Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – Formation of solid particulate material directly from molten... – Utilizing centrifugal force or rotating forming zone
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-03
2001-09-04
Nguyen, Nam (Department: 1722)
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
Formation of solid particulate material directly from molten...
Utilizing centrifugal force or rotating forming zone
C425S008000, C425S009000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06284164
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to cotton candy machines and more particularly to improved apparatus for making cotton candy from sugar.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the past, a typical cotton candy machine was operable to heat sugar and to cast or spin molten sugar through centrifugal force in fiber or strand form into a tub where it was gathered on a stick or rolled paper tube for service and consumption. In order to carry out the heating and spinning function, such a typical cotton candy machine included a spinner head which defined a chamber for receiving raw sugar. Annular slotted bands surrounded the chamber and heater strips were disposed just inside the bands. The heater strips were connected to terminals which in turn were connected to annular electrical slip rings mounted for rotation with the spinner head. Electrical, spring-loaded brushes were mounted beneath the head for engaging the annular slip rings and conducting electricity to the heater strips as the head spun. The spinning head imparted a centrifugal force to raw sugar poured into the spinner head, forcing it outwardly against the heater strips. These melted the sugar before it was spun in strand form through the slotted bands. Preferably, the slotted bands were treated or coated for the purpose of electrically insulating them from the electrically energized heater strips. Such typical cotton candy machines are described in more detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,036,532; 5,145,687; 5,441,754; 5,498,144 and 4,872,821, expressly incorporated herein for background detail.
While such machines have worked well for years, they include several inherent structures and functions which, if eliminated, could reduce costs and improve operation. For example, such machines require the use of heater strips, slip rings, brushes and springs, and electrical connectors or terminals, not to mention the expensively treated bands, all of which are subject to wear and replacement or require insulation, cost and assembly expense. Moreover, it is appreciated that since these past typical units required electricity to be conducted into the spinner head, care must be taken with insulation and protection of the electrical terminals and conduits to avoid short circuits, shock, or other hazards. If liquid or wet sugar was accidentally used in such a machine, an electrical problem or accident may result. While improvements in the construction and design of these elements over the years have been useful and significant, the presence of electrical service in the spinner head still requires and involves the foregoing concerns.
In other aspects of prior cotton candy machines, the heat generated by the heater strips is controlled by the application of electricity to them. Preferably, the heat is controlled in a range hot enough to melt the sugar but not so hot as to burn it. It is now desirable to provide an improvement in the way heat is applied to melt the sugar so the heat can be controlled more precisely and more quickly and responsively than through the direct application of electric current to the heater strips.
Accordingly, it has been one objective of this invention to provide an improved cotton candy machine.
A further objective of the invention has been to provide an improved spinner head for a cotton candy machine.
A further objective of the invention has been to eliminate the electrical terminals and interconnections in the spinner head of a cotton candy machine.
A further objective of the invention has been to eliminate all electrical service in the spinner head of a cotton candy machine.
A further objective of the invention is to provide more precise and responsive heat control to the spinner head of a cotton candy machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To these ends, an improved cotton candy machine according to a preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a cotton candy spinner head defining a chamber surrounded by slots or perforated bands but with no heater strips, electrical terminals, electrical conducts or slip rings, and with no spring-loaded electrical brushes mounted on the machine. Instead, the head is mounted on a shaft for rotation and an induction heater is disposed beneath the head for inductively heating components of the head to melt the sugar. Preferably, a candy accumulating tub surrounds the spinner head on top of the cabinet and has a tub bottom with an opening to permit an energy field to be directed from the induction heater toward the spinner head.
When energized, the induction heater causes the ferrous components of the head, including the spinner bands, to heat to a range where raw sugar, flung through the spinner chamber against the bands by centrifugal force, melts and is spun through narrow slots in the band into the tub as cotton candy, where it is collected for consumption as usual.
It will be appreciated that this invention provides numerous and significant advantages over the prior electrically operated machines and spinner heads. First, since no electricity is conducted into the head, the introduction of liquid or moist sugar will not cause any undesirable electrical occurrence, short circuit or other accident. Secondly, there are no heater strips or ribbons, and no electrical terminals or conduits in the spinner head to protect from raw, melted or partially melted sugar. Electrical insulation is not needed. Thirdly, the induction heater can be controlled to precisely and quickly adjust the temperature of the bands or other ferrous parts of the spinner head, giving the operation almost real time temperature control.
Fourthly, if any foreign non-ferrous item is accidently introduced into the spinner head or its chamber, it is not directly heated by the induction heater but simply remains in the chamber for removal when the machine is stopped. In addition, foreign objects in the head do not present an electrical or short hazard.
Fifthly, with the use of the induction heater, it is no longer necessary to use expensively coated or treated bands due to the circumstances that they do not need to be electrically insulated from any electrically charged heater strips.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1489342 (1924-04-01), Brent
patent: 3118396 (1964-01-01), Brown et al.
patent: 3483281 (1969-12-01), Chisholm
patent: 4526525 (1985-07-01), Oiso et al.
patent: 4872821 (1989-10-01), Weiss
patent: 5066430 (1991-11-01), Matthews
patent: 5427811 (1995-06-01), Fuisz et al.
patent: 5441754 (1995-08-01), Evans, Sr.
patent: 5445769 (1995-08-01), Rutkowski et al.
patent: 5460498 (1995-10-01), Steel et al.
patent: 5498144 (1996-03-01), Francis et al.
patent: 5511961 (1996-04-01), Sulivan
patent: 979887 A1 (2000-02-01), None
Gold Medal Products Company
Nguyen Nam
Nguyen Thu Khanh T.
Wood Herron & Evans LLP
LandOfFree
Cotton candy machine does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Cotton candy machine, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Cotton candy machine will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2473764