Abstract:
A hand manipulable apparatus for the receipt and extrusion of a stream of edible material. The apparatus includes an elongated housing having a first end and a second end with a discharge nozzle in the first end. A chamber is arranged within the first end of the elongated housing for receipt of a meltable edible material. A circuit is arranged in the first end of the elongated housing for heating and melting the edible material; and a chocolate advancer member such as a rotatable auger is arranged within the distal end of the housing for extrudably discharging the edible material out of the housing through the nozzle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to devices for melting and discharging edible food substances, and is based upon co-pending Provisional Application No. 60/447,069 filed 13 Feb. 2003, which is based upon Provisional Application No. 60/356,795, filed 14 Feb. 2002, each of which are incorporated herein by reference.  
           [0003]    2. Prior Art  
           [0004]    In the cooking field and particularly for bakers of cakes and cookies or the like, those products are decorated by a hand application of sugary fluid-like compounds of frosting or confectioner&#39;s material or the like. It is usually applied from a cloth baglike device having a nozzle at one end thereof. The bag-like container is filled with the edible paste to be applied to a surface, and the bag is wrung tightly by hand to apply pressure to the confectionary product inside of that bag. The product such as frosting or decorative confection then may be pushed out of the nozzle and on to the article to be decorated. Such a frosting or confectionary material has to be made in its fluid state and then stuffed into the bag-like container. Such loading of the “bag” is messy and not well suited for doing by young children. This work is tedious, and may be difficult for an older child to do this if one were utilizing this apparatus as an educational toy. There is no easy loading nor easy cleaning nor easy articulation by an adult, let alone a child.  
           [0005]    It is an object of the present invention to provide an edible-confection applicator device which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.  
           [0006]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide an edible-confection delivery apparatus which is safe to use even for a child, without an external components which might harm even a young child.  
           [0007]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide an edible-confection distribution apparatus which is simple to operate and very easy to maintain, load, clean and use.  
           [0008]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a confection distribution apparatus which may be loaded with a “dry” confection to facilitate efficiency in its use.  
           [0009]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a confection distribution apparatus which is easily manipulated and utilized as an artistic appliance, held much like a brush or a pen.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    The present invention comprises a unique, small diameter, hand held, readily manipulable confection applying device. The confection applying device comprises an elongated chamber or housing of generally cylindrical configuration having a lower or first confection-applying end and an upper or second chamber-loading and power-adaptive end.  
           [0011]    The lower or first end has a replaceable fluid discharge nozzle thereon. The elongated chamber comprises a housing into which a rotatable auger is supported. The auger has a tipped or distalmost end which is in communication with the nozzle at the first end of the apparatus. The auger is arranged about a rotatable shaft having an upper or proximalmost end which engages a coupler.  
           [0012]    The coupler arranged in the second or uppermost end of the elongated housing and is attached to a drive shaft. The drive shaft is arranged on the upper end of a reducing gear transmission arrangement. The transmission arrangement is attached to the output shaft of an electric motor arranged within the second or uppermost power adaptive end of the elongated housing. A power cord may be arranged through the uppermost end of the housing to a battery or power supply. A further aspect of the present invention preferably comprises a battery arranged within the second end of the housing.  
           [0013]    The upper end of the confection applying device comprises an end housing which is separable from the main body portion of the confection applying device at an end-adjacent location where the rotatable shaft meets the transmission coupler.  
           [0014]    A control switch is located adjacent to the lower or first end of the elongated housing. The control switch may include a rheostat having an electric circuit in communication with the electric motor to variable control the speed or direction of rotation of the output shaft of the motor and thereby control the speed or direction of rotation of the auger on the auger shaft.  
           [0015]    A temperature control element may be arranged in a circuit adjacent the lower end of the elongated housing. The circuit may include an upper-temperature limitation arrangement therewith, so as to minimize the amount of heat which may be provided to the housing. The elongated housing comprises a chamber into which dry “chips” of confection material such as chocolate chips or other like-chip or dry, meltable granular material may be disposed when the upper end of the housing is removed from that main housing portion thereof.  
           [0016]    Thus a baker or cook or even a child may apply an edible confection of granular material within the housing of the elongated housing member when the upper end cap is removed. Actuation of the on/off control switch may actuate the heating element (and/or a cooling chamber) to provide a minimal temperature sufficient to melt the confection material within the lowermost end of the housing. Such a temperature may reside in the range of for example about 95 degrees F. to 105 degrees F. so as to melt such confection but not so high as to harm a child or user of this apparatus.  
           [0017]    The invention thus comprises a hand manipulable apparatus for the receipt and extrusion of a stream of edible material comprising an elongated housing having a first end and a second end, a discharge nozzle arranged in the first end, a chamber is arranged in the first end of the elongated housing for receipt of dry meltable edible material, a circuit is preferably arranged in the first end of the elongated housing for heating and melting the edible material, and a rotatable auger is arranged in the distal end of the housing for extruding the edible material out of the housing through the nozzle. The edible material is preferably comprised of a confectionary such as for example, chocolate. The circuit preferably includes an upper temperature limit controller. The auger is preferably of stepped diameter to permit control of extrusion of melted edible material. The auger preferably has a proximal portion of a first diameter and a distalmost tip of a second, reduced diameter than the first diameter. The distalmost tip of said auger preferably rotatively mates within the nozzle. An electric motor may be arranged in the second end of the housing. The electric motor may be in communication with a power cord extending from the elongated housing. The electric motor may alternatively be in communication with a battery in the second end of the housing.  
           [0018]    The invention may also include a method of manipulably applying a fluid confectionary material to a surface, comprising one or more of the steps of: arranging a rotatable auger in a distal end of an elongated housing; depositing a dry confectionary material into the distal end of the elongated housing, about the auger; rotating the auger within the elongated housing; heating the distal end of the elongated housing to effect a temperature change in the confectionary material; and extruding a melt of confectionary material from a first nozzle arranged on the distal end of the elongated housing. The method may further include the steps of: moving the confectionary material through a stepped auger at the distal end of the elongated housing; attaching a proximal end of the auger to an electric motor in a proximal end of the elongated housing to permit the rotating of the auger; removing the nozzle from the distal end of the elongated housing; and replacing the nozzle with a second nozzle having a different configuration from the first nozzle. The distal end of the housing may be heated by an electric heating element arranged on or in the housing. The method may include: simultaneously activating the auger to rotate and the distal end of the housing to be heated by a switch arranged adjacent the distal end of the elongated housing.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]    The objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when viewed in conjunction with the following drawings in which:  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a confection writer apparatus constructed according to the principles of the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the writer apparatus shown in FIG. 1, in an exploded configuration;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the writer apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 in longitudinal section;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the confection writer apparatus of the present invention; and  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the confection writer apparatus of the present invention.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0025]    Referring now to the drawings in detail, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown the present invention which comprises a small diameter (preferably about 1″ to 3″ for easy grasping use by children) confection applying device  10  comprises an elongated chamber or housing  12  of generally cylindrical configuration having a lower or first confection-extruding end  14  and an upper or second chamber-loading and power-adaptive end  16 .  
         [0026]    The lower or first end  14  has a replaceable fluid discharge nozzle  18  thereon. The elongated chamber comprises a housing  12  consists of a chamber into which a rotatable auger  20  is supported, as may be seen in FIG. 3. The auger  20  has a proximal portion  21  of a first diameter d1 and a tipped or distalmost end  22  tapering into a shaped, smaller, second diameter d2, which fits inside and is in supported, rotating communication within the nozzle  18  at the first or distalmost end  14  of the confection-applying device  10 . The auger  20  is arranged about a rotatable shaft  24  having an upper or proximalmost end  26  which engages a coupler  28  supportively arranged within the proximal power-adaptive-end  16  of the housing  12 .  
         [0027]    The coupler  28 , being arranged within the second or uppermost power-adaptive-end  16  of the confection-applying device  10 , is attached to a drive shaft  30 , as represented in FIG. 3. The drive shaft  30  is arranged on the upper or proximalmost end of a reducing gear transmission arrangement  32 , supported within the proximal end  16  of the housing  12 . The transmission arrangement  32  is attached to the output drive shaft  30  which is connected to an electric motor  34  arranged within the second or uppermost end  16  of the elongated housing  12 , as shown in FIG. 3. A power cord  40 , in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, may be arranged through the uppermost end of the housing  12  to a power supply, not shown.  
         [0028]    A further aspect of the present invention comprises a battery unit  41 , connected by proper means to the electric motor  34 , as also represented in FIG. 3.  
         [0029]    The upper power-adaptive-end  16  of the elongated housing  12  is separable from the main body portion of the chamber at the location where the shaft  24  meets the transmission coupler  28 , as is represented in FIG. 2. The separability of the housing  12  into a relatively long portion permits the loading of a reasonably satisfactory amount, for example, about 1 to 8 ounces of dry “chips” or granules of a dry confectionary material without the mess associated with the prior art.  
         [0030]    A control switch  42  is located adjacent to the distal or first end  14  of the elongated housing  12  for the convenience of manipulating the confection applying device  10  and turning the device  10  on or off. The control switch  42  may include a rheostat having an electric circuit  44  in communication with the electric motor  34  and power cable  40  or battery  41 , to variably control the speed or direction of rotation of the output shaft  30  of the electric motor  34  and thereby control the speed or direction of rotation of the auger  20  on the auger shaft  24 . The stepped down diameter of the auger  20  from d1 to d2 permits the use of a small diameter nozzle  18 , permitting artistic expression of finer lines of a melted, extruded confectionary  60 . The nozzle  18  may be replaceable with respect to the lower distal end  14  of the housing  12  by a screw thread arrangement  45 , or the like, permitting a new nozzle  18  which is cleaner or of different cross-sectional shape or diameter to be placed thereon.  
         [0031]    A temperature generating element  46  may be arranged within the wall of, around or adjacent a peripheral portion of the wall at the lower end  14  of the elongated housing  12 , the temperature generating element  46 , also controlled by the switch  42 , the element  46  having an upper-temperature limitation arrangement  47  therewith, so as to minimize the amount of heat which may be provided to the lower housing  14  and the confectionary  50  therein.  
         [0032]    The elongated housing  12  comprises an elongated chamber into which dry “chips” or powder of confectionary material  50  such as chocolate chips or other like chip or granular material may be disposed when the upper end  16  of the housing  12  is removed from that chamber portion thereof to permit a reasonably satisfactory supply of material for designing a confectionary artwork.  
         [0033]    Thus a baker or cook or even a child may safely apply an edible confection of granular or fluid material  50  within the holding/melting chamber  52  of the elongated housing  12  when the upper end housing  16  is removed. The power-end housing  16 , and thus and power cord  40  or battery  41  is thus safely away from the confectionary during loading of the chamber  52 . A gasket  55  may be sealably disposed about the rotatable coupler  28  in the housing  16  to minimize any cross contamination of the motor  34  or the confectionary material  50 . Actuation of the on/off control switch  42  may actuate the heating element  46  to provide a minimal temperature sufficient to melt the confectionary material  50  within the lowermost end  14  of the housing. Such a temperature may reside in the range of about 95 degrees F. to 105 degrees F. so as to melt such confection but not so high as to harm a child or user of this apparatus, and produce an applyable stream  60  of that melted edible material  55  to a substrate  62 .  
         [0034]    A further embodiment of the confection writer apparatus  10  of the present invention is shown in FIG. 4 showing a “pistol shaped” frame  70  having a forwardly directed barrel  72  and a handle  74 . The barrel  72  has a distal end  76  with a tapered extrusion nozzle  78  arranged thereon. A heating element  80  is arranged within the barrel  72 , A squeeze trigger  84  is pivotally connected to the frame  70  and extends adjacent the handle  74 . Squeezing of the trigger  84 , in one preferred embodiment activates the heater  80  by activation of a switch  82  in communication with the heater  80 .  
         [0035]    The barrel  72  is hollow, and is arranged to receive a solid bar of chocolate  86 . The trigger  84 , when pivotally squeezed, moves a ratchet pusher  90  to distally advance a bar of chocolate  86  forwardly through the barrel  72 , into contact with the heated area of the apparatus  10 , and hence to manipulably extrude a stream of melted chocolate  92  out of the nozzle  78 , as represented in FIG. 4.  
         [0036]    Another preferred embodiment of the present invention of the confectionary writer apparatus  10  is shown in FIG. 5 showing a “pistol shaped” frame  100  having a forwardly directed barrel  102  and a handle  104  extending off of the barrel  102 . The barrel  102  has a distal end  106  with a tapered extrusion nozzle  108  arranged thereon. A heating element  110  is arranged within the barrel  102 . A squeeze trigger  112  is pivotally connected to the frame  100  and extends adjacent the handle  104 . Squeezing of the trigger  112  in one preferred embodiment activates the heater  110  by activation of a switch  114  in communication with the heater  110 .  
         [0037]    The barrel  102  is hollow, and is arranged to preferably receive a granular or chipped or solid bar of chocolate  116 . A second chamber  118  enclosed the chocolate  116 . The chamber  118  is telescopingly arranged to slide into the barrel  102  when the trigger  112  is pivotally squeezed, the trigger squeeze movement also moves a ratchet pusher  120  to distally advance the second chamber  118  and hence push the chocolate  116  loaded in the chamber  118  forwardly through the barrel  102  and extrude a stream of melted chocolate  122  out of the nozzle  108 , as represented in FIG. 5.