Refrigeration – Processes – Congealing flowable material – e.g. – ice making
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-20
2003-02-04
Tapolcai, William E. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Processes
Congealing flowable material, e.g., ice making
C099S517000, C426S249000, C062S340000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06513337
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a system of making and dispensing colored water and ice cubes and more particularly pertains to allowing ice cubes to be produced in different colors and shapes.
The use of food product enhancements is known in the prior art. More specifically, food product enhancements heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of enhancing foods are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, these patents do not describe a system of making colored ice cubes in different colors and shapes, and dispensing such cubes and/or colored water as requested by a user.
In this respect, the method of making colored ice cubes of varying shapes according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of allowing ice cubes to be produced in different colors and shapes.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved device which allows a user to select a color, and then allows the user to dispense water having that color, or subsequently dispense ice cubes of that color. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of food product enhancements now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved method of making and dispensing colored ice cubes and colored water. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved method of making colored ice cubes of varying shapes which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a control unit with front panel buttons which allow a user to select a color. Dye reservoirs are provided which are selectively dispensed into a mixing chamber where they are combined with water and chilled. The colored water is provided to a dispensing unit which selectively dispenses colored water, or creates colored ice cubes for subsequent dispensing. Ice trays are removably secured within the dispensing unit to allow various shaped ice cubes to be produced.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of making and dispensing colored water and colored ice cubes of varying shapes which has all the advantages of the prior art food product enhancements and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved system for making colored water and colored ice cubes of varying shapes which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system for making colored ice cubes of varying shapes which is of durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved system for making and dispensing colored water and colored ice cubes of varying shapes which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such a method of making colored ice cubes of varying shapes economically available to the buying public.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved system for making colored ice cubes of varying shapes for allowing ice cubes to be produced in different colors and shapes.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4548508 (1985-10-01), Verkler
patent: 5018363 (1991-05-01), Aoki et al.
patent: 5158506 (1992-10-01), Kusano et al.
patent: 5191773 (1993-03-01), Cassell
patent: 5199278 (1993-04-01), Cocchi
patent: 5433084 (1995-07-01), Kaiser et al.
patent: 5549219 (1996-08-01), Lancaster
Astvatsatrian Gaiane
Gedleyan Hovannes
Jay Jack
Ali Mohammad M.
Goldstein & Lavas P.C.
Tapolcai William E.
LandOfFree
System for making and dispensing colored water and colored... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with System for making and dispensing colored water and colored..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and System for making and dispensing colored water and colored... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3143681