Agitating – With heating or cooling – Fluid-filled jacket
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-16
2001-06-26
Simone, Timothy F. (Department: 1761)
Agitating
With heating or cooling
Fluid-filled jacket
C062S342000, C099S348000, C099S452000, C099S455000, C366S279000, C366S194000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250794
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ice cream making apparatus and an agitator for the same, more particularly to a household ice cream making apparatus and an agitator for the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1
illustrates a conventional ice cream making apparatus. The apparatus includes a stand
1
, a container
3
mounted on the stand
1
, an agitator
5
disposed inside the container
3
, a cover
2
covering the top of the container
3
, and a driving unit
4
mounted on the stand
1
and connected to the agitator
5
. The container
3
has a bottom outlet
301
.
The agitator
5
includes a shaft
501
defining an axis, a pair of first left and right arms
510
,
511
extending radially and oppositely from a top end of the shaft
501
, a pair of second left and right arms
506
,
507
extending radially and oppositely from a bottom end of the shaft
501
and aligned vertically and respectively with the first left and right arms
510
,
511
, a pair of third left and right arms
502
,
503
distal from the shaft
501
and respectively interconnecting the first and second left arms
510
,
506
and the first and second right arms
511
,
507
, and an extruding screw portion
504
extending downwardly from the bottom end of the shaft
501
and into the bottom outlet
301
. The third left and right arms
502
,
503
respectively have left and right wing portions
509
,
508
extending inclinedly therefrom. The right wing portion
508
extends to a position close to the inner wall of the container
3
so as to avoid coherent lumps of the ice cream near the inner side wall of the container
3
. The second left and right arms
506
,
507
respectively have wing portions inclined oppositely at angles relative to the axis to provide high turbulent flow of the ice cream, thereby enhancing the mixing effect of the ice cream.
The aforesaid agitator
5
is disadvantageous in that since the ice cream near the inner wall of the container
3
is gradually frosted, the frosted lumps of the ice cream will eventually be carried away and enter into the bottom outlet
301
of the container
3
during the course of agitation, thereby blocking the bottom outlet
301
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an agitator for an ice cream making apparatus that is capable of overcoming the aforementioned drawback.
According to one aspect of this invention, an agitator for mounting in a container of an ice cream making apparatus of this invention comprises: a first shaft defining a vertical axis; left and right arms extending radially and oppositely from a bottom end of the first shaft; a primary blade member disposed below the left and right arms, and having left and right blades aligned vertically and respectively with the left and right arms, and a central hole formed between the left and right blades, the left and right blades extending radially and oppositely from the central hole; diametrically opposed left and right limbs respectively interconnecting ends of the left arm and the left blade and ends of the right arm and the right blade, and respectively having parallel left and right plates and left and right wings projecting inclinedly and respectively from the left and right plates and extending respectively between the left arm and the left blade and between the right arm and the right blade; an extruding screw member having a hollow second shaft extending downwardly from a periphery of the central hole and coaxial with the first shaft, the second shaft confining a channel that is communicated with the central hole; and an auxiliary blade member including a rod that is received in the channel and that has one end extending through the central hole, and left and right leaves extending radially and oppositely from the end of the rod and substantially parallel to the left and right blades, the primary blade member and the left and right limbs being rotatable about the axis when the first shaft rotates, the auxiliary blade member being adapted to be held fast by the container when the primary blade member and the left and right limbs rotate about the axis.
According to another aspect of this invention, an ice cream making apparatus of this invention comprises: a stand; a container mounted on the stand and having a bottom outlet; an agitator mounted in the container; and a driving unit mounted on the stand for driving the agitator to rotate about the axis. The agitator includes: a first shaft defining a vertical axis; left and right arms extending radially and oppositely from a bottom end of the first shaft; a primary blade member disposed below the left and right arms, and having left and right blades aligned vertically and respectively with the left and right arms, and a central hole formed between the left and right blades, the left and right blades extending radially and oppositely from the central hole; diametrically opposed left and right limbs respectively interconnecting ends of the left arm and the left blade and ends of the right arm and the right blade, and respectively having parallel left and right plates and left and right wings projecting inclinedly and respectively from the left and right plates and extending respectively between the left arm and the left blade and between the right arm and the right blade; an extruding screw member having a hollow second shaft extending downwardly from a periphery of the central hole and coaxial with the first shaft, the second shaft confining a channel that is communicated with the central hole; and an auxiliary blade member including a rod that is received in the channel and that has one end extending through the central hole, and left and right leaves extending radially and oppositely from the end of the rod and substantially parallel to the left and right blades, the primary blade member and the left and right limbs being rotatable about the axis when the first shaft rotates, the auxiliary blade member being held fast by the container when the primary blade member and the left and right limbs rotate about the axis.
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Simone Timothy F.
Trop Pruner & Hu PC
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