Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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1 ICE CREAM DIPPING CABINET
2 FIELD OF THE INVENTION
3 The present invention relates to cabinet apparatus for containing ice
cream, sherbet and the
4 like, for maintaining the contents at a desired temperature, and for
ready access by servers,
particularly in a commercial retail establishment.
6 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
7 Ice cream (or ice-cream) is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy
products, such as milk
8 and cream, which is often combined with fruits or other ingredients and
flavorings. The resulting
9 mixture of chosen ingredients is stirred slowly while cooling, in order
to incorporate air and to
prevent large ice crystals from forming in the product. The result is a
smoothly textured semi-solid
11 foam that is readily scooped. For commercial distribution as ice cream
cones or related items, the
12 ice cream product is poured into tubs and frozen for delivery to
commercial outlets for ice cream.
13 These outlets or stores usually have cabinets for containing the tubs,
which maintain the temperature
14 of the tubs in the proper range of about -10 F to +10 F, and in which
the tubs are positioned for
access by servers. Most ice cream tubs are cylindrical, although some have a
rectangular or square
16 cross section. The tubs are placed in a cabinet either without any
lateral restraint, or multiple tubs
17 are sometimes banded together to keep them from turning or shifting.
When it is necessary to
18 replace an empty tub with a full one, it is necessary to disband all
tubs in the group, replace one tub
19 and reband the group. This impairs efficient serving of customers. Thus,
the tubs are not easy for
a server to replace during a time of high activity. In present cabinets a
server must reach deeper and
21 deeper with a scoop to access the ice cream as the level of the product
falls lower, which can make
22 access to the bottom of the tub difficult, particularly for short
persons. Additionally, it is difficult
23 for persons to remove tubs, as one must bend far over to reach the
bottom of a tub for removal.
24 Further, the tubs are kept frozen by cooling coils in the vertical walls
of the cabinet. In current
cabinets, a server changing a tub occasionally scrapes against the accumulated
ice crystals on the side
26 of the cabinet, knocking bits of ice into the ice cream in the
replacement tub, creating a contaminated
27 food product, which is unappealing to the consumer.
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1 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
2
The invention provides an ice cream dipping cabinet in which tubs of ice cream
are provided
3
with individual tub receptacles surrounded by cooling coils which are
configured inside the cabinet
4
around the ice-cream tubs. The cabinet has a solid top plate which orients the
individual tubs. This
allows lower maintenance time and cost, helps keep moisture out and cold air
in the enclosed bottom
6
of the cabinet. A top plate is provided that has holes for the tubs, which,
when the tubs are in place,
7
limits the escape of cold air from the cabinet, improving energy efficiency,
as well as improving the
8
overall visual aesthetics of the cabinet and the ice cream display, and the
ease of access to the desired
9
tub by the server. Ice buildup reduces thermal efficiency, but since the
buildup is slow in the
1 0
invented cabinet because of the limited moisture, thermal efficiency is
maintained. Also, because
11
the cooling coils are readily accessible, a damaged coil or coil section can
be easily replaced,
12
resulting in improved and more efficient maintenance than is possible on
currently available cabinets
13
in which the coils are embedded in the walls. Further, because the tubs are at
a higher elevation in
14
the invented cabinet than in currently available cabinets, the server has
better access to the tub
contents. Also, a single tub can readily be replaced by a server without
impacting the serving
16 capability of an adjacent server.
17
The invention is also useful in display and serving of other than frozen
foods, such as foods
18 to be served in a cafeteria, particularly cold foods.
19
The invention also includes means for preventing each tub from turning when
being accessed
in the proper serving position.
21
Thus, the invention is an apparatus for cooling and storage of cold or frozen
foods,
22 comprising:
23 a generally box-shaped base;
24 a top plate engaging said box, and having one or more receiving holes
therethrough;
at least one tub receptacle within said base and mating with said one or more
receiving holes
26 in said top plate for receiving a tub containing a cold or frozen
foodstuff;
27
a cooling coil assembly within the base, arranged about said at least a
portion of each tub
2
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1 receptacle for cooling the tub and the contents thereof; and
2 a compressor connected to said cooling coil assembly for passing
refrigeration gas
3 therethrough.
4 OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a cabinet for
storing and accessing
6 frozen confections which has low energy consumption.
7 Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet for storing and
accessing ice cream
8 having improved and efficient time-motion capabilities.
9 A further object of this invention is to provide an ice cream dipping
cabinet that protects the
1 0 quality of the ice cream stored therein.
11 Another object of the invention is to provide an improved ice cream
dipping cabinet having
12 a readily accessible cooling coil for ease of maintenance and repair of
a damaged coil.
13 Another object of the invention is to provide an improved ice cream
dipping cabinet having
1 4 low and slow ice buildup which requires less defrosting than current
cabinets.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved ice cream dipping
cabinet having
16 improved storage capacity over that of current cabinets.
1 7 Another object of the invention is to provide an improved ice cream
dipping cabinet having
1 8 improved presentation of the product therein.
1 9 Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet that holds food
containers firmly, and
2 0 provides ease of removal and replacement of the containers.
3
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1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
2 The foregoing and other objects will become more readily apparent by
referring to the
3 following detailed description and the appended drawings in which:
4 Figure 1 is an isometric view of the invented cabinet from the customer
side.
Figure 2 is an isometric view of the invented cabinet from the server side,
with the top in an
6 open position, and within the cabinet.
7 Figure 3 is an isometric view of the invented cabinet from the server
side, with the top open,
8 and the lid in a pivoted upper position.
9 Figure 4 is an exploded isometric view of the cabinet of the invention.
1 0 Figure 5 is an isometric view of a cooling or evaporator coil
configuration for an 8-tub
1 1 cabinet according to the invention.
12 Figure 6 is a rear elevation view of the invented cabinet.
13 Figure 7 is a front elevation view of the invented cabinet.
1 4 Figure 8 is a right end view of the cabinet taken from the server side.
Figure 9 is a top view of the invented cabinet.
16 Figure 10 is a bottom view of the invented cabinet.
1 7 Figure 11 is an isometric view of a top plate of the invented cabinet
showing a tub cage and
1 8 cooling coil configuration.
4
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1 Figure 12 is an isometric view of a tub retaining pin.
2 Figure 13 is an isometric view of a tub retaining collar and pin.
3 Figure 14 is horizontal cross sectional view of the invented cabinet
with tubs, taken generally
4 along line 14-14 of Figure 8.
Figure 15 is an isometric view of a 4-container top plate with associated tub
receptacles.
6 Figure 16 is an isometric partially cutaway view of the assembly of
Figure 15 showing
7 retracted biasing means.
8 Figure 17 is an isometric partially cutaway view of the assembly of
Figure 15 with the
9 biasing means in the extended position.
1 0 Figure 18 is an isometric view of a top plate showing a keyway
configuration in the top plate
1 1 for receiving a collar pin or tab.
12 Figure 19 is an alternative collar configuration, the collar having a
threaded connector.
13 Figure 20 is a top plate with interior threaded holes for receiving the
collar of Figure 19.
1 4 Figure 21 is a cross section of an alternative collar arrangement
utilizing mating tabs.
Figure 22 is a bottom view of the collar depicted in Figure 21.
16 DETAILED DESCRIPTION
1 7 Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figures 1 and 4, the
invented cabinet 10
1 8 for cooling and storage of frozen foods, especially frozen confections,
such as ice cream and the like,
19 has a generally box shaped base 12 with a top plate 14 engaging the top
of the box, and forming a
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1
chamber. The top plate, shown more clearly in Figure 4, is made from an easily
cleanable and
2
durable material, such as stainless steel, and may contain insulating material
54 therein, as shown
3
in Figure 11. The top plate keeps the cold air in the cabinet chamber beneath
it and atmospheric
4
moisture out of the chamber. The top plate is supported within the base 12 of
the chamber by a
horizontal support 26 connected to the side walls 28 of the base 12. The top
plate is provided with
6
a series of tub-receiving holes, or tub holes, 16, each hole being adapted for
receiving a tub 22 of a
7
frozen food or confection, preferably ice cream. Hereinafter, the frozen food
with which the
8
invention is utilized will be referred to as "ice cream". Advantageously, the
number of tub holes in
9
the top plate is 4, 6, 8, 12, or 16. Figures 1 through 4 show 8 tub holes,
while Figures 11 and 15
through 18 show four holes. Beneath each hole is a tub receptacle 18 which
extends downwardly
1 1
beneath the top plate 14, mating with a hole16 in the top plate for receiving
a tub 22 containing a
12
frozen food. The top plate 14 may be provided in sections with mating end
grooves 17 as shown in
13
Figure 15. A cooling coil or a cooling coil assembly 20, also known as an
evaporator assembly, is
14
arranged outside of and about all or a substantial portion of each tub
receptacle for cooling the tub
receptacle and the contents thereof. The cooling coil assembly is adjacent at
least half (50%) of each
16
tub receptacle 18. The tub receptacle protects the cooling coil from damage
caused by insertion of
17
a tub 22 into the tub receptacle. As shown in Figure 5, the evaporator
assembly has a pair of end
18
or side roll bond evaporator coil sections 20A, and one or more middle
sections 20B, depending on
19
the number of tub holes 16 in the top plate 14. The desired number of sections
are connected
together by connectors 20C. The end sections 20A may be identical and
interchangeable, if desired.
21
Because multiple sections form the cooling coil assembly 20, any damaged
section can be readily
22 replaced.
23
A compressor 24 is connected to the cooling coil assembly 20 for passing
refrigeration gas
24
through the evaporator coils and maintaining the temperature of a tub in the
tub receptacle in the
desired range, which for ice cream is a temperature range of about -10 F to
about +10 F, (about -
26 12.2 C to about -23.3 C).
27
The preferable arrangement of cooling coils is an arrangement of roll bond
coils 20A and 20B
28
as shown in Figure 5. Alternatively, the cooling coil assembly may constitute
coil tubing externally
29
wound around each tub receptacle in a spiral configuration, as shown in Figure
11, which provides
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1 good surface area cooling coverage with the least amount of coil tubing.
The closeness of the cooling
2 coil to each ice cream tub keeps each tub at the optimum temperature
range. A coil arrangement can
3 have each tub receptacle individually provided with a surrounding spiral
coil, or a coil arrangement
4 can encircle one line of tub receptacles and then the other, or the coil
can encircle two tub receptacles
and then another two tub receptacles., or a coil can encircle the outside of
the entire group of tub
6 receptacles. Such coils will be connected to the compressor. Any of these
arrangements will cool
7 the tub contents effectively.
8 The tub receptacle 18 is supported within the base 12 of the chamber by
the top plate, or by
9 a lower support such as plate 84. Biasing means 30, is located at the
bottom of the tub receptacle
for urging a tub 22 upwardly within the tub receptacle. Such biasing means can
be a coil spring 32
11 housed at the bottom of the tub receptacle 18, or preferably in a
downward projection 34 from the
12 bottom of the tub receptacle 18, as shown. The spring can be provided
with an associated plate 42
13 which bears against the bottom of an inserted tub, or the spring can
bear directly against the bottom
14 of the tub. Figure 16 shows the spring 32 compressed, and Figure 17
shows the spring extended.
When the collar is removed, the tub moves upwardly under the spring pressure,
allowing the user
16 to easily grasp and remove the tub.
17 In a computer-generated comparison test of a prototype of the invented
cabinet with the
18 operation of an equivalent Kelvinator stock cabinet, the power
consumption required to operate the
19 stock cabinet was about three times the power consumption required to
operate the invented cabinet
at the same temperature.
21 The cabinet 10 ordinarily has a transparent shield or cover 40, also
known a sneeze guard,
22 through which customers may view the tubs of ice cream in the cabinet in
order to make their
23 selections.
24 Insulation is preferably provided in the top plate, the side walls of
the cabinet, and in the
bottom of the cabinet, but may be omitted in the top plate, if desired.
26 As shown in Figures 16, a tub retainer collar 44, which may be
insulated, prevents moisture
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intrusion and cold air loss from the cooling compartment beneath the top plate
14, and acts as a
2
sealer around the upper lip of a tub 22. In a recess (Figure 21) it has a
sealing gasket 46 which
3
contacts the top of the tub 22. A retaining gasket 48 which contacts the top
plate 14 may also be
4 provided to act as a further seal.
6
As shown in Figures 13 and 18, a locking mechanism for attaching the tub-
retainer collar 44
7
is provided by a locking pin 50 on the exterior surface of the retainer collar
44 and a mating slot or
8
keyway 52 in the hole 16 of top plate 14 for receiving pin 50. The retainer
collar is twisted to tighten
9
the lock, and reverse twisted to unlock it. A slot indicator 53 may be
provided atop the collar 44 to
aid the user in locating the pin 50 when commencing engagement of the locking
mechanism. The
1 1
pin 50 may be integral with the collar, as a single molded unit, or it may be
insertable into the collar.
12
As shown in Figures 19 and 20, an alternative locking or securing mechanism is
provided
13
wherein the retainer collar 44 contains exterior threads 76 for mating with
interior threads 78 of tub
14 holes 16 in top plate 14 and securing the collar atop a tub.
As shown in Figures 21 and 22, an alternative locking mechanism for attaching
the tub-
16
retainer collar 44 may be provided by a locking lug or protrusion 70 on the
interior of the tub-
17
receiving hole 16 of top plate 14 and a mating lug 72 on the exterior of the
retainer collar 44. The
18
retainer collar is pushed down against the top of tub 22, and turned or
twisted to tighten the lock, and
19
the retainer collar is reverse twisted to unlock it. The lug 70 on the
interior of the hole is preferably
inclined to create the tightening effect. Alternatively, one or both of the
lugs can form a slot for
21
mating with the other. A sealing gasket 46 may be provided between the collar
and the tub, which
22
will provide sufficient friction contact to keep the tub from turning during
use. A sealing gasket
23 74 may also be provided between the retainer collar and the top plate
14, as shown.
24
The interior of the cabinet 10 beneath the tub receptacles 18 provides space
for the
compressor 24, which is surrounded by insulation, and vents 56 are provided in
the cabinet base for
26
venting the compressor motor to the atmosphere as shown, to prevent heat
buildup within the
27
cabinet. Also within the cabinet is refrigerated space for storing additional
tubs of product to be
28
served, and other items useful in the operation of the establishment.
Alternatively, such space can
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1 be used for storage or dispensing of sundries, such as ice cream cups or
cones. Any desired number
2 of doors 38 may be provided on any side of the cabinet to access the
storage chamber within the
3 cabinet base. Drawers 36 may be provided for storage, if desired.
4 The cabinet 10 is preferably provided with a cover assembly 64 having a
slidable clear cover
or movable lid 66, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The clear cover 66 allows
visibility of the
6 comestibles in the cabinet regardless of the position of the cover. The
cover 66 has integral ears or
7 rollers 65 which slide in a track 68, preferably arcuate, on the cabinet
cover assembly. Normally,
8 when the cover is in the open position, it has followed the track, as
shown in Figure 1. The clear
9 cover also can pivot upwardly about the rollers 65, when desired by the
operator. It can be rotated
1 0 as shown in Figure 3 to a position where it will lean slightly toward
the customer and be held in
1 1 place by magnets 67 on its edges. This upper lid position allows
additional clearance for changing
12 a tub that is on the customer's side of the cabinet.
13 The invented cabinet has an upper cooling zone in which the tubs and
cooling coils assembly
1 4 are located, and a lower zone which is a storage section, primarily for
storage of additional tubs.
One or more zone dividing plates 84 may be provided. These dividing plates may
incorporate fans
16 (not shown) therein to move cold air from the upper zone to the lower
zone to maintain the lower
1 7 storage zone at a temperature in the desired range for ice cream or
other comestibles.
1 8 Because the tubs are securely held in position, and their orientation
is fixed within the
1 9 cabinet, any identification such as flavor indicators displayed in or
on the cabinet will be arranged
2 0 and fixed in relation to the tub collars, all of which helps create a
more pleasing presentation to the
2 1 customer than present cabinets.
22 ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS
23 The top plate 14 may be provided with one or more additional holes 58
for receiving
2 4 insulated compartments which are used for storing serving items, such
as sampling spoons, straws,
napkins, ice cream cones, serving cups, milk shake containers, and the like.
The size and location
26 of each such additional hole is selected for the specific item or items
to be stored therein.
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1 A serving lip extension 60 and/or a dipping well 62 can be installed as
shown in Figures 2,
2 6, and 8, for improvement of the time-motion process of serving a
customer. Figure 8 shows only
3 serving lip 60, while Figures 2 and 6 show both a serving lip 60 and a
dipping well 62. Sundries
4 storage places may be incorporated into the serving lip 60 of the
cabinet, or in the top plate 14, or
both, allowing the server to keep frequently used items close at hand to save
time and energy.
6 Alternatively, sundries may be stored on a shelf in the lower portion of
the cabinet, or in a drawer,
7 with access by an opening or a door.
8 Biasing means 30 can be mounted at 86 directly on or supported by a
plate beneath it, such
9 as zone dividing plate 84A as shown on the right side of Figure 14. In
this case, the spring can bear
against a plate 42 to urge the tub upwardly.
11
12 For tubs with rectangular cross section rather than circular, the holes
in the top plate and the
13 tub receptacles will be adapted to conform to the exterior configuration
of the tubs. In such instance,
14 the rectangular collar may be adapted to press fit into the mating
rectangular holes in the top plate,
and the biasing means is used to facilitate tub removal.
16 The cabinet base 12 may be provided with a cabinet base support 80 as
shown in Figures 6
17 and 10, to raise the cabinet slightly, and allow easier relocation.
18 If desired, the cabinet can be provided with an automated defrosting
system.
19 SUMMARY OF THE ACHIEVEMENT
OF THE OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
21 From the foregoing, it is readily apparent that I have invented an
improved ice cream cabinet
22 for storing and accessing frozen confections, and having improved and
efficient time-motion
23 capabilities, and low energy consumption. It is to be understood that
the foregoing description and
24 specific embodiments are merely illustrative of the best mode of the
invention and the principles
thereof, and that various modifications and additions may be made within the
spirit and scope of this
26 invention.
