Patent Publication Number: US-2018049448-A1

Title: Melted food product waterfall apparatus with removable decorative pattern plate

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates generally to a device providing a melted or other viscous food product that flows over a vertical wall with a fluid material such as melted chocolate or other viscous food product into a container which is continuously recirculated. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Chocolate fountains which move melted chocolate so that it flows over a number of tiers like a fountain are well known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,021,556, Muir et al., shows in  FIG. 1  a prior art chocolate fountain. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the chocolate fountain includes a container configured to hold and melt chocolate. A hollow barrel is mounted in the center of the container and provides a pathway for melted chocolate to be moved upward, through its hollow center, to the top of the fountain. An auger (not shown) including a spiral flight extending around the length of the auger is mounted within the hollow barrel. The auger engages with and is rotated by a motor in order to lift the melted chocolate upward in the hollow barrel. On the top of the barrel is a crown that fills with chocolate that flows out of the barrel. When the crown is full of melted chocolate, the chocolate begins to fall over the edges of the crown. Attached to the barrel are tiers which vary in size. As the chocolate flows downwardly from the crown, the chocolate flows over each of the tiers, thus forming a multi-level chocolate waterfall. The chocolate fountain also includes a heating element (not shown that is placed within container. 
     However, chocolate fountains of the type shown in  FIG. 1  of Muir et al. can be difficult to assemble, take apart and clean since each of the tiers must be separately removed and cleaned. Additionally, chocolate fountains of the type shown in  FIG. 1  are limited to a flow from a top tier to one or more tiers below the top tier. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side perspective view of the invented waterfall apparatus. 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevation view thereof. 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevation view thereof. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view showing the base and main operative elements thereof. 
         FIG. 5  is a partial cross-section view taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 2  showing heating and motor elements inside the base of the apparatus. 
         FIG. 6  is a topside perspective view of an alternate embodiment thereof. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-section view taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a side perspective view of another alternate embodiment thereof. 
         FIG. 9  is a side perspective view of a fourth alternate embodiment thereof. 
         FIG. 10  is a cross section taken along line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 9 . 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       In one embodiment, a device for a melted chocolate or other viscous food product which flows like a waterfall over a generally vertical wall includes a collection bowl having a bottom surface and an outer side surrounding the bottom surface, the collection bowl forming a high thermal conductivity enclosure substantially encasing a heating element. Although the description refers to melted chocolate as the food product, any food product which has some viscosity such as melted cheese, bbq sauce, salad dressings and the like can be used. Of course, for products such as salad dressing, a heater to melt the product is not necessary. The collection bowl has a bottom surface which, if necessary, is substantially evenly heated. The high thermal conductivity enclosure may be made of aluminum. An auger tube having a top end and a bottom end extends substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface of the collection bowl. The auger tube bottom end is adjacent and removably attached to the bottom surface of the collection bowl. Inside the augur tube is an auger having a spiral flight having a plurality of revolutions protruding along the length of the auger in a well known manner. In an embodiment, the auger may be plastic, metal or other suitable material which can be formed with a spiral flight to raised the melted chocolate as the auger rotates. The augur is coupled directly or indirectly to a motor which operates to rotate the auger inside the auger tube. The spiral flight supports the melted chocolate received from the collection bowl as the auger rotates, moving the melted chocolate upwardly from the collection bowl to the top end of the auger tube onto a spillway at the top of the waterfall apparatus. 
       The melted chocolate flows from the top end of the auger tube onto the spillway and flows downwardly to the collection bowl, coating one side of a removable, generally vertical decorative pattern plate. The spillway is configured to ensure an even flow of chocolate over the entire width of the removable decorative pattern plate. 
       The high thermal conductivity enclosure may be aluminum or other similar material. The revolutions of the spiral flight should have a pitch which is sufficient to capture the melted chocolate in the collection bowl and a diameter which fits inside the auger tube with a relatively small clearance so that the chocolate will be moved from the collection bowl up through the auger tube to the spillway as the auger rotates. The melted chocolate can be any other melted, typically food, product such as caramel or other melted candy. All of the parts which come into contact with the melted chocolate should be made of an FDA approved material. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The invented waterfall apparatus as illustrated in  FIG. 1  includes a base  11 , which includes an on/off switch  13  formed as part of a decorative breast plate. A motor, drive mechanism and heater are contained within base  11  and will be described with reference to  FIG. 5  below. The apparatus includes a collection bowl  15  into which melted chocolate or other viscous food product flows by gravity. Attachment mechanism  17  will be described below with reference to  FIG. 4 . A back wall  19  and back splash  21  fit together to hold a removable decorative pattern plate  25  in place. A spillway  23  which is formed between an upper edge of decorative pattern plate  25  and a rear portion of back wall  19  receives melted chocolate from auger tube opening  27 , as will be explained below with reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a front face of decorative pattern plate  25  which includes half-moon shaped protrusions over which melted chocolate flowing from spillway  23  flows onto the decorative pattern plate, as will be explained below with reference to  FIG. 4 . Decorative pattern plate  25  is easily removable from back wall  19 , and may be replaced with a decorative pattern plate having a different pattern than the one shown in the Figures. The pattern shown in  FIG. 2  has a generally half moon shape and extends from the plate. In an embodiment, the pattern extends from the plate a distance which is sufficient so a food product such as a strawberry or marshmallow placed below one of the pattern extensions is coated by the melted chocolate or other food product flowing over the pattern plate. 
     In operation, and with reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , although not shown in the drawings, melted chocolate contained in collection bowl  15  is transferred via an auger  33  (see  FIG. 4 ) through auger tube opening  27  onto spillway  23 . The accumulated melted chocolate in spillway  23  then cascades downward by gravity back to collection bowl  15 , coating decorative pattern plate  25  as the melted chocolate cascades into the collection bowl. In a preferred embodiment, in order to ensure that the melted chocolate flows uniformly over the decorative pattern plate, spillway  23  includes a dam  24  at its front edge adjacent to decorative pattern plate  25 . The dam is slightly raised in the middle of the spillway and tapers as it extends to the sides of the spillway. The tapering is arranged so that as melted chocolate exits auger tube opening onto spillway  23 , the melted chocolate spreads evenly from side to side of the spillway and from its back to its front so that as the melted chocolate accumulates in the spillway, as it spills over dam  24  onto decorative pattern plate  25 , it is spread relatively evenly over the width of the decorative pattern plate. Other mechanisms such as tapering the spillway itself can be used to ensure or improve the even flowing of the melted chocolate over the width of the decorative pattern plate. In an embodiment, the decorative pattern plate, rather than extending perpendicular from collection bowl  15  to spillway  23 , is angled slightly outward from the spillway to the collection bowl, which assists an even spreading of the melted chocolate over the decorative pattern plate. The precise angle is not important and may vary depending on the viscosity of the food product flowing over the decorative pattern plate. Such angle can be adjusted by any suitable mechanism. 
     Referring next to  FIG. 4 , further details regarding the operation of the invented apparatus will now be described with reference to the exploded view shown in  FIG. 4 . Auger tube  31  fits into collection bowl  15  and is affixed thereto by an attachment mechanism  17 . Attachment mechanism  17  may, for example, be a set of three bolts which attach the auger tube to the bottom of collection bowl  15 . The specifics of the attachment mechanism are not important to an understanding of the invention. The only requirement is that the attachment mechanism securely connect the bottom end of auger tube  31  to the bottom of collection bowl  15 , but allow melted chocolate in collection bowl  15  to enter the base of auger tube  31  so that melted chocolate is moved by operation of auger  33  from collection bowl  15  onto spillway  23 . Auger  33  fits into auger tube  31  and, at its bottom end, is removably connected to a motor, as will be described in more detail with reference to  FIG. 5 . Melted chocolate in container bowl  15  is captured within auger tube  31 . As auger  33  rotates, its spiral protrusions lift the melted chocolate from collection bowl  15  up auger tube  31 , exiting auger opening  27  onto spillway  23 . 
     Decorative pattern plate  25  is removably connected to back wall  19 . Such connection can be by any suitable mechanism, including a spring clip or other mechanism which enables decorative pattern plate  25  to be securely connected to back wall  19  and also easily removable. Back splash  21  connects to the side of back wall  19  opposite decorative pattern plate  25 . Back splash  21  is mainly decorative in nature, and the apparatus can be operated without back splash  21  so long as back wall  19  is otherwise securely connected to base  11 . In an embodiment, only back splash  21  is securely but removably connected to base  11 , with back wall  19  securely but removably connected to back splash  21  and decorative pattern plate  25  securely but removably connected to back wall  19 . In this manner, each of the back splash, back wall and can each be easily removed for cleaning and then reconnected. 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-section taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 5  shows auger  33  inside auger tube  31 . Melted chocolate (not shown) in collection bowl  15  flows to the base of auger tube  33 . As auger tube  33  rotates, melted chocolate from collection bowl  15  is raised and is discharged from auger tube opening  27 . The precise mechanism by which melted chocolate is moved by auger  33  is well known in the art, with the mechanism described in Muir et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,021,556, being one example. 
     Included within base  11  is motor, transformer, heater and gear mechanism space  35 . Motor  41  operates by electrical power applied, which causes a shaft  43  to rotate, which in turn rotates gear mechanism  45 , causing auger  33  to rotate around its vertical axis. Transformer  47  provides electrical power at an appropriate level for use by motor  41  and heater  49 . Heater  49  is a heating element used to supply heat to provide a gentle heat to the melted chocolate or other viscous food product which must be heated to be maintained in a viscous form contained in collection bowl  15  to keep the melted chocolate at a temperature which enables it to flow and be moved by operation of auger  33 . 
     Preferably, the apparatus includes an on/off switch  13  which supplies power to through transformer  47  to motor  41  and heater  49  during operation. On/off switch can be a 2-way on/off switch only, or a 3-way switch. In a 3-way switch configuration, position  1  is off, position  2  is motor on, heater off and position  3  is motor on, heater on. Of course, other positions can be added, for example, to provide a heater on, low position and a heater on, high position. The specifics of such a switch and the number of switch positions in not important for an understanding of the invention, and are well known in the art. 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate an alternate embodiment of the invention which includes the same basic elements as the first embodiment, but also includes a second decorative pattern plate  25 B as well as a first decorative pattern plate  25 A, spillways  23 A and  23 B and auger tube openings  27 A and  27 B. As shown  FIG. 7  which is a cross section taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 , each of the decorative pattern plates  25 A and  25 B has a corresponding auger tube opening  27 A and  27 B, auger tube  31 A and  31 B, auger  33 A and  33 B, motor, transformer heater and gearing space  35 A and  35 B, motor  41 A and  41 B, and heater  47 A and  47 B. Although not separately numbered in  FIG. 7 , motor, transformer, heater and gearing space  35 A and  35 B each include a motor, motor shaft, transformer, heater and gear mechanism as described with reference to  FIG. 5 . 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  show alternate embodiments which include three decorative pattern plates and four decorative pattern plates, respectively. As shown in  FIG. 8 , the three decorative pattern plates are arranged in a triangular configuration, while n  FIG. 9 , the decorative pattern plates are arranged in a square or rectangular configuration. All the elements shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9  have corresponding elements as was the case with the first embodiment showing a single decorative pattern plate. In the  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  embodiments, although each motor can have a corresponding motor and gear mechanism, as shown in  FIG. 10 , which is a cross section of  FIG. 9  taken along line  10 - 10 , instead of having a separate motor and gear mechanism for each auger, a single motor  41  can be centrally located which rotates a first gear  51 , which in turn rotates gears  53 A,  53 B,  53 C and  53 D, which in turn rotate gears  55 A,  55 B,  55 C and  55 D. In this connection, each of gears  55 A,  55 B,  55 C and  55 D is connected to an auger (not shown) corresponding to auger  33  shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     In each of the alternate embodiments, the arrangement of the decorative pattern plate, whether one, two, three or four, is the same as was the case for the first embodiment showing a single decorative pattern plate  25 . Although the embodiment shown in  FIG. 10  includes a single motor having more power as compared each of four motors in an embodiment with one motor per auger, the specifics of such motor or motors and corresponding gear mechanism would be well within the abilities of persons having ordinary skill in the art to determine.