Method and system for filling food pouches

Abstract

A stand of a system for filling food pouches includes a first side support structure that includes a lower end portion and an upper end portion. The stand also includes a second side support structure that includes a lower end portion and an upper end portion. The stand further includes an upper support structure which extends between the upper end portion of the first side support structure and the upper end portion of the second side support structure. The upper support structure includes at least one mount receptacle that defines an aperture configured to receive a spout of a food pouch, to facilitate suspending a food pouch from the upper support structure. Systems and methods for filling food pouches are also described herein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A stand of a system for filling food pouches, the stand comprising:
 a first side support structure comprising a lower end portion and an upper end portion;   a second side support structure comprising a lower end portion and an upper end portion; and   an upper support structure, the upper support structure extending between the upper end portion of the first side support structure and the upper end portion of the second side support structure; wherein   the upper support structure comprises at least one mount receptacle, the at least one mount receptacle defining an aperture configured to receive a spout of a food pouch, to facilitate suspending a food pouch from the upper support structure.   
     
     
         2 . The stand of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one mount receptacle comprises a first rail and a second rail laterally spaced from the first rail, the first rail and the second rail cooperating to at least partially define the aperture, the first rail and the second rail being configured to engage a spout of a food pouch.   
     
     
         3 . The stand of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the upper support structure comprises an upper surface; and   the at least one mount receptacle further comprises a recessed surface vertically spaced from the upper surface of the upper support structure, and a wall surrounding the recessed surface and extending upwardly from the recessed surface to the upper surface of the upper support structure.   
     
     
         4 . The stand of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the upper support structure comprises a perimeter;   the aperture defined by the at least one mount receptacle extends through the perimeter; and   each of the first rail and the second rail comprises at least one tab extending inwardly into the aperture defined by the at least one mount receptacle.   
     
     
         5 . The stand of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the upper support structure further comprises a floor, the floor comprising an upper surface and a lower surface; and   the at least mount receptacle further comprises a recessed surface vertically spaced from the upper surface of the floor, and a wall surrounding the recessed surface and extending upwardly from the recessed surface to the upper surface of the floor.   
     
     
         6 . The stand of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the aperture defined by the at least one mount structure comprises an open end; and   each of the first rail and the second rail is integral with the floor.   
     
     
         7 . The stand of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the upper support structure further comprises a perimeter and a rim extending upwardly from the floor of the upper support structure and around the perimeter of the upper support structure.   
     
     
         8 . The stand of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a lower support structure integral with each of the lower end portion of the first side support structure and the lower end portion of the second side support structure, the lower support structure comprising a base, the base comprising an upper surface and a lower surface; wherein   the lower support structure further comprises at least one circular wall extending upwardly from the upper surface of the base and at least one post extending upwardly from the upper surface of the base and surrounded by a respective one of the at least one circular wall.   
     
     
         9 . The stand of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the at least one mount receptacle comprises a plurality of the mount receptacles.   
     
     
         10 . A system for filling food pouches, the system comprising:
 a stand comprising a first side support structure, a second side support structure, and an upper support structure, the first side support structure comprising a lower end portion and an upper end portion, the second side support structure comprising a lower end portion and an upper end portion, the upper support structure extending between the upper end portion of the first side support structure and the upper end portion of the second side support structure;   at least one funnel configured for selective contacting engagement with the upper support structure of the stand and configured for connection to a food pouch suspended from the stand, each of the at least one funnel defining an interior chamber configured to receive food; and   a plunger configured for selective, sliding engagement with each of the at least one funnel, within the interior chamber defined by each respective funnel, to facilitate forcing food out of the interior chamber into a respective food pouch suspended from the upper support structure of the stand.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the upper support structure comprises at least one mount receptacle, the at least one mount receptacle defining an aperture configured to receive a spout of a respective food pouch suspended from the stand.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the at least one mount receptacle comprises a first rail and a second rail laterally spaced from the first rail, the first rail and the second rail cooperating to at least partially define the aperture.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the upper support structure of the stand comprises an upper surface; and   the at least one mount receptacle further comprises a recessed surface vertically spaced from the upper surface of the upper support structure, and a wall surrounding the recessed surface and extending upwardly from the recessed surface to the upper surface of the upper support structure.   
     
     
         14 . The stand of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the upper support structure comprises a perimeter; and   the aperture defined by the at least one mount receptacle extends through the perimeter.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the at least one mount receptacle comprises a plurality of the mount receptacles and the at least one funnel comprises a plurality of the funnels, each of the funnels being in selective contacting engagement with a respective one of the mount receptacles.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the upper support structure comprises a floor, the floor comprising an upper surface and a lower surface; and   the at least mount receptacle further comprises a recessed surface vertically spaced from the upper surface of the floor, and a wall surrounding the recessed surface and extending upwardly from the recessed surface to the upper surface of the floor.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the aperture defined by the at least one mount structure comprises an open end; and   each of the first rail and the second rail is integral with the floor.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the upper support structure further comprises a perimeter and a rim extending upwardly from the floor of the upper support structure and around the perimeter of the upper support structure.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a lower support structure integral with each of the lower end portion of the first side support structure and the lower end portion of the second side support structure, the lower support structure comprising a base, the base comprising an upper surface and a lower surface; and   the lower support structure further comprises at least one circular wall extending upwardly from the upward surface of the base, and at least one post extending upwardly from the upper surface of the base and surrounded by a respective one of the at least one circular wall.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein:
 for each of the at least one funnel, the funnel comprises a housing comprising an inner surface and the funnel further comprises a neck that is integral with the housing, and a connector that is integral with the neck, the connector being configured to threadedly engage a spout of a food pouch.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the plunger comprises a first end member, a second end member and a connecting member extending between the first end member and the second end member, the first end member being configured to facilitate grasping the plunger by a hand of a user, and the second end member being configured to slidingly engage the inner surface of the housing of the funnel.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein:
 each of the first end member and the second end member of the plunger is generally disk-shaped.   
     
     
         23 . A method for filling food pouches using a system comprising a stand and at least one funnel, each of the at least one funnel defining an interior chamber, the method comprising:
 supporting at least one food pouch with the stand of the system;   connecting each of the at least one funnel of the system to a respective one of the at least one food pouch;   filling at least a portion of the interior chamber defined by each of the at least one funnel with food; and   forcing at least a portion of the food out of the interior chamber defined by each of the at least one funnel into a respective one of the at least one food pouch.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the system further comprises a plunger, and wherein:
 forcing comprises selectively inserting the plunger into the interior chamber defined by each of the at least one funnel, and pushing the plunger downwardly to force at least a portion of the food within the respective interior chamber into a respective one of the at least one food pouch.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the stand of the system comprises an upper support structure, and wherein:
 supporting comprises suspending each of the at least one food pouch from the upper support structure of the stand of the system.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein:
 suspending comprises slidingly engaging each of the at least one food pouch with the upper support structure of the stand of the system.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein:
 connecting comprises threading each of the at least one funnel of the system onto a spout of a respective one of the at least one food pouch.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the system further comprises at least one cap, and wherein the method further comprises:
 removing each of the at least one food pouch from the stand; and   closing each of the at least one food pouch with a respective one of the at least one cap.