US5016446A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Recirculation system for soft serve ice cream apparatus
Assignee: INTERNATIONAL FREEZER CORP
•
Filing: 1990-01-18
•
Granted: 1991-05-21
•
Expires: 2010-01-18
Abstract
Abstract A soft serve ice cream dispensing apparatus includes a tank, a closure plate having an integrally formed dispensing chamber and a recirculation passageway and a dispensing valve. When the dispensing valve is closed, the recirculation passageway is not in communication with the dispensing chamber. This allows the apparatus to recirculate ice cream without causing it to flow through the dispensing chamber. During recirculation, the ice cream is recirculated in an open loop consisting of the recirculation passageway, a hollow tube and the tank. The hollow tube is in flow communication with the recirculation chamber, formed in the closure plate, and the interior of the tank and extends approximpately one-third of the distance into the tank. An important aspect of the invention relates to the simplicity and reduced number of parts of the recirculation system which significantly facilitates cleaning. Another important aspect of the invention relates to the fact that the recirculation loop does not include the dispensing valve chamber which greatly reduces liquefaction of the ice cream.
Inventors
- 👤 Armin Fiedler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 22:13
CPC Classifications
A; A23; A23G; A23G9/00; A23G9/04; A23G9/22; A23G9/28; A23G9/281; A23G9/14; A23G9/16; A23G9/163; A23G9/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
121 words
A soft serve ice cream machine comprising: a tank open at one end; means for refrigerating said tank; a closure plate for closing said one end of said tank, said closure plate including a dispensing chamber having an exit orifice and a recirculation passageway; means for recirculating ice cream in a recirculation loop from said tank through said recirculation passageway and back to said tank; means for selectively dispensing the soft serve ice cream from said dispensing chamber; means for sealing off said recirculation passageway from said dispensing chamber when soft serve ice cream is not being dispensed; and means for removing said ice cream from said dispensing chamber when said recirculation passageway has been sealed off from said dispensing chamber.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
121 words
A soft serve ice cream machine comprising: a tank open at one end; means for refrigerating said tank; a closure plate for closing said one end of said tank, said closure plate including a dispensing chamber having an exit orifice and a recirculation passageway; means for recirculating ice cream in a recirculation loop from said tank through said recirculation passageway and back to said tank; means for selectively dispensing the soft serve ice cream from said dispensing chamber; means for sealing off said recirculation passageway from said dispensing chamber when soft serve ice cream is not being dispensed; and means for removing said ice cream from said dispensing chamber when said recirculation passageway has been sealed off from said dispensing chamber.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
A soft serve ice cream machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said recirculating means includes means for forcing the ice cream toward said recirculation chamber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
A soft serve ice cream machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said recirculation loop is internal to said tank.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
A soft serve ice cream machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said dispensing means includes means for opening and closing said exit orifice.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
A soft serve ice cream machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said dispensing means includes a plunger type valve.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
A soft serve ice cream machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said recirculation passageway includes means for communicating with an interior portion of said tank.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
A soft serve ice cream machine as recited in claim 7 further including a braking rod.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
A soft serve ice cream machine as recited in claim 7, wherein said braking rod is formed with a zig-zag shape.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
68 words
A soft serve ice cream machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said removing means includes a closure plate having a longitudinal bore therethrough to form said dispensing chamber and to receive said dispensing valve therein, said dispensing valve extending the length of said bore such that said ice cream is removed from said dispensing chamber when said recirculating passageway has been sealed off from said dispensing chamber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
A soft serve ice cream machine as recited in claim 9, wherein said longitudinal bore has a cross-sectional configuration and dimensions slightly greater than the cross-sectional configuration and dimensions of said dispensing valve to allow said dispensing valve to slide within said longitudinal bore.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
A soft serve ice cream machine as recited in claim 9, wherein said dispensing valve includes a plurality of annular grooves to receive O-rings therein to prevent ice cream from flowing adjacent to said dispensing valve within said longitudinal bore.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
122 words
A soft serve ice cream machine comprising: a tank open at one end; means for refrigerating said tank; a closure plate for closing said one end of said tank, said closure plate including a dispensing chamber having an exit orifice and a recirculation passageway; means for recirculating ice cream in a recirculation loop from said tank through said recirculation passageway and back to said tank, said recirculating means includes a hollow tube having a recirculation orifice adapted to communicate with said recirculation passageway carried by said closure plate; means for selectively dispensing the soft serve ice cream from said dispensing chamber; and means for sealing off said recirculation passageway from said dispensing chamber when soft serve ice cream is not being dispensed.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
122 words
A soft serve ice cream machine comprising: a tank open at one end; means for refrigerating said tank; a closure plate for closing said one end of said tank, said closure plate including a dispensing chamber having an exit orifice and a recirculation passageway; means for recirculating ice cream in a recirculation loop from said tank through said recirculation passageway and back to said tank, said recirculating means includes a hollow tube having a recirculation orifice adapted to communicate with said recirculation passageway carried by said closure plate; means for selectively dispensing the soft serve ice cream from said dispensing chamber; and means for sealing off said recirculation passageway from said dispensing chamber when soft serve ice cream is not being dispensed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
A soft serve ice cream machine as recited in claim 12, wherein said recirculation orifice is in a plane generally parallel to the axis of said hollow tube.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
A soft serve ice cream machine as recited in claim 12 wherein said hollow tube is formed with a length less than the length of said tank.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
A soft serve ice cream machine as recited in claim 14, wherein the length of said hollow tube is about one-third the length of said tank.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
111 words
A soft serve ice cream machine comprising: a tank open at one end; means for refrigerating said tank; a closure plate for closing said one end of said tank, said closure plate including a dispensing chamber having an exit orifice and a recirculation passageway, said recirculation passageway includes an axial bore formed in said closure plate; means for recirculating ice cream in a recirculation loop from said tank through said recirculation passageway and back to said tank; means for selectively dispensing the soft serve ice cream from said dispensing chamber; and means for sealing off said recirculation passageway from said dispensing chamber when soft serve ice cream is not being dispensed.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
111 words
A soft serve ice cream machine comprising: a tank open at one end; means for refrigerating said tank; a closure plate for closing said one end of said tank, said closure plate including a dispensing chamber having an exit orifice and a recirculation passageway, said recirculation passageway includes an axial bore formed in said closure plate; means for recirculating ice cream in a recirculation loop from said tank through said recirculation passageway and back to said tank; means for selectively dispensing the soft serve ice cream from said dispensing chamber; and means for sealing off said recirculation passageway from said dispensing chamber when soft serve ice cream is not being dispensed.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
32 words
A soft serve ice cream machine as recited in claim 11, wherein said recirculation NAB passageway further includes a radial bore formed in said closure plate in communication with said axial bore.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
A soft serve ice cream machine as recited in claim 17, further including means for facilitating the flow of ice cream into said axial bore.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
29 words
A soft serve ice cream machine as recited in claim 18, wherein said facilitating means includes a notch formed in said closure plate in communication with said axial bore.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
25 words
A soft serve ice cream machine as recited in claim 19, wherein said notch is also formed to be in communication with said radial bore.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
A soft serve ice cream machine as recited in claim 18, wherein said notch is formed with an inwardly sloping surface.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
89 words
A soft serve ice cream machine comprising: means for containing soft serve ice cream; means for dispensing said ice cream including a dispensing chamber and a dispensing valve having a dispensing position and a recirculation position; means for recirculating said ice cream including a recirculation passageway wherein said recirculation passageway is sealed off from said dispensing chamber when said dispensing valve is in a recirculation position; and means for moving said ice cream from said dispensing chamber when said recirculation passageway has been sealed off from said dispensing chamber.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
89 words
A soft serve ice cream machine comprising: means for containing soft serve ice cream; means for dispensing said ice cream including a dispensing chamber and a dispensing valve having a dispensing position and a recirculation position; means for recirculating said ice cream including a recirculation passageway wherein said recirculation passageway is sealed off from said dispensing chamber when said dispensing valve is in a recirculation position; and means for moving said ice cream from said dispensing chamber when said recirculation passageway has been sealed off from said dispensing chamber.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
18 words
A soft serve ice creammachine as recited in claim 22, wherein said recirculating means includes a recirculation tube.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
21 words
A soft serve ice cream machine as recited in claim 23, further including means for preventing rotation of said recirculation tube.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
145 words
A soft serve ice cream machine comprising: a tank open at one end; means for refrigerating said tank; a closure plate for closing said one end of said tank, said closure plate including a dispensing chamber having an exit orifice and a recirculation passageway; means for recirculating ice cream in a recirculation loop from said tank through said recirculation passageway and back to said tank, said recirculating means including a recirculation tube; means for selectively dispensing the soft serve ice cream from said dispensing chamber; means for sealing off said recirculation passageway from said dispensing chamber when soft serve ice cream is not being dispensed; and means for preventing rotation of said recirculation tube, said rotation preventing means including a non-circular bore in said closure plate and having one end of said recirculation tube with a complementary shape for being received in said non-circular bore.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
145 words
A soft serve ice cream machine comprising: a tank open at one end; means for refrigerating said tank; a closure plate for closing said one end of said tank, said closure plate including a dispensing chamber having an exit orifice and a recirculation passageway; means for recirculating ice cream in a recirculation loop from said tank through said recirculation passageway and back to said tank, said recirculating means including a recirculation tube; means for selectively dispensing the soft serve ice cream from said dispensing chamber; means for sealing off said recirculation passageway from said dispensing chamber when soft serve ice cream is not being dispensed; and means for preventing rotation of said recirculation tube, said rotation preventing means including a non-circular bore in said closure plate and having one end of said recirculation tube with a complementary shape for being received in said non-circular bore.
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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) | 1994-05-20 | 1994-11-19 | 1995-05-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-05-20 | 1998-11-19 | 1999-05-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-05-20 | 2002-11-19 | 2003-05-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |