Patent ID: 12201993

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.

As noted above, there is a long-felt need in the art for a gold pan that keeps users from constantly looking into or observing the pan before the complete process is done. There is also a long-felt need in the art for a gold pan that makes large sand rise and small sand drop down enabling better yield of gold. Additionally, there is a long-felt need in the art for a novel gold pan that eliminates the worry of excess rocks and brown sand pushing gold out of the gold pan. Moreover, there is a long-felt need in the art for a gold pan that helps in rinsing off all sands except black sand easily and quickly. Further, there is a long-felt need in the art for a gold pan that works like conventional gold pans and identifies gold within rocks and sands. Finally, there is a long-felt need in the art for a gold pan and associated method that offers the best way for people to easily improve their yield when looking for gold in the field.

The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is a method of gold panning. The method includes the steps of providing a gold pan having a curved sidewall and a base, the curved sidewall having a plurality of riffles, wherein each riffle having a ridge, or a lip, and a cavity, submerging the pan in water, creating a vortex of dirt, gold, and other material with water in the pan, circulating and repeating the pan to rinse off rocks and blonde sand, exposing black sand along with gold onto or towards the base and retrieving the gold from the pan.

Referring initially to the drawings,FIG.1illustrates a flow diagram depicting a process of optimized gold panning of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The optimized gold panning process100of the present invention is designed to optimize the process of panning for gold for identifying gold within rocks and sands. More specifically, initially, a circular gold pan is submerged in water and gravels to collect a mixture thereof in the pan (Step102). Any natural source like a lake, river, and the like or water collected in a bucket, tub, and the like can be used for submerging the circular pan. Then, the pan is raised out of the water with the material in the pan kept in a semi-liquid state and a vortex is created by constantly mixing gravel and water together in the circular pan (Step104). Thereafter, the circular pan is filled with water to rinse off large rocks and blonde sand (Step106). The circular pan can be rotated easily without requiring a user to constantly look at the circular pan. The circulating of the pan can be done from rotating with hand, using a circular motion.

The constant circulating and rinsing off results in separating and disclosing of black sand in the pan (Step108). Finally, the last vortex includes only black sand and is centered in a corner at the riffles starting point. Then, with a new ‘center’ of material, fast and smaller circles of sand and water are ‘jigged’ down by timing the water waves at the ‘center’. Gold will then start to appear each time the wave water circles arrive at the ‘center’ of the vortex. The gold will then be trained in the vortex ‘center’. Finally, the gold is located at the center of the vortex and can be retrieved using a snuffer bottle by hands by the user (Step110). The method of the present invention eliminates the worry of excess rocks and brown sand pushing gold out of the collection area of the pan. It should be appreciated that the panning is performed until a few tablespoons of the black sand is left for easily identifying the gold.

FIG.2illustrates a standalone view of the circular gold panning pan of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The pan200is an improved pan and is used in the method disclosed in the present invention. The gold panning pan200can be made of any durable material including but limited to polypropylene, metal, plastic, and more. The pan200has an outer or rim diameter203from about 36 cm to about 44 cm and has a base diameter205from about 16 cm to about 24 cm. The ratio of the outer or rim diameter203with the base diameter205is from 2.75 to 1.50. The pan200has a sidewall208including a height in the range of 7 cm to 10 cm in different variants for accommodating different volumes of the vortex.

The gold pan200can be used in traditional gold washing and separating the gold from the sand, alluvial, river sand gold mine from streams. More specifically, the gold pan200has a plurality of riffles206for helping trap the heavier gold while enabling rocks, sand, and other material to be washed out or rinsed during the gold panning process. In one exemplary arrangement, the plurality of riffles206include three ridges207,209,211and three cavity areas213,215,217, respectively. The plurality of riffles206are formed along a portion of the curved sidewall208of the pan200and form low pressure pockets or cavities213,215,217for effective collection of gold. It should be appreciated that gold has a weight (specific gravity is 19.3 in the water) that is greater than a weight of the dirt or sand such that during circulating of the pan200, the gold is urged off of the plurality of riffles206to be deposited onto or towards the base204while the dirt remains on the plurality of riffles206. The plurality of ridges207,209,211are oriented as parallel curves or offset curves that are equidistant from one another. The plurality of ridges207,209,211include a curvilinear length of extension from about 25 percent to about 50 percent around a circumference of the curved sidewall208of the pan200. In another embodiment the plurality of ridges207,209,211include a curvilinear length of extension from about 30 percent to about 40 percent around the circumference of the curved sidewall208of the pan200.

FIG.3illustrates an enlarged view of another embodiment of a gold pan300of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. As shown inFIG.3, a plurality of ripples309includes four ridges301,303,305,307formed in the pan300. Each of the four ridges301,303,305,307include a lip and a cavity. The plurality of ridges, lips, and cavities are designed to trap gold. As shown, each ridge303,305,307includes a lip302,304,306and a cavity308,310,312, respectively. Each ridge303,305,307and each lip302,304,306extends from the curved sidewall315of the pan300. As illustrated, the lips302,304,306form or border the pockets or cavities308,310,312for trapping gold. It should be noted that preferably, the pan300can have three or four riffles, enabling a user to perform effective panning for better yield of gold. It should be noted that the pan300can be used for retrieving other valuable heavy metals, ores, minerals, etc. and generally used for separating lighter materials from heavier materials. The black sand314including the gold316is disposed onto or towards the base318for easy retrieval during the panning process100. The plurality of ridges303,305,307are oriented as parallel curves or offset curves that are equidistant from one another. In one exemplary arrangement, the spacing321between the curvilinear parallel lips302,304,306is from about 1.4 cm to about 1.8 cm. Similar to the illustration inFIG.2, it is to be appreciated that the plurality of ridges303,305,307include a curvilinear length of extension from about 25 percent to about 50 percent around a circumference of the curved sidewall315of the pan300. In another embodiment, it is to be appreciated that the plurality of ridges303,305,307can include a curvilinear length of extension from about 30 percent to about 40 percent around the circumference of the curved sidewall315of the pan300.

The gold pan200,300of the present invention provides for faster panning, more effective panning, fewer panning steps, fewer of the heavier materials get washed out, faster finishing, easier to learn, and simpler motions that do not require advanced technique and constant monitoring.

FIG.4illustrates a perspective view of the gold pan300with the black sand314and the gold316trapped in the ridges in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The plurality of ripples309are designed to help the pan300maintain and retain the gold particles while the rocks, gravels, and more are rinsed off from the pan300. Even with vigorous circulating of the pan300, the black sand314and the gold316are trapped inside the cavities or pockets308,310,312of the plurality of ripples309and can be disclosed onto or towards the base318as illustrated inFIG.3for a better yield.

Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “circular gold panning pan”, “gold pan”, “pan”, and “gold panning pan” are interchangeable and refer to the circular gold panning pan200,300of the present invention.

Notwithstanding the forgoing, the circular gold panning pan200,300of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above-stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the circular gold panning pan200,300as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the circular gold panning pan200,300are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the circular gold panning pan200,300are important design parameters for user convenience, the circular gold panning pan200,300may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.

Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.

What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.