[Random-bits] Aharonian: Does the PTO hate little children and their lunches?
James Love
love@cptech.org
Thu Jan 25 08:41:01 2001
More of the wacky world of patents. Jamie
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: PATNEWS: Does the PTO hate little children and their lunches?
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2001 01:22:30 -0800
From: clients@bustpatents.com
To: srctran@bustpatents.com
!20010125 Does the PTO hate little children and their lunches?
Heard at schoolyards across the country: "Teacher, teacher, that mean
old man there is scary - tell him to stop suing me for eating lunch - what's
suing - is it like sewing - it sounds scary".
Take two pie dough sheets, stuff them with jelly, crimp the edges, and
bake a pie. Utterly obvious. Take two pieces of bread, cut off the crusts,
fill it with peanut butter and jelly, and crimp the edges. Utterly
obvious everywhere, in this universe, all of the parallel universes, a
metauniversal volume infinite in size as a domain of obviousness, EXCEPT
FOR THOSE UNIVERSES WITH CRYSTAL CITIES HOUSING PATENT OFFICES.
There is absolutely nothing whatsoever anymore that is obvious. Throw
103 out the window. The PTO doesn't have prior art resources to really
assess novelty. Throw 102 out the window. The CAFC doesn't understand
the fundamental nature of knowledge. Throw 101 out the window. And most
specifications would be no less enabling if they were written in Sumerian.
Throw 112 out the window. And I can't even lament over this with my
childhood favorite of a glass of milk and a peanut butter sandwich.
Greg Aharonian
Internet Patent News Service
====================
-= Food company hopes to resolve jam over crustless sandwiches =-
Michigan Live
20 Jan 2001
By Crystal Harmon
Last summer, the folks at Albie's Foods here started making crust-free
peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches for their customers. Just before
Christmas, a executive with an Ohio food company ordered Albie's to
bag 'em.
Robert V. Vickers wrote to Albie's explaining that his company, Menusaver
Inc., holds the patent for crustless PBJ and plans to preserve its
exclusive rights to the lunchtime staple. Now, Albie's has asked U.S.
District Court in Bay City to resolve the legal jam.
Albie's, a food manufacturer and restaurant, is best known for its tasty
pasties, with stores in Gaylord and Grayling. Company officials say they
hope the federal sandwich case can be resolved in a jiffy.
In December 1999, the Orrville, Ohio,-based food company Menusaver obtained
the patent for the "sealed crustless sandwich." The product is the
invention of Len C. Kirtchman of Fergus Falls, Minn., and David Geske of
Fargo, N.D., according to the patent on file with the U.S. Patent & Trademark
Office.
"The sandwich includes a lower bread portion, an upper bread portion,
an upper filling and a lower filling between the lower and upper bread
portions, a center filling sealed between the upper and lower fillings
and a crimped edge along an outer perimeter of the bread portions for
sealing the fillings therebetween," states Patent No. 6,004,596.
Creamy or crunchy? Strawberry or grape? The patent doesn't get that specific.
But:
"The upper and lower fillings are preferably comprised of peanut butter
and the center filling is comprised of at least jelly," the patent
declares. "The center filling is prevented from radiating outwardly and
into and through the bread portions from the surrounding peanut butter."
Albie's co-owner Regan Quaal, contacted by The Times, said he would prefer
to smooth out the controversy privately and not spread it around in the
press.
====================
United States Patent 6,004,596
Sealed crustless sandwich
Abstract
A sealed crustless sandwich for providing a convenient sandwich without an
outer crust which can be stored for long periods of time without a central
filling from leaking outwardly. The sandwich includes a lower bread portion,
an upper bread portion, an upper filling and a lower filling between the lower
and upper bread portions, a center filling sealed between the upper and lower
fillings, and a crimped edge along an outer perimeter of the bread portions
for sealing the fillings therebetween. The upper and lower fillings are
preferably comprised of peanut butter and the center filling is comprised
of at least jelly. The center filling is prevented from radiating outwardly
into and through the bread portions from the surrounding peanut butter.
Inventors: Kretchman; Len C. (Fergus Falls, MN); Geske; David (Fargo, ND)
Assignee: Menusaver, Inc. (Orrville, OH)
Filed: December 8, 1997
U.S. Patent Documents
3083651 3690898 3767823 3769035 3862344 4382768 5853778
Other References
"50 Great Sandwiches", Carole Handslip, pp. 81-84,86,95, 1994.
Claims
We claim:
1. A sealed crustless sandwich, comprising:
a first bread layer having a first perimeter surface coplanar to a contact
surface;
at least one filling of an edible food juxtaposed to said contact surface;
a second bread layer juxtaposed to said at least one filling opposite of said
first bread layer, wherein said second bread layer includes a second perimeter
surface similar to said first perimeter surface;
a crimped edge directly between said first perimeter surface and said second
perimeter surface for sealing said at least one filling between said first
bread layer and said second bread layer;
wherein a crust portion of said first bread layer and said second bread layer
has been removed.
2. The sealed crustless sandwich of claim 1, wherein said crimped edge
includes a plurality of spaced apart depressions for increasing a bond of
said crimped edge.
3. The sealed crustless sandwich of claim 2, wherein said crimped edge is
a finite distance from said at least one filling for increasing said bond.
4. The sealed crustless sandwich of claim 3, wherein said at least one
filling comprises:
a first filling;
a second filling;
a third filling; and
wherein said second filling is completely surrounded by said first filling
and said third filling for preventing said second filling from engaging
said first bread layer and said second bread layer.
5. The sealed crustless sandwich of claim 4, wherein said first filling and
third filling have sealing characteristics.
6. The sealed crustless sandwich of claim 5, wherein:
said first filling is juxtaposed to said first bread layer;
said third filling is juxtaposed to said second bread layer; and
an outer edge of said first filling and said third filling are engaged to one
another to form a reservoir for retaining said second filling in between.
7. The sealed crustless sandwich of claim 6, wherein said first filling and
said third filling are comprised of peanut butter; and said second filling
is comprised of a jelly.
8. The sealed crustless sandwich of claim 7, wherein said crimped edge is
formed into a substantially circular shape.
9. A sealed crustless sandwich, comprising:
a first bread layer having a first perimeter surface, a first crust portion
and a first contact surface;
a first filling juxtaposed to said first contact surface;
a second bread layer having a second perimeter surface, a second crust
portion and a second contact surface;
a second filling juxtaposed to said second contact surface;
a third filling;
a crimped edge directly between said first and second perimeter surfaces for
sealing said first, second, and third fillings between said first and second
bread layers;
wherein said first and second crust portions have been removed and said
third filling is encapsulated by said first and second fillings.
10. The sealed crustless sandwich of claim 9 wherein said first filling and
said second filling have sealing characteristics.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to sandwiches and more specifically
it relates to a sealed crustless sandwich for providing a convenient
sandwich without an outer crust which can be stored for long periods of
time without a central filling from leaking outwardly.
Many individuals enjoy sandwiches with meat or jelly like fillings between two
conventional slices of bread. However, some individuals do not enjoy the outer
crust associated with the conventional slices of bread and therefore take the
time to tear away the outer crust from the desired soft inner portions of the
bread. This outer crust portion is then thrown away and wasted. There is
currently no method or device for baking bread without having an outer crust.
Hence, there is a need for a convenient sandwich which does not have an outer
crust and which is not prone to waste of the edible outer crust portions.
The present invention provides a method of making a sealed crustless
sandwich which can be stored for extended periods of time without an inner
filling from seeping into the bread portion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are numerous sandwich devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,690,898 to
Partyka; U.S. Design Pat. No. 252,536 to Goglanian; U.S. Design Pat. No.
293,040 to Gagliardi; U.S. Design Pat. No. 317,672 to Presl; U.S. Design
Pat. No. 318,360 to Sam; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,234 to Russo all of which
are illustrative of such prior art.
While these sandwiches may be suitable for the particular purpose to which
they address, they are not as suitable for providing a convenient sandwich
without an outer crust which can be stored for long periods of time without
a central filling from leaking outwardly. The prior art does not teach a
sandwich without an outer crust which sealably retains an inner filling for
extended periods of time.
In these respects, the sealed crustless sandwich according to the present
invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of
the prior art, and in so doing provides a sandwich primarily developed for
the purpose of providing a convenient sandwich without an outer crust
which can be stored for long periods of time without a central filling
from leaking outwardly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a sealed crustless
sandwich that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
Another object is to provide a sealed crustless sandwich that does not have
any crust.
An additional object is to provide a sealed crustless sandwich that retains
an inner filling from seeping into the bread portion.
A further object is to provide a sealed crustless sandwich that can be stored
for extended periods of time for use in lunch box type of situations.
Another object is to provide a sealed crustless sandwich that reduces the
amount of wasted bread because of thrown away crust portions.
Another object is to provide a method of producing a sealed crustless
sandwich.
Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may
be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention
being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only,
and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and
described within the scope of the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present
invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood
when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which
like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout
the several views, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side view of cutting cylinder above the upper and lower bread
with the fillings in between.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the cutting cylinder penetrating and crimping the
upper and lower bread with the fillings in between.
FIG. 3 is an upper perspective view of the sealed crustless sandwich within
an airtight packaging.
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view from FIG. 3 disclosing the peanut butter
sealing the jelly in between.
FIG. 5 is a lower perspective view of the cutting cylinder.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference
characters denote similar elements throughout the several view, FIGS. 1
through 5 illustrate a sealed crustless sandwich 10, which generally comprises
lower bread portion 20, an upper bread portion 22, an upper filling 30b and a
lower filing 30a between the lower bread portion 20 and upper bread portion
22, a center fillng 32 sealed between the upper filling 30b and the lower
filling 30a, and a crimped edge 26 along an outer perimeter of the bread
portions 20, 22 for sealing the fillings 30a-b, 32 therebetween. The upper
filing 30b and the lower filling 30a are preferably comprised of peanut butter
but may consist of any other edible substance such as but not limited to meat,
vegetable oil, jelly, cheese, honey, or fruit. The center filling 32 is
preferably comprised of jelly but may consist of any other edible substance
such as but not limited to meat, vegetable oil, jelly, cheese, honey, or
fruit. The center filling 32 is prevented from leaking outwardly into and
through the bread portions 20, 22 from the surrounding upper filling 30b and
lower filling 30a. The sealed crustless sandwich is preferably packaged
within a resilient packaging 14 to extend its useful life and for providing
convenience for the user.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 of the drawings, a cutting cylinder 40 has a
sleeve 42 positioned within. The sleeve 42 preferably is sidably positioned
within a lumen of the cutting cylinder 40, but may be secured within the
cutting cylinder 40. The bottom edge of the sleeve 42 has a notched end 44
with the notches spaced approximately every 1/8 inch. The plurality of
extensions created from the plurality of notches forms a corresponding
plurality of depressions 28 in the crimped edge 26 which represent the
pressure points where extensions have projected into the bread portions 20,
22. A cutting edge 48 of the cutting cylinder 40 is utilized to penetrate
through the bread portions 20, 22 as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings. The
cutting edge 48 may be formed into various shapes to form a unique design for
the sealed crustless sandwich 10. The notched edge of the sleeve 42 compresses
the upper bread portion 22 into the lower bread portion 20 to form a seal
which retains itself for extended periods of time. A support member 46 or
similar structure is attached to the cutting cylinder 40 and the sleeve 42
as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, wherein the support member 46 is attached to
an elevating/descending means for operating the cutting cylinder 40.
As best shown in FIG. 4, the upper filling 30b is juxtaposed to a lower
surface of the upper bread portion 22. The lower filling 30a is juxtaposed to
an upper surface of the lower bread portion 20. Preferably, the upper filling
30b and the lower filling 30a do not extend into the crimped edge 26 since
any foreign substance within the crimped edge 26 weakens the seal between the
lower and upper bread portions 20, 22. The center filling 32 is positioned
and sealed between the upper filling 30b and the lower filling 30a as shown
in FIG. 4 of the drawings. The crimped edge 26 preferably has a plurality
of depressions 28 formed into from the pressure points caused by the notched
end 44 of the sleeve 42. The depressions 28 prevent the crimped edge 26
from separating thereby retaining the fillings 30a-b, 32 within.
In use, the upper surface of the lower bread portion 20 is partially covered
with the lower filling 30a over a defined area. The defined area is preferably
inside of an inner perimeter of the sleeve 42 so as to eliminate or reduce the
amount of lower filling 30a within the crimped edge 26. The center filling 32
is positioned centrally onto the lower filling 30a as shown in FIG. 1 of the
drawings. The lower surface of the upper bread portion 22 is partially covered
with the upper filling 30b over an area substantially equal to the defined
area of the lower filling 30a. The upper bread portion 22 is positioned above
the lower bread portion 20 with the upper filling 30b juxtaposed to the center
filling 32 and the lower filling 30a. The cutting cylinder 40 is descended
onto the upper bread portion 22 as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The
cutting cylinder 40 penetrates the bread portions 20, 22 so cut out circular
portion surrounding the fillings 30a-b, 32. The sleeve 42 is simultaneously
descended onto the upper bread portion 22 whereby the notched end 44 engages
the upper bread portion 22. The notched end 44 forces the circular portion of
the upper bread portion 22 onto the corresponding circular portion of the
lower bread portion 20 thereafter crimping the bread portions 20, 22 between
the notched end 44 and a plate 12 supporting the lower bread portion 20 as
shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings. Simultaneously during the crimping, the upper
filling 30b is forced into the lower filling 30a surrounding the center
filling 32, thereby sealing the center filling 32 therebetween. The cutting
cylinder 40 and the sleeve 42 are elevated away from the sealed crustless
sandwich 10 while pressurized air is released into the cutting cylinder 40
to help force the sealed crustless sandwich 10 out from within. The crust 24
portion of the upper and lower bread portions 20, 22 is hence removed from
the sealed crustless sandwich 10 as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings. After
the sealed crustless sandwich 10 is removed from the cutting cylinder 40
and sleeve 42, the air tight resilient packaging 14 is applied around it
for preserving the sealed crustless sandwich.
As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the
present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description.
Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and
operation will be provided.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the
optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include
variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation,
assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled
in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the
drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed
by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles
of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will
readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the
invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and
accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to,
falling within the scope of the invention.