Disposable ingredient pouch with reusable dispensing cap
AssigneeStarbucks Corporation
InventorsMegan C. Bolling, Jonathan Levey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure describes a disposable pouch containing an ingredient. The disposable pouch includes a nozzle for dispensing the ingredient. A reusable cap can be attached to the nozzle. The reusable cap includes a valve and a stand. When the stand is placed on a surface, the stand can orient the disposable pouch with the nozzle facing downward. The stand can include an aperture aligned with the valve to prevent the stand from inhibiting flow of the ingredient from the valve. The stand can space the valve apart from the surface when the stand is placed on the surface. This may prevent the valve from contacting the surface and becoming contaminated.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a disposable pouch containing an ingredient, wherein the disposable pouch includes a nozzle for dispensing the ingredient;
- and
- a reusable cap configured to removably attach to the nozzle, the reusable cap including a valve and a stand, the stand being configured to be placed on a surface and orient the disposable pouch with the nozzle facing downward, wherein the stand includes an aperture aligned with the valve to prevent the stand from inhibiting flow of the ingredient from the valve, and wherein the stand is configured to space the valve apart from the surface when the stand is placed on the surface.
A method performed at an end-use location for a disposable pouch, the disposable pouch containing an ingredient, the method comprising:
- receiving the disposable pouch from a distributor;
- attaching a reusable dispensing cap to a nozzle of the disposable pouch;
- positioning the disposable pouch, in a nozzle-side down orientation, over an edible item;
- compressing the disposable pouch to dispense the ingredient through a valve of the reusable dispensing cap toward the edible item;
- placing the disposable pouch with the reusable dispensing cap onto a surface, wherein an integrated stand of the reusable dispensing cap maintains the disposable pouch in the nozzle-side down orientation and spaces the valve apart from the surface;
- detaching the reusable dispensing cap from the nozzle of the disposable pouch;
- discarding the disposable pouch;
- and
- attaching the reusable dispensing cap to another disposable pouch containing the ingredient or another ingredient.
A reusable dispensing cap for a pouch, the reusable dispensing cap comprising:
- a body that includes a valve and a connection element, the connection element being configured to mate with a corresponding connection element of the pouch, and the valve being configured to dispense an ingredient of the pouch;
- and
- a stand spaced apart from the body by an arm, the stand including an aperture aligned with the valve to prevent the stand from inhibiting flow of the ingredient from the valve, wherein the stand is configured to space the valve apart from a surface when the stand is placed on the surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.