Apparatus and method for moving a workpiece through an opening in a container

Abstract

An apparatus and method for narrowing and moving a workpiece from a fruit or vegetable through an opening in a container wherein the workpiece is relatively wider than the opening is provided. The apparatus has a plunger with an extension portion slidably movable within a bore formed in a loader. The loader has a base portion mountable over the opening. In one preferred embodiment of this invention, the apparatus includes a compression plate for compressing the fruit or vegetable into a slicer, forming a plurality of workpieces. The slicer, holding the workpieces, is aligned with the plunger and one workpiece is plunged through a first bore and into a container.

1 . An apparatus for inserting at least a portion of food into a beverage container, the beverage container having an interior chamber for holding a beverage and an opening into the chamber, the apparatus comprising: 
 a loader having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion being capable of holding at least a portion of food and having at least one surface for compressing and guiding at least a portion of food into a beverage container, and the lower portion defining a cavity being capable of receiving at least a portion of a beverage container opening to mount the loader thereon;    an elongated plunger having integral handle and drive portions, the drive portion being capable of extending through the upper portion of the loader to engage and drive at least a portion of food from the upper portion into an interior chamber of a beverage container through an opening in the beverage container when the plunger is moved from a loading position wherein the drive portion is substantially removed from the loader to an inserting position wherein the drive portion is inserted fully within the loader; and    wherein the loader and elongated plunger cooperate to form a longneck bottle shape when the plunger is positioned in the inserting position.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the drive portion is coaxially aligned with the upper portion of the loader.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the drive portion and the loader have complimentary outer and inner sloped surfaces, respectively, which are capable of engaging one another when the plunger is moved between the loading and inserting position.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein both the drive portion and the loader have a generally circular cross section and taper toward the cavity defined by the lower portion.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the upper portion defines a bore, and the bore and drive portion have complementary frusto-conical shapes which help compress and guide the food into the beverage container.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the cavity defined by the lower portion comprises an annular wall with a generally flat upper surface, and the drive portion is of sufficient length to extend through the upper portion of the loader and beyond the generally flat upper surface of the lower portion thus allowing the drive portion to extend into a beverage container positioned within the cavity so that the food may be inserted into the beverage container.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the cavity is mountable to a neck portion of the container, which forms the opening of the beverage container.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the generally flat upper surface of the cavity forms a lip surface for contacting a surface of the neck portion when the beverage container is positioned within the cavity.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least a majority of the drive portion is removed from the upper portion when the plunger is in the loading position, and the drive portion is positioned within all of the upper portion of the loader and at least partially within the lower portion of the loader when the plunger is in the inserting position such that an outer sloped surface of the drive portion extends along a complimentary inner sloped surface of the upper portion, and wherein the loader and plunger cooperate to form a longneck bottle shape when the plunger is in the inserting position.  
   
   
       10 . An apparatus for inserting at least a portion of food into a beverage container, the beverage container defining an interior chamber for holding a beverage and an opening into the chamber, the apparatus comprising: 
 a food loading mechanism defining a bore and having a portion mountable over an opening in a beverage container, the bore being capable of containing at least a portion of food and capable of inserting at least a portion of the food into a beverage container;    a plunger having an extension portion, the extension portion being slidably movable within and guided by the bore of the food loading mechanism such that the plunger can engage and move at least a portion of food in the bore through an opening defined by a beverage container; and    wherein the food loading mechanism and plunger cooperate to form a longneck bottle shape when the extension portion of the plunger is positioned fully within the bore of the food loading mechanism, the longneck bottle shape having an elongated neck portion having a top and bottom and extending from a body and tapering toward the top thereof.    
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the food loading mechanism comprises a means for loading at least a portion of food to be inserted into the beverage container, and the plunger comprises a means for inserting at least a portion of food into the beverage container.  
   
   
       12 . An apparatus for inserting at least a portion of food into a beverage container comprising: 
 a food compressing member having an integral handle and drive member for compressing at least a portion of food into a beverage container;    a loader with which the food compressing member cooperates in order to insert at least a portion of the food into the beverage container; and    wherein the food compressing member is movable between a first position wherein at least a majority of the drive portion is removed from the loader, and a second position wherein the drive portion is fully positioned within the loader such that the apparatus takes on a longneck bottle shape when the food compressing member is in the second position.    
   
   
       13 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the handle portion of the food compressing member comprises an upper portion of the longneck bottle shape, and the drive portion of the food compressing member extends from the handle portion and has a food engaging surface located thereon.  
   
   
       14 . An apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the loader defines a bore for positioning the food, a first opening into which a top of the beverage container may be positioned, and a second opening through which the drive portion of the food compressing member may be moved, wherein the loader and drive portion have complimentary internal and external sloped surfaces, respectively, which are capable of engaging one another when the drive portion is inserted into the cavity of the loader in order to assist in compressing and inserting the food into the beverage container.  
   
   
       15 . An apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the complimentary internal and external sloped surfaces are tapered toward the first opening of the loader, and the first opening is of a smaller diameter than the top of the beverage container in order to assist the insertion of at least a portion of the food product into the beverage container.  
   
   
       16 . An apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the first opening is recessed into a lower surface of the loader in order to assist in mounting the loader on the beverage container.  
   
   
       17 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the food compressing member comprises a means for compressing at least a portion of food into a beverage container, and the loader comprises a means for loading at least a portion of food to be inserted into the beverage container.  
   
   
       18 . An apparatus for inserting at least a portion of food into a beverage container, comprising: 
 a food directing mechanism having first and second openings with a bore extending therebetween, wherein the first opening is shaped for receiving a portion of a beverage container top and the bore is shaped for receiving at least a portion of a food product;    a food insertion mechanism having a top portion with an elongated member extending therefrom and into the second opening of the food directing mechanism, wherein the insertion mechanism is capable of being moved from a first position where a majority of the elongated member is removed from the food directing mechanism for loading the food product into the bore, and a second position where the elongated member is located within the food directing mechanism for inserting at least a portion of the food product into the beverage container; and    wherein the insertion mechanism and food directing mechanism cooperate to form a longneck bottle shape when the food directing mechanism is located in the second position.    
   
   
       19 . An apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the first opening of the food directing mechanism is recessed from an outer surface of the food directing mechanism thereby defining a guiding channel within which a top of the beverage container can be positioned in order to assist in positioning the food loader over the beverage container.  
   
   
       20 . An apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the bore and the food directing mechanism have complimentary sloped inner and outer surfaces, respectively, which taper toward the first opening in order to assist in inserting at least a portion of the food product into the beverage container.  
   
   
       21 . An apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the food directing mechanism comprises a means for directing at least a portion of food into a beverage container, and the food insertion mechanism comprises a means for inserting at least a portion of food into the beverage container.