Abstract:
A device for quickly freezing food product incorporates a pan and a base. The pan is adapted to receive the food product to be frozen, and has a bottom portion and a wall portion surrounding the bottom portion. The bottom portion of the pan has an upper surface and an opposing lower surface. The base is positioned under the bottom portion and the wall portion of the pan. The wall portion of the base is coupled to the wall portion of the pan such that the pan and the base form a unitary body. A cavity exists between the bottom portion of the base and the lower surface of the bottom portion of the pan. A plurality of fins project outwardly from lower surface of the bottom portion of the pan into the cavity.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present disclosure is generally related to kitchen tools, and more particularly, to tools for quickly freezing liquid food products, such as ice cream. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Freezing liquids into food products has long been important in consumption and preparation of food items. Generally, a base mix may be prepared initially and placed in a container. Thereafter, the container may be placed in a freezer for a lengthy duration until the base mix freezes. In many instances, commercially available freezers, household and industrial, may be limited in their capacities in terms of how low the temperatures can be set. For instance, household freezers may not be set to a temperature lower than 10° Fahrenheit. The limitations posed by the capacities of conventional freezers may inconveniently increase the time to prepare frozen food products. 
         [0005]    In addition, conventional products that may freeze liquids into frozen food products, such as ice cream makers, for example, are complex and may require multiple steps before the end product is obtained. Further, conventional products may also require special cleaning procedures and may also be expensive to repair. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Embodiments described herein provide devices and methods for quickly freezing food products, such as ice cream, gelato, or sorbet. According to one embodiment, a device for quickly freezing a food product may be summarized as including: a pan adapted to receive the food product to be frozen, the pan having a bottom portion and a wall portion surrounding the bottom portion, the bottom portion having an upper surface and an opposing lower surface; a base positioned under the pan, the base having a bottom portion and a wall portion, the wall portion of the base being coupled to the wall portion of the pan, a cavity existing between the bottom portion of the base and the lower surface of the bottom portion of the pan; and a heat sink positioned within the cavity to assist in freezing the food product. 
         [0007]    According to another embodiment, a device for quickly freezing a food product may be summarized as including: a pan adapted to receive the food product to be frozen, the pan including a bottom portion, the bottom portion having an upper surface and an opposing lower surface, a wall portion surrounding the bottom portion, and an engagement arrangement; a base positioned under the pan, the base including a bottom portion, a wall portion surrounding the bottom portion, and a receiving engagement arrangement, the receiving engagement arrangement configured to be coupled to the engagement arrangement of the pan, such that a cavity exists between the base and the pan; and a liquid in the cavity, the liquid contacting at least the lower surface of the bottom portion of the pan, the liquid having a freezing temperature lower than a freezing point of water. 
         [0008]    According to yet another embodiment, a method for quickly freezing a food products may be summarized as including: cooling a pan to a temperature below the freezing point of water; and pouring a food base mix into the pan to freeze the food base mix. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a top isometric view of a device for quickly freezing liquid food products, according to one embodiment. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a top isometric view of a base of the device of  FIG. 1 , shown with a heat sink received therein. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the device of  FIG. 1  taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an exploded isometric view of the device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a top isometric view of a device for quickly freezing liquid food products, according to another embodiment. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the device of  FIG. 5  taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is an exploded isometric view of the device of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a top isometric view of a device for quickly freezing liquid products, according to yet another embodiment. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a bottom isometric view of a base from the device of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of the device of  FIG. 8  taken along line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is an exploded isometric view of the device of  FIG. 8 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    The following detailed description is directed toward devices and methods for quickly freezing food products, such as ice cream, gelato, sorbet and the like. The following detailed description and corresponding figures are intended to provide an individual of ordinary skill in the art with enough information to enable that individual to make and use embodiments of the invention. Such an individual, however, having read this entire detailed description and reviewed the figures, will appreciate that modifications can be made to the illustrated and described embodiments, and/or elements removed therefrom, without deviating from the spirit of the invention. It is intended that all such modifications and deviations fall within the scope of the invention, to the extent they are within the scope of the associated claims. 
         [0021]    Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as, “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense, that is, as “including, but not limited to.” 
         [0022]    Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. 
         [0023]    As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be noted that the term “or” is generally employed in its sense including “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. 
         [0024]      FIGS. 1 through 4  illustrate an example embodiment of a device  10  for freezing liquids into food products, such as ice cream, gelato, or sorbet. The device  10  primarily includes a pan  12 , a base  14 , and a heat sink  40 . 
         [0025]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the pan  12  in the illustrated embodiment is wide and shallow and includes a flat bottom  22 , a wall  24 , and a top engagement portion  26 . The pan  12  can be made from plastic, metal, metal alloy, or any other material having suitable thermal properties, as explained further below, and can also be coated or otherwise treated on its external surfaces to improve ease of use or functionality. An individual of ordinary skill in the art, having reviewed this entire disclosure, will immediately appreciate that variations can be made to the pan design without deviating from the spirit of the invention. 
         [0026]    As best seen in  FIG. 3 , the flat bottom  22  and the wall  24  of the pan  12  form a substantially u-shaped cross section. The engagement portion  26  extends outwardly from the wall  24  and includes an L-shaped engagement tab  27 . The engagement tab  27  is configured to engage a complementary receiving surface  57  of the base  14 . It is appreciated that the engagement tab  27  may be appropriately selected to be flexible, such that during assembly, the engagement tab  27  may be elastically displaced outwardly to allow the pan  12  to be nested inside the base  14  and, upon nesting, the engagement tab  27  may retract to engage the receiving surface  57  of the base  14  and secure the pan  12  inside the base  14 . To provide an air/liquid tight seal between the pan  12  and the base  14 , a seal device  25 , such as a gasket or an O-ring, can be provided to sealingly engage the pan  12  to the base  14 . Although the embodiment shown includes a hook-type engagement mechanism to secure the pan  12  to the base  14 , in other embodiments, the pan  12  may be fastened to the base  14 , or may include other engagement features. 
         [0027]      FIG. 2  illustrates the base  14 , according to one embodiment. The base  14  includes a lower surface  54 , a wall  56 , the receiving surface  57 , and a plurality of longitudinally extending substantially U-shaped channel sections  52 . The receiving surface  57  extends outwardly from the wall  56  to receive the engagement tab  27  of the pan  12 . The channel sections  52  are positioned on top of the lower surface  54  inside the wall  56 . Each channel section  52  is laterally spaced apart from an adjacent channel section  52 , thereby forming a channel  53  to receive therein a fin  42  of a heat sink  40 . The base  14  also includes a laterally extending U-shaped longitudinal channel section  55 . The longitudinal channel section  55  is positioned on top of the lower surface  54  along a horizontal neutral axis NA of the base  14 . The longitudinal channel section  55  includes therein an opening  60  to receive therethrough the channel sections  52 . The channel sections  52 , as discussed above, form a channel  53  to receive therein the fins  42  of the heat sink  40 , and also provide structural rigidity to the base  14  as well as increasing the surface area to transfer heat away from the pan  12  during use, as discussed in further detail below. The number, size, shape, and orientation of the channel sections  52  can all be modified without deviating from the spirit of the invention, as one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will immediately appreciate after reviewing the entire disclosure. Further, the channel sections  52  can be formed at the same time and from the same material as the base  14 , such as by molding, casting, or other suitable means, or can be attached to the base  14  by suitable means, such as by welding. 
         [0028]    With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the heat sink  40  includes a plurality of fins  42  that have a substantially U-shaped cross-section, including a base flange  41  and upstanding legs  43  on opposing sides of the base flange  41 . The upstanding legs  43  are positioned within the channels  53  of the base  14 . The base flange  41  includes a top surface  45 , which is thermally coupled to a lower surface  61  of the pan  12 , such that the heat sink  40  may transfer heat away from the pan  12  during use. Although the embodiment of the heat sink  40  shown includes fins  42  that appear flared, in other embodiments, the heat sink  40  may include straight fins, pinned fins, or other suitable shape of the fins without deviating from the spirit of the invention. Each fin  42  of the heat sink  40  may be individually coupled to the base  14 , or the fins  42  can be formed as an integral unit, which may be coupled to the base  14 . Further, the heat sink  40  and the base  14  may also be integrally formed as one integral unit. Still further, the fins  42  can be individually or as an integral unit be coupled to the lower surface  61  of the pan  12 , or be formed with the pan  12  as an integral unit. The number, size, shape, and orientation of the fins  42  can all be modified without deviating from the spirit of the invention, as one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will immediately appreciate after reviewing the entire disclosure. 
         [0029]    With reference to  FIG. 3 , in the illustrated embodiment, a liquid  36  at least partially fills the space between the pan  12  and the base  14 . The liquid  36  is selected for its thermal properties to facilitate the transfer of heat away from an external surface  29  of the pan  12 . For instance, a suitable liquid with a freezing point below 32° Fahrenheit may be selected, such that, in use, thermal energy from the higher temperature base mix may be transferred to the lower temperature liquid  36  fluid medium. In the illustrated embodiment, the liquid  36  is a mixture of water and propylene glycol. However, one of ordinary skill in the art having reviewed this entire disclosure will immediately appreciate that other liquids may be used instead without deviating from the spirit of the invention. For example, the liquid  36  may be a gel, a urea-based freezing liquid, or another type of fluid having suitable thermal properties. 
         [0030]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , the illustrated embodiment of the device  10 , includes a grip  80  externally mounted to the pan  12 . The grip  80  may be made of rubber or another suitable material may be selected that would aid a user in displacing the device  10  and may have suitable thermal insulation properties to facilitate displacement of the device  10  without causing burns to the user. The illustrated embodiment of the device  10  includes a foot pad  90  attached to a lower external surface  28  of the base  14 . The foot pad  90  may be made from a material that facilitates absorption of moisture as the device  10  is placed on any working surface. The foot pad  90  may also have suitable frictional properties to prevent displacement of the device  10  when in use. For example, the foot pad  90  may be made from foam, PVC, or other suitable materials. 
         [0031]    In use, the device  10  can be pre-cooled to a temperature below the freezing point of water. In some embodiments, the device  10  can be pre-cooled to a temperature of around 20-25° Fahrenheit. In other embodiments, the device  10  can be pre-heated to a higher or lower temperature. In the illustrated embodiment, the liquid  36  can have a freezing temperature below 20° Fahrenheit; accordingly, the liquid is still in its liquid phase at this point. 
         [0032]    After the device  10  is pre-cooled, the user can pour any base mix of the food that is to be frozen into the pan  12 . For ice cream, for example, the user can pour a desired cream-based base mix into the pan  12 . The food to be frozen settles onto the external surface  29  of the pan  12 , which is at or near the pre-cooled temperature. In the illustrated embodiment, the pan  12  is wide and flat, causing the food product to spread out, increasing the surface area of the food product in contact with the external surface  29  of the pan, which also increases the rate of heat exchange. 
         [0033]    The external surface  29  of the pan  12  transfers heat away from the food. As the external surface  29  of the pan  12  is warmed up by the food, the heat is transferred into the extended surfaces of the fins  42  and, as the fins  42  warm up, from the fins  42  into the adjoining liquid  36 . Because the liquid  36  is below the freezing point of water, the food continues to cool until it freezes, the heat being transferred out of the food even as it reaches freezing temperatures. 
         [0034]    The liquid  36  can be selected to maintain its temperature for as long as possible, allowing the user to continue freezing food. In alternate embodiments, the device  10  could be plugged in or use other forms of energy to cool the liquid  36  or the external surface  29  of the pan  12  directly. 
         [0035]      FIGS. 5 through 7  illustrate an alternate embodiment of a device  100  for freezing liquids into food products, such as ice cream, gelato, or sorbet. The device  100  primarily includes a base  140  and a pan  120 . The pan  120  includes an engagement portion  260  to engage the base  140 , thereby securing the pan  120  to the base  140 . To provide an air/liquid tight seal between the pan  120  and the base  140 , a seal device  250 , such as a gasket or an O-ring, can be provided to sealingly engage the pan  120  to the base  140 . The device  100  includes a grip  800  externally mounted to the pan  120  and a foot pad  900  externally attached to the base  140 . 
         [0036]    With continued reference to  FIGS. 5 through 7 , the pan  120  is shallow, having a curved bottom  220 . As shown best in  FIG. 6 , the shallow depth of the pan  120  relative to the depth of the base  140  creates a space  219  therebetween. The space  219  is partially filled with a liquid  360  having suitable thermal properties to transfer heat away from an external surface  290  of the pan  120 . More particularly, the device  100  may be suitably sized to facilitate individual servings. For example, the device  100  may be a mini ice cream maker, whereby an ice cream base mix may be poured onto the pan  120  to quickly freeze into ice cream. Upon freezing, the device  100  may be readily served to a user. 
         [0037]      FIGS. 8 through 11  illustrate a yet another alternate embodiment of a device  110  for freezing liquids into food products, such as ice cream, gelato, or sorbet. The device  110  primarily includes a pan  130  and a base  150 . The pan  130  is fastened to the base  150  via fasteners  136 . The illustrated device  110  also incorporates a rim  160  having two opposing handles  180 . The rim  160  in the illustrated embodiment finishes assembly of the device  110  and seals the pan  130  to the base  150 . The illustrated handles  180  have grips  200  to facilitate holding the device  110 . Although in the illustrated embodiment, the handles  180  are associated with the rim  160 , in other embodiments, the handles  180  may be associated with the pan  130  or the base  150 , making the rim  160  unnecessary. 
         [0038]    With continued reference to  FIGS. 8 through 11 , the pan  130  in the illustrated embodiment is wide and shallow, having a flat bottom  131  and a wall  132 . As best shown in  FIG. 9 , with the base  130  removed, a lower, exterior surface  133  of the pan  130  is configured with an array of fins  134  projecting outwardly, away from the lower, exterior surface  133 . Each fin  134  is spaced apart from each adjacent fin by a channel  135  that extends along a portion of the lower, exterior surface  133 . 
         [0039]    With reference to  FIG. 10 , the pan  12  has an upper, working surface  137 , and the pan  130  is nested inside the base  150 . A seal device  138  can assist in creating an air/liquid tight seal between the pan  130  and the base  150 . The fins  134  are positioned inside the base  150 . A liquid  139  at least partially fills the space between the pan  130  and the base  150 . As discussed elsewhere, the liquid  139  is selected for its thermal properties, to facilitate the transfer of heat away from the upper, working surface  137  of the pan  130 . 
         [0040]    Although in the illustrated alternate embodiment, device  110 , the lower exterior surface  133  of the pan  130  includes fins  134 , in other embodiments, a corrugated or baffled surface may be used instead, which would similarly increase the surface area in contact with the liquid  139 . An individual of ordinary skill in the art, having reviewed this entire disclosure, will immediately appreciate that these and other variations and modifications could be made to the pan  130 , the base  150 , the fins  134  or other features without deviating from the spirit of the invention. 
         [0041]    The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. All of the U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet, including but not limited to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/615,769, are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of the various patents, applications and publications to provide yet further embodiments. 
         [0042]    These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.