Rotatable frozen confectionary product

• US 6,221,409 B1
• Filed: 08/26/1999
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Bueno Ceresuela, Jorge
• Primary Examiner(s): Brouillette, Gabrielle
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dauerman, Sherry A.
• Application Number:
  US09/383,194
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 426/104, 426/134, 426/420, 426/421, 446/247, 446/239, 446/240, 446/259, 446/261, 446/38, 446/40, 446/386
• US Class Current: 426/104
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 3/50 characterised by shape, structure or physical form, e.g. products with supported structure
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 3/563 products with an inedible support, e.g. a stick
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/44 characterised by shape, structure or physical form liquid products, solid products in the form of powders, flakes or granules for making liquid products A23G9/52
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/503 products with an inedible support, e.g. a stick
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/14 Starting or launching devices for toy aircraft; Arrangements on toy aircraft for starting or launching for launching objects from an aircraft A63H27/004

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for rotating an item, particularly an edible item. The edible item may be a confectionary product and preferably is a frozen dessert. The device includes a lower handle intended as a holder, an intermediate pinion inside a box, and a support assembly that supports the edible product. The support assembly is integral with the intermediate pinion and rotates freely with respect to the lower handle. The edible product is rotated by inserting a slender rack between the pinion and the inner face of the box in such a way that it meshes with the pinion so that its transverse movement gives rise to a rotation of the pinion and, consequently, rotation of the edible product supported on the support assembly.

Claims

1. A device for rotating an edible frozen confectionery item comprising:

an edible frozen confectionery item; and

a holder-stick for supporting the edible frozen confectioner item comprising;

a lower hollow handle;

a rotatable assembly which 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 edible frozen confectionery 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 edible frozen confectionery item secured thereto.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the support assembly includes 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.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the support assembly further includes 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.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the housing of the support assembly comprises 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 holder 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.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein 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.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein the rod is square or star-shaped and the pinion has a hollow central opening that has a cross section that mates with the shape of the rod to fixingly engage the same.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the item support element has a star shaped cross section and include at least two transverse holes for anchoring the edible frozen confectionery item thereon.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the pinion has a toothed exterior and the rack strip comprises 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.

9. A frozen confectionary product comprising:

an edible frozen confectionery item; and

a holder-stick for supporting the edible frozen confectionery item comprising;

a lower hollow handle;

a rotatable assembly which 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;

a product-support element fixedly attached to the second end of the support assembly and upon which the edible frozen confectionery item is fixedly attached to the product-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 edible frozen confectionery item secured thereto.

10. The confectionary product of claim 9 in further combination 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.

11. The confectionary product of claim 9 wherein the gadget or game is selected from the group consisting of a whisk, a spinning top, a rotary toy, and a flying toy.

12. A method for converting a frozen confectionery product into a toy comprising:

providing the frozen confectionary product of claim 9;

consuming the edible frozen confectionery item; and

placing a rotatable toy component upon the item support element after the edible frozen confectionery item is consumed to form the toy.

13. The method of claim 12 which further comprises playing with the toy by rotating the toy component with the rack strip.