DEVICE FOR PRESERVING AND DELIVERING ICE CREAM
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to the preservation and selling food and refers to a device for preserving and delivering of loose ice cream and other similar foods.
BACKGROUND ART
There are known showcase devices for preserving, exposing and selling of loose ice creams, granulate or similar alimentary products contained in refrigerated tubs and accessible to the operators through rear access openings of the showcase devices.
Such known devices, generally horizontal, are sometimes provided with ventilation or heating means for avoiding the mist on the glasses and allowing the vision of the products by consumers.
A drawback of such known devices consists in that when the operators' hands access to the tubs, provokes harmful rise in temperature and pollution risks, and the rear opening cause thermal dispersions and contamination risks made by environmental dusts or bacterium of the alimentary products.
Other drawback of said devices is constituted by the fact that the ice creams conserved therein, must be prepared and portioned for the consumption in completely manual way from skilled and experienced persons, hence resulting slow and expensive.
Further drawback of said devices consists in that, in order not to mix and alter the various tastes of aliments, it is necessary to use a slice or a spoon for each tub.
They are also known devices of mechanical ice cream distributors allowing a fast preparation for the consumption of hygienic ice cream which is carried out with the
distribution.
These latter devices have the drawback to provide an ice cream with the quality and taste which are non comparable with those of "semi-liquid ice cream" generally used in the known window devices, and with one or two tastes only.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to propose a preserving and delivering device for homemade or industrial "semi-liquid" loose ice cream with a great variety of tastes, granulate and other aliments in order to reduce the thermal dispersions.
Other object is to propose a hygienic and safe device to assure an excellent safety to the users.
Further object is to propose a device that allows to prepare the ice creams for the consumption in fast, safe and simple way, also for non specialized operators without running the risk to obtain the undesirable mix of the tastes.
The above mentioned objects are achieved in accordance with the claim contents.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The characteristics of the invention are underlined in the following with particular reference to the attached drawings, in which:
- figure 1 shows a schematic view in transversal section of the device, object of the present invention; figure 2 shows a front view of the device of figure 1 ; - figures 3 and 4 respectively show transversal section view and front view of a variant of the device of figure 1;
- figure 5 shows a partial longitudinal section view of an ice cream container of the
device of figure 1 ; figure 6 shows a partial longitudinal section view of an ice cream container of the device of figure 3; figures 7 and 8 respectively show longitudinal section view and transversal section view of a variant of the device of figure 1.
BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
With reference to figures 1, 2 and 5, numeral 1 indicates the preserving and delivering device for loose ice cream, granulate or other aliments similar to ice cream, provided with several containing means 2, for instance, of stainless steel or of transparent polycarbonate, and with cooling means 4 for the ice cream 3.
Each of the containing means 2 is provided with respective distribution means 5 consisting in a tap, valve, electric valve or similar, which can be manual or remote operate for the controlled distribution of the ice cream contained in such containing means 2.
The device 1 comprises manual or automatic compression or pressure means 6, fit to give force to the ice cream to favorite the output thereof from the distribution means 5.
The pressure means 6 comprise a pressure 9, consisting in a heavy pressure sliding in the containing means, superimposed to ice cream and fit to compress this latter for gravity favoring the output thereof through the distribution means.
The pressure 9 can be peripherally equipped with, or not, a sealing washer for the lateral walls of the containing means 2.
The pressure 9 can be optionally equipped with compression means for ice cream consisting, for instance, of a pressure level of known type and not showed, interconnected between the pressure and the containing means or other fixed points of
the device or with other known means.
The device comprises an insulated and refrigerated chamber 10 delimited by insulating walls, at least one of these walls can be opened or removed away to allow insertion and withdrawal of the containing means 2.
The distribution means 5 flow externally to the chamber 10 through a back wall of this latter easily accessible for the operator specialized for ice cream preparation.
The pressure 9 and at least one wall of the chamber 10 are transparent to allow the users to see the ice cream.
The cooling means 4 are of compressor type and include an evaporator situated under the chamber 10 to cool a fluid consisting in air, nitrogen or other gas put in circulation by circulation means 11, for instance consisting of one or more electric fans, to pass through the chamber 10 and therefore to cool the containing means 2 and the ice cream 3.
In alternative the invention provides that the evaporator is positioned in the chamber 10 preferably above the containing means 2 or that the cooling means 4 are of compressor type with direct expansion, by means of a nozzle or capillary, in the chamber 10.
In order to allow the users to see the ice cream even if the containers 2 and/or the chamber 10 are opaque, the invention provides that the device comprises visualization means exposed to the consumer and giving images and/or the names of the ice cream varieties of the containing means 2.
Particularly the visualization means can comprise supports or frames for the images printed on transparent support, for instance slide photos in real format like the kind used in the "fast food" to illustrate the offered dishes.
The visualization means comprise also retro-illumination means of the images
consisting of, for instance, fluorescent or neon tubes seated behind the transparent photo printings to allow an optimal vision of the images.
In the variant of figures 3, 4 and 6 the containing means 2 are closed hermetically and the respective pressure means 6 comprise a respective duct 8 for a fluid in pressure, for instance air or other gas for compressing the ice cream.
The duct of the pressured fluid 8 flows between a mobile piston 7 and a wall 12 of the containing means 2 adjacent or opposite to the wall with the distribution means 5. The duct can also flow directly into the containing means without the respective pistons.
In alternative the duct of the pressured fluid 8 can flow in a flexible and seal sack, whose illustration is not necessary for understanding the variant, located between the ice cream and a wall of the containing means 2 adjacent or opposite to the wall of the distribution means 5.
hi this case it is not necessary that the containing means 2 are hermetic because the pressured fluid is contained in the sack that, by pressing the ice cream, favorites the output of ice cream from the distribution means 5 operated in opening.
A further variant of the invention comprises a plurality of watertight and collapsible housings, not showed, each of them fit to contain an ice cream type and to be inserted into one of the containing means 2 in order to be connected and to flow into the respective distribution means 5.
In this case the compressed gas between the hermetic containing means 2 and the watertight housings presses the ice cream favoring the distribution thereof.
The cooling 4 means of the variation comprise diffusion tubular means 11, consisting of a duct transiting above the containers and having outlet holes in the chamber 10 for a cooling fluid consisting of air or other cooled gas of the cooling means 4.
The duct 8 for the compression pressured fluid for the ice cream is at least partially contained in the diffusion tubular means 11 to contribute to the cooling of ice cream.
The containing means 2 or its one portion, and at least a wall of the chamber 10 are transparent to allow the user to see the varieties of ice cream or, also this variant can be provided with the visualization means described above.
The operation provides that, in an operational condition of the device in which the ice creams varieties are in the containing means, the operator acting on the distribution means prepares the ice cream for example in tubs or cones ready for consumption.
In the variant of figures 7 and 8, the longitudinal and central portion of the bottom, having overturned roof shape, of the container 2 has a concave and longitudinal seat 13 for the pressure means 6 consisting of a motorized or manually operated cochlea 14, and it extents until to the distribution means 5 consisting in a tubular nozzle.
The operation of this variant provides that the activation of the motorized cochlea, or of an handle, known and not showed, connected to the manual cochlea, pushes the ice cream to come out from the container 2 by the distribution means 5.
The main advantage of the present invention is to provide a preserving and delivering device for loose ice cream of semi-fluid type, homemade or industrial made, granulate and other aliments fit to reduce the thermal dispersions being without access openings to the ice cream.
Other advantage is to provide a hygienic and safe device to assure an excellent safety to the users.
Further advantage is to provide a device which allows to prepare the ice creams for the consumption in rapid, safe and simple way, also for the operator not specialized without running the risk to get undesirable taste mix.