Patents by Inventor Sean Padgett

Sean Padgett has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6416309
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for serving ice cream with a chemically-heated ice cream scoop. The scoop comprises a bowl and a handle with an interior cavity filled with a nontoxic, supercoolable salt solution. The salt solution may be selectively crystallized by triggering an activator in fluid communication with the solution. Crystallization evolves a significant amount of heat that is used to elevate the temperature of the scoop bowl, thereby decreasing the cutting force required to separate a serving of ice cream from a storage container and reducing adherence of the ice cream within the scoop bowl. After use, the scoop may be recharged by elevating the temperature of the crystallized solution above its crystallization temperature. The process of crystallization, melting, and supercooling may be repeated indefinitely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Michlitsch, Shaun Meredith, Daniel J. Keating, Yaakov Weinstein, Eugene Lee, Michael D. Rees, Darren Soetantyo, Sean Padgett, Steven D. Eppinger