INTERNAL CAKE SUPPORT APPARATUS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS
An internal cake support apparatus comprising: at least a first food-grade member with a connector, the connector configured to be detachably coupled to a corresponding connector of at least one other food-grade member; wherein the internal cake support apparatus is reconfigurable to provide for a plurality of different configurations of rigid internal support frame for supporting a cake.
This disclosure relates to an internal cake support apparatus configured to provide a structural support frame for supporting the interior of a cake and particularly a novelty cake.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONMany bakers desire to produce cakes with a structure and external appearance that cannot be readily obtained without some additional support structure to support the cake in its finished configuration. For example, if the finished cake must be particularly tall, or if upper parts of the cake must be cantilevered out from a lower, or base, portion of the cake, then the edible material from which the cake is comprised may not have sufficient structural strength to be able to maintain the desired configuration without the presence of additional supporting structures.
The need for additional supporting structures is particularly prevalent when a baker desires to produce a novelty cake. It will be appreciated that a novelty cake may be a cake configured to have the appearance of a non-cake item; for example, a novelty cake may appear to be a fictional or cartoon character, a person, an animal or plant, a vehicle or machine, a building, or may comprise an abstract aesthetic creation. It will be further appreciated that such a cake may comprise a variety of different comestible items, such as sponge cake, fruit cake, chocolate, icing, or other confectionary items. Further, it will be appreciated that, while the finished product may comprise a plurality of different comestible items the entire assembly may be described as a cake.
To achieve the desired effect, the additional supporting structure may advantageously be internal to the cake. Alternatively, some components of the supporting structure may be visible, while other components may be concealed within the cake, in the finished product.
It is known to construct an internal support structure for a cake by permanently fixing components together to form a rigid frame. For example, it is known to weld metal components together, or to glue or otherwise permanently fix wooden components together, to form a support structure. Such structures may then be permanently coated in food-grade materials, such as silicone rubber, before being used as a support structure for a novelty cake.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to a first aspect, there is provided an internal cake support apparatus comprising:
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- at least a first food-grade member with a connector, the connector configured to be detachably coupled to a corresponding connector of at least one other food-grade member;
- wherein the internal cake support apparatus is reconfigurable to provide for a plurality of different configurations of rigid internal support frame for supporting a cake.
Advantageously, the reconfigurability of the internal cake support apparatus may enable a user to construct different configurations of support frame, for supporting different configurations of novelty cake, from the same food-grade members, without the need for tools or adhesives and without the need for a new set of food-grade members for each new configuration of novelty cake.
The first food-grade member may comprise a plurality of connector elements, each connector element configured to be detachably coupled to a corresponding connector element of other food-grade members.
The first food-grade member may comprise a planar portion, wherein the plurality of connector elements may be located in the planar portion.
The connector elements may be configured to be detachably coupled to other food-grade members such that the other food-grade members may be transversely oriented with respect to the planar portion.
One or more of the connector elements may be located in a first planar surface of the planar portion.
One or more of the connector elements may be located in a second planar surface of the planar portion.
The first food-grade member may comprise a rod, having a first connector element and a second connector element longitudinally spaced apart.
The first food-grade member may comprise a junction, having a third connector element transversely oriented with respect to the longitudinal spacing between the first connector element and the second connector element.
A fourth connector element may be transversely oriented with respect to the longitudinal spacing between the first connector element and the second connector element.
There may be provided an apparatus further comprising:
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- a plurality of food-grade members including the first food-grade member configured to be detachably couplable together in a plurality of different configurations;
- wherein, in use, the plurality of coupled food-grade members may comprise a rigid internal support frame for supporting a cake.
There may be provided an apparatus further comprising:
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- a plurality of planar members, each comprising a planar portion with a plurality of connector elements located in the planar portion; and
- at least one rod, having a first connector element and a second connector element longitudinally spaced apart.
In use, the plurality of planar members may be configured to support a plurality of cake elements on a plurality of different levels.
There may be provided an apparatus further comprising a junction, having a third connector element transversely oriented with respect to a longitudinal spacing between a first connector element and a second connector element.
There may be provided an apparatus further comprising a plurality of junctions.
There may be provided an apparatus comprising a surface configured to engage with an interior of a cake and thereby to support the cake.
Advantageously, providing internal support to a cake may enable the construction of a cake in a configuration, and consequently with an external appearance, that would not be physically possible without an internal support frame given the lack of physical rigidity of cake.
Examples of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
The first base 102 comprises a planar portion 103 which includes a plurality of connector elements 104, 106. The connector element 104 comprises a depression in the planar portion 103.
The first rod 110 comprises a distal portion 112 with a connector element configured to cooperate with the connector element 106 of the first base 102 such the first rod 110 may be detachably coupled to the first base 102. The coupling shown comprises a simple interference fit between the connector elements of the first base 102 and the first rod 110. It will be appreciated that other types of coupling are possible, for example the connector elements may be provided with cooperating threads such that coupling may be achieved by a screw fit.
Once the first rod 110 has been coupled to the first base 102 a first cake element (not shown; see, e.g.
The first rod 110 further comprises a proximal portion 114 with a connector element configured to cooperate with a connector element 148 of a first face of the second base 140. The second base 140 has a second face, opposed to the first face, with a plurality of connector elements 144, 146. A connector element 146 of the second face of the second base 140 is coupled to a distal end of the second rod 120. A second cake element may then be positioned on top of the second face of the second base 140 as described above in relation to the first cake element. In some examples, a portion (not shown) of the second rod 120 may pass through the connection element 146 of the second base 140 and engage with the proximal portion 114 of the first rod 110. This engagement between the first and second rods may advantageously improve the rigidity of the coupling of the second base 140 to both the first rod 110 and the second rod 120. Similarly, in other examples a portion of the first rod 110 may pass through the second base 140 to engage with a portion of the second rod 120.
The proximal end 124 of the second rod 120 is coupled to a connector element 158 of the first face of the third base 150. A connector element 156 of the second face of the third base 150 is coupled to the third rod 130. A third cake element may then be brought into engagement with the second face of the third base 150.
It will be appreciated that further bases and rods could be coupled to the apparatus 100 to provide additional levels for supporting additional cake elements. Once assembled, the cake elements, and any portions of the cake support apparatus that remain exposed may then be coated with icing or other decorative comestibles, to complete the construction of the novelty cake.
The first base 202 of the apparatus 200 comprises a plurality of connection elements 104. A first rod 210 may be coupled to any of the plurality of connection elements. In this example, the first rod 210 is coupled to a first connection element 206, situated in the centre of the first base 202, as in the apparatus of
The first rod 210 is further coupled to a first connection element of a first face of a second base 240. The second rod 220 is further coupled to a second connection element of the first face of second base 240. The second base 240 has a second face, opposed to the first face that comprises a plurality of connection elements including a third connection element. The third connection element is coupled to a third rod 230. The third rod 230 is further coupled to a connection element in a first side of a fourth base 250. A second side of the fourth base 250 comprises a plurality of connector elements including a second connector element to which a fourth rod 260 is coupled.
It will be appreciated that, in other examples, further rods and bases may be added to the apparatus of
An advantage provided by the plurality of food-grade members is that a person skilled in the art may rapidly assemble a first novelty cake, including its support frame, without the need for tools or adhesives. Once the first novelty cake has been completed, and/or consumed, a person skilled in the art may quickly and easily dismantle the plurality of food-grade members and, having cleaned them as necessary, may proceed to assemble a second novelty cake, including its support frame, based on a different configuration than the first novelty cake, from the same selection of food grade members. This obviates the need to use welding or carpentry techniques to provide an internal support frame and further avoids the problem of an internal support frame, once constructed, being suitable for supporting only a single configuration of novelty cake.
It will be appreciated that a wide variety of members may be configured to cooperate together to comprise an internal cake support apparatus. The following discloses a variety of different shapes of such members, including a variety of different bases, rods, and junctions. It will be appreciated that these members may comprise a range of different food-grade materials known to persons skilled in the art. In some examples, these members may comprise a food-grade plastic material, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, polystyrene, polycarbonate or a combination of different food-grade plastic materials. In other examples, these members may comprise food-grade metal material, such as food-grade stainless steel or food-grade anodised aluminium.
It will be appreciated that a base may be any convenient shape, such as round, as shown in
It will be appreciated that other types of adapter (not shown) are possible. In some examples an adapter may have an outer circular adapter portion for connection to a circular female adapter and an inner hexagonal adapter portion for connection to a male hexagonal adapter. In other examples, both the inner and outer connectors may be hexagonal. It will be further appreciated that the adapter may be configured to connect to male or female connectors with triangular, square, octagonal or any other symmetry or to a connector with no symmetry.
A plurality of different types of junction may be used to connect a plurality of rods to one another.
It will be appreciated that many other configurations of junction are possible. For example, three-connector junctions may be configured in a Y-shaped arrangement, four-connector junctions may be configured in a tetrahedral arrangement, while six-connector junctions may be configured in an octahedral arrangement. It will be appreciated that, generally, the connector elements of any junction may be oriented at any convenient angle relative to any other connector element of the same junction, and that any convenient number of connector elements may be present in any particular junction.
It will be appreciated that the apparatus 600 shown in
A first cake element 770, representing the creature's feet, may be supported directly on a first base 710. A second cake element 772, representing the creature's lower body, may be supported directly on a different portion of the first base 710. In some examples the second cake element 772 may comprise a dense material such a fruit cake. A third cake element 774, representing the creature's midsection, may be supported on the second cake element 772. The third cake element 774 may comprise a medium density material such as a sponge cake. A fourth cake element 776, representing the creature's upper body, may be supported on top of the third cake element 774. The fourth cake element may comprise a low density material such as a baked meringue. It will be appreciated that the fourth 776 cake element is also supported laterally by a first rod 720. A fifth cake element 778, representing the creature's tail, may be supported by a second rod 730. The fifth cake element may comprise a hollow chocolate or tuile biscuit cylinder. A sixth cake element 780, representing the creature's lower jaw, may be supported on a second base 740. A seventh cake element 782, representing the creature's upper jaw, and an eighth cake element 784, representing the creature's head, may be supported by a third base 750. Further cake elements 786 may be added to represent the creature's teeth. Such further elements 786 may comprise icing. It will be appreciated that the entire assembly of cake elements and cake support frame may be coated in icing in order to complete the finished novelty cake.
It will be appreciated that any components that are described herein as being coupled or connected could be directly or indirectly coupled or connected. That is, one or more components could be located between two components that are said to be coupled or connected whilst still enabling the required functionality to be achieved.
While embodiments of the present invention has been described in the above specification and illustrated in the appended drawings, the invention is not limited thereto but only by the scope and spirit of the claims which follow.
Claims
1. An internal cake support apparatus comprising:
- at least a first food-grade member with a connector, the connector configured to be detachably coupled to a corresponding connector of at least one other food-grade member;
- wherein the internal cake support apparatus is reconfigurable to provide for a plurality of different configurations of rigid internal support frame for supporting a cake.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first food-grade member comprises a plurality of connector elements, each connector element configured to be detachably coupled to a corresponding connector element of other food-grade members.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first food-grade member comprises a planar portion, and wherein the plurality of connector elements are located in the planar portion.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the connector elements are configured to be detachably coupled to other food-grade members such that the other food-grade members are transversely oriented with respect to the planar portion.
5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein one or more of the connector elements are located in a first planar surface of the planar portion.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein one or more of the connector elements are located in a second planar surface of the planar portion.
7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first food-grade member comprises a rod having a first connector element and a second connector element longitudinally spaced apart.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first food-grade member comprises a junction having a third connector element transversely oriented with respect to the longitudinal spacing between the first connector element and the second connector element.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a fourth connector element is transversely oriented with respect to the longitudinal spacing between the first connector element and the second connector element.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
- a plurality of food-grade members including the first food-grade member configured to be detachably couplable together in a plurality of different configurations;
- wherein, in use, the plurality of coupled food-grade members comprise a rigid internal support frame for supporting a cake.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:
- a plurality of planar members, each comprising a planar portion with a plurality of connector elements located in the planar portion; and
- at least one rod having a first connector element and a second connector element longitudinally spaced apart.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, in use, the plurality of planar members are configured to support a plurality of cake elements on a plurality of different levels.
13. The apparatus of claims 10, further comprising a junction having a third connector element transversely oriented with respect to a longitudinal spacing between a first connector element and a second connector element.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of junctions.
15. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a surface configured to engage with an interior of a cake and thereby to support the cake.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 28, 2015
Publication Date: Mar 30, 2017
Applicant: Cake Frame Ltd (Nottingham)
Inventor: Dawn BUTLER (Nottingham)
Application Number: 14/867,124