Ice cream vending machine

Details Ice cream vending machine Ice cream vending machine

2001-10-15

2002-05-21

Simone, Timothy F. (Department: 1761)

Foods and beverages: apparatus

Mechanical, fluid or heat treatment of dairy food

With temperature or atmosphere modification

C099S452000, C099S450100, C099S494000, C099S517000, C062S114000, C062S342000, C222S063000, C222S146600

Reexamination Certificate

active

06389962

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an ice cream vending machine, and more particularly to an ice cream vending machine for unattended vending of bead type ice cream, which is frozen in the form of granules having a size between 3 mm-7 mm in diameter.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1
shows a conventional ice cream vending machine. The vending machine shown in
FIG. 1
is disclosed herein as reference art that describes a device belonging to the common assignee with this invention. It has not been disclosed to the public as of the filing date of the priority document. Accordingly, the device shown in
FIG. 1
does not qualify as prior art in a non-obviousness rejection of the present invention.
Meanwhile, as shown in
FIG. 1
, the conventional ice cream vending machine includes a cooling system
10
, a freezing chamber
20
, a canister
30
, a cup-supplying device
40
, an ice cream discharging device
50
, a chute
60
, and a guide member
70
.
The cooling system
10
is substantially identical to a general refrigeration device. Once cooled by the cooling system
10
, the air is blown into the freezing chamber
20
by a blower
11
. Inside of the freezing chamber
20
, a canister
30
is arranged.
The canister
30
is filled with a bead type ice cream that is frozen into granular shapes being 3-7 mm in diameter. The freezing chamber
20
is maintained at a freezing temperature approximately from about −43° C. to −27° C.
The cup-supplying device
40
is arranged outside of the freezing chamber
20
to supply a cup
41
for holding ice cream. The ice cream discharging device
50
is disposed underneath and adjacent the lower portion of the canister
30
. The cup-supplying device
40
and the ice cream discharging device
50
are substantially identical to ones known, and do not comprise a specific feature of the invention.
The chute
60
is arranged underneath a discharging port
51
of the ice cream discharging device
50
to collect the discharged ice cream into a predetermined path. Also, the guide member
70
is arranged on the lower side of the chute
60
to guide the discharge ice cream into the cup
41
.
In the conventional ice cream vending machine constructed as above, first a customer inputs a coin of a predetermined amount into the vending machine and then presses a selection button. Accordingly, by the cup-supplying device
40
, the cup
41
is supplied to a predetermined location at the lower side of the guide member
70
.
Next, the ice cream discharging device
50
is operated, and accordingly, the ice cream is discharged. The discharged ice cream is discharged into the cup
41
through the chute
60
and a passage
71
of the guide member
70
, permitting the customer to pull out the cup
41
and enjoy the ice cream.
In conventional ice cream vending machines, however, even when the vending machine is not in vending operation, the interior of the freezing chamber
20
remains interconnected with the exterior through a passage
71
of the guide member. Accordingly, cool air leaks out of the freezing chamber
20
through the passage
71
of the guide member
70
, and consequently, there is an unnecessary consumption of electricity for operating the cooling system
10
to maintain appropriate temperature of the freezing chamber
20
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to overcome the above-mentioned problems of the related art, and accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ice cream vending machine capable of preventing loss of cool air by closing the passage of the guide member when the vending machine is not in vending operation.
The above object is accomplished by an ice cream vending machine in accordance with the present invention, including a cooling system, a freezing chamber cooled by the cooling system, a canister, arranged within the freezing chamber, for holding a bead type ice cream, a cup supplying device, arranged outside of the freezing chamber, for supplying a cup to hold the bead type ice cream, an ice cream discharging device for discharging the bead type ice cream from the canister, a guide member having a passage for guiding the ice cream discharged by the ice cream discharging device into the cup, and an opening/closing means for selectively opening and closing a passage of the guide member.
Here, the passage opening/closing means includes a passage opening/closing member and a conveying means for conveying the passage opening/closing member. The passage opening/closing member conveying means includes various proper well-known methods, such as using a solenoid or an electric motor as an actuator.


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