Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus – Means making particulate material directly from liquid or... – By slinger or rotating liquid comminutor
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-21
2004-04-20
Davis, Robert (Department: 1722)
Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus
Means making particulate material directly from liquid or...
By slinger or rotating liquid comminutor
C425S151000, C425S162000, C310S242000, C200S566000, C362S089000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06722869
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cotton candy making apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most of household cotton candy making apparatus are currently marketed for use by children of younger ages and are designed to be operated by those children and their parents or other adults who take care of them together for making cotton candy. Since the apparatus can be operated relatively easily to make cotton candy that is actually edible, the children can enjoy playing with the apparatus much more than they play with toys such as those with which the children can simply play at housekeeping such as kitchen work or dining. When playing with the apparatus, the children can not only play by themselves but also enjoy a party together with their invited friends.
The cotton candy making apparatus is constructed as follows.
An apparatus main body comprises a cotton candy making portion and an electric circuit for controlling the cotton candy making portion, and an upper body is provided with a tray for receiving cotton candy made at the cotton candy making portion.
The cotton candy making portion comprises a rotary pot made of metal for making cotton candy, a heater with a thermal fuse for heating the rotary pot and a motor for driving the rotary pot. The electric circuit for controlling the cotton candy making portion comprises a driving circuit for the motor for driving the rotary pot, a temperature control circuit for the heater, a fuse for preventing the occurrence of accidents due to overheating of the heater and a main power supply switch for these circuits.
When used, a power supply plug at a distal end of a cord extending from the apparatus main body is inserted into a plug socket, and the power supply switch is turned on. Then, the rotary pot is heated by the heater and at the same time starts to turn at high speed. In this state, the rotary pot is pre-heated for a predetermined length of time so as to increase the temperature of the rotary pot and thereafter an amount of sugar which is required for making a single cotton candy is measured with a measuring spoon provided as an accessory and is introduced into the rotary port from an introduction port in an upper portion of the rotary pot. The sugar so introduced is heated in the interior of the rotary pot so as to be molten into something like syrup, and the molten syrup is discharged in the fiber-like form from slits formed in the circumferential wall of the rotary pot by virtue of centrifugal force generated when the rotary pot turns, whereby a cotton candy is made.
In case the tray fails to be attached to the apparatus when sugar is introduced into the rotary pot, there occurs a risk that the cotton candy so made is scattered around the cotton candy making apparatus, or that sugar which still remains hot touches the hands of the user, leading to the danger of the user getting burnt. Thus, care should be taken not to fail to attach the tray to the cotton candy making apparatus. After play, the rotary pot is caused to turn idly sufficiently, and the power supply switch should be turned off after it is confirmed that no more cotton candy is discharged from the rotary pot. Then, the plug is first pulled out of the plug socket for fear that the cotton candy making apparatus is mistakenly operated. Then, after the rotary pot and the rotary shaft are cooled down sufficiently covers and the tray need to be disassembled from the apparatus for cleaning, so that those constituent components can be kept clean.
In addition, the rotary pot of the cotton candy making mechanism is made of a metal, turns at high speed and is heated to a high temperature by the heater. In order to protect a child of a younger age who plays with the mechanism from getting burnt or injured by touching the hot rotary pot with his or her hand or hands or finger or fingers when the adult taking care of the infant user fails to watch him or her, a resin cover is disposed on the mechanism as a safety means. Additionally, this cover advantageously facilitates the introduction of sugar into the rotary pot.
However, the main power supply switch is a lock switch constituted by curved operation lever surfaces. For example, when an operation lever surface on a side where the contacts are opened is pressed with contacts being closed, the contacts are opened and the switch is locked with the contacts being opened. The switch is easy to be operated since the states of the contacts are shifted and locked by only pressing the operation lever surfaces. However, in case cleaning of the cotton candy making apparatus is started thoughtlessly by turning off the main power supply with the plug of the apparatus being kept inserted into the plug socket and thereafter part of the body of the child user or a thing happens to come into abutment with the main power supply switch, the metallic rotary pot is activated, leading to a risk that the user gets injured seriously.
Furthermore, the play is over and the main power supply switch is turned off after the rotary pot is caused to turn idly, so that the rotary pot is cooled down. Then, there occurs something that makes the adult watching the child user move from the playing area to leave alone the child user thereat with the plug of the apparatus still being kept inserted into the plug socket mistakenly. In these circumstances, if something falls on the switch or the child user gets interested to press the switch so that power is eventually supplied to the apparatus, the apparatus is activated, leading to a risk that the apparatus catches fire or the child user gets injured.
Moreover, the child user may start crying after he or she tries in vain to find the tray, and the guardian gets angry with the crying child and activates the cotton candy making apparatus without the tray being attached thereto. Then, cotton candy scatters around the apparatus and the playing room gets dirty. In addition, playing without the tray may allow the child user to get closer to the rotary pot at the face, and if this actually happens, hot sugar in the form of syrup adheres to the face skin of the child user, who eventually gets burnt seriously.
Furthermore, in case the tray is not properly attached to the cotton candy making apparatus, the tray may be detached from the apparatus while the apparatus is in operation. In case the tray so detached comes into contact with the rotary pot, the rotary pot is locked, and the fuse may be fused due to overcurrent. Alternatively, part of the tray gets melted by the rotary pot which is turning, and the resin so melted scatters around the apparatus, leading to a risk that the child user gets burnt seriously when the melted resin scatters to adhere to the exposed skin of the child user.
Additionally, the cotton candy making apparatus are made to produce beautifulness and loveliness that are liked by girls of younger ages by designed shapes and colors, and when girls get together to have a party where cotton candies are made they enjoy making tasty cotton candies with the lovely cotton candy making apparatus. However, the cotton candy making apparatus are not made to produce an advantage that friends who are looking at those who are actually making cotton candies are made to enjoy themselves at looking at their friends by designing cotton candies to glitter.
Furthermore, in case the motor or mechanism for turning the rotary pot of the cotton candy making apparatus fails and the rotary pot does not turn, children of younger ages cannot determine easily that power is supplied, and the heated heater becomes a danger to them. Additionally, in a case where the guardian is a bit apart from the children, it is considered that the guardian is late in recognizing that power is supplied if he or she cannot hear the operation noise of the rotary pot.
In addition, the cover secured with machine screws or nuts is removed when cleaning the covering net and the rotary pot, and therefore the machine screws or nuts have to be removed, and the machine screws or nuts so removed may
Davis Robert
Del Sole Joseph S.
Staff Co., Ltd.
Swidler Berlin Shereff & Friedman, LLP
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