Patent Publication Number: US-6705109-B2

Title: Hot/cold food container

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part application of application Ser. No. 10/016,936 filed Dec. 13, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,557,368 and entitled CONFECTION PARTY SYSTEM, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a turntable or lazy susan-type appliance which provides a modular system for dispensing food and attendant fixings such as those that may be dispensed for hot or cold foods. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     While the use of lazy susans or rotatable trays themselves are relatively known in the art and have been used for long periods of time, particularly in Chinese restaurants, as far as known none have been associated with a various food, including a yogurt, ice cream, hot food, etc. food server. While U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,055 B1, of which the current inventor is a co-inventor therein, describes a turntable cooking and serving appliance, none of the known prior art discloses or teaches a modular system for serving food and attendant food stuffs that acts as an accompaniment to the food. 
     The problem with serving foods at party functions or circumstances where there are a plurality of people has always been to be able to maintain the food, whether hot, cold or frozen, in a servable condition in proximity to the fixings that would go along with it. The prior art, as far as known, has never combined a modular system, exposed to the ambient surroundings, that would enable cold, frozen, or hot foods to be served and held at an adequate temperature for some period of time to allow service therefrom, for example, ice cream, chili, etc. and the attendant fixings that would go along with it and still allow for easy clean-up after the service has been completed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a relatively low maintenance, easily manufactured turntable-type modular assemblage for the keeping and dispensing of hot, frozen or cold foods, and accompaniments that would normally be associated for serving, for example, crackers for chili and toppings for ice cream. 
     It is another important object of the invention to provide a modular assemblage of economic construction that lends itself to be utilized at gatherings comprising parties and celebrations. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a modular turntable device that is capable of holding and maintaining hot or cooled foods at appropriate temperatures and allows for the easy dispensing thereof along with associated accompaniments. 
     It is still another important object of the invention to provide an easily constructed, easily cleanable confection dispensing assembly which is easy to use and provides for easy clean-up after use. 
     It is still another important specific object of the invention to provide an insulated hot or cold food holder that may be either heated in an oven or stored in a freezer after which the same may be removed therefrom and into which hot food or a frozen confection container may be placed and by reason of the insulated material maintains the heated food or frozen confection for a time period to allow serving thereof at ambient temperatures and wherein the container is associated with a plurality and array of containers from which accompaniments such as crackers, chopped onions, grated cheese or toppings and fixings and the like may be dispensed. 
     It is still a more important, specific object of the invention to provide a hot/cold food container holder which is capable of acting as an insulating or cooling device and wherein it is modularly assembled into a serving assembly which is easy to use, easy to clean up and allows for use by a plurality of individuals regardless of where the assembly is placed. 
     In its most basic form, the invention is directed to a hot/cold food keeping and serving device comprising a base, an insulating container mounted on the base wherein the insulating container includes a heating or cooling means which most generally takes the form of a gel or other substance that is capable of being heated or frozen so as to keep the heated or frozen food therein at appropriate temperatures, and wherein an annular compartment surrounds the insulating container and is located adjacent to the insulating container and further has a ring mounted within the annular compartment so as to better stabilize and hold a food carton of the conventional type in a secure relationship within the insulating container and which further includes a bearing assembly located between the ring and the annular compartment, with the ring being freely rotatable relative to the base section and the insulating container, much like a lazy susan of the ubiquitous-type provides. A plurality of trays or containers are located within the annular compartment resting on the ring and are rotatable therewith with each of the trays or containers being adapted to contain accompaniments such as, for example, ice cream fixings or toppings where ice cream is the cold or frozen food to be dispensed or, for example, onions, grated cheese, oyster crackers, etc. where chili is the hot food to be dispensed. 
     These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the hereinafter following commentary taken in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the modular assembly of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of the assembly depicted in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly depicted in FIG. 1 illustrating more detailed construction thereof; 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the modular assemblage depicted in FIG.  1  and showing more detailed construction of the invention; and 
     FIG. 5 in an enlarged view of one of the dispensing trays or containers of the modular assembly of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
     The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently-preferred embodiments of the invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed and/or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate like elements throughout, it will be noted that the modular assemblage or system  2  of the invention comprises a lazy susan base  4 , in this instance of molded plastic, having an annular configuration with an interior recess  6 . As is usual, the lazy susan base  4  has a central rotatable means  10  supported for rotative relationship relative to lazy susan base  4  by means of ball bearings  12 . Lazy susan base  4  has in this particular instance depending circumferential flange  14  to provide an aesthetic appearance to the overall modular assemblage  2 . 
     It is clear that the flange  14  extends downwardly to the depth of rotatable member  10  so that anything placed on the surface  6  of lazy susan base  4  may be easily moved in rotatable fashion. 
     Super positioned within the recess  6  of lazy susan base  4  is congruently shaped base plate  16  having a central recess  18  with surrounding ridge  20  of a size to receive the base of the insulating container as will become apparent. The base plate  16  has a circumferential configuration which is congruent to the recess  6  of lazy susan base  4  so that the same may nest or mate therein. The underside of base plate  16 , and more specifically the circumferential ridge  22 , is provided with spaced rubber feet  24  so as to provide traction between base plate  16  and lazy susan base  4  so that base plate  16  is rotatable with respect to lazy susan base  4  and rotates therewith. Annular ring member  26  is congruently configured to the outer ring portion  28  of base plate  16  and is adapted to mate or seat thereover in congruent relationship therewith and is provided with aperture  30  which circumscribes recess  18  and acts as a guard or shield to prevent toppings and ice cream fixings and the like where a frozen confection is to be dispensed as will be described from fouling the base plate  16  which rests upon lazy susan base  4  and also provides a support for a plurality of containers or trays as will be described. Obviously, where a hot food is to be dispensed, such as curry, the accompaniments will be melon slices, grated coconut, etc. The annular ring  26  has an interior depending flange or portion  32  that circumscribes the inner opening  30  and has an outer depending circumference  33  forming a rise or abutment surface  34  by which the trays or containers  42  may be supported therefrom, as will be more fully described. 
     Referring to FIGS. 3,  4  and  5  it will be seen that the plurality of containers  42 , which may be compartmentalized by reason of partition  44 , are of aesthetic configuration and are of molded plastic as are the elements previously described for ease of manufacturing and ease of clean-up. Each of the containers  42  are configured to have an open or flowing entry or opening  46  defined by a rear curvilinear wall  48 , side walls  50  and  52  with bottom wall  54 . The compartments or containers  42  are configured and shaped to have depending locating wall portions  56  and  58 , which engage the outer circumference  32  of ring member  26  so as to hold the individual containers  42  in secured relationship therewith and because the modular assemblage is rotatable the containers holding accompaniments such as for example ice cream fixings, syrups and the like, not shown, may be easily made accessible to people attending the celebration, party, etc. where the confection party system of the invention is utilized. 
     Completing the modular assemblage is aesthetically shaped insulated holder  70  in this instance having double wall construction formed by outer wall  72  and inner wall  74  forming space  76  therebetween which may contain water or freezable gel or a heat retaining material of the conventional type such that the insulated container  70  may be placed in the freezer or oven in order to obtain the maximum cooling or heating of the insulative material  76  prior to the device  2  of the invention being utilized. It will be noted that inner wall  74  has an inclined circumferential wall portion  75  forming space  77  so that a carton  80  containing the food to be dispensed may be easily removed. 
     It should be noted that the insulated holder  70  is of an internal volume or configuration to receive the conventional gallon-size frozen confection or ice cream carton  80  within which product, not shown, may be contained. Obviously other foods, especially chili, curry, etc., may be placed directly in the interior chamber of the insulated holder  70 . 
     Completing the modular assemblage is cover  90  of the type that may or may not have an insulative material within the wall construction thereof. However, in this particular instance the cover  90  is shown of double wall construction having a gel, water for freezing therein (or heat retaining material) which gel  76  may act to keep the confection or other food, not shown, contained within the insulated container  70  at an appropriate temperature during the use of the hot/cold food party system  2 . 
     Thus, in use of the modular system  2  of the invention in preparation for party dispensing of cold foods and/or ice cream or hot foods for example, the container  70  with the cover  90  may be placed in the freezer for several hours or until such time as the gel or water within the double walled construction is frozen or where a heat retaining material is used for hot foods, the container  70  and cover  90  may be placed in an oven, micro wave, etc. Thereafter, the container  70  with lid  90  is removed and placed in position in the modular assembly as illustrated, for example in FIG. 3, and the food container placed within the insulated container  70  and the lid  90  placed thereon. Thereafter, with the plurality of containers  42  in position, a number of fixings or toppings are placed within the various compartments and suitable spoons or dispensers, not shown, placed therein. At the time of dispensing of the food, the lid is removed and what is particularly pleasing of the assemblage of the invention is the fact that party goers may conveniently serve themselves by removing food from the container and thereafter rotating the lazy susan-like assemblage to access and place various fixings and toppings on the food in a festive manner. Because of the easy use of the food dispenser system  2  of the invention, hot or cold or frozen foods may be dispensed and toppings or condiments put thereon in an easy manner. 
     Because of the molded plastic construction, the modular assemblage  2  is of relatively low cost and of generally fault free operation. It should be understood that various modifications and changes can be made to the disclosed invention as by, for example, the elimination of the annular ring  26  which is preferable for sanitary and clean-up purposes, in which event the plurality of containers  42  may be directly positioned onto base plate  16  because of their co-acting configurations. 
     Additionally, while the rear wall  48  of the containers  42  has been shown as being curvilinear so as to more conform to the external surface or configuration of the insulated holder  70 , it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the containers  42  may take various shapes. Additionally, while the various elements comprising the modular assemblage  2  of the invention are being shown as being circular or annular, other polygonal shapes are contemplated and may in certain instances be preferred to those configurations and shapes shown. Ideally where plastic construction is used, the same should be micro-waveable and/or oven proof so as to allow for heating of the insulative material to be achieved. Like considerations should be considered for the cold or freezing aspect of the utilization of the system. 
     All of the foregoing modifications, as well as others, will make themselves apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art and all such changes or modifications are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the appended claims. 
     While the present invention has been described with regards to particular embodiments, it is recognized that additional variations of the present invention may be devised without departing from the disclosed inventive concept.