ICE CREAM DIPPING CABINET
An ice cream dipping cabinet which holds tubs of ice cream, is provided with individual tub receptacles, surrounded by cooling coils. The cabinet, which can be used for other foods, either frozen or cold, has a solid top plate which orients the individual tubs. This allows lower maintenance time and cost, helps keep moisture out and cold air in the enclosed bottom of the cabinet. The top plate has holes for the tubs, which limits the escape of cold air from the cabinet, improving energy efficiency, as well as improving the overall visual aesthetics of the cabinet, and the ease of access to the desired tub by the server. The invention also includes a locking device for preventing each tub from turning when being accessed in the proper serving position, and means for moving the tub upward for ease of removal. A clear cover has a slidable lid, which is slidable about an arc, and also pivotable upwardly for ease of removing and replacing the more remote tubs.
This application claims the benefit of priority of the following applications: PCT Application PCT/US2012/068337, filed 7 Dec. 2012; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/630,294, filed 8 Dec. 2011.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to cabinet apparatus for containing ice cream, sherbet and the like, for maintaining the contents at a desired temperature, and for ready access by servers, particularly in a commercial retail establishment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIce cream (or ice-cream) is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, which is often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavorings. The resulting mixture of chosen ingredients is stirred slowly while cooling, in order to incorporate air and to prevent large ice crystals from forming in the product. The result is a smoothly textured semi-solid foam that is readily scooped. For commercial distribution as ice cream cones or related items, the ice cream product is poured into tubs and frozen for delivery to commercial outlets for ice cream. These outlets or stores usually have cabinets for containing the tubs, which maintain the temperature of the tubs in the proper range of about −10° F. to +10° F., and in which the tubs are positioned for access by servers. Most ice cream tubs are cylindrical, although some have a rectangular or square cross section. The tubs are placed in a cabinet either without any lateral restraint, or multiple tubs are sometimes banded together to keep them from turning or shifting. When it is necessary to replace an empty tub with a full one, it is necessary to disband all tubs in the group, replace one tub and reband the group. This impairs efficient serving of customers. Thus, the tubs are not easy for a server to replace during a time of high activity. In present cabinets a server must reach deeper and deeper with a scoop to access the ice cream as the level of the product falls lower, which can make access to the bottom of the tub difficult, particularly for short persons. Additionally, it is difficult for persons to remove tubs, as one must bend far over to reach the bottom of a tub for removal. Further, the tubs are kept frozen by cooling coils in the vertical walls of the cabinet. In current cabinets, a server changing a tub occasionally scrapes against the accumulated ice crystals on the side of the cabinet, knocking bits of ice into the ice cream in the replacement tub, creating a contaminated food product, which is unappealing to the consumer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention provides an ice cream dipping cabinet in which tubs of ice cream are provided with individual tub receptacles surrounded by cooling coils which are configured inside the cabinet around the ice-cream tubs. The cabinet has a solid top plate which orients the individual tubs. This allows lower maintenance time and cost, helps keep moisture out and cold air in the enclosed bottom of the cabinet. A top plate is provided that has holes for the tubs, which, when the tubs are in place, limits the escape of cold air from the cabinet, improving energy efficiency, as well as improving the overall visual aesthetics of the cabinet and the ice cream display, and the ease of access to the desired tub by the server. Ice buildup reduces thermal efficiency, but since the buildup is slow in the invented cabinet because of the limited moisture, thermal efficiency is maintained. Also, because the cooling coils are readily accessible, a damaged coil or coil section can be easily replaced, resulting in improved and more efficient maintenance than is possible on currently available cabinets in which the coils are embedded in the walls. Further, because the tubs are at a higher elevation in the invented cabinet than in currently available cabinets, the server has better access to the tub contents. Also, a single tub can readily be replaced by a server without impacting the serving capability of an adjacent server.
The invention is also useful in display and serving of other than frozen foods, such as foods to be served in a cafeteria, particularly cold foods.
The invention also includes means for preventing each tub from turning when being accessed in the proper serving position.
Thus, the invention is an apparatus for cooling and storage of cold or frozen foods, comprising:
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- a generally box-shaped base;
- a top plate engaging said box, and having one or more receiving holes therethrough;
- at least one tub receptacle within said base and mating with said one or more receiving holes in said top plate for receiving a tub containing a cold or frozen foodstuff;
- a cooling coil assembly within the base, arranged about said at least a portion of each tub receptacle for cooling the tub and the contents thereof; and
- a compressor connected to said cooling coil assembly for passing refrigeration gas therethrough.
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a cabinet for storing and accessing frozen confections which has low energy consumption.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet for storing and accessing ice cream having improved and efficient time-motion capabilities.
A further object of this invention is to provide an ice cream dipping cabinet that protects the quality of the ice cream stored therein.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved ice cream dipping cabinet having a readily accessible cooling coil for ease of maintenance and repair of a damaged coil.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved ice cream dipping cabinet having low and slow ice buildup which requires less defrosting than current cabinets.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved ice cream dipping cabinet having improved storage capacity over that of current cabinets.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved ice cream dipping cabinet having improved presentation of the product therein.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet that holds food containers firmly, and provides ease of removal and replacement of the containers.
The foregoing and other objects will become more readily apparent by referring to the following detailed description and the appended drawings in which:
Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to
A compressor 24 is connected to the cooling coil assembly 20 for passing refrigeration gas through the evaporator coils and maintaining the temperature of a tub in the tub receptacle in the desired range, which for ice cream is a temperature range of about −10° F. to about +10° F., (about −12.2° C. to about −23.3° C.).
The preferable arrangement of cooling coils is an arrangement of roll bond coils 20A and 20B as shown in
The tub receptacle 18 is supported within the base 12 of the chamber by the top plate, or by a lower support such as plate 84. Biasing means 30, is located at the bottom of the tub receptacle for urging a tub 22 upwardly within the tub receptacle. Such biasing means can be a coil spring 32 housed at the bottom of the tub receptacle 18, or preferably in a downward projection 34 from the bottom of the tub receptacle 18, as shown. The spring can be provided with an associated plate 42 which bears against the bottom of an inserted tub, or the spring can bear directly against the bottom of the tub.
In a computer-generated comparison test of a prototype of the invented cabinet with the operation of an equivalent Kelvinator stock cabinet, the power consumption required to operate the stock cabinet was about three times the power consumption required to operate the invented cabinet at the same temperature.
The cabinet 10 ordinarily has a transparent shield or cover 40, also known a sneeze guard, through which customers may view the tubs of ice cream in the cabinet in order to make their selections.
Insulation is preferably provided in the top plate, the side walls of the cabinet, and in the bottom of the cabinet, but may be omitted in the top plate, if desired.
As shown in
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The interior of the cabinet 10 beneath the tub receptacles 18 provides space for the compressor 24, which is surrounded by insulation, and vents 56 are provided in the cabinet base for venting the compressor motor to the atmosphere as shown, to prevent heat buildup within the cabinet. Also within the cabinet is refrigerated space for storing additional tubs of product to be served, and other items useful in the operation of the establishment. Alternatively, such space can be used for storage or dispensing of sundries, such as ice cream cups or cones. Any desired number of doors 38 may be provided on any side of the cabinet to access the storage chamber within the cabinet base. Drawers 36 may be provided for storage, if desired.
The cabinet 10 is preferably provided with a cover assembly 64 having a slidable clear cover or movable lid 66, as shown in
The invented cabinet has an upper cooling zone in which the tubs and cooling coils assembly are located, and a lower zone which is a storage section, primarily for storage of additional tubs. One or more zone dividing plates 84 may be provided. These dividing plates may incorporate fans (not shown) therein to move cold air from the upper zone to the lower zone to maintain the lower storage zone at a temperature in the desired range for ice cream or other comestibles.
Because the tubs are securely held in position, and their orientation is fixed within the cabinet, any identification such as flavor indicators displayed in or on the cabinet will be arranged and fixed in relation to the tub collars, all of which helps create a more pleasing presentation to the customer than present cabinets.
ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTSThe top plate 14 may be provided with one or more additional holes 58 for receiving insulated compartments which are used for storing serving items, such as sampling spoons, straws, napkins, ice cream cones, serving cups, milk shake containers, and the like. The size and location of each such additional hole is selected for the specific item or items to be stored therein.
A serving lip extension 60 and/or a dipping well 62 can be installed as shown in
Biasing means 30 can be mounted at 86 directly on or supported by a plate beneath it, such as zone dividing plate 84A as shown on the right side of
For tubs with rectangular cross section rather than circular, the holes in the top plate and the tub receptacles will be adapted to conform to the exterior configuration of the tubs. In such instance, the rectangular collar may be adapted to press fit into the mating rectangular holes in the top plate, and the biasing means is used to facilitate tub removal.
The cabinet base 12 may be provided with a cabinet base support 80 as shown in
If desired, the cabinet can be provided with an automated defrosting system.
SUMMARY OF THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE OBJECTS OF THE INVENTIONFrom the foregoing, it is readily apparent that I have invented an improved refrigerated ice cream cabinet for storing and accessing frozen confections, and having improved and efficient time-motion capabilities, and low energy consumption. It is to be understood that the foregoing description and specific embodiments are merely illustrative of the best mode of the invention and the principles thereof, and that various modifications and additions may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention.
Claims
1. Apparatus for cooling and storage of cold or frozen foods, comprising:
- a generally box-shaped base;
- a top plate engaging said box, and having one or more receiving holes therethrough;
- at least one tub receptacle within said base and mating with said one or more receiving holes in said top plate for receiving a tub containing a foodstuff;
- a cooling coil assembly within the base, arranged about at least a portion of each tub receptacle for cooling the tub and the contents thereof; and
- a compressor connected to said cooling coil assembly for passing refrigeration gas therethrough.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising biasing means associated with each tub receptacle for urging a tub upwardly within said tub receptacle, and means for inhibiting the upward movement and rotation of a tub within said tub receptacle.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said means for inhibiting the upward movement of a tub within the tub receptacle is an associated collar adapted for friction contact of the top of a tub and to engage the top plate.
4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said collar is provided with at least one gasket to seal the collar against the top plate.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said top plate is insulated.
6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said base is comprised of side walls which are insulated.
7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said cooling coil assembly comprises one or more roll bond evaporator coils.
8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said one or more roll bond evaporator coils is adapted to fit about at least 50% of each tub receptacle.
9. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said cooling coil assembly comprises a pair of identical roll bond end sections and one or more middle sections, connected in series.
10. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said top plate is provided with additional holes for receiving serving items.
11. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a drawer within said base for storage,
12. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said base is divided into an upper cooling zone in which the tubs and cooling coil assembly are located, and a lower storage zone.
13. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cooling coil assembly comprises at least one turn of a cooling coil around each tub receptacle.
14. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said base is provided with at least one door.
15. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cover assembly atop said base, said cover assembly having a track for receiving a movable lid, and a movable lid engaged in said track.
16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said movable lid is provided with rollers engageable in said track.
17. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said movable lid is rotatable about said rollers to an upper position.
18. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said movable lid is provided with magnets to releasably hold the lid in an upper position.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 7, 2012
Publication Date: Jul 30, 2015
Inventor: Steven B. HALPRIN (Concord, NC)
Application Number: 13/989,471