Patent ID: 6267049
Filing Date: 2001-07-31
Classification: A23G

Abstract:
Apparatus to produce ice-cream or similar cold product, comprising a substantially cylindrical shaped cooling container (12), cooling means (23) arranged around said cooling chamber (12) and a removable ice-cream making receptacle (13) which can be associated with the cooling chamber (12), the ice-cream making receptacle (13) including a bottom (213) and a vertical wall (113), inside the receptacle (13) there being included a rotating whisk (14) associated with a driven shaft (19) substantially coaxial to the receptacle (13), wherein said cooling means (23) comprise a vertial aperture (20) suitable to make them at least partly elastic, said cooling means (23) being able to selectively assume a first widened position, in which the ice-cream making receptacle (13) can be inserted into or removed from the cooling chamber (12), or a second closed position in which the ice-cream making receptacle (13) is retained inside the cooling chamber (12) by the cooling means (23), elastic means (30) being provided to normally keep said cooling means in said second position, and opening means (32) being provided to co-operate with the cooling means (23) to actuate them selectively from the second to the first positions, characterised in that said cooling means (23) comprise two opposite vertical fins (31) laterally delimiting said vertical aperture (20) and that said opening means (32) comprise at least a cam element (36) having a profile suitable to directly co-operate with said two opposite surface, said profile comprising two plane sides (36a) opposite each other and parallel therebetween, which are connected by two curved sides (36b), outwardly convex, also opposite to each other, the distance (d.sub.2) between said curved sides (36b) being greater than the distance (d.sub.1) between said plane sides (36a), wherein said cam element is normally positioned with said plane sides (36a) parallel to and in contact with said second position by said elastic means (30) and wherein said cam element is able to be rotated around its central shaft (34) to bring said curved sides (36b) in contact with said vertical fins (31) for enlarging said cooling means in said first position, against the action of said elastic means (30).