Frozen dessert dispenser

Details Frozen dessert dispenser Frozen dessert dispenser

2000-03-08

2001-10-09

Bomberg, Kenneth (Department: 3754)

Dispensing

With heating or cooling means

Cooling only

C222S389000, C222S509000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06299025

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a frozen dessert dispenser for dispensing a frozen dessert such as ice cream or yogurt, and more particularly to an improvement in the structure of a dispensing section of the frozen dessert dispenser.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An ice cream dispenser as shown in
FIG. 21
has conventionally been known. The shown dispenser comprises a dispensing cylinder
103
provided at the back of a door
101
of a freezing compartment
100
in a vertical disposition. A piston
102
is provided in the cylinder
103
so as to be slid. A dispensing section
106
is mounted on an outer face of the door
101
. The dispensing section
106
has a vertical dispensing passage
105
. A valve element
104
is provided to ascend and descend in the dispensing passage
105
. A connecting pipe
107
communicating with the passage
105
protrudes into the freezing compartment
100
. The connecting pipe
107
has a protruding end connected to a supply opening C of a pack B of ice cream accommodated in an upper interior of the piston
102
of the dispensing cylinder
103
.
In the above-described construction, the valve element
104
ascends so that a communicating port
108
between the connecting pipe
107
and the dispensing passage
105
is opened. When a pump
109
is driven so that an operating fluid is supplied to a lower interior of the piston
102
, the piston ascends such that the pack B is compressed. Ice cream in the pack B is dispensed through the connecting pipe
107
, the communicating port
108
and the dispensing passage
105
.
Ice cream adheres to an inner surface of the dispensing passage
105
serving as a dispensing route inside the dispensing section
106
and the connecting pipe
107
. This is undesirable from the viewpoint of sanitation. Accordingly, the dispensing passage
105
and the connecting pipe
107
need to be cleaned. In the cleaning, the connecting pipe
107
is pulled out and the dispensing section
106
is detached from the door
101
, so that the dispensing route including the dispensing passage
105
and the connecting pipe
107
is cleaned in water.
However, the connecting pipe
107
projects integrally from the dispensing section
106
in the above-described construction. The connecting pipe
107
communicates with the dispensing passage
105
through the communicating port
108
. The interior of the dispensing section
106
near the communicating port
108
cannot be sufficiently cleaned. When the interior of the passage
105
is cleaned with a brush, the inner circumferential surface of the passage
105
is sometimes scratched. The scratch results in leakage of ice cream from a gap between the valve element
104
and the passage
105
. In view of the above problem, brushes are not used in the cleaning. As a result, the interior of the dispensing section
106
near the communicating port
108
remains uncleaned.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a frozen dessert dispenser in which the dispensing route inside the dispensing section can be cleaned easily and sufficiently.
The present invention provides a frozen dessert dispenser comprising a freezing compartment accommodating a frozen dessert dispensing cylinder therein, a dispensing section provided on an outer wall of the freezing compartment, the dispensing section including a vertically extending dispensing passage and a valve element provided in the dispensing passage so as to be slid, and a connecting pipe communicating with a side of the dispensing passage and projecting into the freezing compartment to be connected to a discharge side of the dispensing cylinder. In the dispenser, a portion of the dispensing passage communicating with the connecting pipe is closed and opened by the valve element and the connecting pipe is detachably attached to the dispensing passage.
According to the above-described construction, the connecting pipe is detachably attached to the dispensing section. Consequently, the dispensing section and the connecting pipe can be cleaned separately from each other when the connecting pipe is detached from the dispensing section in the cleaning. Moreover, the portion of the dispensing passage communicating with the connecting pipe is opened when the connecting pipe is detached from the dispensing section. Consequently, the dispensing route can be cleaned easily and sufficiently over the whole length and breadth thereof.
In a preferred form, the connecting pipe has an inner surface on which fluorine-contained resin layer is formed. In another preferred form, the dispensing section includes a side located at the freezing compartment side and having a hole communicating with the dispensing passage. Further, the connecting pipe has a proximal end side fitted in the hole of the dispensing section and includes a flange formed along an outer circumference thereof so as to abut an open edge of the hole. Further, the open edge of the hole has a pin standing therefrom wherein the pin has a mounting groove, the flange of the connecting pipe has an engagement hole engaging the mounting groove, and the connecting pipe is turned about an axis thereof so that the engagement hole engages and disengages from the mounting groove.
In another preferred form, the connecting pipe includes a portion located at the dispensing section side and having a smaller outer diameter than another portion thereof located at the freezing compartment side. In another preferred form, a closed heat-insulating space is defined along the outer circumference of the connecting pipe. In another preferred form, the heat-insulating space is a vacuum.


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