Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – With soil removing – coating – lubricating – sterilizing and/or... – Drip collection
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-03
2001-05-15
Maust, Timothy L. (Department: 3751)
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
With soil removing, coating, lubricating, sterilizing and/or...
Drip collection
C426S132000, C426S139000, C229S932000, C220S501000, C220S502000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230764
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to an ice cream cone holder and more particularly to an ice cream cone holder having a drip collector device for sanitarily containing the dripping of an ice cream cone as it melts.
BACKGROUND ART
A common problem encountered when eating an ice cream cone is that, especially in extremely hot weather, the ice cream tends to melt faster than one can consume it. Consequently, ice cream tends to run down the side of the cone and onto the consumers' hand creating an unsanitary, sticky mess. Also, melted ice cream running down the side of the cone tends to absorb into the cone causing the cone to become soggy, harder to handle, and overall less enjoyable.
The most commonly attempted solution to this problem is to wrap a napkin around the cone. Although using a napkin in this manner may tend to mitigate some of the problems associated with a melting ice cream cone, the napkin absorbs melting ice cream such that the consumer still comes into contact with the ice cream absorbed into the napkin as does the ice cream cone, although perhaps to a lesser degree.
It is also common to purchase pre-made frozen ice cream cone products that are individually contained in a paper sleeve that encases both the cone and the ice cream thereon. The paper is torn away from the ice cream that tops the cone, while the paper sleeve is left surrounding the cone. These sleeves are no more effective than the napkin because the ice cream simply melts down the side of the paper sleeve creating the same problems.
In response to the problems associated with melting ice cream cones, and due to the fact that the commonly employed napkin and paper sleeve fail to substantially alleviate these problems, various cone holders and drip-collector devices have been developed. However, these prior art devices are somewhat cumbersome, not disposable, and generally impractical to use, and thus they have not met with wide-spread adoption and use.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed toward providing an improvement over the prior art in the area of ice cream cone holders and drip collectors. Specifically, there is a need in the art for an ice cream cone holder and drip collector device that can be conveniently packaged in high density or as part of a pre-made frozen ice cream cone product, that is inexpensive to manufacture, that is disposable, that can be quickly dispensed from its packaged arrangement and fitted to the ice cream cone, and that can substantially protect the cone itself from the deleterious effects that melting ice cream tends to have on the cone. The prior art devices, while individually addressing one or more of these concerns, have failed to provide a device that addresses all of them so as to provide a device that is practical for wide spread use. Thus, there exists a need in the art for an ice cream cone holder and drip catcher device that incorporates all of the above-referenced characteristics into its design, and such a device is disclosed herein.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an ice cream cone holder and drip collector device that readily fits around an ice cream cone by substantially conforming to the shape of the cone.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ice cream cone holder and drip collector device, as above, that will collect ice cream as it melts so as to protect the cone from becoming soggy as well as to protect the user and surrounding area from the dripping of melted ice cream.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an ice cream cone holder and drip collector device, as above, that can be packaged in high density such that a plurality of the devices may be intimately stacked on each other.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an ice cream cone holder and drip collector, as above, that may alternatively be packaged as part of a pre-made frozen ice cream cone product.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an ice cream cone holder and drip collector device, as above, constructed of inexpensive and therefore readily disposable materials.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an ice cream cone holder and drip collector device, as above, that can be conveniently dispensed from its stacked arrangement and subsequently fitted onto the cone.
These and other objects of the present invention, as well as the advantages thereof over existing prior art forms, which will become apparent from the description to follow, are accomplished by the improvements hereinafter described and claimed.
In general, an ice cream cone holder and drip collector made in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention includes a sleeve having a lower end and an open upper end and shaped for receiving a least a portion of the cone. A drip catcher is attached to the sleeve and includes a wall connected to the sleeve. The drip catcher has no surfaces parallel to the vertical plane such that a plurality of the ice cream cone holder and drip collector devices may be intimately stacked and nested within each other.
Objects of the present invention may also be accomplished by another embodiment that includes a sleeve having an open upper end and a lower end and shaped for receiving at least a portion of the cone. A skirt is attached to the sleeve and can be manipulated from a first position wherein the skirt conforms to the shape of the sleeve to a second position wherein the skirt extends outwardly from the sleeve to provide a drip catcher to collect melting ice cream.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1304410 (1919-05-01), Thorton
patent: 1616570 (1927-02-01), Boynton
patent: 1800759 (1931-04-01), Shean
patent: 1854091 (1932-04-01), Young
patent: 1920995 (1933-08-01), Legge
patent: 2948452 (1960-08-01), Grogan et al.
patent: 3306512 (1967-02-01), Pagnini
patent: 4226355 (1980-10-01), Helfrich, Jr.
patent: 4718594 (1988-01-01), Harazi
patent: 4720037 (1988-01-01), Alpert
patent: 5152454 (1992-10-01), Warta et al.
patent: 5224646 (1993-07-01), Biancosino
patent: 136864 (1999-03-01), None
Maust Timothy L.
Renner Kenner Greive Bobak Taylor & Weber
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