Abstract:
A floss bowl is formed from a plurality of tapered, nestable segments which can be coupled together in a bowl configuration for use on a cotton candy machine. The segments can be disassembled for cleaning, or can be nested for storage or shipment. Methods are disclosed.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to cotton candy making apparatus and particularly to floss bowls used in cotton candy filament spinning apparatus. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    In cotton candy making, it is known to supply sugar to a heated spinning head located centrally and within an open cotton candy bowl. The heated head melts the sugar granules and spins the molten sugar out of the head, in the form of filaments, into the bowl. The filaments are collected as floss in the bowl and are traditionally picked up on a paper cone in the form of a cloud or fluffy collection of cotton candy for human consumption. 
         [0003]    Such floss catching bowls are traditionally of monolithic, one piece construction of metal or plastic. In diameter, the bowls are large, measuring 26 inches or more in diameter. 
         [0004]    When cotton candy machines and bowls are made and shipped together, or when bowls themselves are stored or shipped alone, they constitute large objects, light in weight, for the displacement of their size or volume. Such bowls take up more space than their weight in smaller objects would require, resulting in increased costs of storage space or shipping charges. Said in another way, the storage or shipping volumes required are very large for the actual weight of the bowls. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, it is objective of the invention to provide a bowl for cotton candy machines wherein the bowl does not take up or occupy the volume of space required for same size bowls in the past. 
         [0006]    In addition, the large monolithic bowls of the past are difficult to clean since their size makes them unwieldy. 
         [0007]    It is thus another objective of the invention to provide an improved cotton candy floss bowl which is easy to handle and clean without the unwieldiness of prior bowls. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    To these ends, a cotton candy floss bowl in a preferred embodiment comprises a bowl for catching cotton candy filaments spun from a heated rotating head wherein the bowl itself is not of the traditional, one-piece construction but, instead, is comprised of a plurality of connectible segments, connected to define a bowl of desired dimension but separable, in segments, which can be stacked or nested for storage or shipping or individually handled for cleaning. In nested configuration, a plurality of segments for making up one bowl requires but a fraction of volume or space compared to that of the assembled bowl. Segments for many bowls can be nested into smaller volumes of space, such that components of many bowls can be stored or shipped in the space previously required for a much smaller number of bowls. 
         [0009]    In addition, a bowl formed from a plurality of specimens can be disassembled into discrete segments for easy cleaning thereof separately from the others and without the unwieldiness of prior one-piece bowls. 
         [0010]    Preferably each segment is provided on its edges with snap-together components so the segments are easily, but permanently or removeably snapped together for use as a cotton candy bowl, and unsnapped and separated for cleaning, or for storage or shipping in relatively smaller, higher weight volumes than prior one-piece bowls. 
         [0011]    These and other objectives and advantages will become readily apparent from the following detailed written description and from the drawings in which: 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is an illustrative isometric view of a cotton candy machine fitted with a floss bowl according to the invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of a floss bowl of the invention as in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is an exploded isometric view of the floss bowl of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of two segments of the floss bowl of  FIG. 3 , illustrating the interconnecting details of the two segments; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4A  is an enlarged view of the encircled area  4 A of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is an isometric view showing segments of a floss bowl according to the invention in nested orientation, such as for storage or shipment; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of the invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6A  is an enlarged view of the encircled area  6 A of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is an exploded view of the upper edges of two segments of the bowl of  FIG. 6 ; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the embodiment of  FIG. 6  illustrating the joinder of two bowl segments. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    Turning now to the FIGS., like numerals will designate like parts in the respective segments.  FIG. 1  illustrates a snap-together, segmented floss bowl  10  of the invention in operative position on a cotton candy machine  12  comprising a base  13  and heated rotatable spinner head  14 . 
         [0023]    Machine  12 , including base  13  and head  14  is of any suitable construction as is well known. 
         [0024]    In use, sugar is deposited in head  14  which is heated. When head  14  is rotated or spun, the sugar is melted and spun from the head as elongated filaments of molten sugar, collecting in bowl  10 . From there, the filaments can be accumulated on a paper cone, as is well-known in the art. 
         [0025]    Turning now to  FIG. 2 , it will be appreciated that bowl  10  is not a single piece, unitary bowl as in the past but, rather, is a composite bowl comprising a plurality of segments, in this embodiment, eight segments  16 - 23 . 
         [0026]    Each segment has an upper curved, peripheral rim  26  developed with one radius and a lower peripheral rim  28  developed with a lesser radius. When joined together, rims  26  of segments  16 - 23  define a circular mouth of bowl  10 . And lower rims  28  form an opening to accommodate head  14  and other components of machine  12 . 
         [0027]    With reference to  FIGS. 4 and 4A , two segments  16  and  23  are illustrated; these being typical of the other segments. Segment  16  has respective upper and lower rims  26 ,  28 , while segment  23  has respective upper and lower rims  26   a  and  28   a  of similar construction to their relative counterparts  26  and  28 . 
         [0028]    As depicted most clearly in  FIG. 4A , rim  26  at one edge of segment  16  is provided with an extended projection or connector  30 . At an opposite edge of each segment, such as segment  23 , rim  26   a  is provided with a cavity  32  for receiving in preferably a friction, press or snap-fit cooperation the projection  30 . 
         [0029]    Likewise, lower rim  28  segment  16  is provided with a projection  30  while lower rim  28   a  is provided with a cavity  32 ; these two components cooperating to releasably hold the segments  16 ,  23  together when their respective edges  24 ,  25  are pushed together so that rims  26 ,  26   a  and  28 ,  28   a  define the respective circular openings noted above and as shown in  FIG. 2 , 
         [0030]    Additional and complimentary projections  30  and cavities  32  are oriented in cooperating position along the edges  24 ,  25  of segments  16 ,  23  as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0031]    Preferably each segment  16 - 23  is of similar construction, each having cavities  32  along one edge  25  and projections along opposite edges  24  so that all eight segments can be fitted together, respective edges  24 ,  25  of the segments are abutted with the projections and cavities formed in a way or configuration to snap the segments together, the interface of projection  30  to cavity  32  defining a friction, press or snap fit sufficient to hold the segments  16 - 23  together in an operable bowl configuration, but rendering the segments separable for nesting, storage, shipping or cleaning. Alternately, the fit of the projections and cavities could be such as to permanently connect the segments together. 
         [0032]    Any suitable releasable and cooperating connector components can be used to align and/or secure the segments together to define a bowl. 
         [0033]    One configuration of four nesting segments  16 - 19  is illustrated in  FIG. 5 . Four segments are illustrated, but it will be appreciated that fewer or more segments could be so nested for storage, shipping or the like. Eight so nested segments would occupy much less space or volume than a one piece bowl of similar final bowl dimension. 
         [0034]    It will be appreciated that in one embodiment as shown, each segment is essentially identical to each other segment. Different shaped segments might be used to produce different bowl shapes. 
         [0035]    Other connectors could be used to secure the segments together in a bowl shape. 
         [0036]    The bowl shape as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  can be simply fitted to any cotton candy machine, the machine drive extending through to opening defined by lower rims  28  and the spinner head located above the bowl bottom but within the bowl for capture by the bowl of the spun filament. The bowl  10  can rest on machine  12  or secured in suitable manner to base  13 . 
         [0037]    Segments  16 - 23  are preferably of tapered shape, as portions of the annular bowl  10 , the segment width being narrower near rim  28  than near top rim  26 . See  FIGS. 4 and 5  where the segments are wider at the outer top ends than at their inner lower ends. 
         [0038]    Each segment  16 - 23  has an upstanding wider portion proximate rim  26  to define an outer bowl wall, and another upstanding narrower inner portion nearer rim  28  to define a shorter inner bowl wall. 
         [0039]    Segments  16 - 23  may be made of any suitable material including metal, aluminum and synthetic materials like various plastics. The inner surface of the segments may be embossed, formed irregular surfaces or the like to enhance accumulation and collection of cotton candy filaments or floss. Also, features may be added to the segments to provide mounting of mesh or other components to the same end. 
         [0040]    Moreover, a various number of segments from two to more than eight, can be used to form a complete bowl, as desired. 
         [0041]    Alternately, the segments may be positioned or connected together by cooperating components such as latches, encircling belts or straps, components mounted on outer surfaces thereof, or any suitable such means for holding the segments together in a bowl configuration for use. For example, complimentary features on the segments for operatively positioning them together, and in combination with latches, encircling belts or straps or other suitable expedients may be used. 
         [0042]    Turning now to  FIGS. 6-8 , there is illustrated therein features of an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein the alternative provides the same features of the embodiments of  FIGS. 1-5  excepting the detail of how the segments are connected together to form the bowl,  10   a.    
         [0043]    In  FIG. 6 , there is shown a segmented floss bowl  10   a  comprising a plurality of tapered segments  51 - 58  essentially like bowl  10  and segments  16 - 23  of  FIGS. 1-5 . However, the segments are connected and latched together in a different way than in  FIGS. 1-5 . 
         [0044]    More particularly, the edges of respective segments  51 - 58  are provided with projections  60  and projection receiving apertures  61 . The fit between the projections  60  and apertures  61  is not necessarily a “press” or “friction”, or “snap-together” fit as is the relation of the projections  30  and cavities  32 . Thus, the projections  60  and receiving apertures  61  of this embodiment are intended to serve only as segment edge locating or positioning components to align the segment edges for fitting together. Of course, there could be a tighter fit to provide segment connection as in  FIGS. 1-5 . 
         [0045]    In addition to the positioning, projections  60  and apertures  61 , the respective segments  51 - 58  are provided with complimentary latch components  65 ,  65 . Component  66  is merely a stud or other suitable member projecting outwardly from a surface of a segment such as segment  51 . Component  65  is a yieldable tongue or latch having an aperture  67  therein for receiving the stud  66  in a yieldably latched condition. 
         [0046]    Preferably two latch members are oriented on one side of the segments as segment  52  shown in  FIG. 8 , while each set of the segments such as shown at  51  in  FIG. 8  has two studs  66  for respectively cooperating with the respective facing latches  65  extending from the adjacent segments  51 , or so on around the bowl  10   a.    
         [0047]    In this manner, each segment is latched to an adjacent segment via the complimentary studs  66  and yieldable latch members  65 , with the studs preferably snapping into the apertures  67 . These studs  66  and apertures  67  are provided with complimentary engaging surfaces to establish a latch and stable connection of one segment to the other. 
         [0048]    Alternatively, other suitable forms of latches, connectors, encircling members or any suitable latch or connector construction may be used to facilitate interconnection of segments, preferably yieldably, of one segment to another, to form a floss bowl of circular or other desired shape. 
         [0049]    These and other alternatives, advantages and modifications will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention and applicant will be limited only by the claims appended hereto