Patent Application
20080223220
This invention generally relates to popcorn makers. More specifically, this invention relates to popcorn makers that can be used for making regular popcorn, kettle or caramel corns, and some other treats.
Americans consume 17 billion quarts of popped popcorn annually or 54 quarts per man, woman and child. It is one of the most wholesome and economical foods available. Approximately 70 percent is eaten in home, home popped and pre-popped. Un-popped popcorn accounts for approximately 90 percent of sales for home consumption.
Popcorn-making devices of various types are known in the art and are used for popping kernels of corn into popcorn. There are various methods for heating the corn kernels, with various ingredients added in the popcorn-making process. However, other known devices do not enable a user to make caramel or kettle corns. It is highly inconvenient for consumers to make these special treats at home using products currently on the market. In addition, products currently on the market are specifically for use of making popcorn. Consumers desire a popcorn maker that can also be used for many other applications to save kitchen space.
Therefore, it remains desirable to provide a popcorn maker that enables a user to make caramel or kettle corns at home with ease, in addition of making regular popcorn, and that is convenient to use and less expensive to manufacture. Also, it remains desirable to provide a popcorn maker that can be used for other applications, such as, deserts, chocolates, sauces, etc.
Accordingly, the present invention is a popcorn maker. This popcorn maker comprises a container for holding and popping corn kernels, a popping bowl installed on top of the container for holding and serving popped corns, a lid for closing up the open top of the popping bowl, a support member fixedly engaged with the lower portion of the container and extended downward to a predetermined distance for adapting the container to sit on a base support or a horizontal counter top, a stirrer installed inside the container for stirring corn kernels, a heating tube installed on the bottom of the container for heating corn kernels, a co-rotation prevention member installed on the sidewall of the container for preventing corn kernels from co-rotating with the stirrer, as the stirrer rotates, and a motor installed inside the base support and removably coupled with the stirrer for driving the stirrer.
Accordingly, the followings are some of the objects, features, and advantages of the present invention.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a popcorn maker that enable a user to make caramel or kettle corns at home with ease, in addition of being used for making regular popcorn.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a popcorn maker that is simple to use, less bulky to save kitchen space, and less expensive to manufacture.
it is a feature of the present invention that a popping bowl is installed on top of the container. This bowl together with the container is provided for popping-and-serving popcorn and is removable for cleaning after use, dishwasher safe.
It is another feature of the present invention that this popcorn maker includes a support member for supporting the container. The upper end of the support member is fixedly engaged with the periphery of the bottom portion of the container and the lower end of the support member extends downward to a predetermined distance for adapting the container to stand on a base support or on a horizontal surface.
It is a further more feature of the present invention that the heating tube is fixedly installed on the bottom of the container to save some cost associated with a separate heater having a thermal diffusion plate, which requires significant amount of material and space. By directly installing the heating tube on the bottom of the container heating efficiency is significantly enhanced.
It is a still further more feature of the present invention that a thermostat is removably engaged with the bottom of the container for detecting and limiting the temperature and controlling the heating tube.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the popcorn maker can be used for many other applications, such as deserts, chocolates, sauces, etc.
It is another advantage of the present invention that the popcorn maker is highly compact to save space and material cost.
Further more features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood after reading the subsequent description when considered in connection with the non-limiting accompanying drawings.
Reference is made to
A container 102, having an open top, a sidewall, and a central aperture on the bottom, is provided for popping corn kernels. The sidewall of container 102 is slightly tapered with a larger diameter on the top and a smaller diameter on the bottom. Container 102 is made of a metal material of high thermal conductivity and is, preferably, coated with a non-stick material.
A popping bowl 104, installed on top of container 102, is provided for containing corn kernels while they are being popped and to act as a serving bowl for the popped kernels during consumption. Bowl 104 has an open bottom fitting with the open top of container 102 and an open top for serving popped corns. Bowl 104 has a tapered cross-section with a larger diameter facing upward. Bowl 104 can be made from plastic or any other material sufficient to hold the popcorn and withstand the heat necessary to pop the kernels. Preferably, bowl 104 is transparent so that a user may see the kernels as they are being popped. However, bowl 104 can also be opaque or non-transparent. Many other designs or configurations of bowl 104 are readily applicable, such as a bowl having a closed top and an open bottom, as known to those skilled in the art.
A lid 105 is provided for closing up the open top of bowl 104, such that oil or other food splashing is contained within bowl 104. Lid 105 is, preferably, made of a transparent material.
A grasp handle 106 and a lift handle 108 are fixedly installed on the upper portion of the sidewall of container 102 for use of handling container 102 and bowl 104.
A support member 110, having a generally tapered hollow cylindrical configuration, is provided for supporting container 102. The upper end of support member 110 is fixedly engaged with the periphery of the bottom portion of container 102 and the lower end of support member 110 is extended downward to a predetermined distance, such that container 102 is adapted to stand on a base support 112 or on a horizontal countertop. Support member 110 is provided also for enclosing the space underneath the bottom of container 102 into a protected space. Some windows or slots may be opened on support member 110 for venting heat, etc.
A stirrer 114, removably installed inside container 102, is provided for stirring corn kernels. The clearance between the lower edge of stirrer 114 and the bottom of container 102 is minimized for better stirring performance. The profile of stirrer 114 is optimized for minimizing stirring resistance, such that less motor power is required to drive stirrer 114; which saves some cost on motors.
An electrical heating tube 116, having a generally circular configuration, is provided for heating corn kernels disposed inside container 102. Heating tube 116 is fixedly installed on the outside surface of the bottom of container 102, inserted into a groove formed on the bottom of container 102, and disposed close to the periphery with a predetermined distance. Heating tube 116 can be directly welded on the bottom of container 102, as known to those skilled in the art. The two electrical terminals of heating tube 116 extend downward to a predetermined distance and are adapted to removably engage with an electrical power supply, as container 102 is installed in position on base support 112. There are significant advantages of installing heating tube 116 directly on the bottom of container 102. These advantages include saving a significant amount of material for building a separate full heater that has a thermal diffusion plate, resulting in space and cost saving and higher heat transfer efficiency. Other forms of heater designs or heating methods are readily applicable, such as a full heater having a thermal diffusion plate, heated air, an electrical resistance wire, an induction heater, etc., as known to those in the art.
A plurality of co-rotation prevention members 118, at least one, is constructed inside container 102, on the sidewall, for preventing corn kernels from co-rotating with stirrer 114, as stirrer 114 rotates. Members 118 include an elongated member, preferably rib-shaped, that extends generally vertical along the sidewall of container 102. The upper ends of members 118 extend to the upper portion of container 102. Members 118 are preferably disposed substantially dose to handles 106 or 108, such that members 118 would not obstruct food unloading. Members 118 extend inward to a predetermined distance, away from the sidewall of container 102. The predetermined distance is determined based on the size of container 102. Proper clearance between members 118 and stirrer 114 should be maintained. When corn kernels co-rotate with stirrer 114 and run against members 118, as stirrer 114 rotates, kernels at a higher level close to members 118 would be stopped and tumbled down due to gravity, resulting in better mixing or stirring, thereby facilitating heat transfer to and uniform heating of corn kernels. Other configurations of member 118 are readily applicable without departing the spirit of this invention disclosure, as known to those skilled in the art.
A thermo plate 120, made of a material of high thermal conductivity, is fixedly installed on the bottom of container 102, at a location substantially close to heating tube 116, for removably engaging a thermostat 122. Thermostat 122 is installed on base support 112 and engaged with thermo plate 120 for detecting the temperature, as container 102 is installed in position on base support 112. Such temperature is used to control the electrical power to heating tube 116. The upper end of thermostat 122 protrudes upward above the upper surface of base support 112 with pre-loading, e.g., via a spring 122a. Thermostat 122 can be a digital sensor, such as a NTC or PTC, or an adjustable thermostat, or simply a temperature switch, as known to those skilled in the art.
Base Support 112, disposed underneath container 102, is provided for supporting container 102. The upper portion of base support 112 is removably engaged with the inner periphery of the lower portion of support member 110.
A motor 124 is installed inside base support 112 for providing rotation power to stirrer 114. Motor 124 is removablely coupled with a drive shaft 126, as container 102 is installed in position. Drive shaft 126 is threaded through the central aperture on the bottom of container 102. The upper end of shaft 126 is engaged with stirrer 114 and the tower end of shaft 126 is coupled with motor 124 through a coupling device 132. A seal device 130 is provided for sealing off the interface between shaft 126 and the bottom of container 102.
Bushing 136 is co-axial to shaft 126 and is fixedly and sealingly engaged with the bottom of container 102. Packing 138 is inserted inside a groove cut around shaft 126. A plurality of packing 138 can be provided for more reliable sealing, as known to those skilled in the art. When inserted into bushing 136 together with shaft 126, packing 138 is compressed and squeezed against shaft 126 and bushing 136 to seat off the interface thereof. Bushing 136 extends upward to a predetermined height above the bottom of container 102, such that the upper end of bushing 136 and packing 138 are disposed above the bottom of container 102 and such that the requirement on seal device 130 is significantly reduced. The clearance between bushing 136 and shaft 126 is minimized for ideal sealing performance, but, at the same time, shaft 126 should be able to rotate with minimal friction resistance; which requires high precision of the fitting surfaces thereof.
Materials for packing 138 are extremely important when selecting the proper packing for an application. Basic requirements include heat resistance, wearing resistance, elasticity, etc.
Seal device 130 can, alternatively, take many other forms, such as bushing, labyrinth, packing, or combinations of multiple forms for ideal performance, as known to those skilled in the art and suggested by this invention disclosure.
Accordingly, as container 102 is property installed in position on base support 112, thermostat 122 is engaged with thermo plate 120, or directly with the bottom of container 102, the electrical terminals of heating tube 116 are connected with electrical port 112c, motor 124 is coupled with shaft 126, and detector 128 is depressed to confirm that container 102 is well in position. Popcorn maker 100 is, now, ready for popping corns.
Motor 124 is directly installed on the bottom of container 102. An insulation member 202 is provided in between motor 124 and the bottom of container 102 for shielding motor 124 away from heat transferred from the bottom of container 102. An adjustable thermostat 204, installed directly on the bottom of container 102, is provided for controlling the temperature of heating tube 116. A bottom cap 206 is provided for closing the bottom opening of support member 110.
Reference is made to
In operation, a user adds oil, corn kernels, sugar, spices, etc. into the container 102; installs popping bowl 104 on top of container 102 and disposes container 102 in position on base 112; turns on popcorn maker 100. In about 5 minutes popcorn will be ready for serving. The user can serve the popcorn directly with container 102 and bowl 104, together acting as a serving tray. Both container 102 and bowl 104 are dishwasher safe; which makes popcorn maker 100 convenient for cleaning after use.
Accordingly, readers will see that this popcorn maker of the present invention can be used to make caramel or kettle corns and it is highly compact to save kitchen space and manufacturing cost. The container is removable from the base support such that it is convenient for cleaning after use and dishwasher safe. The popping bowl is used for holding popped corns and acts as a serving bowl. The popcorn maker of the present invention can also be used for making many other treats.
The present invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology, which has been used, is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.
Although this invention has been described in its preferred forms and structures with a certain degree of particularity, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention.
Thus it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred forms can be changed in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
