JPH05199839A - Liquid candy product which is distributed from package equipped with surface to be licked - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To obtain a liquid candy product distributed from a package having a lickable surface for increasing marketability to some consumers composed by providing a container part, the lockable surface and an orifice. CONSTITUTION: This candy product is composed of a liquid candy material and the package provided with the container part, the lockable surface and one orifice capable of pushing out the liquid candy material from the container part to the lickable surface and the consumer can lick the liquid candy material from the lickable surface.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of confectionery products. In particular, the invention relates to novel liquid confectionery products and dispensing packages. Confectionery products have been sold in various forms for many years. It is generally known that providing confectionery products in a novel form can increase the marketability of such products, especially to young consumers.

[0002]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In summary, the present invention comprises:
A confectionery product having both liquid confectionery material and a specially designed package. The package has a container portion, a licked surface and at least one orifice through which confectionery material can be extruded from the container portion and consumed from the licked surface.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the liquid confectionery material is a confectionery based on a syrup of carbohydrates. The liquid confectionery material is preferably chosen to be so low in viscosity that it can be easily extruded through an orifice, yet long enough to lick and sufficiently viscous to stay on the surface to be licked. Also in this embodiment, the package is in the form of a squeezable tube with domed ends. An orifice through the domed end allows the liquid confectionery material to be extruded into a domed end that can be licked by the consumer. The orifice is preferably sealed and resealed by a cap to cover the surface to be licked when not in use.

The present invention relates to a novel confectionery material, namely a liquid,
It is advantageous in that it has both a novel packaging and dispensing device, i.e. the confectionery material is extruded onto the surface licked from the container. A preferred embodiment of a liquid confectionery material based on a carbohydrate syrup is also advantageous in that it provides a relatively inexpensive and simple confectionery material, ie a flavored carbohydrate syrup. In addition, it has been found that flavors can be easily released from the liquid syrup of this carbohydrate, so less flavor than is expected, and the flavors are immediately delivered to the consumer.

The invention, together with all other advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates the most preferred embodiment of the present invention. The confectionery product 11 has a squeezable tube 13 filled with confectionery material. A squeezable tube is chosen for simplicity, although other types of containers capable of extruding liquid confectionery material can be used. For example, in a suboptimally preferred embodiment, the container is cylindrical in shape and has a plunger for pushing liquid through an orifice.

The squeezable container also preferably has a relatively simple shape as shown in FIG. As a modification,
The squeezable container may have an unusual shape, such as the shape of the body of a famous character. A dome-shaped portion 15 having an orifice 19 and a licked surface 21 is connected to the squeezable tube 13.

The cap 17 is designed to be screwed into the package by the threads 27 of the dome-shaped portion 15. Alternatively, the cap may be retained on the domed portion by other means such as a friction fit. As shown in FIG. 3, the cap 17 has a hump 29 that fits into the orifice 19 to close the orifice. As a result, the cap 17 closes the orifice,
Acts to cover licked surfaces when not in use.

In making the product of the present invention, fill the tube 13 through the open end opposite the dome-shaped portion 15,
The open end is then preferably sealed with a welded seal such as 23. The tube 13 is preferably made of a transparent or at least translucent polymeric material so that the consumer can see the liquid confectionery material inside the package 11. It is most preferable to print product information on the surface of the tube 13. Cap 1
7 is opaque and is preferably colored to match the color of the liquid confectionery material.

FIG. 2 shows the confectionery product in use. As can be seen, when the tube 13 is squeezed, some of the liquid confectionery material is pushed out of the orifice 19. At this point, the extruded portion of the liquid confectionery material can be eaten by licking the top surface 21 of the hemispherical portion 15. One advantage of the present invention is "play" in the industry.
Is to provide what is known as. In other words, the package is not only for eating confectionery ingredients,
It provides consumers with something else.

The viscosity of the liquid confectionery material is preferably selected so as to satisfy the following criteria. First, the viscosity must be small enough to force the material out of the orifice without applying undue force. Second,
The viscosity should be long enough to eat up the material and large enough to stay on the licked surface. That is,
The liquid should not flow over the surface to be licked. Further, in order to prevent confusion due to contamination with the material, it is preferable that the viscosity is so large that the liquid confectionery material does not squirt out of the tube even when a large force is applied to the squeezable container. Instead, the liquid should slowly exit through the orifice. In other words, while play may be important in a confectionery product, it is preferred that ejecting confectionery material from a container aimed at a person or person is not one of the fun.

FIG. 4 illustrates a modified embodiment of the invention having multiple orifices. The container also has a human face 43. In other embodiments, the container can also have other shapes such as famous cartoon characters and the like. As shown in FIG. 5, when the tube 45 is squeezed, the liquid confectionery material 47
A portion of the is extruded through an orifice to look like the hair of a human head. As a result, this variation provides further play value.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the container 51 is divided by a partition 57 into two parts 53 and 55. Top part 59
Is an orifice 61 for pushing out the confectionery material in the portion 53,
And an orifice 63 for pushing out the confectionery material of the portion 55. As a result, this example can be used to contain two different flavors and / or colors of liquid confectionery material,
Each can be extruded through different holes. Thus, in this embodiment, the consumer can mix two different materials on the surface to be licked or lick each separately.

In yet another variation, the container is divided into three or more parts to further provide novelty and flavor and / or color combinations. 7 and 8 show different display cartons of the present invention. In the carton 71 of FIG. 7, multiple products 7
3 are laid on their sides and thereby the tube 7
The information of the product printed on the side of FIG. Also, the tube 75 is preferably transparent so that the consumer can see the color of the liquid confectionery material inside.

In the carton 81 of FIG. 8, the product 83 is upright. The upper portion 85 of the carton is used to display additional product information. Various types of liquid confectionery materials used in the present invention are available. As mentioned above, the most preferred ingredients are syrups of carbohydrates with added flavors and colors. Alternatively, the liquid confectionery material may be of another type, such as a soft toffee, soft chocolate or a composition similar to cake ice.

However, a carbohydrate syrup-based material has been found to be advantageous in that it is a relatively simple and inexpensive formulation to manufacture. This formulation has also been found to provide important flavor benefits. In particular, it has been found that conventional flavors are released from this formulation faster and more effectively than other types of products. For comparison, in traditional hard candy formulations, such as boiling down a syrup of carbohydrates to make the final product, some level of flavor is added to achieve the desired flavor properties of the hard candy. Also, there is some time between when the hard candy first touches the consumer's mouth and when the flavor is fully tasted. In contrast, it has been found that with a liquid composition of the present invention in which the carbohydrate syrup is not boiled until it hardens, the amount of flavor is about 1/2 to achieve the same impact in the final product. It has also been found that flavors are tasted by consumers faster than typical hard candy.

While not wishing to be bound by any particular theory, these advantages are found in the liquid vehicle of the present invention in which the carbohydrate syrup is already dissolved and the flavor is released from the liquid syrup medium faster and more completely. It has recently become clear that it arises from the fact that
The liquid confectionery material comprises more than 95% by weight of the carbohydrate syrup. The liquid confectionery material most preferably comprises greater than about 99% by weight of the carbohydrate syrup and less than or equal to 1% by weight of flavoring, coloring and sour substances. Alternatively, the formulation may be made with a lower carbohydrate syrup. Ingredients such as water, sorbitol or glycerin may be used in place of part of the syrup. Once the water is added, it is preferred to use a thickening substance such as modified food starch to increase the viscosity to the desired level.

The flavor material used may be any suitable substance for this type of medium, such as those already used to make hard candy. Similarly, the coloring and sour substances may be conventional coloring substances such as those used to make hard candies. Sour substances are used to provide the impact of certain flavors, such as substance or sourness, if desired. Sour substances also serve to reduce the pH of the material, which typically improves shelf life. The pH of the material is preferably selected between about 2.0 and about 3.5. Conventional preservatives are also preferably added in appropriate amounts to ensure good product retention.

Samples of the liquid confectionery material formulation are as follows. Samples of liquid confectionery material formulations using glycerin and a substance for concentration are as follows.

[0020] Other ingredients can also be added to the liquid confectionery material. For example, vitamins, minerals or drugs may be added.
It is also possible to add an aeration mixture, whereby air is taken in and out.

The mixture is preferably heated to facilitate mixing and dissolution of all ingredients. This heating step also
It helps drive air bubbles out of the confectionery and is important for making clear confectionery. Typically, the sour and flavoring substances are more volatile and are added after the other ingredients.

Depending on the starting water content of the carbohydrate syrup and the desired final viscosity, the heating step is continued to reach the desired final water content. Most preferably, the moisture level is kept below 20% by weight. Most of the explanations involve a squeezable tube, but you can add liquid confectionery ingredients,
It should be noted that other configurations and mechanisms for pushing or the like are also available within the scope of the invention. or,
It should be noted that confectionery products other than those based on syrups of carbohydrates are also available. Indeed, these and all other variations made by those of ordinary skill in the art are considered to be within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with the lid removed.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the embodiment of FIG. 1 as used by a consumer.

3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modified embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of the same embodiment as shown in FIG. 4 in use by a consumer.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a confectionery product display box of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a modified display box for confectionery products according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a modified display box for confectionery products of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Confectionery products 13 Tube 15 Dome-shaped portion 19 Orifice

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor Christine El Corrivo 60462 Orlando Park West One-Hand Red and Forty Fifth Street 10050 (72) Inventor Virginia Eschleit, Illinois United States 60137 Glen Ellyn Windsor 379

Claims (15)

[Claims] 1. A liquid confectionery material, a container portion, a licked surface, and at least one extrudable liquid confectionery material from the container portion to the licked surface.
A confectionery product which comprises a package having two orifices and which allows the consumer to lick the liquid confectionery material from the licked surface. 2. The product of claim 1, wherein the container portion of the package is squeezable so that the liquid confectionery material can be pushed through an orifice. 3. The product of claim 1, wherein the licked surface is generally dome-shaped. 4. A plurality of orifices capable of extruding the liquid confectionery material.
Product described in. 5. The product of claim 1, wherein the licked surface is in the shape of a human head. 6. A plurality of orifices capable of extruding the liquid confectionery material.
Product described in. 7. The product of claim 1, wherein the liquid confectionery material comprises a carbohydrate syrup and flavor. 8. The liquid confectionery material comprises 95% by weight or more of a carbohydrate syrup.
Product described in. 9. The liquid confectionery material comprises 99% by weight or more of a carbohydrate syrup.
Product described in. 10. The product of claim 7, wherein the liquid confectionery material further comprises a concentrating substance. 11. The squeezable container part is divided into parts with different confectionery materials, the package being provided in each part so that the different confectionery materials can be pushed out of the package without mixing. The article of claim 1 having at least one orifice. 12. A liquid confectionery material comprising a carbohydrate syrup and a flavor, a squeezable container part, a dome-shaped licked surface and the liquid confectionery material being extruded out of the container part to the licked surface. A confectionery product having at least one orifice that can be licked by the consumer. 13. The product of claim 7, wherein the liquid confectionery material has a carbohydrate syrup of 95% by weight or more. 14. The product of claim 7, wherein the liquid confectionery material has 99% by weight or more of a carbohydrate syrup. 15. The product of claim 7, wherein the liquid confectionery material further comprises a concentrating substance.