Patent Application
20130193626
The present invention relates generally to food preparation devices, and more particularly to a turntable having an adjustable height for preparing confections and the like.
The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
When preparing cakes and other such confections, it is necessary for the baker to be able to view and access all of the cake surfaces in order to ensure the frosting, fondant and/or decorative elements such as sugar work and piping are correctly positioned.
There are many known turntable devices having a fixed stand and a rotating tray onto which the cake sits during a decorating procedure. However, these stands do not allow a user to adjust the height of the cake, which often results in back and neck problems. To this end, it is common for users to attempt to stack boxes and other such objects beneath the turntables in order to raise the height to an acceptable level. Unfortunately, this stacking often leads to disaster as the boxes can become crushed under the weight of the turntable, or the turntable itself can inadvertently fall off of the boxes during operation.
There have been previous devices directed towards adjustable height turntables. One such example described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,975,643, utilizes a series of tubes of varying lengths which can be removably installed between a cake tray and a base. However, this device requires that a user pre-assemble the stand before use, which does not allow a user to adjust the height of the cake tray while in operation. As such, a user can not adjust the height of the cake tray as additional layers and/or decorations are added, which can contribute to back and neck pain.
Accordingly, there remains a need for an adjustable height turntable device capable of allowing a user to quickly and easily adjust the height of a cake tray during operation that does not suffer from the drawbacks of the devices described above.
The present invention is directed to an adjustable height turntable device. One embodiment of the present invention can include a base unit having a mechanical pump and a release actuator that positions a telescoping shaft in a vertical orientation. An elongated, generally planar cake tray can be secured to the top of the telescoping shaft, and a pneumatic lifting system positioned within the base unit can act to raise and lower the height of the cake tray.
Another embodiment of the present invention can further include an electric pump configured to automatically raise and lower the height of the cake tray.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention can include a mechanical motor configured to raise and lower the cake tray, in addition to a foot operated switch and a display holder.
This summary is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and not to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter.
Presently preferred embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should be appreciated, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.
While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the description in conjunction with the drawings. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the inventive arrangements in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention.
For purposes of this description, the terms “upper,” “bottom,” “right,” “left,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in
The base unit 11 can act as a stand for positioning the device in a desired location. In one embodiment, the base unit 11 can include a generally rectangular shape having a top surface, a bottom surface, a plurality of side surfaces, and a hollow interior space. In one preferred embodiment, the base unit 11 will be constructed from a sturdy waterproof and contagion resistant material such as stainless steel, for example, however any number of other materials and shapes are also contemplated. Additionally, the base unit can be manufactured in varying dimensions and weights to avoid tipping when the device is in use and has become top heavy from the weight of the cake.
A pump 14 and release valve actuator 15 can be secured to the base unit 11 for controlling the operation of the pneumatic system 20 (See
The cake tray 13 can act as a platform for positioning, displaying, and working on confections such as cakes, pastries, pies and the like. In one preferred embodiment, the cake tray 13 can also be constructed from a sturdy waterproof and contagion resistant material such as stainless steel or titanium, for example. The cake tray 13 can be removably and rotatably attached to the upper end of the telescoping shaft 12b via a conventional shaft collar 13a disposed on the bottom side of the cake tray in order to allow the cake tray 13 to rotate while in use. Such a feature can allow the device to accommodate any number of interchangeable cake trays having varying shapes and sizes.
The telescoping shaft 12 can act to raise and lower the height of the cake tray 13 when commanded by a user. In one embodiment, the telescoping shaft 12 can include a hollow outer rod 12a secured to the top of the base unit 11, and a sliding rod 12b configured to extend from and retract into the outer rod 12a (see arrow A). The telescoping shaft 12 can preferably include a circular cross section and can be constructed from a hardened yet lightweight material such as metal tubing or hardened plastic, for instance, each having extremely good tensile strength. Of course, other shapes and materials are also contemplated.
The pump 14, according to one embodiment can comprise a conventional mechanical air pump having a handle 14a configured to force air 5 into the air channel 21. As shown, the air 5 can travel through one or more check valves 22 until reaching the outer rod 12a where the forced air can act to raise and lower the sliding rod 12b in a conventional manner. The air channel 21 can also be connected to a release valve 23 configured to remove the forced air 5 from the system when operated by the valve actuator 15 (such as a switch or rod, for example).
In operation, a user can act to raise and lower the height of the cake tray 13 by pumping air into the system 20 via the pump 14 and removing air from the system via the valve 23, respectively. Moreover, the height of the cake tray 13 can be quickly and easily adjusted to suit the immediate needs of the user while confections are present on the tray.
Although described above as including a mechanical pump, the invention is not so limited. For example,
Although described above as including a pneumatic lifting system, one of skill in the art will recognize that any number of other known components can be utilized to raise and lower the telescoping shaft 12. For example,
Although not specifically illustrated, the above described embodiment can equally be utilized with the pneumatic system 20 by substituting the foot switch 50 and cord 50a with a mechanical foot pump and flexible tube that is connected to one of the hollow air tubes 21 in a conventional manner. Accordingly, the illustrated embodiments are not to be construed as limiting upon the invention.
As described herein, one or more elements of the adjustable height turntable device 10 can be secured together utilizing any number of known attachment means such as, for example, screws, glue, compression fittings and welds, among others. Moreover, although the above embodiments have been described as including separate individual elements of varying materials, one of skill in the art will recognize that one or more individual elements such as the base 11, tray 13 and/or telescoping shaft 12, including all sub components, can be made from identical or different materials. However, in one preferred embodiment, each of the above described components can be constructed from thin sheets of lightweight stainless steel. Of course other materials such as plastic, PVC and composite materials are also contemplated.
As to a further description of the manner and use 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.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
