Abstract:
This disclosure relates to the field of stovetop popcorn poppers. In one form, the popcorn popper comprises an interoperating apparatus to facilitate the mixing or stirring of the popped popcorn during a coating or flavoring operation.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 12/969,230 filed Dec. 15, 2010 incorporated here by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Field of the Disclosure 
     This disclosure relates to the field of stovetop popcorn poppers, with an interoperating apparatus to facilitate the mixing or stirring of the popped popcorn during a coating or flavoring operation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Disclosed herein is a food preparation device comprising a pot having a substantially planar and circular bottom, a substantially vertical annular sidewall having one edge in continuous contact with the bottom, an annular rim in continuous contact with the sidewall, vertically opposed to the bottom, and a handle projecting from the annular sidewall. A lid is also provided, the lid comprising upper and lower faces, wherein the lid is removably in contact with the annular rim of the pot. In one form, the lid further comprises at least one steam vent and may be transparent to allow the user to view the prepared product. Glass or other transparent or translucent materials can be used. The lid may also include a removable cap, which is snap fit into a surface defining a void through the lid. This removable cap may be concave and perforated to provide a distribution location for butter, caramel, or similar food products. 
     An agitator portion is also provided comprising a shaft extending through the center of the lid, substantially perpendicular to the faces of the lid. 
     A rotating handle is attached to the shaft, wherein the rotating handle is configured to be rotated by a user to rotate the shaft. A bearing member is centered about the shaft and in contact with the lid. The handle comprises at least one blunt edged lower paddle coupled to the shaft at an angle thereto. 
     There is a vertical clearance gap between the lower paddle and the bottom of the pot to prevent jamming of the mechanism. At least one upper paddle is also provided, extending into the pot and fixed not to rotate with the shaft. A vertical clearance gap is provided between the upper paddle and the lower paddle. In one form, this clearance gap between the paddles is at least 20 mm wide. 
     While different embodiments are conceived, the food preparation device as disclosed above may be arranged with two lower paddles linearly aligned with each other and extending perpendicular to vertical axis of the shaft. 
     The food preparation device as disclosed above may be arranged wherein at least one lower paddle comprises a planar portion, which is at an angle of substantially 45° from the plane of the bottom of the pot. In this arrangement, the product is rotated and lifted away from the bottom of the pot simultaneously. In one form, at least one lower paddle is removably attached to the shaft. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric, wireframe view of one embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a right side view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a left side view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of the internal components of the device shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 8  is an isometric view of one embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     While many prior devices have been formulated for the popping of popcorn using the method of hot oil on a stovetop, such as can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,763,567 and 5,163,357, it appears that the demand for flavored or otherwise coated popcorn has increased, and thus, a home-use device for the coating of popcorn is much desired. Looking to  FIG. 1 , a food preparation device  20  is shown comprising three distinct portions, these portions being a pot or vessel  22 , a lid  24 , and an agitator portion  26 . Each of these portions will be described in detail herein. To aid in describing the apparatus, an axis system  10  will be utilized herein generally comprising a vertical axis  12 , a radial axis  14  extending radially outwards from the vertical axis of the pot  22 , and a rotational axis  16 . These axes are utilized herein to describe particular arrangements of each element to other elements and are not intended to be limiting to the overall apparatus or claims, except as particularly pointed out in the claims. The term “cooking” used herein is intended to refer to the art or practice of preparing food. The term is not intended to be limited to the heating of food. While the apparatus herein is easily used on a standard kitchen stovetop, it may also be used on a hotplate, over a fire, or in combination with a heating element. This disclosure will use the term stovetop relatively broadly. 
     The pot  22  generally comprises a substantially planar and circular bottom  28 , having an outer edge  30 , which attaches an annular sidewall  32  to the bottom  28 . One example of a handle  34  is shown, comprising an attachment portion  36 , which couples the handle  34  to the annular sidewall  32 . The handle  34  could alternatively be coupled to the lid  24 , bottom  28 , or any other fixed portion of the food preparation device  20 . The upper edge of the annular sidewall  32  terminates in an annular rim  38 . Similar pots are well-known in the art of cooking, and the features shown in the accompany FIGS. could be altered to conform to a user&#39;s particular needs. 
     The lid  24 , in one form, has an outer edge that is substantially the same size as the annular rim  38  of the pot  22  and is operably configured to interact therewith, in one embodiment, to form a seal. As a great deal of water vapor in the form of steam is produced by the popping of popcorn, it may not be desired to have an airtight or watertight seal between the lid  24  and the rim  38 . In addition, steam vents that direct steam up through the lid  24 , away from the handle  34 , and away from the rotating handle  50  may be provided, but are not shown in the FIGS. as they are easily constructed by one of ordinary skill in the art. Once again, silicone rubber has been shown to provide an excellent material for such a vent. In one form, the lid  24  comprises a surface defining a void  39 , which is configured to receive a removable cap  40 , which may further comprise surfaces defining perforations  42 . In one form, the removable cap  40  is cup shaped or concave, so that butter, caramel or similar flavorings or colorings can be added thereto, slowly flowing through the perforations  42  and coating the food articles being processed. In one form, the removable cap  40  is made of silicone rubber, which is not negatively affected by heat. The lid  24  also comprises a surface defining a void  44  into which is attached a bearing member  46 , which provides frictional relief between the lid  24  and a shaft  48  of the agitator portion  26 . As the process of popping and coating popcorn is visually and audibly interesting, it may be desired to use a transparent lid, such as one made substantially of glass, which may be tempered, so as to view the process. Such a transparent lid would also function to allow the person using the apparatus to visually observe the condition of the popcorn during the popping and coating processes. 
     The agitator portion  26  comprises the shaft  48  and rotating handle of  50 , which may further comprise a knob  52  pivotably attached to an extension of the shaft  48  to increase the comfort of the user during operation. One lower paddle  56  is attached to the lowermost portion of the shaft  48  and configured to rotate therewith. While the plurality of lower paddles  56  are shown in  FIG. 1  in linear opposition through the axis  12  of the shaft  48 , a single lower paddle  56  may also be used, or paddles which are not in linear opposition. Looking to  FIG. 3 , it can be seen that there is a gap  54  between the lower paddle  56  and the interior surface of the substantially flat bottom  28  of the pot  22 . 
     While an embodiment utilizing only the portions disclosed to this point would function adequately in some instances, it has been found that the apparatus functions better in other applications with the addition of at least one fixed upper paddle  58 . There should generally be a clearance gap  60  between the upper paddle  58  and the lower paddle  56 . While the upper paddle  58  is shown as generally L-shaped and attached to the lid  24  adjacent the bearing member  46 , other shapes may work adequately well and may alternatively be attached to the inner portion of the sidewall  32  of the pot  22 , or perhaps even the bottom  28  of the pot  22 . In one form, the upper paddle is riveted or otherwise affixed to the lid to provide a fixed, rigid connection thereto. 
     In operation, when popping popcorn for example, a user would add a volume of a fluid, such as olive oil, into the pot  22 , place the apparatus on top of a heat source, such as a stovetop, and add a volume of popcorn to the oil. In one operation, it may be desired to add the lid  24  and agitator portion  26  to the pot  22  after the oil and popcorn have been added. The user would shake the food preparation device  20  by way of the handle  34  to ensure that the popcorn kernels did not burn. Such a popping method is very well known in the art of popping popcorn and preparing other foods. Once the popcorn is completely popped, butter or a similar fluid may be added to the removable cap  40 , which would heat and drip through the perforations  42 . During this portion, a user would rotate the rotating handle  50 , which would in turn rotate the lower paddles  56 , agitating the popcorn therein. As the lower paddles  56 , in one form, comprise a lifting angle  62  relative to the bottom  28  of the pot, the popcorn is lifted away from the bottom  28  and simultaneously stirred rotationally along the rotational axis  16 . Tests have found that without the upper paddles  58 , the entire body of popcorn tends to rotate as a unitary body; however, with the addition of the upper paddles  58 , more agitation occurs between individual popcorn elements. If the substance to be introduced to the popped popcorn is not of the proper form to be added to the removable cap  40  or will not properly disperse through the perforations  42 , the removable cap  40  may be completely removed. This may be desired if powdered cheese, caramel, ketchup, or other colorings or flavorings are to be introduced. 
     In another operation, the food preparation device can be utilized for foods other than popcorn, such as nuts. The nuts may be preheated prior to introducing them to the pot  22  or may be heated within the pot  22 . At any rate, the colorant or flavoring would be introduced through the removable cap  40  or, alternatively, through the surface defining a void  40  in the lid  24  after the cap  40  has been temporarily removed. Then, the rotating handle  50  is operated to properly agitate the nuts or other foodstuffs therein during the coating operation. 
     While it is generally easy to clean the apparatus by simply removing the lid  24  and placing the entire combination of the lid  24  and agitator portion  26  within a cleaning device, such as a dishwasher, it may also be desired to have the lower paddles  56  removably attached to the shaft  48  to allow for removal of the lower paddles  56 , shaft  48 , bearing member  46 , and fixed upper paddles  58  individually for separate cleaning. 
     While the present invention is illustrated by description of several embodiments and while the illustrative embodiments are described in detail, it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications within the scope of the appended claims will readily appear to those sufficed in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicants&#39; general concept.