Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Imitated – simulated – ornamental – three-dimensional product...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-26
2001-04-24
Brouillette, Gabrielle (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Imitated, simulated, ornamental, three-dimensional product...
C426S134000, C446S038000, C446S239000, C446S240000, C446S386000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06221409
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The subject of the present invention is a device that can be used to rotate an object such as an edible product. Thus, the invention also relates to a confectionary product having a stick that supports an edible product and enables the user to rotate the edible product, as desired. In particular the edible product can be a frozen edible product such as an ice lolly.
BACKGROUND
A wide variety of articles for consumption by a user that are supported by various types of wooden or plastic holder-sticks are currently available on the market. When consuming a frozen dessert in a constant and regular manner, the user has to rotate the frozen dessert by hand in order to gain access to all sides of the dessert. Rotating the dessert by hand is inconvenient and has the risk that the frozen dessert may be dropped or drip and perhaps stain clothing. Furthermore, after the frozen dessert has been consumed, the dessert's stick has to be discarded since it has no other use. Thus, there is a need for improved devices to support articles for consumption that do not require rotating the dessert by hand. Furthermore, it would be desirable if the device had another use so that it would not have to be discarded. The present invention provides such a device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for rotating an item that includes an item and a holder-stick for supporting the item. The holder-stick includes a lower hollow handle and a rotatable assembly. The rotatable assembly includes a support assembly having first and second ends wherein the first end is positioned within the lower handle for rotational movement therein, a pinion member associated with the support assembly, and a housing for surrounding at least the pinion member, an item-support element fixedly attached to the second end of the support assembly and upon which the item is fixedly attached to the item support element, and a rack strip for insertion into the housing and having teeth which engage the pinion when so inserted such that transverse movement of the rack imparts rotation to the pinion, the support assembly and the item secured thereto.
The support assembly may be a rod having first and second ends wherein the first end is inserted in the hollow handle to facilitate rotation therein and wherein the pinion is attached to the rod. The support assembly may further include an intermediate support component having first and second ends wherein the first end is wider than the second end and wherein the first end is attached to the second end of the rod to hold the pinion on the rod.
When the device includes an intermediate support assembly the housing of the support assembly may be a box having an upper face, a lower face, and two lateral faces, wherein the upper and lower faces each have a coaxial hole and the diameter of the coaxial hole on the upper face is sufficiently large to receive the second end of the intermediate support component but smaller than the first end of the intermediate support component; wherein the rod passes through the coaxial hole on the lower face of the box, the hollow handle is attached to the lower face of the box, the intermediate support component and pinion are contained within the box such that the intermediate support component and the pinion can freely rotate in the box, the second end of the intermediate support component emerges from the coaxial hole in the upper face of the box, with the item support element attached to the second end of the intermediate support component.
In one embodiment the interior of the box has two lateral projections formed by a flat surface that is perpendicular to the upper and lower faces of the box and interrupted by the intermediate support component and pinion that forms a chamber, and the upper face of the box is trapped between the first end of the intermediate support component and the item support element.
The rod may be square or star-shaped and the pinion may have a hollow central opening that has a cross section that mates with the shape of the rod to fixingly engage the same.
The item support element may have a star shaped cross section and include at least two transverse holes for anchoring the edible product thereon.
The pinion may have a toothed exterior and the rack strip may be a substantially elongated, narrow, flattened strip that has a series of teeth on one or both of its two principal faces and a circular holder on one of its ends such that the teeth of the rack strip can mesh with the toothed exterior of the pinion.
The item may be an edible product, a gadget or a toy.
The invention also relates to a confectionary product that includes an edible product mounted on the item support element of the device for rotating an item described herein. The edible product may be a frozen confectionary product.
The confectionary product may further be combined with a gadget or game to connect to the second end of the support assembly, after the edible product has been consumed, to make a toy. The gadget or game may be a whisk, a spinning top, a rotary toy, or a flying toy.
The invention also relates to a method for converting an edible product into a toy that includes the steps of providing the device for rotating an item described herein wherein the item is an edible product mounted on the item support element, consuming the edible product, and placing a rotatable toy component upon the item support element after the edible product is consumed to form the toy. The method may further include playing with the toy by rotating the toy component with the rack strip.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1383795 (1921-07-01), Fowler
patent: 2799587 (1957-07-01), Schwartz
patent: 3140954 (1964-07-01), Schroeder
patent: 3229414 (1966-01-01), Bross
patent: 3237342 (1966-03-01), Bross
patent: 5209692 (1993-05-01), Coleman et al.
patent: 5391107 (1995-02-01), Coleman
patent: 5676988 (1997-10-01), Coleman et al.
patent: 716766 (1965-08-01), None
Brouillette Gabrielle
Dauerman Sherry A.
Nestec S.A.
Pennie & Edmonds LLP
LandOfFree
Rotatable frozen confectionary product does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Rotatable frozen confectionary product, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Rotatable frozen confectionary product will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2498620