartment and a concave portion exposed to the second compartment.

4. The canned dough product of claim 1 , wherein the separator further includes a curved outer wall portion interconnecting the base portion and the upstanding wall portion.

5. The canned dough product of claim 1 , wherein the base portion constitutes a base ring portion and the upstanding wall portion constitutes an upstanding annular wall.

6. The canned dough product of claim 1 , further comprising: a pouch containing the at least one additional ingredient in the second compartment.

7. A canned dough product comprising:
a container having an interior cavity an interior cavity defined between spaced ends of the container;
at least one dough product which is housed and proofs within the container;
at least one additional ingredient housed within the container; and
a separator dividing the interior cavity into a first compartment housing the at least one dough product and a second compartment housing the at least one additional ingredient, wherein said separator includes a flat base portion, leading to an annular upstanding wall portion which extends from the base portion to a terminal peripheral edge of the upstanding wall portion, and a central region which is defined by a dome, is located radially inward of the base portion, is spaced radially from the upstanding wall portion by the base portion and extends from the base portion in a common direction to the upstanding wall portion, wherein, upon proofing of the at least one dough product within the container, the at least one dough product is caused to abut, impart radially forces onto and deflect the central region which, in turn, causes the upstanding wall portion to flex radially outwardly against the container.

8. The canned dough product of claim 7 , wherein the central region includes a concave portion exposed to the first compartment and a convex portion exposed to the second compartment.

9. The canned dough product of claim 7 , wherein the central region includes a convex portion exposed to the first compartment and a concave portion exposed to the second compartment.

10. The canned dough product of claim 7 , wherein the separator further includes a curved outer wall portion interconnecting the base portion and the upstanding wall portion.

11. The canned dough product of claim 7 , wherein the base portion constitutes a base ring portion and the upstanding wall portion constitutes an upstanding annular wall.

12. The canned dough product of claim 7 , further comprising: a pouch containing the at least one additional ingredient in the second compartment.

13. The canned dough product of claim 7 , wherein the separator is configured to initially float within the container so as to enable volumes of the first and second compartments to vary and to subsequently become fixed within the interior cavity at a position wherein the terminal peripheral edge is spaced from the ends of the container upon proofing of the at least one dough product, with the upstanding wall portion engaging and sealing against an inner surface of the interior cavity.

14. A method of packaging a canned dough product comprising:
closing off a lower end of a container tube;
loading at least one dough product into an interior cavity of the tube;
inserting a separator into the interior cavity, with the separator dividing the interior cavity into a lower compartment within which the at least one dough product is contained and an upper compartment, with said separator including an upstanding wall portion, a flat base portion leading to the upstanding wall portion and a central region defined by a dome and spaced radially inward from both the base portion and the upstanding wall portion, with both the upstanding wall portion and the central region extending in a common direction from the base portion;
loading an additional ingredient into the upper compartment;
closing off an upper end of the container tube, with the interior cavity being defined between the spaced lower and upper ends of the container tube; and
proofing the at least one dough product in the tube, initially causing the separator to float within the tube so as to vary volumes of the lower and upper compartments and, subsequently, to become fixed within the interior cavity at a position spaced from the upper and lower ends of the container by the dough product abutting and deflecting the central portion resulting in the upstanding wall engaging and sealing against an inner surface of the interior cavity.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the central region exposed to the lower compartment and, upon proofing, the at least one dough product expands and abuts the central region to create forces acting on an upstanding wall of the separator, causing the separator to flex and seat against an inner surface of the tube, thereby fixing the separator within the interior cavity of the tube.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the central doomed region includes a concave portion exposed to the lower compartment and a convex portion exposed to the upper compartment, said at least one dough product expanding into the concave portion which causes the separator to flex outwardly.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the central doomed region includes a convex portion exposed to the lower compartment and a concave portion exposed to the upper compartment, said at least one dough product expanding and abutting the convex portion which causes the separator to flex outwardly.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein proofing of the at least one dough product seals the lower compartment from the upper compartment and different pressures are established in the compartments, with the lower compartment having a higher pressure than the upper compartment.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein loading an additional ingredient into the upper compartment includes inserting a pouch containing the at least one additional ingredient i

Assignees

• Gen Mills Inc

Inventors

• Buccellato Jim T

Classifications

• B65D81/3233

  Flexible containers disposed within rigid containers · CPC title

• A21D10/025

  Packaged doughs (packaging bakery products B65B, B65D) · CPC title

• B65D85/72

  for edible or potable liquids, semiliquids, or plastic or pasty materials · CPC title

• B65D21/08

  Containers of variable capacity (containers of polygonal cross-section adapted to be of variable capacity formed by folding or erecting blanks made of paper {B65D5/0005}) · CPC title

• B65D25/04 Primary

  Partitions · CPC title