Coating implements with material supply – Material flows through porous tool – Wick feed from within reservoir to tool
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-28
2001-10-09
Douglas, Steven O. (Department: 3751)
Coating implements with material supply
Material flows through porous tool
Wick feed from within reservoir to tool
C401S202000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299374
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to marking instruments which deploy edible coloring liquid on objects and in particular to novel capillary feed marking instruments capable of producing edible colored indicia directly on food substrates and medicaments.
2. Description of the Related Art
Toys, pens, and other devices are available which deploy edible inks onto other objects to label or provide color indicia to other objects.
Certain of these apparatus are constructed and adapted to deploy an edible ink or dye to food products such as bakery goods, cakes, pies, and the like.
For example, conventional cake decorating mediums include gels, icing, or decorative objects. Typically, icing, or gel is available in squeeze tubes with decorative tips. The user may write on or decorate the cake or other food item by squeezing the tube to force colored gel or icing through the desired tip. Food coloring, available in concentrated form in squeeze bottles, cannot be applied directly to a food surface, bleeds uncontrollably, and is extremely messy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,287 to Golchert discloses a process of decorating a food item by transferring a preprinted or original two-dimensional design using moisture to effect the transfer. The process includes placing a sheet of transfer medium. Such as tissue paper, over the design to be traced. The design is traced on the transfer medium (not the food item) using edible ink. Alternatively, the design may be drawn originally on the transfer medium. The transfer medium is then placed on the food item to be decorated with the colored side down, and a damp pad is placed on the back face of the transfer medium. This causes the traced design to become partially dissolved and thereby be transferred to the food item to be decorated. To protect the original picture from the ink used to trace or copy the picture, a shield is placed over the picture before tracing. The user may fill in the transferred design using colored frosting or gels, or may use the two-dimensional design as is.
However among the known apparatus, the construction of the instrument to deploy the edible ink is not adapted for the delicate procedure of depositing the ink in an exacting manner on delicate food such as bakery goods. In Such devices, the ink bleeds and stains uncontrollably. In other known systems and methods, a combination of steps and features are necessary in order to reliably and accurately deposit the ink on the food product. This provides for numerous, unnecessary steps, which in a commercial environment reduces cost effectiveness of marking the product. In addition, where certain of the known devices are used, the plurality of steps to deploy the edible ink on the food product and the additional structural features of the apparatus complicate the marking procedure of the food product, thereby reducing the enjoyment of the marking procedure. When such is the case, it is not uncommon for the dye mark to “bleed” on the food product or to be inaccurately displayed.
There is a need for a device which would enable a user to neatly and without mess decorate food, medicaments, and other comestibles, hereinafter referred to as “food substrates”, without the user having to pre-mix or directly contact the dyes used to decorate the food substrate. It would therefore be desirable to have a marker or series of markers in various colors and hues capable of deploying edible food dyes directly onto a food substrate, regardless of the physical consistency of the food substrate, in a reliable accurate manner without involving a series of steps or supporting structures in which to transfer the dye onto the food substrate.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a marker which is a quick, easy and dependable means of decorating food, medicaments, or other comestibles.
A further object of the invention is to provide markers which deploy edible dyes without the need to pre-mix colors or to contact the dyes directly.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide markers which deploy edible dyes in a controlled, no-mess fashion, which are easy to use and store.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide an edible food dye marking instrument constructed and adapted to deploy a food dye directly on food products of delicate construction or having a soft exterior or interior surface, substantially without damaging the food product or the soft surface.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a marker for deploying an edible food dye in which a composition is deposited or admixed to prevent bacterial growth in the food dye and the food substrate to which the dye is deployed.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a marker having a construction of materials which deploy an edible dye directly on a food substrate without violating government regulations and religious law.
Yet another object is to provide a marker which can be used to write or decorate directly on a food surface.
A further object of the invention is to provide a marker which can apply food grade dye directly to a foodstuff which may have a generally planar or even non-planar surface.
A further object of the invention is to provide a marker which can apply food grade dye directly to a foodstuff which may have a porous or non-porous surface.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system for classifying solid, oral medicaments for identification and easy detection.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a capillary feed marking instrument capable of producing colored indicia directly on a food substrate is provided. The marking instrument comprises an elongated, hollow, cylindrical body having a front end and a rear end. A reservoir within the hollow cylindrical body holds a quantity of an edible coloring liquid. A marking tip extends from the front end of the body and communicates with the reservoir for producing a colored indicia directly on the food substrate. A cap is removably mounted on the front end of the marking instrument to cover the marking tip when not in use. The marking tip comprises a fibrous tip which allows the edible coloring liquid to be reliably and accurately deposited by capillary action directly onto the food substrate. The edible coloring liquid is a non-toxic Food and Drug Administration certified dye. The viscosity and surface tension of the coloring liquid are sufficient to enable the liquid to be drawn out of the marking tip by capillary action and deposited onto the food substrate when the marking, tip is contacted to the food substrate.
Kits are also provided comprising a plurality of marking instruments in a variety of colors for producing colored marks directly on food substrates. Kits may optionally include additional materials, such as, for example, edible substances such as non-printed cookies, pre-printed cookies, cake, bread, fruits, vegetables, candy, chocolate, cheese, noodles, eggs, etc., mixes for preparing cookies, cake or bread, frosting, pre-printed edible paper, non-printed edible paper, and sheets of gelatin. Kits may also include artistic aids such as stencils, cookie cutters, and paper towels.
In a second embodiment of the invention, there is provided a system for classifying solid, oral medicaments for identification and easy detection comprising providing means for marking solid, oral medicaments with a non-toxic, detectable marking substance which differs from the medicament in color and which is inert and physiologically acceptable. The marking means comprises at least one capillary feed marking instrument capable of producing colored indicia directly on the solid, oral medicament. The marking instrument comprises an elongated, hollow, cylindrical body having a front end and a rear end and a reservoir within the hollow cylindrical body for holding a quantity of an edible coloring liquid marking substance. A marking tip extends from the front end of the body and communicates with the reservoir for producing a co
Michael James
Naor David
Douglas Steven O.
Nguyen Tuan
Weingram & Associates P.C.
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