Mobile confectionary apparatus with protectible dispensing system

• US 8,157,136 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin P
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARTAGENA, MELVIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/171,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20090078724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 222/608, 222/108, 222/74, 222/75, 222/529, 222/144.5, 296/22, 296/24.36
• 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;

an interior space surrounded by the at least one upstanding side wall and configured to be usable by a person for preparing confections or dispensing containers for confections;

a first opening extending through the side wall and through which the prepared confections or containers can be dispensed and a monetary transaction conducted;

a liquid dispensing system supported by the side wall and being configurable in a dispensing mode, wherein the liquid dispensing system comprises;

a plurality of liquid dispensers positioned and operable by a person located outside the mobile vehicle for dispensing a liquid onto a prepared confection or into a dispensing container that is disposed generally beneath at least one of the plurality of liquid dispensers, each of the plurality of liquid dispensers being connected by at least one liquid line to a reservoir carried on the mobile structure vehicle and containing a quantity of the liquid; and

tray positioned beneath and spaced away from the plurality of liquid dispensers and configured for catching liquid dropped from at least one of the plurality of liquid dispensers and directing the dropped liquid to a waste container carried on the mobile vehicle; and

the liquid dispensing system being further configurable in a closed mode covered by a cover member, wherein the liquid dispensing system is configurable between the dispensing mode and 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, further comprising a second opening extending through the side wall, wherein the liquid dispensing system is configured to close the second opening in the side wall.

5. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 4, wherein the liquid dispensing system is pivotally mounted to the side wall so as to pivot between the dispensing mode extending outwardly from the second opening in the side wall and the closed mode, wherein the plurality of liquid dispensers is retracted into the second opening and covered by the cover member, wherein the cover member is comprised of at least a portion of the tray.

6. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 4, wherein the waste container is located in the interior space and the liquid dispensing system further comprises:

a liquid line extending from the tray to the waste container.

7. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 4, wherein the liquid dispensing system further comprises:

an element accessible by a person from inside the interior space when the liquid dispensing system is in the dispensing mode, the element configured to pivot the liquid dispensing system to the closed mode.

8. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of liquid dispensers are aligned in a row and the reservoir comprises a plurality of reservoirs each containing a quantity of a liquid, wherein each of the plurality of liquid dispensers is connected, by the respective at least one liquid line, to the respective one of the plurality of reservoirs carried on the mobile vehicle.

9. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 8, wherein each of the liquids comprises a flavored liquid, and wherein each of the plurality of reservoirs is positioned above the respective one of the plurality of liquid dispenserssuch that each of the liquids will flow under force of gravity through the respective at least one liquid lineto the respective one of the plurality of liquid dispensers.

10. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 1, wherein the liquid dispensing system includes an apparatus configured to blow air past at least one of the plurality of dispensers.

11. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus configured to blow air comprises a hood disposed generally above the at least one of the plurality of dispensers, and a light operable for illuminating the at least one of the plurality of dispensers.

12. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover member is supported by the side wall and configured to slide over the the liquid dispensing system when in the closed mode.

13. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover member is configured to be fixedly securable to an exterior surface of the side wall so as to expose the liquid dispensing system when in the dispensing mode.

14. A mobile frozen confectionary apparatus, comprising:

a mobile vehicle including at least one upstanding side wall;

an interior space surrounded by the at least one upstanding sidewall and configured to receive at least one person;

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

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

a liquid dispensing system supported by the side wall at a location so as to be accessible by a person located outside of the mobile vehicle and spaced away from the at least one opening, the liquid dispensing system being moveable by a person located in the interior space between a dispensing position and a closed position, wherein the liquid dispensing system in the dispensing position projects from an exterior surface of the side wall and in the closed position is withdrawn into the side wall, the liquid dispensing system comprising of a plurality of liquid dispensers positioned so as to be operable by a person standing outside of the vehicle when the liquid dispensing system is in the dispensing position, for dispensing at least one liquid topping;

a protective cover configured to cover the liquid dispensing system in the closed position.

15. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of liquid dispensers is operably coupled to at least one of a plurality of reservoirs, wherein each of the plurality of reservoirs contains a quantity of the at least one liquid topping.

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

an interior space surrounded by the at least one upstanding wall for receiving at least one person;

an apparatus disposed in the interior space and configured to be usable by a person therein for preparing a frozen confection;

a confection dispensing opening extending through the side wall and through which a prepared frozen confection can be dispensed by a person located in the interior space to a person located outside of the mobile vehicle;

a toppings dispensing opening extending through the side wall and communicating between an exterior of the side wall and the interior space at a location so as to be accessible by a person located outside of the vehicle;

a liquid toppings dispensing system comprising a backsplash and a plurality of topping dispensers supported by and extending outwardly from the backsplash, each of the plurality of topping dispensers being operable for dispensing a liquid topping, wherein the liquid toppings dispensing system is configured to close the communication between the exterior of the side wall and the interior space through the toppings dispensing opening; and

a reservoir containing a quantity of the liquid topping and operably coupled to at least one of the plurality of topping dispensers.

20. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a tray supported by the backsplash and spaced generally below at least one of the plurality of toppingdispensers the tray being configured for catching toppings dropped from the at least one of the plurality of topping dispenser and directing the dropped toppings to a waste container carried on the mobile 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, wherein the plurality of topping dispensers are positioned in a row and the reservoir is comprised of a plurality of reservoirs, each of the plurality of topping dispensers being connected by a respective liquid line to a respective one of the plurality of the reservoirs, each containing a quantity of the liquid topping.

24. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 23, wherein each of the liquid toppings comprises a flavored liquid, and wherein the plurality of reservoirs is disposed above the liquid toppings dispensersystem such that the liquid toppings will flow under force of gravity through the respective one of the liquid lines to the respect one of the plurality of topping dispensers.

25. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 19, wherein the liquid toppings dispensing system further comprises an apparatus configured to blow air past at least one of the plurality of topping dispensers.

26. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 25, wherein the apparatus configured to blow air includes a hood disposed generally above the at least one of the plurality of topping dispensers.

27. The mobile confectionary apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a cover member configured to cover the liquid toppings dispensing system and to limit access to the liquid toppings dispensing system from outside of the vehicle.