Abstract:
A guard defined by a wire-like framework can be mounted on a popcorn kettle to prevent burns from kettle contact. The guard is lightweight, and has resilient connector elements spacing the guard from the kettle.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM  
       [0001]     Applicant claims the benefit of the filing date of its U.S. provisional patent application entitled “KETTLE GUARD” filed Jun. 17, 2004, U.S. Ser. No. 60/580,612, which entire application is expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The invention relates to safety in the popping of popcorn and more particularly to kettle burn prevention.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     In popping popcorn, commercial and larger consumer poppers typically include a chamber in which is suspended a tiltable popping kettle. Popcorn is popped in the kettle and the kettle is tilted to dump popcorn into the chamber, from where it can be removed for container filling and consumption. This typically requires an operator to reach into the chamber to retrieve popped corn. As well, an operator must reach into the chamber to fill the container, such as with unpopped kernels, oil, salt or the like.  
         [0004]     Since the kettle is typically hot, contact of the kettle with human anatomy can cause painful and severe burns if due care is not taken.  
         [0005]     Accordingly, it has been one objective of the invention to prevent burns from such kettles.  
         [0006]     To this end, the invention contemplates a guard, preventing contact with the most exposed or likely-to-burn areas of a hot kettle.  
         [0007]     This invention is further appreciated by the following written description of one embodiment and from the drawings thereof, in which: 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a kettle guard according to the invention;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is an end view of the guard in  FIG. 2 ; and  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a perspective illustration of the guard of  FIG. 1  in place on a popcorn kettle. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0011]     Turning now to  FIG. 3 , a tiltable, popping kettle  10  is suspended on brackets  11 ,  12  from a frame member  13  of a popcorn popper. The popper preferably comprises a cabinet defining a chamber (not shown) into which popcorn is dumped from kettle  10 .  
         [0012]     As suggested in  FIG. 3 , the side  20  of kettle  10  is oriented so that it faces the open area of such a chamber into which an operator gains access to dump or remove popped corn or to load the kettle. The back side (not shown) of the kettle  10 , and which is opposite front side  20 , is typically oriented near a rear side or corner of the cabinet so its position does not present the user hazard which side  20  does, facing the open or accessible area of the cabinet or chamber.  
         [0013]     According to the invention, a kettle guard  30  is oriented preferably about the side  20  of the kettle, extending about 180 degrees therearound in a circular direction, although the degree of extension can be varied. Guard  30  includes a series of barrier wires  31 - 36  ( FIG. 2 ) disposed in a generally circular direction and with a slightly greater radius than that of the outside surface, such as side  20 , of kettle  10  with which the guard will be used. Four, five or any appropriate number of wires extending similarly to wires  31 - 36  can be used as necessary. The Figures illustrate six such wires.  
         [0014]     Vertical support wires, such as at  37 - 39  ( FIGS. 1-3 ) provide a support for wires  31 - 36 , which are attached thereto by any suitable means, as shown. Wire  36  is preferably attached to wires  37 - 39  at and under the ends thereof, as shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0015]     The upper ends  40 ,  41  of wires  37 ,  39  are extended at right angles to the other portions of those wires and radially inward of the circular direction of extension of wires  31 - 36 . Ends  40 ,  41  terminate in open hooks or loops  43 ,  44 . These hooks have open sides opening in the same direction as shown.  
         [0016]     Wire.  35  includes hooks or loops  50 ,  51  at respective ends  52 ,  53  of wire  35 . Hooks  50 ,  51  extend in the similar circular direction as wires  31 - 36  and are open downwardly in a 90 degree direction to that of the open sides of hooks  43 ,  44 .  
         [0017]     The wire elements of guard  30  are interconnected by any suitable joining technology such as brazing or welding or any other suitable process. Moreover, it will be appreciated that while the wires are preferably of stainless steel, they can be of any suitable metal or non-metal material.  
         [0018]     The guard  30  is mounted to any suitable structure associated with the kettle, such as, in one embodiment, a brace  46  extending across the kettle. The brace  46  is provided with headed bolts or fasteners, such as a hex-headed screw  54 ,  55  at each end thereof proximate the location of the center of hooks  43 ,  44 . In use, these screws  54 ,  55  are placed near the location of the developed position of loops or hooks  43 ,  44 . The screws  54 ,  55  can be assembled to brace  46  and the hooks  43 ,  44  then maneuvered around and over the heads by virtue of their shape and by virtue of the resiliency of wire ends  40 ,  41 . The hooks  43 ,  44  fit under the screw heads and hold the guard  30  in place.  
         [0019]     Also, the hooks  50 ,  51  can be maneuvered over pins  58  ( FIG. 3 ) which may be the kettle pivot or trunnion pins or the kettle stop pins positioning the kettle. Hooks  50 ,  51  serve to position guard  30  so that it is uniformly positioned about, and spaced away from, kettle  10 . They aid the guard  30  in resisting radially inward movement toward the kettle  10 . This helps to prevent compression of the guard  30  inwardly toward the kettle  10  by inadvertent contact with the guard  30  by an operator.  
         [0020]     When so mounted, the guard  30  contacts any kettle associated structure only at the area of contact with hooks  43 ,  44  an the distal ends of wire extensions  40 ,  41  and at hooks  50 ,  51  extending from wire  35  at respective ends  52 ,  53  thereof. Heat transfer into the guard  30 , by conduction, is thus limited and the guard remains much cooler than the kettle  10 .  
         [0021]     Inadvertent contact with the guard thus protects an operator against burns which may otherwise result from direct kettle contact.  
         [0022]     It should be appreciated that the wire components of the guard  30  can be oriented about a hot kettle  10  in multiple positions to provide guarding suitable to prevent inadvertent contact with a hot kettle  10 . Thus, the guard  30  could have components further surrounding the kettle  10 , be disposed adjacent or proximate its bottom, or otherwise oriented to obstruct undesired contact by an operator.  
         [0023]     Moreover, it should be appreciated that while metallic wires are disclosed as semi-annular components around the kettle  10 , other shapes of guard  30  components and other component materials can be used for the guard, solely or in a variety of combinations as may be desired.  
         [0024]     Also, it will be appreciated that the preferably open loops or hooks  43 ,  44  and  50 ,  51 , being resiliently mounted by virtue of the wire structure of the guard  30 , are easily installed onto a kettle, or easily removed therefrom for cleaning or the like.  
         [0025]     Use of the guard  30  advantageously prevents burns from inadvertent contact with kettle  10 .  
         [0026]     These and other objects and advantages will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention and applicant intends to be bound only by the claims appended hereto.