Refrigeration – Means producing shaped or modified congealed product – With means for working congealing material – e.g. – beater
Patent
1998-02-23
1998-12-08
Tapolcai, William E.
Refrigeration
Means producing shaped or modified congealed product
With means for working congealing material, e.g., beater
62525, 366288, A23G 912
Patent
active
058455124
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a device for preparing a composition at preselected temperatures, and specifically to a semi-frozen food preparation apparatus for preparing and dispensing soft-serve ice cream or similar foods.
There are known soft-serve ice cream machines. For example, Erickson U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,180 discloses a soft ice cream machine including a reservoir and mixing arm for mixing the ice cream. Erickson, however, fails to disclose a device for preparing food compositions including a jacket member and manifold which maintain the reservoir at a uniform temperature, and a mechanism for thoroughly aerating the device in the reservoir.
The present invention overcomes the above discussed limitations and shortcomings of known composition processing devices, and satisfies a significant need for such a device which thoroughly mixes, aerates, and effectively discharges a confection at a cooled, preselected temperature, and which thoroughly cleans the device when not in use.
The present invention is a composition preparation and dispensing device, comprising a container for receiving the composition ingredients, having a input port and an output port located at opposite ends thereof; a jacket member which is disposed about the container so that a substantially sealed area is formed therebetween; a unit for providing a refrigerant fluid to flow through the area defined between the container and jacket member; a manifold for substantially evenly distributing the coolant throughout the sealed area between the container and jacket member; an auger member for scraping the composition from the inner surface of the container at substantially all points thereon, mixing and aerating the composition throughout the container, and urging the composition towards a dispensing unit; and wherein the container is disposed within the device at an angle relative to a horizontal axis so as to effectively push the composition forwardly towards the dispensing unit so that the mixed product is effectively combined with newly added composition ingredients.
In use, as the composition ingredients are added to the container unit via the input port thereof, the cooling unit and the fluid flow providing unit introduce a flow of refrigerant in direct contact with the outer surface of the container substantially evenly so as to maintain the temperature of the container surface at a substantially uniform temperature. The ingredients are thoroughly mixed with air to achieve the desired product consistency, and aerated by imparting planetary motion to the auger member, which urges the mixture towards the container wall for cooling, scrapes it therefrom, and urges the mixture towards the output port for dispensing.
Upon dispensing the mixed product, the device is cleaned by adding a substantially liquid cleaning product to the container via the input port, operating the auger member so as to thoroughly splash the cleaner against substantially all portions of the container, and draining the cleaner therefrom using the output port.
An object of the invention is to provide a device which effectively prepares a composition.
Other objects, advantages and salient features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses preferred embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a jacket member-container member of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an internal cross sectional view taken along the 3--3 line of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the present invention taken along the 4--4 line of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view the device of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the device in FIG. 4.
FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating the cooling efficiency of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a manifold member.
FIG. 8a is a cross sectional view of the manifo
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patent: 3761060 (1973-09-01), Schwab et al.
patent: 3900188 (1975-08-01), Seufert
patent: 4052180 (1977-10-01), Erickson
patent: 4277953 (1981-07-01), Kramer
patent: 5341656 (1994-08-01), Rust, Jr. et al.
Chase Thomas W.
Pahl Richard C.
Walsh Greg
Blackman William D.
Carrier Joseph P.
Tapolcai William E.
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