Abstract:
The kiosk ( 10 ) enables pasta portions of the type forming the classical Italian first course to be prepared, and comprises: an automatic pasta cooking machine ( 18 ); a cooking hob ( 20 ) for amalgamating within a suitable container, by heating accompanied by mixing, the required sauces or condiments with the pasta previously cooked in the pasta cooking machine; and means ( 22 ) for heating the sauces or condiments and/or for maintaining them hot.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a kiosk for preparing portions of pasta of the type forming the classical Italian first course.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Most of the world&#39;s urban landscape embraces fixed or movable kiosks selling drinks, coffee, ice-cream, sandwiches, toasted sandwiches, “bruschettas” (seasoned bread slices), sausages, “piadinas” (unleavened bread pieces), pizzas or crepes (in recent times even outside France) which are prepared on demand and sold hot. Movable kiosks of this type are also used at fairs, festivals, sporting events and the like, to provide the crowd not only with traditional comforts (coffee, hot or cold drinks in general) but also with a snack or light meal based on sandwiches, toasted sandwiches, bruschettas, piadinas, pizzas, sausages or crepes (by their very nature, such kiosks are unable to offer more).  
           [0003]    The present applicant has noted that many people who at mealtimes during such occasions have to be content with the type of food provided by the aforesaid kiosks, would in fact as an alternative prefer a plate of variously flavoured hot pasta (i.e. the classical Italian first pasta-based course), even if eaten while standing.  
           [0004]    However nobody has as yet attempted to offer such a service because the traditional kiosks are not equipped for this purpose.  
         OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The object of the present invention is therefore to make it possible to provide for, and hence satisfy, this potential market requirement. Said object is attained by the kiosk of the present invention, characterised by comprising:  
           [0006]    an automatic pasta cooking machine;  
           [0007]    a cooking hob for amalgamating within a suitable container, by heating accompanied by mixing, the required sauces or condiments with the pasta previously cooked in the pasta cooking machine;  
           [0008]    means for heating the sauces or condiments and/or for maintaining them hot.  
           [0009]    The pasta cooking machine can for example be that produced by the proprietor of the present patent application and known by brand name PASTALAND, whereas the cooking hob can conveniently be of the glass ceramic plate type.  
           [0010]    The said means for maintaining sauces or condiments hot can comprise sets of containers heated by electrical resistance heaters or a gas burner fed with mains or cylinder gas.  
           [0011]    The kiosk will also conveniently comprise a retractable wash basin, a refrigerator and a storage cupboard.  
           [0012]    The kiosk can be of fixed type, i.e. intended to remain permanently in a determined place, or of movable type so that it can be moved to whereever required. In this latter case it is provided with wheels to enable it to be moved by pushing or pulling.  
           [0013]    The kiosk of the present invention can even be made self-propelled, and form in practice a vehicle provided with a motor (internal combustion engine or storage battery-powered electric motor) with relative transmission to drive two of the kiosk wheels.  
           [0014]    The kiosk of the invention can even be provided with solar panels (for example positioned on a roof with which it can be provided) for charging the storage batteries, which can then supply electrical energy for example for heating water for various uses or for preheating the water used in the pasta cooking machine, or for lighting the kiosk and/or for operating a possible cash register and the so-called POS devices for payment by bank credit or debit card.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    The invention will be more apparent from the ensuing description of one embodiment thereof given by way of example. In this description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the kiosk of the present invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 is a perspective view only of the refrigerator and retractable wash basin with relative accessories, forming part of the kiosk of FIG. 1;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the kiosk of FIG. 1, this figure showing the outline of a man to give an idea of the size of the kiosk;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4 is a rear elevation thereof;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5 is a side elevation seen from the left of FIG. 1;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 6 is a side elevation seen from the right of FIG. 1;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 7 is a horizontal section therethrough on the line  7 - 7  of FIG. 3; and  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view of a variant of the kiosk of FIG. 1. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024]    As can be seen from the figures, the kiosk  10  is of the type movable by pushing or pulling, it being provided with wheels, and specifically with two large-diameter coaxial wheels  12  and two small-diameter castor wheels  14  enabling the kiosk to be orientated in the required direction. The kiosk also comprises a bench-type structure  16  supported by the axles of the wheels  12  and  14  and on which an automatic pasta cooking machine  18  is fixed (for example that constructed by the present applicant and known by the brand name PASTALAND). The pasta cooking machine  18  is known to be of the type comprising one or more perforated bowls for containing the pasta to be cooked. The perforated bowl or bowls can, by being rotated, assume (in the second case independently) two positions, namely a first position in which they are immersed in a cooking vessel containing water heatable by armoured electrical resistance heaters and/or gas-fed burners, and a second position which is assumed automatically after a predetermined time and enables the pasta, now properly cooked, to fall into an underlying collection container in which it can be held until required.  
         [0025]    As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 7, the bench  16  incorporates a cooking hob  20  which in this specific case comprises a glass ceramic plate heatable by conventional underlying infrared electrical resistance heaters (not shown). It should however be noted that the cooking hob can be of different type, for example consisting of a conventional electrical hotplate or even a gas ring if a gas supply is available (from the gas main or from a cylinder contained in the kiosk  10  or positioned external to it).  
         [0026]    On the bench  16 , to the side of the pasta cooking machine  18  and adjacent to the cooking hob  20 , there are provided means (indicated overall by  22 ) for heating and maintaining hot the sauces or condiments already prepared for flavouring the pasta. The heating means can also be used to keep other foods or bread hot. In the illustrated example, these heating means  22  consist of a series of stainless steel containers (three in this particular case, of which two have the same dimensions whereas the third is of larger dimensions) heatable for example by electrical resistance heaters or by a gas burner (the gas as already stated originating from the gas main if possible, or from a cylinder contained in the bench  16  or externally). If the containers  22  are heated by a gas burner, a device for recovering the thermal energy contained in the burnt gas can be provided, this recovered thermal energy enabling water to be heated for various uses, or enabling the water for cooking the pasta used in the pasta cooking machine  18  to be preheated. In the illustrated example, the set of containers  22  is protected upperly by a cover or small hood  34  connected on one side to the top of the adjacent pasta cooking machine  18 , its other side terminating against a lateral wall  36 , this latter and the cover  34  preferably being of transparent plastic material. The bench  16  also incorporates a small refrigerator  24  (more visible in FIG. 2).  
         [0027]    The kiosk  10  also comprises a foldable support shelf  38  (shown folded away in FIGS. 4 and 5) having various uses (for example as a resting shelf for customers, for depositing thereon the pasta portions ready to be consumed, or for a cash register). Instead of being foldable, the shelf  38  can be of the type applicable by conventional insert brackets.  
         [0028]    The kiosk  10  is also provided with a storage cupboard  40  (FIGS. 1 and 6) which can be useful to the kiosk operator, in particular for storing the overall to be worn while working, or for storing miscellaneous objects or implements (for example the plates or cups for serving the pasta).  
         [0029]    In the bench  16  there is provided above the cupboard  40  (FIGS. 1 and 3) a recess closed by a relative door and containing the connectors for connection to the electric mains or to an electrical generator unit, and/or miscellaneous switches.  
         [0030]    In the front part  44  of the kiosk  10 , just below the cooking hob  20  there are provided the controls for the cooking hob  20  and heating means  22 , together with any other controls for the operation of the kiosk  10 , including a possible control display unit.  
         [0031]    The kiosk  10  is completed (if required) by a protection cover  46  (which however can also be absent) consisting in the illustrated example of a lightweight metal structure  47  (of which two lowerable uprights  48  are visible) covered by fabric  49 . The metal structure  47  is such as to enable the cover  46  to be folded down (as indicated in FIG. 6, in which the kiosk is shown in its non-working condition and indicated by  10 A, and the folded cover by  46 A). As already stated the kiosk  10  can be conveniently provided with a direct current motor powered by storage batteries (both the motor and the storage batteries being contained in the bench  16 ), the motor driving via a suitable transmission the larger wheels  12  of the kiosk, which is hence self-propelled. Although the kiosk  10  shown in the Figures is provided with four wheels ( 12 ,  14 ), the kiosk of the present invention can also be without wheels, or can be provided with three wheels instead of four, depending on specific requirements. In the first case, means can be provided for fixing the kiosk to the ground. Likewise, the foldable cover  46  can also be absent or be of the non-foldable type, or foldable in a manner different from that of FIG. 6. In the variant of the kiosk of the present invention illustrated partially in FIG. 8 and indicated by  110 , instead of the storage cupboard ( 44  in FIG. 1 ) there are provided an additional upper shelf  150  (for example of the type which can be folded away or be applied by conventional insert brackets) and a lower shelf  152  (also of the foldable type or applicable by insert brackets). The upper shelf  150  can for example hold a cash register  154 , whereas the lower shelf  152  presents a through circular hole  166  of suitable diameter provided with a downwardly projecting lower rim to which there can be applied (for example by an elastic band) the mouth of a refuse bag  156  which rests directly on the ground.  
         [0032]    In the specific illustrated example there are also provided two lateral doors  158  and  160  which can be closed once the shelves  150  and  152  have been removed or folded away, and which can also be used for supporting the shelves  150  and  152 .  
         [0033]    The part which remains open between the two lateral doors  158  and  160  can be conveniently closed by curtains, in particular two sets of curtains in the form of vertical strips of flexible plastic material, a first set externally closing the space between the upper shelf  150  and lower shelf  152  (only some of these curtains, indicated by  162 , are shown in FIG. 8) and a second set of curtains externally closing the space between the lower shelf  152  and the ground (only some of these curtains, indicated by  164 , are shown). However, the lateral doors  158  and  160  could clearly be replaced by curtains of the aforesaid type.  
         [0034]    The manner in which the kiosk  10  can be used in practice will now be briefly described.  
         [0035]    After setting up the kiosk  10  (in the sense of making it operational by satisfying the water requirements, in particular by filling the cooking vessel of the pasta cooking machine and filling the clean water container  30 ), and making the necessary connections to the electricity mains or to an electrical generator unit, and possibly to the gas main or to a gas cylinder, the relative quantity of pasta (of the desired format) to be cooked is placed in the perforated bowl or bowls of the pasta cooking machine  18  and the machine is activated to cook the pasta quantity/quantities. When cooking is complete, the pasta cooking machine  18  automatically discharges the cooked pasta quantities into an underlying container by overturning the relative perforated bowl. If suitable, this container can be positioned directly on the cooking hob  20 , or the pasta contained therein can be transferred (possibly later) by the kiosk operator into another container suitable for positioning on the cooking hob  20 . At this point the required sauce or condiment is poured onto the pasta, the combination then being amalgamated by mixing and by virtue of the heat emitted by the cooking hob. The pasta portion or portions are now ready to be served, for example by pouring individual flavoured pasta portions into suitable plates or containers.