Fountain that flows with fluidic material

• US 20060038035A1
• Filed: 10/19/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sephra LP (Sephra LLC)
• Original Assignee: Sephra LLC
• Inventors: Liang, Wu C., Polley, William F., Muir, Devan B., Muir, Richard B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,182,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/146
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 1/042 Manufacture or treatment of liquid, cream, paste, granule, shred or powder
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 1/18 Apparatus for conditioning chocolate masses for moulding
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 1/50 characterised by shape, structure or physical form, e.g. products with an inedible support liquid products, solid products in the form of powders, flakes or granules for making liquid products A23G1/56
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 3/0091 Coating by casting of liquids
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 3/0093 Coating by dipping in a liquid, at the surface of which another liquid or powder may be floating
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 3/22 Apparatus for coating by casting of liquids
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 3/24 Apparatus for coating by dipping in a liquid, at the surface of which another liquid or powder may be floating
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/085 designed to produce sheets or curtains of liquid, e.g. water walls
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A fountain for heating and distributing fluidic material is manufactured using various processes and materials so that the fountain is more easily cleaned and sanitized, has improved performance, and is easier to assemble. In one embodiment, the chocolate fountain includes a heating element encased in an aluminum enclosure. A basin containing chocolate is heated by contact with the aluminum enclosure. Because the aluminum enclosure has a relatively high thermal conductivity, the basin is heating substantially uniformly, thus reducing the occurrence of hot spots. Additionally, a plastic auger having a spiral flight rotates and lifts the melted chocolate upward to a top end of cylinder that houses the auger. The use of a plastic auger advantageously eliminates welding artifacts on the auger, such as burrs and pits, on which melted chocolate may accumulate. Accordingly, the plastic auger is easy to clean. A smaller chocolate fountain that may advantageously be more suitable for home use is also described herein.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a basin having a bottom surface and an outer side surrounding the bottom surface, the basin being configured to contain a fluidic material within the basin;

a heating element configured to heat the fluidic material within the basin;

a cylinder having a top end and a bottom end, wherein the bottom end is in proximity to the bottom surface of the basin so that the cylinder extends substantially perpendicular from the bottom surface, the cylinder comprising a first external diameter at a first location and a second external diameter larger than the first external diameter at a second location that is below the first location so as to define a step sized to support a structure having an aperture with a diameter that is substantially equal to the first external diameter;

an auger having a spiral flight comprising a plurality of revolutions extending along a length of the auger, wherein the auger is disposed within the cylinder; and

a source of rotation coupled to the auger and configured to rotate the auger inside the cylinder, wherein the spiral flight supports the fluidic material as the auger rotates, moving the fluidic material upwardly within the cylinder.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluidic material flows from the top end of the cylinder onto the upper surface of the structure and flows downwardly to the basin.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the structure is bowl shaped so that an outer perimeter of the structure is curved towards the basin.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluidic material comprises melted chocolate.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the source of rotation comprises an electric motor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the electric motor is mounted so that a drive shaft rotates parallel to the auger and wherein a belt is coupled to the drive shaft and the auger so that the drive shaft rotates the auger.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the electric motor is mounted so that a drive shaft directly engages the auger so that the drive shaft rotates the auger.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a crown mounted on the top end of the cylinder, wherein the fluidic material flows from the top end of the cylinder onto the crown and then onto the upper surface of the structures.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a surface of the crown on which the fluidic material flows is substantially free of welding artifacts.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the crown is mounted on the top end of the cylinder so that a portion of the crown extends below the top end of the cylinder, and wherein the crown is configured so that the fluidic material does not contact the portion of the crown that extends below the top end of the cylinder.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second structure mounted on the cylinder, wherein the fluidic material flows on an upper surface of the second structure.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a third structure mounted on the cylinder, wherein the fluidic material flows on an upper surface of the third structure.

13. A method of assembling an apparatus for circulating melted food items, the method comprising:

mounting a cylinder to a basin so that the cylinder extends substantially perpendicular from a bottom surface of the basin, wherein the cylinder comprises a step formed on the outer surface of the cylinder at a predetermined location; and

placing a tier having a aperture on the cylinder so that a top end of the cylinder is inside the aperture, wherein the tier is sized so that the tier engages the step formed on the outer surface of the cylinder at the predetermined location.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the tier comprises a notch configured to engage the step.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a basin having a bottom surface and an outer side surrounding the bottom surface, the basin being configured to contain a fluidic material within the basin;

a heating element configured to heat the fluidic material within the basin;

a cylinder having a top end and a bottom end, wherein the bottom end is in proximity to the bottom surface of the basin so that the cylinder extends substantially perpendicular from the bottom surface, the top end of the cylinder having a smaller external diameter than an external diameter of the bottom end of the cylinder so that a structure having an aperture larger than the external diameter of the top end of the cylinder and smaller than the external diameter of the bottom end of the cylinder will be supported by the cylinder at a predetermined location on the cylinder;

an auger having a spiral flight comprising a plurality of revolutions extending along a length of the auger, wherein the auger is disposed within the cylinder; and

a source of rotation coupled to the auger and configured to rotate the auger inside the cylinder, wherein the spiral flight supports the fluidic material as the auger rotates, moving the fluidic material upwardly within the cylinder.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the predetermined location on the cylinder has a diameter that is approximately equal to a diameter of the aperture of the structure.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a diameter of the cylinder at the predetermined location is larger than a diameter of the cylinder above the predetermined locations.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the structure comprises a tier.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for engaging comprises a tapered portion of the cylinder.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for engaging comprises a step portion of the cylinder.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the tier comprises a notch configured to engage the step.

19. A chocolate fountain comprising:

a basin having a bottom surface and an outer side surrounding the bottom surface, the basin being configured to contain melted chocolate within the basin;

a cylinder having a top end and a bottom end, wherein the bottom end is in proximity to the bottom surface of the basin so that the cylinder extends substantially perpendicular from the bottom surface, the top end of the cylinder having a smaller external diameter than an external diameter of the bottom end of the cylinder;

means for engaging a tier at a predetermined location on the cylinder;

an auger having a spiral flight comprising a plurality of revolutions extending along a length of the auger, wherein the auger is disposed within the cylinder; and

a source of rotation coupled to the auger and configured to rotate the auger inside the cylinder, wherein the spiral flight supports the melted chocolate as the auger rotates, moving the melted chocolate upwardly within the cylinder.