Abstract:
A dough dispenser is provided that has an elongated stem body terminating in a dome configured cavity with a downwardly opening mouth. The upper end of the stem body is associated with a reciprocally moveable plunger body. The stem body holds a subassembly of spirally extending shaft, base block and finger that extends downwardly from the base block and into and along side wall portions of the cavity. A biasing spring urges the plunger body into an upward position. When the plunger body is depressed into the stem body, a driver disk fixed to the plunger body slidably moves over the shaft and causes the base block and finger to rotate. The finger wipes cavity surfaces and releases dough therefrom.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to dough dispensers and, in particular, to dough dispensers which include a dough separator finger for separating dough from a dispenser cavity.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     When depositing amounts or dollops of cookie dough onto a cookie sheet prior to baking, it is usually desirable to make the amounts of dough deposited on the sheet uniform so that the resulting cookies are about the same size. In a domestic kitchen, an individual simply uses hand separation perhaps with a spoon and visual estimation of size to deposit individual dough dollops upon a cookie sheet. Depending on the experience of individual, variations in size of the resulting baked cookies can occur.  
         [0003]     Commonly, cookie dough adheres to dispensing tools making it difficult to separate the dough from the tool and effectively aggravating the problem of depositing uniform dough dollops onto a cookie sheet. Time and material are often wasted in the process.  
         [0004]     A hand-operated tool which would enable one to deposit about the same amount of cookie dough for each cookie from a dough batch onto a cookie sheet, and which would enable one to separate rapidly and conveniently with no waste the dough from the tool for direct deposit upon a cookie sheet would be desirable. However, a satisfactory tool for such purposes has not previously been available.  
         [0005]     The present invention is directed to providing such a tool.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     More particularly, the present invention provides a dropper for cookie dough and the like. The dough dropper has a cavity which can be charged (filled) with an amount of dough. The dough dropper can then be moved to an adjacent but preferably somewhat elevated position over a selected location on a cookie sheet. While the dough dropper is supported by one hand, the other hand operates a plunger. As a result, the dough is discharged from the dough dropper while the surface portions of the dough dropper cavity are systematically swept by a separator finger that separates the dough from the cavity and allows the dough to separate from the cavity and deposit upon the cookie sheet.  
         [0007]     By repeating the step sequence, dollops of dough each of substantially equal size can be progressively and relatively rapidly deposited upon the cookie sheet. Contact between the operator&#39;s fingers and the cookie dough is minimized and even completely avoided.  
         [0008]     In a preferred form, the dough dropper comprises an elongated, generally hollow body stem that defines at its lower end an open bottomed, dome configured cavity. The opposed upper end of the body stem receives therein an elongated plunger arm that terminates at its upper end in a knob. The dough dropper internally is spring biased so that knob is maintained normally in an upwardly extended position relative to the body stem upper end. When the knob is downwardly compressed relative to the body stem, the plunger moves downwardly and axially into the body stem. As the plunger so moves, a separator finger on the exterior surface of the cavity slidably moves over and adjacent to the cavity surfaces along an arcuate path. Preferably, the finger rotates through about 360° as the plunger arm descends until the knob is near to the upper end of the body stem. The rotational movement of the separator finger functions to separate and release dough contained in the dome configured cavity so that when the cavity is normally located over a cookie sheet, the dough upon release from the cavity drops onto the cookie sheet.  
         [0009]     To achieve the movement of the sliding finger, the finger extends axially upward through the apex of the cavity into engagement with a base support which is also associated with a spirally extending, ribbon-like, drive shaft. The drive shaft extends through and thus is associated with a driver disk fixed across the mouth of the plunger. Rotational movements of the plunger relative to the body stem are prevented. Thus, as the knob is depressed and the plunger descends into the base support, the drive shaft is caused to rotate relative to the driver disk resulting in rotation of the separator finger.  
         [0010]     The dough dropper is simple, reliable and economical to fabricate, particularly when the plunger, knob and driver disk assembly, and also the body stem, are fabricated of molded plastic components.  
         [0011]     The dough dropper provides an accurate, easily operated, kitchen tool not only for placing uniform amounts of cookie dough on a cookie sheet, but also for separating dough from a measuring or transferring cavity.  
         [0012]     The dough dropper is well adapted for fabrication of components comprised largely of plastic with relatively few moving parts. In addition, the dough dropper is easy to cleanse, operate and store.  
         [0013]     Other and further objects, aims, features, purposes, advantages, embodiments, variations and the like will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the present specification taken with the associated drawings and the appended claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]     In the drawings:  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a right side elevational view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a left side elevational view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a bottom plan view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  is a front side elevational view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  is a back side elevational view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  is an exploded, partially disassembled perspective view of the  FIG. 1  embodiment;  
         [0023]      FIG. 9  is a fragmentary detail view showing in side elevation the lower end of the  FIG. 1  embodiment illustrating the start of the operation of depositing a dough dollop upon a cookie sheet, some parts thereof being broken away and some parts thereof being shown in section;  
         [0024]      FIG. 10  is a bottom plan view similar to  FIG. 5 , but illustrating operation of the sliding finger during the sequence shown in  FIG. 9 ;  
         [0025]      FIG. 11  is a view similar to  FIG. 9  illustrating the embodiment at the end of a dough dollop depositing operation;  
         [0026]      FIG. 12  is an axial longitudinal sectional view taken through the embodiment of  FIG. 1  with the plunger subassembly being in a fully upwardly extended configuration;  
         [0027]      FIG. 13  is a view similar to  FIG. 12  but showing the embodiment with the plunger subassembly being in a fully depressed configuration;  
         [0028]      FIG. 14  is an exploded view similar to  FIG. 8  but showing the embodiment in a fully dissembled configuration;  
         [0029]      FIG. 15  is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail view taken through the mouth region of the plunger subassembly illustrating the manner in which the mouth region fixedly associates with the driver disk; and  
         [0030]      FIG. 16  is a transverse sectional view taken through the  FIG. 1  embodiment along the line XVI-XVI of  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0031]     Referring to the drawings, there is seen a presently preferred embodiment  20  of a dough dropper of the invention. The dough dropper  20  includes an elongated, generally hollow stem body  21  having opposed lower and upper ends  21 A and  21 B, respectively. The lower end  21 A defines a flared, walled, generally dome-configured cavity  22  (see, for example,  FIG. 8 ) that has a downwardly opening mouth  23 . The upper end  21 B defines an upwardly opening channel aperture  24 . Conveniently and preferably, the stem body  21  is comprised of two longitudinally matingly engageable halves of molded plastic which in the assembled dough dropper  20  are bonded together longitudinally and continuously by an adhesive, ultrasonic welding, or the like. To provide convenient grasping in the palm of one hand of a user, an upper elongated body portion of the stem body  21  is transversely enlarged to provide a thickened or bulged region  21 C that is slightly asymmetrical radially, as shown. Also to enhance grasping capability, a slightly raised area  25 , here illustrated to be elliptically shaped, is defined on an outer surface region of the bulged region  21 C.  
         [0032]     The dough dropper  20  further includes an elongated cylindrical plunger body  26  having an upper proximal end  26 A and a lower distal end  26 B. The upper proximal end  26 A terminates in a knob  27 , and the lower distal end  26 B (see, for example,  FIG. 8 ) defines along and longitudinally adjacent thereto a constricted cylindrical plunger lower body region  28 . Conveniently and preferably, the plunger body  26  is comprised of two longitudinally matingly engageable halves of molded plastic which in the assembled dough dropper  20  are bonded together longitudinally and continuously by an adhesive, ultrasonic welding, or the like. The distal end  26 B of plunger body  26  is provided terminally with a transversely oriented driver disk  29  (see, for example,  FIG. 15 ). Preferably, the driver disk  29  is flattened, comprised of molded plastic, and separately formed. The driver disk  29  is conveniently provided with a plurality of radially outwardly extending flanges  30 , here preferably four, that are each adapted to matingly engage a different opening  34  defined in the side wall of the lower body  28  at distal end  26 B, thereby preventing rotation of the driver disk  29  relative to the plunger body  26 .  
         [0033]     The distal end  26 B and adjacent portions of the plunger body  26  extend into the body of the stem body  21  through the channel aperture  24 . The plunger body  26  is longitudinally reciprocatable relative to the stem body  21 .  
         [0034]     The stem body  21  and the plunger body  26  include cooperating means for limiting the location and the extent of longitudinal movement of the plunger body  26  relative to the stem body  21  and for preventing rotational movement of the plunger body  26  relative to the stem body  21 . As those skilled in the art will readily appreciate, such cooperating means can be variously embodied.  
         [0035]     In the dough dropper  20 , the plunger body  26  is provided with a circumferentially extending baffle plate  31  at the upper end region of the constricted plunger lower body portion  28 . The baffle plate  31  serves to join the upper end portion of the body portion  28  with the plunger body  26 ; and the baffle plate  31  has a pair of circumferentially flattened, opposing side edge regions  32  (see, for example,  FIG. 14 ) that extend parallel to each other and that are each substantially tangential to adjacent localized surface areas of the plunger body  26 . The baffle plate  31  also has a pair of opposing notches  33  (see, for example,  FIG. 14 ) that are each defined in an outer edge portion of the baffle plate  31  and located medially between the side edge regions  32 . The baffle plate is preferably integrally formed with the plunger body  26  portions.  
         [0036]     An upper internal region of the stem body  21 , a pair of longitudinally spaced, parallel, transversely extending bulkheads  35  and  36  are provided (see, for example,  FIG. 14 ) across the interior of the stem body  21 , each bulkhead having a relatively large central channel  37  and  38 , respectively, defined therethrough. Between the bulkheads  35  and  36  extend a pair of laterally spaced, parallel longitudinally extending guide walls  39  and  40 . Medially and longitudinally located between the guide walls  39  and  40  and upstanding from the interior surface portions of the stem body  21  is a pair of opposed ribs  41  that each extend between the bulkheads  35  and  36 . The bulkheads  35 ,  36 , the guide walls  39 ,  40 , and the ribs  41  are preferably each integrally formed with the stem body portions.  
         [0037]     The interrelationship between components is such that during assembly of the dough dropper  20 , the baffle plate  31  is positioned between the bulkheads  35 ,  36 , each of the opposing side edges  32  is located adjacent a different one of the guide walls  39 ,  40 , and each of the notches  33  is engaged with a different one of the ribs  41 . Thereby, in the assembled dough dropper  20 , the plunger body  26  can move reciprocatingly relative to the stem body  26  without rotational movement of the plunger body  26  relative to the stem body  26  while longitudinal movements of the plunger body  26  relative to the stem body  26  are limited by abutting engagement of the baffle plate  31  with one or the other of the bulkheads  35 ,  36 .  
         [0038]     Located in a region of the stem body  21  above and in adjacent relationship to the cavity  22  is a rotatable base block  42 . To prevent the base block  42  from moving longitudinally in the stem body  21 , the stem body  21  is provided over each end of the base block  42  with a pair of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending, parallel bulkheads  43  and  44 , each bulkhead  43 ,  44  having a relatively large central channel  45  and  46 , respectively, defined therethrough. Various arrangements for positioning and locating the base block  42  can be used. For example, the bulkhead  44  can be eliminated and the base block  42  lower end allowed to be adjacent to the apex region of the wall of the cavity  22 .  
         [0039]     The base block  42  can be variously configured and structured, but here the base block  42  is comprised of molded plastic and includes an upper circular end plate  47  and a lower circular end plate  48  that are interconnected together in spaced, parallel relationship to one another by four circumferentially spaced, longitudinally extending centrally interjoined ribs  49  unitarily interconnected together.  
         [0040]     Seated centrally in the lower end plate  48  of the base block  42  is one end of a rigid sliding finger  51 . The finger  51  projects downwardly and axially through the bulkhead  44  and through an opening  52  in the apex of the wall of the cavity  22 . Thereafter, the finger  51  is configured to extend adjacently and slidably over localized surface portions that define the cavity  22 , and the finger  51  has an opposite end which terminates adjacent to the mouth  23 . Preferably, and as shown, the finger  51  opposite end partially overlaps and slidably moves over lip portions of the mouth  23 .  
         [0041]     Seated centrally in the upper end plate  47  of the base block  42  is one end of a longitudinally straight but spirally twisted drive shaft  54  which in transverse section is generally rectangularly shaped so that the shaft  54  has opposed, flattened, side faces. The opposite end of the drive shaft is extended slidably through a mating central orifice  55  defined in the driver disk  29 .  
         [0042]     Spring biasing means, which in the dough dropper  20  is preferably a coiled spring  56  that resists compression, is preferably provided, as shown. The spring  56  encircles the drive shaft  54  and surrounds the cylindrical lower body portion  28  of the plunger body  26 . The upper end portion of the spring  56  abuts against the baffle plate  31  and the lower end portion of the spring  56  abuts against the bulkhead  43 . Alternative arrangements may be used, if desired. The spring biasing means functions to yieldingly urge the plunger body  26  into an uppermost extended position relative to the stem body  21 .  
         [0043]     In the assembled dough dropper  20 , when the plunger body  26  is moved longitudinally downwards relative to the lower end  21 A by means of manual pressure applied by one hand of a user to the knob  27  while the other hand grasps the stem body  21 , the driver disk  29  slides over local portions of the drive shaft  54 . Thereby, the drive shaft  54  is caused to rotate, thereby rotating the base block  42  and the sliding finger  51 . The sliding finger  51  slidably moves progressively over local surface portions of the cavity  22  whereby dough contained in the cavity  22  is separated and released as when the dough dropper  20  is positioned spatially over and adjacent to a cookie sheet. Return upwards of the plunger body  26  under bias force from spring  56  causes rotation of the sliding finger  51  in a reverse direction.  
         [0044]     Preferably, the number of twists provided in the drive shaft  54  is sufficient to cause the sliding finger  51  to rotate through about 360° and travel over the entire surface area of the cavity  22  when the plunger body  26  is longitudinally moved from a fully upwardly extended position to a fully compressed lower condition relative to the stem body  21 .  
         [0045]     In the preferred embodiment  20 , where the bulkhead  44  is spaced from but adjacent to the apex of the wall of the cavity  22 , so that a small chamber  58  exists between the bulkhead  44  and the cavity  22  wall, a window  59  is defined in the stem body  21  wall adjacent the chamber  58  whereby water or the like can be charged to the chamber  58  through the window  59  for purposes of flushing and cleansing of the dough dropper  20  after use.  
         [0046]     Before the halves of the stem body  21  are secured together, the subassembly of plunger body  26  and driver disk  29 , the subassembly of shaft  54 , base block  42 , sliding finger  51 , and the spring  56  are positioned in one of the stem body  21  halves in an operable configuration.  
         [0047]     The invention can be considered to relate to a process for transferring cookie dough or the like from a dough batch and dropping regulated amounts of the dough, such as a dollop  57 , upon a cookie sheet  60  for baking or the like. The process, which is partially and illustratively shown in the sequence of  FIGS. 9-11 , the movement of the sliding finger  51  over surface portions of the cavity  22  being shown in  FIG. 10 , comprises the steps of first filling the cavity  22  with cookie dough, positioning the mouth  23  of the cavity  22  over a cookie sheet in a desired location while holding the stem body  21  preferably with one hand, and depressing (pushing) the knob  27  downwards whereby the plunger body  26  descends into the stem body  21 . The sliding finger  51  progressively and slidably advances over surface portions of the cavity  22  and the dough in the cavity  22  is released from the cavity  22  and deposited upon the cookie sheet. The process steps are sequentially and successively repeated to a desired extent; for example, until the cookie sheet is filled with dough dollops released from the dough dropper  20 .  
         [0048]     Other and further embodiments, applications, features and the like will be apparent to those skilled in the art.  
         [0049]     It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular structures and methods shown and described, and that changes and adaptations are contemplated which readily and fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth and determined by the appended claims.