US4015644A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Production of a variegated product
Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Co
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Filing: 1975-03-31
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Granted: 1977-04-05
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Expires: 1995-03-31
Abstract
Abstract A variegated product comprising a generally liquid material distributed within a generally plastic material is produced by flowing said plastic material through a mixing chamber wherein said liquid material is injected into the plastic material through one or more ribbon tubes. The combined product is then passed through a filler valve into a container. Variation of the orientation of the ribbon tube outlets with respect to the location of the plastic material inlet of the mixing chamber can be used to change the distribution of liquid material within the plastic material in the filled container to yield either an at least substantially uniformly variegated product wherein all components are visible through a transparent container or an at least substantially uniform variegated product in which the liquid material does not contact the container and is totally encapsulated within the plastic material.
Inventors
- 👤 Alfred W. Kinney
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 16:45
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B39/00; B65B39/001; B65B39/004; A; A23; A23G; A23G9/00; A23G9/04; A23G9/22; A23G9/28; A23G9/281; A23G9/282; A23G9/283; B01; B01F; B01F25/00; B01F25/30; B01F25/31; B01F25/313; B01F25/3132; B65B2039/009
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
173 words
A process for filling a container with a variegated product having a generally liquid material distributed within a generally plastic material, said process comprising: passing a stream of said plastic material into a generally tubular chamber having a downstream outlet and an intermediate inlet, both of approximate diameter D, by forcing said plastic material under pressure into said intermediate inlet; forming said generally liquid material into at least one ribbon-shaped stream, each said ribbon-shaped stream comprising a stream having a two dimensional cross-sectional shape, transverse to its direction of flow, defined by one relatively long dimension and one relatively short dimension; and injecting at least one said ribbon-shaped stream of said generally liquid material into said plastic material stream within said chamber; passing the resultant combined stream of said plastic material and said liquid material along a path of flow generally parallel to the central axis of said chamber through said downstream outlet into a filling valve; and periodically releasing a quantity of said combined stream from said filling valve into a container.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
173 words
A process for filling a container with a variegated product having a generally liquid material distributed within a generally plastic material, said process comprising: passing a stream of said plastic material into a generally tubular chamber having a downstream outlet and an intermediate inlet, both of approximate diameter D, by forcing said plastic material under pressure into said intermediate inlet; forming said generally liquid material into at least one ribbon-shaped stream, each said ribbon-shaped stream comprising a stream having a two dimensional cross-sectional shape, transverse to its direction of flow, defined by one relatively long dimension and one relatively short dimension; and injecting at least one said ribbon-shaped stream of said generally liquid material into said plastic material stream within said chamber; passing the resultant combined stream of said plastic material and said liquid material along a path of flow generally parallel to the central axis of said chamber through said downstream outlet into a filling valve; and periodically releasing a quantity of said combined stream from said filling valve into a container.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
66 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the step of injecting at least one ribbon-shaped stream comprises introducing each of said at least one ribbon-shaped streams into said plastic material stream in a direction parallel to the central axis of said chamber and at a point within the range of from 0 to about 1/2 D upstream from the downstream edge of said intermediate inlet.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
95 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the step of injecting at least one ribbon-shaped stream comprises introducing each of said at least one ribbon-shaped streams into said plastic material stream in a direction parallel to the central axis of said chamber and at a point within the range of from about 1/4 D to about D downstream from the downstream edge of said intermediate inlet for providing product from said combined stream within said container in which the surface of said product contacting the sides of said container contains no said liquid material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
109 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the step of injecting at least one ribbon-shaped stream comprises introducing a plurality of said ribbon-shaped streams into said plastic material stream at positions equally spaced around the circumerence of said chamber, said positions being generally equidistant between the central axis of said chamber and the tubular surface of said chamber, and said positions being located so that a line passing through and perpendicular to the central axes of the two adjacent ribbon streams positioned nearest said intermediate inlet opening is bisected by a plane passing through the central axis of said chamber and the center of said intermediate inlet opening.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
A process in accordance with claim 4 wherein there are four said ribbon-shaped streams.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein injecting said at least one ribbon-shaped stream additionally comprises introducing each ribbon-shaped stream so that the short dimension of each said ribbon-shaped stream, at its point of injection into said chamber, is perpendicular to and bisected by a radius drawn perpendicular to the central axis of said chamber.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
69 words
A process in accordance with claim 6 wherein the step of injecting at least one ribbon-shaped stream comprises injecting four said ribbon-shaped streams into said plastic material within said chamber, each said ribbon-shaped stream having a two-dimensional cross-sectional shape defined by one relatively long dimension and one relatively short dimension for providing rapid thermal equilibrium within said combined stream and preventing pooling of said liquid material within said product.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
176 words
A process for filling a container with a variegated product having a generally liquid material distributed within a generally plastic material, said process comprising: passing a stream of said plastic material into a generally tubular chamber having a downstream outlet and an intermediate inlet, both of approximate diameter D, by forcing said plastic material under pressure into said intermediate inlet; injecting at least one stream of generally liquid material into said plastic material within said chamber by introducing said at least one generally liquid stream into said plastic material stream in a direction parallel to the central axis of said chamber and at a point within the range of from 0 to about 1/2 D upstream from the downstream edge of said intermediate inlet; passing the resultant combined stream of said plastic material and said liquid material along a path of flow generally parallel to the central axis of said chamber and through said downstream outlet into a filling valve; and periodically releasing a quantity of said combined stream from said filling valve into a container.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
176 words
A process for filling a container with a variegated product having a generally liquid material distributed within a generally plastic material, said process comprising: passing a stream of said plastic material into a generally tubular chamber having a downstream outlet and an intermediate inlet, both of approximate diameter D, by forcing said plastic material under pressure into said intermediate inlet; injecting at least one stream of generally liquid material into said plastic material within said chamber by introducing said at least one generally liquid stream into said plastic material stream in a direction parallel to the central axis of said chamber and at a point within the range of from 0 to about 1/2 D upstream from the downstream edge of said intermediate inlet; passing the resultant combined stream of said plastic material and said liquid material along a path of flow generally parallel to the central axis of said chamber and through said downstream outlet into a filling valve; and periodically releasing a quantity of said combined stream from said filling valve into a container.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
114 words
A process in accordance with claim 8 wherein the step of injecting at least one generally liquid stream comprises introducing a plurality of said streams of generally liquid material into said plastic material stream at positions equally spaced around the circumference of the chamber, said positions being generally equidistant between the central axis of said chamber and the tubular surface of said chamber, and said positions being located so that a line passing through and perpendicular to the central axis of the two adjacent liquid material streams positioned nearest said intermediate inlet opening is bisected by a plane passing through the central axis of said chamber and the center of said intermediate inlet opening.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
57 words
A process in accordance with claim 9 wherein there are four said streams of generally liquid material, each said stream being injected at a location within the range of from 0 to about 1/2 D upstream from the downstream edge of said intermediate inlet to encase said liquid material within said plastic material dispensed into said container.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3267971A
Cited
US3559700A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-04-04 | 1980-10-04 | 1981-04-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-04-04 | 1984-10-04 | 1985-04-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-04-04 | 1988-10-04 | 1989-04-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |