Mobile Confectionary Apparatus With Protectible Dispensing System

• US 20090078724A1
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kona Ice, Inc.
• Original Assignee: EGR Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Lamb, Tony, Guard, Tony M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,157,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/608
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/0257 the object being a vending stall, restaurant or food kiosk

Abstract

The mobile confectionary apparatus for dispensing beverages and/or frozen confections and the like, includes a vehicle configured for travel over public roads to a location such as a parking lot, street, festival or fair grounds, or the like. The vehicle includes an enclosure having an interior space in which one or more persons can prepare and dispense confections, or containers for confections or beverages. The enclosure includes one or more service windows or openings for dispensing the prepared confections or containers; and a self-serve liquid dispensing system on or in an outer surface of the enclosure, usable by recipients of the dispensed confections or containers, for selectably dispensing toppings on the confections, or liquids into the containers, separately from the dispensing and selling thereof. The dispensing system is closable or coverable by a person from within the interior space, to prevent access from the outside, and for cleaning, service and travel.

Claims

1. A mobile confectionary apparatus, comprising:

a mobile vehicle including at least one upstanding side wall bounding an interior space on the vehicle adapted for receiving at least one person;

the interior space being configured to be usable by a person for preparing confections or dispensing containers for confections;

the side wall including at least one opening through which the prepared confections or containers can be dispensed and a monetary transaction conducted; and

the side wall including a liquid dispensing system configurable in a dispensing mode including at least one liquid dispenser positioned and manually operable by a person located outside of the vehicle for dispensing a liquid onto a confection or into a container disposed generally beneath the dispenser, the dispenser being connected by at least one liquid line to a reservoir carried on the mobile structure and containing a quantity of the liquid, and the dispensing system in the dispensing configuration including a tray spaced at least generally below the at least one dispenser and configured for catching liquid dropped from the dispenser and directing the dropped liquid to a waste container carried on the vehicle, the liquid dispensing system being configurable in a closed mode covered by a cover member, the liquid dispensing system being further configured so as to be configurable in the dispensing mode and alternatively in the closed mode by a person located within the interior space.

2. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile vehicle comprises a truck.

3. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile vehicle comprises a trailer.

4. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 1, wherein the liquid dispensing system is located in a second opening in the side wall in connection with the interior space.

5. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one dispenser and the tray are jointly pivotally mounted to the side wall so as to be pivotable between a dispensing mode position extending outwardly from the second opening in the side wall so as to be accessible by persons outside of the vehicle, and a closed mode position wherein the at least one dispenser is retracted into the second opening and covered by the tray.

6. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 5, wherein the waste container is located in the interior space, and wherein the liquid dispensing system further comprises a liquid line extending from the tray to the waste container.

7. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 5, wherein the liquid dispensing system when in the toppings dispensing mode includes an element positioned within the interior space graspable and movable by a person from inside the interior space for pivoting the liquid dispensing system to the closed mode.

8. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 1, comprising a row of the dispensers connected by liquid lines to a plurality of reservoirs carried on the mobile vehicle and containing a quantity of the liquid, respectively.

9. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 8, wherein each of the liquids comprises a flavored liquid, and wherein the reservoirs are disposed above the dispensers, such that the liquids will flow under force of gravity through the liquid lines to the dispensers, respectively.

10. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 1, wherein the liquid dispensing system includes apparatus for blowing air past the at least one dispenser, for keeping insects away.

11. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus for blowing air comprises a hood disposed generally above the at least one dispenser, and a light operable for illuminating the at least one dispenser.

12. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cover member is contained within the side wall and configured so as to be slidable over the opening for covering the liquid dispensing system when in the closed mode.

13. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cover member is configured to be fixedly securable to the exterior surface of the side wall in an open position so as to expose the at least one dispenser when the liquid dispensing system is in the dispensing mode.

14. A mobile frozen confectionary apparatus, comprising:

a mobile vehicle including at least one upstanding side wall bounding an interior space on the vehicle adapted for receiving at least one person;

apparatus disposed in the interior space, configured to be usable by a person located in the interior space for preparing a frozen confection;

the side wall including at least one opening through which the prepared frozen confection can be sold and dispensed; and

the side wall including a liquid dispensing system at a location so as to be accessible by a person located outside of the vehicle separately of the dispensing and selling of the frozen confections, the liquid dispensing system being configured for movement by a person located in the interior space, between a dispensing position projecting from the exterior surface of the wall, and a closed position withdrawn into the wall and covered by a protective cover, the system including at least one liquid dispenser positioned and configured when the dispensary is in the dispensing position, so as to be manually operable by a person standing outside of the vehicle beside the wall, for dispensing a liquid topping on a frozen confection disposed generally beneath the dispenser, the liquid dispenser being connected to a reservoir carried on the mobile structure and containing a quantity of the topping.

15. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 14, comprising a row of the liquid dispensers on the liquid dispensing system dispensary and connected by liquid lines to a plurality of reservoirs carried on the mobile vehicle and containing a quantity of the liquid topping, respectively.

16. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 14, wherein the mobile vehicle comprises wheeled vehicle.

17. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 14, wherein the liquid dispensing system is pivotable between the dispensing position and the closed position.

18. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 14, wherein the liquid dispensing system is slidable between the dispensing position and the closed position.

19. A mobile confectionary apparatus, comprising:

a mobile vehicle including at least one upstanding side wall bounding an interior space on the vehicle adapted for receiving at least one person, apparatus disposed in the interior space and configured to be usable by a person therein for preparing a frozen confection, the side wall having an exterior surface opposite the interior surface, the side wall including at least one confection dispensing opening therethrough through which a prepared frozen confection can be dispensed by a person located in the interior space to a person located outside of the vehicle, the side wall including a toppings dispensing opening at a location so as to be accessible by a person located outside of the vehicle separately from the dispensing of frozen confections from the vehicle, the toppings dispensing opening containing a liquid toppings dispensing system including at least one toppings dispenser manually operable for dispensing a liquid topping, the toppings dispenser being connected by at least one liquid line to a reservoir carried on the mobile structure and containing a quantity of the topping, and the exterior surface of the side wall including a cover member configured so as to be positionable in an open position allowing access to the toppings dispensary by persons located outside of the mobile vehicle, and in a closed position covering the toppings dispensing opening for preventing access thereto from outside of the vehicle.

20. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a tray spaced at least generally below the at least one toppings dispenser and configured for catching toppings dropped from the dispenser and directing the dropped toppings to a waste container carried on the vehicle.

21. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 19, wherein the mobile vehicle comprises a truck.

22. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 19, wherein the mobile vehicle comprises a trailer.

23. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 19, comprising a row of the toppings dispensers connected by the liquid lines to a plurality of the reservoirs carried on the mobile vehicle and containing a quantity of the topping, respectively.

24. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 23, wherein each of the toppings comprises a flavored liquid, and wherein the reservoirs are disposed above the dispensers, such that the toppings will flow under force of gravity through the liquid lines to the dispensers, respectively.

25. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 19, wherein the dispensing system further comprises apparatus for blowing air past the at least one dispenser, for keeping insects away.

26. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 25, wherein the apparatus for blowing air comprises a hood disposed generally above the at least one dispenser.