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Portions of the disclosure of this patent document contain material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates in general to dessert and ice cream makers, and more particularly to an electrically operated dessert and ice cream making apparatus that has an improved stirrer and can be used within or outside refrigerators or freezers.
Several battery operated ice cream makers have been developed in art. U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,704 to Russel discloses a battery-operated ice cream maker to be used in the freezer compartment of any domestic or commercial refrigerator and/or ice chest comprising, product containers into which the ice cream ingredients are placed, a timer-controlled creamer for stirring the ingredients, a motorized lid connected to said creamer, a temperature sensor making contact with said product container, a container housing where said product containers and cooling mechanisms are located, an audible means to indicate completion of process, and a storage lid to cover the product container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,822 to O'Brien discloses a domestic ice-cream maker for insertion in a freezer consisting of a container in the form of an annular trough, a mixing blade being arranged in the trough for rotating around the axis of the trough and being driven by an electric motor which is characterized by the provision of a fan or fans arranged above the container to direct a stream of air downwardly onto the surface of ice-cream mix in the container to produce rapid freezing of the ice-cream mix when the ice-cream maker is inserted in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator. Preferably, the electric motors are driven by a pack of rechargeable battery cells contained in the ice-cream maker.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,347 Doyel an ice cream machine is disclosed which includes a dasher positioned in a receptacle to stir the ingredients. A fixed, non-rotatable post is also positioned in the receptacle in cooperating relationship within the dasher. The dasher is spaced from the wall and bottom of the receptacle and is of a novel configuration. The dasher is rotated at a low speed by a power unit contained entirely within the machine. Ice cream is made using the machine within the freezer compartment of a refrigerator.
Although above mentioned apparatuses serve the same purpose as the instant invention, the stirrer design and the means to automatically stop the stirrer depending on the density of the contents of the device are different. In addition, the present invention can also function outside the refrigerator.
The present invention is an assembly for making cool or frozen desserts, including ice cream. The assembly comprises a receptacle with a protrusion inside at its center to increase its inner surface area and serve as a hub that maintains the position of a stirrer. The stirrer comprises a paddle with one horizontal blade and one vertical blade to stir the contents of the receptacle. The stirrer is attached to a battery operated electric motor for rotating the stirrer, which is enclosed in a housing.
The electric motor and the batteries are associated with a means for deactivating the motor when a specific level of resistance against the stirrer is reached. The deactivation means is associated with a selection means that allows a user to select various resistance levels at which the motor will be deactivated.
The assembly also comprises a container with a securing member to receive and secure the receptacle inside the container. Salty water is introduced into a ring-shaped space between the container and receptacle to form an ice ring around the receptacle. When the ice ring is used, the assembly can be used outside a freezer.
The electric motor, batteries and associated controls are enclosed in the housing and the stirrer is connected to the shaft of the motor. The housing connects to the receptacle to secure it in place and prevent material from escaping the receptacle while the assembly is in use.
To use the assembly, a dessert mixture is poured into the receptacle. The housing, with the stirrer attached, is aligned and locked over the top of the receptacle so that the stirrer is immersed in the dessert material. A locking means, in one preferred embodiment a latch system, is engaged to secure the assembly. After a user selects the desired level of resistance; the level at which the motor will deactivate, the assembly is placed inside a refrigeration unit, such as the freezer of a domestic refrigerator and is switched on to commence operation. When the material in the receptacle achieves a pre-specified density, the resistance causes the stopping means associated with the motor to stop the stirrer. The apparatus is then removed from the freezer, the housing unlocked, and the material dispensed. In an alternate embodiment, the container with the ice ring can be used in addition to or instead of operating the device in a freezer.
Referring to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the dessert and ice cream making apparatus is illustrated and generally indicated as 10 in
Referring to
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Referring to
The stirrer 16 is driven by a battery operated electric motor 18 which is capable of driving the stirrer 16 at different torque and rpm ratios. The motor 18 rotates the stirrer to mix the contents in the receptacle 12, while the whole apparatus 10 rests in the ice box compartment. The batteries 22 for running the motor 18 can comprise any given number or combination of rechargeable or interchangeable batteries.
Alternatively, the electric motor 18 can be powered by a plug in power source inside the refrigerator. The electric motor can also be replaced by a manual wind up spring loaded mechanism to drive the stirrer.
Referring to
The control means is provided on the top cover portion 38. The control means comprises a knob 26, an LED recharge light 42, an on/off switch 44, and a reset button 46. As the apparatus 10 works the density of the dessert mixture increases and it offers resistance to the movement of the stirrer 16. A knob 26 is provided to select a level of resistance to the stirrer 16 that causes the motor 18 to turn off when the selected resistance is reached.
The knob 26 is located at the centre of the top cover portion 38 of the housing. The knob 26 allows a user to select a level of resistance that causes the stirrer to automatically stop the stirrer 16 when a pre-specified density of the dessert mix is achieved. This allows the apparatus 10 to work by itself and eliminates the need to attend the device till the dessert is made. In an alternate embodiment as shown in
The latch system 24 is used to lock the housing 20 to the receptacle 12. Alternatively, standard clips, snaps or fasteners can also be used to secure the housing 20 and the receptacle 12.
Referring to
The dessert ingredients are poured in the receptacle 12 up to a recommended level. The housing 20 with the stirrer 16 is aligned and secured to the receptacle 12. The knob 26 is rotated depending on the required density of the dessert. The apparatus 10 without the container is then placed inside a freezer or a refrigerator and is switched on. The stirrer stops rotating after the dessert mixture reaches the required density.
All features disclosed in this specification, including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings, may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
Any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “means for” performing a specified function, or “step for” performing a specific function, is not to be interpreted as a “means” or “step” clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph 6. In particular, the use of “step of” in the claims herein is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph 6.
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration and not limitation.