US4832966A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of forming an image with photographic likeness on chocolate and product thereof
Assignee: Chocolate Pix Inc
•
Filing: 1987-05-20
•
Granted: 1989-05-23
•
Expires: 2007-05-20
Abstract
Abstract A method of reproducing in chocolate a selected image, comprising the steps of optically scanning the image, laser etching the selected image in a surface of a plate in response to the optical scanning such that peaks and valleys are created in the surface of the plate corresponding to the selected image, controlling the laser etching by a scanning laser or a displayed frame of the image, casting a deformable transfer blanket against the surface of the etched plate surface to record in a surface of the transfer blanket peaks and valleys corresponding to the selected image, casting a chocolate material against the surface of the transfer blanket to record the selected image by peaks and valleys in a surface of the chocolate, and removing the cast chocolate material from the transfer blanket.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Newsteder
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 06:51
CPC Classifications
A; A23; A23G; A23G3/00; A23G3/02; A23G3/28; A23G1/00; A23G1/04; A23G1/20; A23G1/22; A23G1/28; B; B29; B29C; B29C33/00; B29C33/38; B29C33/3842; B29C33/3857
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
129 words
A method of reproducing in chocolate a selected image, comprising the steps of: optically scanning the image, laser etching the selected image in a surface of a plate in response to said optical scanning such that peaks and valleys are created in the surface of the plate corresponding to the selected image, casting a deformable transfer blanket against the surface of the etched plate to record in a surface of the transfer blanket peaks and valleys corresponding to the selected image, removing the cast transfer blanket from the surface of the etched plate, casting a chocolate material against the surface of the transfer blanket to record the selected image by peaks and valleys in a surface of the chocolate, and removing the cast chocolate material from the transfer blanket.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
129 words
A method of reproducing in chocolate a selected image, comprising the steps of: optically scanning the image, laser etching the selected image in a surface of a plate in response to said optical scanning such that peaks and valleys are created in the surface of the plate corresponding to the selected image, casting a deformable transfer blanket against the surface of the etched plate to record in a surface of the transfer blanket peaks and valleys corresponding to the selected image, removing the cast transfer blanket from the surface of the etched plate, casting a chocolate material against the surface of the transfer blanket to record the selected image by peaks and valleys in a surface of the chocolate, and removing the cast chocolate material from the transfer blanket.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method according to claim 1 further including the step of placing an edible developer that contrasts in color with the cast chocolate in the valleys formed in the chocolate with the chocolate peaks protruding above the developer to render the selected image formed in the chocolate visible with photographic likeness.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 2 wherein the edible developer is confectionary or powdered sugar.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein all the peaks in the chocolate terminate in a common plane.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the deformable transfer blanket is fabricated from a synthetic rubber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
10 words
The chocolate product produced by the method of claim 1.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
162 words
A method of reproducing in chocolate a selected image from a fulltone photograph with photographic likeness, comprising the steps of: forming on film a halftone image of the selected image located on the photograph, optically scanning the film, laser etching the selected halftone image on the film in a surface of a plate in response to the optical scanning of the film by means of a laser, such that peaks and valleys are created in the surface of the plate corresponding to the selected image, casting a deformable transfer blanket against the surface of the etched plate to record in a surface of the transfer blanket peaks and valleys corresponding to the selected image, removing the cast transfer blanket from the surface of the etched plate, casting a chocolate material against the surface of the transfer blanket to record the selected image by peaks and valleys in a surface of the chocolate, and removing the cast chocolate material from the transfer blanket.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
162 words
A method of reproducing in chocolate a selected image from a fulltone photograph with photographic likeness, comprising the steps of: forming on film a halftone image of the selected image located on the photograph, optically scanning the film, laser etching the selected halftone image on the film in a surface of a plate in response to the optical scanning of the film by means of a laser, such that peaks and valleys are created in the surface of the plate corresponding to the selected image, casting a deformable transfer blanket against the surface of the etched plate to record in a surface of the transfer blanket peaks and valleys corresponding to the selected image, removing the cast transfer blanket from the surface of the etched plate, casting a chocolate material against the surface of the transfer blanket to record the selected image by peaks and valleys in a surface of the chocolate, and removing the cast chocolate material from the transfer blanket.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method according to claim 7 further including the step of placing an edible developer that contrasts in color with the cast chocolate in the valleys formed in the chocolate with the chocolate peaks protruding above the developer to render the selected image formed in the chocolate visible with photographic likeness.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 8 wherein the edible developer is confectionary or powdered sugar.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 7 wherein all the peaks in the chocolate terminate in a common plane.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 7 wherein the deformable transfer blanket is fabricated from a synthetic rubber.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 7 wherein said step of optically scanning includes the step of laser scanning the film.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
63 words
A method according to claim 12 further including the step of controlling movement and magnitude of the laser in response to laser scanning of the film to control said laser etching of the selected halftone image on the film in a surface of a plate, such that peaks and valleys are created in the surface of the plate corresponding to the selected image.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
10 words
The chocolate product produced by the method of claim 7.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
180 words
A method of reproducing in chocolate a selected image from a continuous tone image, comprising the steps of: optically scanning the continuous tone image, laser etching the selected image in a surface of a plate by means of a laser in response to said optical scanning such that peaks and valleys are created in the surface of the plate corresponding to the selected image, casting a chocolate material against the surface of the etched plate to record in a surface of the transfer blanket peaks and valleys corresponding to the selected image, removing the cast transfer blanket from the surface of the etched plate, casting a chocolate material against the surface of the transfer blanket to record the selected image by peaks and valleys in a surface of the chocolate, removing the cast chocolate material from the transfer blanket, and placing an edible developer that contrasts in color with the cast chocolate in the valleys formed in the chocolate with the chocolate peaks protruding above the developer to render the selected image formed in the chocolate visible with photographic likeness.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
180 words
A method of reproducing in chocolate a selected image from a continuous tone image, comprising the steps of: optically scanning the continuous tone image, laser etching the selected image in a surface of a plate by means of a laser in response to said optical scanning such that peaks and valleys are created in the surface of the plate corresponding to the selected image, casting a chocolate material against the surface of the etched plate to record in a surface of the transfer blanket peaks and valleys corresponding to the selected image, removing the cast transfer blanket from the surface of the etched plate, casting a chocolate material against the surface of the transfer blanket to record the selected image by peaks and valleys in a surface of the chocolate, removing the cast chocolate material from the transfer blanket, and placing an edible developer that contrasts in color with the cast chocolate in the valleys formed in the chocolate with the chocolate peaks protruding above the developer to render the selected image formed in the chocolate visible with photographic likeness.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 15 wherein all the peaks in the chocolate terminate in a common plane.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 15 wherein the edible developer is confectionary or powdered sugar.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 15 wherein the deformable transfer blanket is fabricated from a synthetic rubber.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
57 words
A method according to claim 15 further including the step of controlling movement and magnitude of the laser in response to said optical scanning to control said laser etching of the selected image in a surface of the plate, such that peaks and valleys are created in the surface of the plate corresponding to the selected image.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
10 words
The chocolate product produced by the method of claim 15.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
204 words
A process of forming in chocolate a desired image with photographic likeness from a fulltone photograph having the desired image, comprising the steps of: developing a halftone image of the desired image on a transparent material from the fulltone photograph; forming a photorelief image of the developed half-tone image in a surface of a photosensitive element such that peaks and valleys are created in the photosensitive element surface corresponding to the desired image; casting a casting material on the photosensitive element to form a deformable transfer blanket with a surface having peaks and valleys corresponding to the selected image; removing said formed transfer blanket from said photosensitive element; pouring a chocolate material on the surface of the transfer blanket; permitting the chocolate material to harden on the surface of the transfer blanket; removing the hardened chocolate material from the blanket such that a surface of the chocolate material has peaks and valleys corresponding to the desired image; and placing an edible developer on the surface of the hardened chocolate with the chocolate peaks protruding above the developer and said developer contrasting in color with the surface of the hardened chocolate to render the selected image formed in the chocolate visible in the chocolate product.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
204 words
A process of forming in chocolate a desired image with photographic likeness from a fulltone photograph having the desired image, comprising the steps of: developing a halftone image of the desired image on a transparent material from the fulltone photograph; forming a photorelief image of the developed half-tone image in a surface of a photosensitive element such that peaks and valleys are created in the photosensitive element surface corresponding to the desired image; casting a casting material on the photosensitive element to form a deformable transfer blanket with a surface having peaks and valleys corresponding to the selected image; removing said formed transfer blanket from said photosensitive element; pouring a chocolate material on the surface of the transfer blanket; permitting the chocolate material to harden on the surface of the transfer blanket; removing the hardened chocolate material from the blanket such that a surface of the chocolate material has peaks and valleys corresponding to the desired image; and placing an edible developer on the surface of the hardened chocolate with the chocolate peaks protruding above the developer and said developer contrasting in color with the surface of the hardened chocolate to render the selected image formed in the chocolate visible in the chocolate product.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process according to claim 21, wherein all the peaks in the chocolate terminate in a common plane.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process according to claim 21, wherein the edible developer is confectionary or powdered sugar.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
10 words
A chocolate product produced by the process of claim 21.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
135 words
A process of forming in chocolate a desired image with photographic likeness from a fulltone photograph having the desired image, comprising the steps of: developing a halftone image of a desired image on a transparent material from the fulltone photograph; forming a photorelief image of the developed half-tone image in a surface of a photosensitive element such that peaks and valleys are created in the photosensitive element surface corresponding to the desired image; casting a casting material onto the photosensitive element to form a deformable transfer blanket with a surface having peaks and valleys corresponding to the selected image; removing said formed transfer blanket from said photosensitive element; and casting a chocolate material onto the surface of the transfer blanket to record the selected image by peaks and valleys in a surface of the chocolate.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
135 words
A process of forming in chocolate a desired image with photographic likeness from a fulltone photograph having the desired image, comprising the steps of: developing a halftone image of a desired image on a transparent material from the fulltone photograph; forming a photorelief image of the developed half-tone image in a surface of a photosensitive element such that peaks and valleys are created in the photosensitive element surface corresponding to the desired image; casting a casting material onto the photosensitive element to form a deformable transfer blanket with a surface having peaks and valleys corresponding to the selected image; removing said formed transfer blanket from said photosensitive element; and casting a chocolate material onto the surface of the transfer blanket to record the selected image by peaks and valleys in a surface of the chocolate.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
10 words
The chocolate product produced by the process of claim 25.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-05-22 | 1992-11-21 | 1993-05-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-05-22 | 1996-11-21 | 1997-05-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-05-22 | 2000-11-21 | 2001-05-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |