Spring Coil Whisk

A spring coil whisk for mixing or foaming one or more materials including dry materials and liquids. The spring coil whisk may include a cap, a handle and a spring at the base. The cap and spring may include an ornamental design.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a whisk for mixing and foaming liquid and/or dry ingredients.

There are a variety of conventional whisks on the market. What the spring coil whisk provides and which prior art lacks, is the ability to mix and foam ingredients without power. Conventional non-powered whisks mix ingredients but do not produce foam. Traditional bamboo whisks (chasen) require minutes of repetitive motion to mix ingredients and do not produce foam. Electric whisking devices whisk ingredients and produce foam but require batteries and/or a power source. Additionally, electric and bamboo whisks can be fragile, difficult to clean and not suitable for dishwashers, travel or outdoors. The spring coil whisk provides an easier and more efficient alternative to the current market options.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure provides an apparatus and method for improved mixing and foaming of liquid with or without dry ingredients. The apparatus consists of a cap, a handle portion and a spring coil portion. The spring coil portion is fixed to the handle with threads and in the preferred embodiment, tapered threads.

To use the present invention, the user pulses and/or pumps the handle in an up and down motion. The motion of the handle causes compression and decompression of the spring coil portion. This continued motion mixes and foams any combination of liquid and/or dry ingredients. Beverage powders such as matcha, can be easily mixed and foamed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following detailed description refers to the preferred embodiment of the disclosed invention as shown in the attached figures and in the below description. This detailed description is not meant to limit the scope of the invention in any way but is intended to disclose the preferred embodiment/best mode of the invention at the time of filing this application.

The present invention is a whisk for mixing one or more materials. The material may be a liquid and the whisk may be used to agitate or foam the liquid. The liquid may contain a dry ingredient for mixing with the liquid or may be foamed alone. Liquids of any temperature may be foamed with the present invention.

FIG.1shows a top perspective view of the spring coil whisk100. Spring coil whisk100is comprised of handle101, spring coil102and cap103. In the preferred embodiment, cap103includes cap ornamental design104, in this case a star. Spring coil102may also include an ornamental design as will be shown in a later figure.

In the preferred embodiment, handle101is manufactured out of solid Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (“ABS”) plastic. In other embodiments, handle101may be hollow or made from another suitable material such as various other plastics, nylon, various types of wood including bamboo, steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, bakelite, silicone, glass, ceramic, polymers, composites, or any other suitable sturdy material. Further, combinations of any of the listed materials or of any suitable material well known in the art may also be utilized.

Spring coil102is a helical shaped mechanical device that stores potential energy, resists compression and when decompressed returns to its original shape. Specifically, spring coil102is a conical coil spring formed of an elastic material formed in essentially circular coils105increasing in diameter from the top of the coil105, where it is attached to handle101, to the base of the coil, where it rests against a surface, such as the interior of a cup. Spring coil102includes the characteristic of spring rate, meaning the amount of weight required to depress the spring by one inch. Creation of spring coil102with a specific spring rate occurs by a combination of spring material, diameter of the spring material, distance between each coil105, and diameter of each coil105. The characteristics of spring coil102will be discussed in greater detail in relation to a later figure.

FIG.2shows a bottom perspective view of spring coil whisk100with its constituent parts, handle101, cap103and spring coil102. In this view of the preferred embodiment, spring coil102includes an ornamental design106.

FIG.3shows a top view of spring coil102without handle101installed. In this view, first coil diameter107is shown, which is the distance across the largest coil of spring coil102. In the preferred embodiment, first coil diameter is 51.5 mm, but any suitable first spring coil diameter may be utilized. Second coil diameter108is the internal diameter of the smallest coil105of spring coil102, in the preferred embodiment 12.8 mm, though any suitable second coil diameter may be utilized. Each coil105has a diameter which varies generally between first coil diameter107and second coil diameter108. Spring coil102is formed of individual coils105.

FIG.4shows a bottom view of spring coil102. In this view, spring ornamental design106is shown, in the preferred embodiment, as a five pointed star. Max design dimension118is defined as the maximum measured distance across ornamental design106, which in this case is the distance between two of the outside points of the star. In the preferred embodiment, max design dimension118is 20 mm but any suitable max design dimension may be utilized. Min design dimension119is defined as the minimum measured distance across ornamental design106, which in this case is the distance between two of the inside points of the star. In the preferred embodiment, min design dimension119is 12.5 mm, but any suitable min design dimension119may be utilized. Any ornamental design is suitable for spring ornamental design.

In the preferred embodiment, each coil105of spring coil102is made up of wire with a generally circular cross section measured by cross section119, in this case the diameter of the wire. While wire with a circular cross section is used in the preferred embodiment, coil105may be formed of material in any suitable shape and cross section to provide the spring rate desired for the application.

FIG.5is a side view of spring coil102. Spring coil102is comprised of three sections: 1) top section120, 2) mid-section121, and 3) bottom section122. The top, and upper dimension, of spring coil102is handle coupling111. The bottom, and lower dimension, of spring coil102is spring coil base112. The spring coil height124is the distance from handle coupling111and spring coil base112. In the preferred embodiment, spring coil height124is 78.2 mm but any suitable spring coil height124may be utilized.

Top section120, in the preferred embodiment, is comprised of 9 closed coils (i.e. with no vertical distance between the coils), of the same diameter. The external diameter of the coils of top section120is 15.8 mm. The height of top section120is 14.2 mm. The number of coils, configuration and dimensions are those of the preferred embodiment but any suitable configuration and dimensions may be used to achieve the spring characteristics desired.

Mid-section121, in the preferred embodiment, is comprised of 10 closed coils (i.e. with no vertical distance between the coils), of increasing diameter. The height of top section120is 15.7 mm. The number of coils, configuration and dimensions are those of the preferred embodiment but any suitable configuration and dimensions may be used to achieve the spring characteristics desired.

Bottom section122, in the preferred embodiment, is comprised of 8 open coils of increasing diameter. Coils of bottom section122have a pitch110, defined as the vertical distance between each coil105of spring coil102. Pitch110is.20″ or 5.08 mm in the preferred embodiment. The height of bottom section122is 48.3 mm. The number of coils, pitch, configuration and dimensions are those of the preferred embodiment but any suitable configuration, pitch, and dimensions may be used to achieve the spring characteristics desired. Spring angle123is the angle formed by a line bisecting the center of spring coil102and the largest diameter coil105in the spring coil. In the preferred embodiment, spring angle123is 18.0 degrees, but any suitable spring angle123may be utilized.

Spring coil102is formed of appropriate materials that provide desired spring characteristics including stainless steel, steel, aluminum, copper, various alloys, plastics, nylon, polymers, ceramics, composites or any other suitable material well known in the art.

FIG.6shows a side view of spring coil whisk100. In this view, the pitch110bottom section122of spring coil102is clearly visible. Pitch110is defined as the distance between each coil105of spring coil102. Pitch110is a further characteristic that contributes to the spring rate of spring coil102and in the preferred embodiment is 5.08 mm.

Also visible inFIG.6are spring coil base112and handle coupling111of spring coil102. In the preferred embodiment, handle coupling111is wire sized and formed to fit in complementary threads of spring coupling114as shown inFIG.9.

FIG.7shows a side cross sectional view of a hollow version of handle101. In this view, cap coupling113is visible. In the preferred embodiment, cap opening113is a receptacle shaped and sized to couple with the end of cap103to secure cap103to handle101. Any type of suitable coupling could be used including threads, tabs or any other attachment means well known in the art. Also shown is spring coupling114which is the threaded end of handle101designed to couple with similarly sized and shaped complementary threads on coil coupling111to secure spring coil102to handle101.

FIG.8shows a side view of a solid version of handle101. In this view, cap opening113is located at the top of handle101. Threaded spring coupling114is shown at the opposite end of handle101.

FIG.9shows a detailed view of spring coupling114. In the preferred embodiment, a tapered thread with increasing pitch is utilized. Specifically, the base of spring coupling114has a smaller dimension (diameter, radius or circumference) than the top of spring coupling114. In other words, the length of spring coupling114, when viewed in side cross section, has a slight angle from top to base. Thread distance115shows the distance between two threads, when measured from the top of the first thread to the top of the second thread. In the preferred embodiment, this distance is 1.9 mm but any suitable distance may be used. Thread gauge116shows the diameter of a wire that would fit in the circular thread of spring coupling114. In the preferred embodiment, this diameter is 1.6 mm but any suitable diameter may be used.

FIGS.10a-10dshow various views of cap103.FIG.10ais a perspective view of cap103with cap ornamental design104clearly shown.FIG.10bis an underside perspective view of cap103with cap base117shown. Cap base117is sized to securely couple with the similarly sized opening in cap coupling113to secure cap103to handle101.FIG.10cshows a side view of cap103with cap base117shown.FIG.10dshows a cross sectional view of cap103with cap base117visible. In the preferred embodiment, the height of cap103is 15.9 mm. The width of cap103(at the top) is 21.9 mm. The width of the base of cap base117is 15.7 mm. These are the measurements of the cap103in the preferred embodiment but cap103may be manufactured in any suitable size. The cap is made of ABS plated with a metal finish in this embodiment.

FIG.11is a perspective view of whisk102with spring ornamental design106shown, in this embodiment a star.

FIG.12is a perspective view of whisk102without a spring ornamental design.

Although the present invention has been described in relation to the above disclosed preferred embodiment, many modifications in design, implementation, systems and execution are possible while still maintaining the novel features and11advantages of the invention. The preferred embodiment is not meant to limit the scope of the patent in any way, and it should be given the broadest possible interpretation consistent with the language of the disclosure on the whole.