CA2114940A1 - Food-serving scoop - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract Proposed is a scoop for serving food products, in particular ice cream, the scoop having a handle (1) and, fixed to the handle, a spoon (2) in the interior of which a blade (3) is fixed so that it can pivot close to the inside surface of the spoon. The handle (1) is a cylinder with the spoon (2) attached at one end by means of a rod. The blade (3) is connected to the shaft of an operating system mounted inside the handle(1).

Description

Food-8er~ing ~COOQ

The i~ve~tic~n oc~o~rns a ~ood-se~vi~g scoop, espQcially for 1G~
m, haViII~ a ha~Ldle and, fi~ed to the handle, a spoon ln thQ
interio:r o~ wh:~ch a bla~e i~: fi~ed s~ that it can pi~rot abc~t the a~:is of t~e h~:ndle cdo~ie to th~L insid~ al:Q oi- the spoc~l ~he~eby tbe spoc~ i~i attache~ t:o ~e el~d ~-f ~he hand1.e ~i.a a rod, ~d th~ E71~cle i~ c~ne~t:ed to ~e shi3~ o~ ctric~l Ihotc,r oper~Lting ~y~ite~ ~nich i:; disposed iII the hall41e a~d i:3 ac~iv~t~l by ~ cc~trol 4~t~an ~ttached to the hal~d~, ~E:~I 85 15 3~4 di:;closes ~ ~;~ap of this yenOEi.c cuncep~. TU
prod~ce =-n ice cream ball, ~n el~:ctriC:al mo'~or swi~irels a scr~pf3r ~i~osed 1nside a spoon a]:~out its axis a:Ete~ a c~t:rol h~l~ton is pressed down The ~;poc~n. is faster~d to ~ ~-~;ial c yl~lrica~

ha~ll~ ~ ~hich the mot:or, batte~Les, a gea~work to ~ re the 5C~apel~ trOl butt~n ar~ dis~o~

01 ~9 162 also desc~ri~es3.an i&~ cream ~icoop which cal~g?ri~;es a h ~ndle wi~h spaon atta~ed ~o i~ d a~ a scraper w~ich c;~n be s~2~ve:~led iD. the spo~. The de~resio~ o:E a c cmtrol ~tton, .

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which is positîv~ed on ~e ha~lle, result.~ r~ q1v~ ng o~ the ;- ;
craper ~y ~ear~ of alL elec~ical moto~ or a h~d~uli~:: dr~ve, and .:
thus the release of t~3~ ice cream b~ roDl th~3 spoo~L. The elements used to drive the sc~aper are. ~lso dispose~ in the ha~la In ~e case o knnwn iCOOpS wi~h their o~n dxive ~or servin~ .
~ood such a~ e creaJn, mashed potatc~, dessert, ~hocolate ;e, creaDl~ ricf~ OL :~lmili~,, i~ i~; t~ be seen a~
di~3~dv~nt~geous that it i ~ ally ir2conceivable for the~
prop:rla-tor to ~l~je~:~tively ~eterm~ne the n~er o:E portions serve~ ~ his ~.aff meD~ers. Ele i~ for~fl to :~el~ on tlle statemer~ made by h:is staff and is not a~le to deter~i~e whel~
p~r~ o~ tur~o~r has di~a~pea}ed to "}ine poc~et~

0~ this basi~ 1~ is the object o~ -~hi~ inve~tion to further aevelop scoops c~ th~s gen~ric concept so that tbe ~umb~r of ~ortions actually ~erved ea~ ~e r~rde~ without err~r.

Thi~ o~jeot ~s solved a~cor~ing to this inve~tion there-in that thQ nu~er ~ oper~tions of t~e lo~de~ blade are totaled to deter~ine ~he nu~ber of 6e~ved pvrti~s, whereby a loading i~
detected ~y means o~ ~he ~a~nitude and/ar ~e temp~Ial behaviour of the current receive~ ~y the motor andJor the voltage of the ene~gy souree a~d~o~ by ~ea~s o~ an optic~l ~ensox, e~pecially - -3-- .
~n in~rar~d ~Qa~uring ~en~or, ~hi~h i~ aisposed in ~he ~pooQ
a~d which records the chan~e between ~i~h~ and dark ~'he central idea of the invention lie~ therein to pro~ide a ~ounter which to~al~ the ope~ations, i e~ th~ move~e~ts oi the ~lade i~ a load~d stat~. It allow~ ~h~ number o-~ pur~io~s served to ~e reoorded ~nd th~s the sta~eme~-ts o~ serYioe ~ta~ ~nd the till to be checked. It i8 basi Q lly no proble~ to d~termine, by ~eans of the force loads which OO~N~ when ~he blad~ is operated and which ~re ~ressed in ~if~ering magni~ude~ ~nd tlme-depende~t b~haviour o$ the c~rrent ~d volta~e values, whether the o~era~ion of th~ ~lad~ ~s exe~u~ed ~gai~q~
re~i~tanCQ, i.e. when th~ spoon is ~illedr a~ ~lth4ut ~esistan~e, i.e. when ~he spoon is elp~. Only measure~ent o~ filled ~pJbns specifie3 the ~umber of serYed porti~s. As an alt~rnative, or in aaaitio~ ~he c~ange ~etween light and daxk withln the ~poo~ ~hen the material to be portioned is recelved can be u~ea aS a *urt~e~
~as~re t~ ~void erroneou~ couLta. For thi~ p~pose, an optical sen~or, ~or e~a~ple, ~I in~rared mea~uri~g ser~or, is aisposed 1 ~h~ sponn a~d the chanye betweeQ li~h~ and dark whRn the material is r~ce~e~ re~4raea~ ~ ~unt i~p~l5e is ~ly r~lQase~ ~h~ it ~oincide~ ti~-wisQ wit~ an o~e~tio~ pro~e~ o~ t~e ~laae, ~u~h as CJn be r~cord~ correspond-i~y -to ~he ~ower drdw 0~ the electrQnics. In the ca~e o~ bl~de ~tiEfness without recep~ion o~
-~he m~teri~l to ~R portioued in the spoon~ a count ~mp~l~e .. , . . , , _ _. .... . ..

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suppressed a~ 6~0~eou:i ~t~i avoided . :

Tne advamt~ge~2 o~ the in~ion con~ist p:~ imaril~ the:r~ th~t it i~ ve~ ea~iy ta ~onitor t:he se~ e stai~:E, whereby erroneol~s d co~nt~ Uch a~ ould occu~ i~ the blade i~ operated when the spoon is {~ot. f11ed, are s~ely ruled out It is pre::Eerred to u~ie a direct c~ren~ e}ectric~l ~notor a~;
operating system. ~ hou~h ~ t is ~sically eorLc:ei~a~le to supply e~Lergy b~ lueans of a cable, }t ls reu~end~:d th~t a l:)attery or harge.ahle wcS~ tor ~ directly d~pclsea ~n the h~sldl~, ~ :
or,ler to ob~ n ,~ensi~e $~re,~dom o~ ~nov,~t al~d ~oi~l ind~d~ce - alt~nugh tl~is iIlcurs an incre~se 1ll welght.
e 5i ope o~ v~ntioD.~ it is ba~;icall~ ~Dptio~l cag to how ~e ~,wivel mov~n~Pnt o~ blade is created. n poeeibility lies in ~ use of a gearworl~ wh~i~ ~espite ~ull r~rolutien o~ the : :
motor reau~ts i~ a:~ oscillat~r mov~ of 18U". With a ~iew to ~~tr ~ore ~;uitable and thus recommen~led is t:o q,~ ate bla~
mov~n~ l)y ~arl~ of a motor that swivels ha~k ar~d fo:~th I~ a ~peclal ~nbedi~t, a~ ol~eratin~ ~ystem is p:~opose,l that 8 ci~ntro~le~ ~>y mean~; o~i two photoele<:tric b~r~ier; whi~h are ..

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~oca~e~ at ffle sta~ting and f~l po~itio~ of hlade m~v~m#~t.
T~e functi~ ; as Ac:tivation nf ~e cc~trol butto~ switche~; an the dires-t curr~r~
~tor a~d ~ove~ the blade Wh~n ~f2 fi~al po~;ition is reached (d~te3:mi~1 ~ ~he pho~oelec:tric barrier), t:he drive iha~
sw~,~chedr i~e. fir~t braking arld a ~ of poles3, ~so -th~-t tl~u motor and, by aS~qr o tlle ~;~aft, the ~laae return to their rl~}n~ io~ Jpu~ r~Li~g ~he :startillg positic~ {al~n deterlnined by the p~otoelec~ric J~Tier~/ ~r ~in~ occura; and, ~s a rule, ~he ele~t~nic:s ~ra~lsfe~red to a sta~y ~mctiou;
although i~ ~s co~ce:-~able "hat ~he en~ire operatin~ sga~teM
oould l~e :iwitc:~ea o~ we~ec~, a~ sideration; ~ow 1~at ~ully swi~ g of~ ~e ~Dotor a~d cont~a~ afte~
operation i~; dis~hv~nt2L~e~uS Eor z~ m~ber o~ re~so~s, Th~ solu~ w pr~po~-e~ pecial1y ~dv~gec~us as rega~ds ~p~r~ti~g syst~ ~d associ~ed ooD.trol a~3 it allo~; ~ nse o~
a direct C~ Bnt motOr whiC:}3 is s~pelied l~y battery ~nd tl~ U~;B
o~ ull e1ectror~ i~ cantrol that is wear resistant and maintanan~:e-~reu e~l thl~E; 0~ hig~ nperatian~Ll dfYp~udability ln practical u3e, it i~ ad~ tan~ if, ac~ordi~ to the i~ood t~ :~e se:~ve~l, the ~i~e oE the po~io~ cao be ~;elec~e~ a~d oha~g~ ~or ~is re~ it is ~dva3~ eous if the ~p~l~ c~n be r~ ed. For e~?le,. th~ ~poo~ i5 ~tt~chea ta the ~ha~t ~ th : -.. .. .. . -- 2~ 1~94~ `

~he help o~ Alle~ key ~a fa~ ~ed wi~ n Sc~cw.

q~he ~deee~derL~ replacement o~ e bl~ide, which if; imel~ted.
~ a w~y c:on~ar~le to ~hat.of t:he s~ aslva~tag~us af; ~n contrast to the a1:her components the blada i5 ~U4 ~ ect tc~ hi~
w~ar- ~nd m~t ~re:Eore :~e c:hanged i~t ~hort inte-rv~l~;

I~ one e~o~t i-t i~; ~tende~ to posi~ion th~ ~-~nt~nl on ~ the :~ron~ area oE the h~ndle~ i . e~ c:lo~e to the s~on In this caSe~ the b~tton c~ be ~ctivated usi~g ju~t the thu3~, i.e. with very littl~ load and ~hile reta1ning the po~ition ot ~he remaiT~iDg ha~d.
I~ a sui-ta}~le e~bodiuu~nt, in oraer to a~oid e~eous colmts;
a}ld e~pe~i~lly doi~ble l;:v~nt:s, a time switch is also planned w~ ~sures thal: ~ coqnl; 1~; s~L~?Qr~cs~d i~ s~ccessi~e count ~pu3.~ie~; nre rece~ed at su~ ;hort ~te~val t~at ~eIlewed :Cill~g o~ ~he ~poon a~d ~ ring o~ po~tion m~;t l~Rve bee i~oscible ~hi~; is to ~e that a ~ount in~ul~3e is ~t ge~l~rated ~ith ~ltiple ~Ise of ~ ~alllLost) e~t~ s~oon. ~ually, do~ble cOu~ are to be suopresse~}, if the ~irst blade n~emerLt does ~ot release t~e ice cream ~r~ the ~;poorL a~d the blade mast ga~ }~e activated shortly a~terwards.

Lternati~e ~a~ure whi~h ~erYes ~he ~3ame pu~pose con~iats :, :: ' 21 ~94~

~here~ to attach a twin ~witch ~ addition to t~ con~rol h~tton, orhich ca~ be E~witched ~t}~i~ a certain t~ i~terval a$te~ the corltrol but~on bas bee~l ~ctivated ~d w~ h ser~es l~o relea~:e th~ ice cre~ ~roll2 the sp~ ~tl~ou~ geue~tiIl~ a cc~
~eulse. There~ore, if the i~e cre~ b~ not released fro~n the spoon after ~ ir~t ~peration, t~e second slaitch mu~3t be activated, ~ch ~c~u~tes t~e l~lad~ ~ ~ wi~u-t: ~ cv~mt ~euls~.

Twu po:isi~ilitis~ are ~re:Eerr~d Iur re~in~ t:hR tata~.ed ~olm~s: .
I~ t~e first, ~y means of one of the conv~tic3nal display:3, withirL the ha~dle, the qu~nti~y o~ ser~ed portion~ ~s reeLdable ~m~diat~ly. a~d al~io aireetly by the ste~f ~en~er An ;31te3~rL:~tive foresees the te~or~y att~c~uent alld screw fat3tening o:Ei a~ erroSlation ~ Lt to ~e h~dl~ ~ the count impulces ar~
t rans~erred and/or dîsplayed. In this case, the ~L8er ~ be preYe~tf~d iro~ di~ectly xe ~ the collnt ~n~lses. Atte ~ ts at outwitt~g the ouun-t~r are ruled ~ut due to a lack o~
po~ ilitie~ ~or che~king ~d c~ tr~l by the serviee person~

~ especial}y preferred de~elop~en~ it i9 plan:l:lea to use a scoo~ ort ~n ~hich t~e scuop c~n ~e deposited durlng hreaks ~nd wherer triggered, e ~, ~y the weight o~ the scoop when ~ald dow~r ~ w~sher is swit~hed on Whi ~h sp~y5 water against the ~:

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~poon ~n order t~ cle~n it. T~l.$ res~lts in a cleanin~ pro~ess ~h~h in a c~ain way is col~par~le to glass w~shers kno~n lU
the cat~ri~g tr~de, wher~ wh~n th~ gla~ is pu~hed onto the m~chi~e - t ~hrough w~ig~ - w~hing w~tor is spr~yed again~t the insîde bat~o~ o~ the gla~ The deoi~ive advanta~e in the ca~e of scoop~ is that i~ con-t~s-~ to p~eviou~ly mechanicalLy operated ~coops, no operati~n ~f the ~lade i~ reqyired far clea~ing puIpo~es. ~is reçnlt~ in a l~n~er servioe li~e befor~ ~
the ~a~tery or accu~ulat~r m~8t be r~pl~ed or ge~erall~ ~avLngs in e~er~.

I~ orde~ to ~Lt~h on and of~ ~he cle~n~ng and ~as~i~g pruceYs, a rest ~utto~, whi~h is mn~able ~n a vertic~l direction, is ~o ~e pr~vided, up~n which the spoo~ is deposited necesS~ri~y wi-th the open shell facing aO~n. ~hQ movement of the rest ~utto~
caused }:~y gravity ope~s a valve an~l the washing ~ter is ~leaL~;e in ~he directiu~ o~ no~zles, ~blch are loGated close ~o the rest hutton and aIe directed tou~rds th~ 5pOOr`_ Th~ adva~-t~s~e ther~ i~ 'chat anly when the spoon is la~d upc~ ~he rest i~ :
the w~ter eiected aQd i~ otherwi~0 pl~ented hy ~lo~ure of the ~ :
valve. W~ter waste i5 ~l~o ~afel~ ru}ed out due ~o th~ spr~y cre~ed ~y the n~z~le~;, whic~ l~etauire8 little ~orce, yet :
ge~x~te~ aD ef~icierlt wa~;hing effect ~ e to the nozz~. In n~aition, the interi~r o~ the spoon, which ~as m~ to be ~ ? ' ~ ~ ;

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ol~e~lr iS ~ri~ar~ly ~mpi~S~ed. rrom the hygienic a~pect, spray~ng wi~ f~e~;h tap water brirlg~ fhe a~cisive advaIlta~e that thf~ foL~t:ic~ o~ acterial allturQ~ l$ ~o~d~i ~6 far p~ssible l~t ~:h~ 6st~t of the Qe3~t portiC~ng process, a~or the was~
yroce~s has :~inished, re3aain21 c~f ~ ~hing water as~iL o~te~l lei~t ~n the a~ea o:E the spoon whlch ~e re~ved by ~viping ~ a sponge-~ihaQea b~se. Fro~ tl~e hy~ienlc ~oi~t of view, thi~3 proceaure i6 to be reiecl:ed, as i~ ~he ~amp spong~-like ba~;e cnn~iderahle b~ot~ri~7 ~ltl~res oan ~orm ~ be trans$erred dusi~g ~he ~ping p~cess th~s pro~osed to ~ispos~ a knock ~i~ ~aae f~o~ an elaYtic ~ateria~ o~ the edge of ~he scoo~ washer. The~, b~fore grasping :~ :
the ~aterial to be s~rve~, b~ lightly taeping the spoon again~t the klo~k rim, the ~se~ is able ~0 knock awa~ any cl~gi~g ! ~ashisg wa~er drOp5 i~o the ~terior of t4e scoop washer.

Further detail6, ~eatures ana ad~antages of the in~e~f~o~ ca~ be tak~ f~m ~e followlILg descrip~ive part i-~ which ~ me~ns o t~e dras~ing an ~dim~t of the in~re~tion i~ pla~ned detail .

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The drawing shaws ~ a sche~atic ii~1e view a food-serving St:oop a~c:ordi~ to ~he iIl~e~tio~.

A ~ non ~2) ;~; Rtt~ 71~.fl l:o one ~.nn ~ tT~e laore or less cyli~fl~ic:al han~le (l)_ In a i~amiliar manner, ~ s~oon (;!l a blade (3~ is located ~ch can Q~o~te cla~;e to the i~l~ide f:t~rface of thQ xpoon ~2), the~eby rele~;ing thQ l?orti~. J3lade (3) pi.-vots 0 ~d re.-~ns ~rlt~ni~:tically l~o -~he starting positi~ q~he ex~tence and 1:he con~ined effect o~ ;poQn ~2) ~nd blade l3) ~or ~he. purpo~.es ~;eec-J.:Eletl ifi genera].J.y k~lowll in khe sl;a-te-of~ tbe- :
-d r Th~s inverLt ~o~ di~f6rsr ~r~WeVe~r in that in~;te~ oi~ tbLe pre~io~s hand operation ~n cyl~dric~al han~le ( 1 ) a~ aq?~rating ~;ystem i~
i~tegra~e~ e pecl~lly i~n elect~i~al ~llotor, preferably ~ith batter~. The operatin~ 6ystem, ~hich ls l~c~ted in handle (1) and thus ~ot ~h~n here, is acti~ated wi~h a o~nt~l button (4~ which is disp~ed at the f~ont an~ thex~by the mG~ement o~ blade (3 ~c~
Th~ aeci~iv~ e~tage coU~i6t~ ~l~rein tha-t ~se does ~ot lead to ~rains of tendons and ~u6cles of fi~ger~, hand and Eorearm .
which cause overstre~n~, and which could re6ult ~~ lann~ation ur ~v~ iL~ ~LJI~

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Claims (15)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. Food-serving scoop, especially for ice cream, having a cylindrical handle and, fixed to the handle, a spoon in the interior of which a blade is fixed so that it can pivot about the axis of the handle close to the inside surface of the spoon, whereby the spoon is attached to the end of the handle via a rod, and the blade is connected to the shaft of an electrical motor operating system which is disposed in the handle and is activated by a control button attached to the handle, wherein the number of operations of said loaded blade are totaled to determine the number of served portions, whereby loading is detected through the magnitude and/or the temporal behaviour of the current received by the motor and/or the voltage of the energy source and/or by means of an optical sensor, especially an infrared measuring sensor, which is disposed in the spoon and which records the change between light and dark.

2. Food-serving scoop according to claim 1, wherein a direct current motor is used as the operating system.

3. Food-serving scoop according to claim 2, wherein a battery and/or an accumulator is disposed in said handle.

4. Food-serving scoop according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said motor swivels back and forth.

5. Food-serving scoop according to claim 4, wherein a photoelectric barrier is disposed at the starting and end point of the movement of said blade, which, when the maximum angle of rotation is reached, brakes and changes the poles of the drive shaft and, when the starting position is reached, brakes and switches off the drive shaft and/or is transferred to a standby state.

6. Food-serving scoop according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein spoons, of optional diameter, are attached in such a way that they are replaceable.

7. Food-serving scoop according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said blade is replaceable and fastened in such a way that is releasable.

8. Food-serving scoop according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said control button is disposed at the front of said handle.

9. Food-serving scoop according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein counting impulses in a time interval which falls below a specified time limit are suppressed.

10. Food-serving scoop according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein next to said control button a twin switch is disposed which, after said control button is activated, can be switched for a short time period and also triggers the swivel movement of said blade, without, however, generating a count impulse.

11. Food-serving scoop according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a display for the count impulses is located in said handle.

12. Food-serving scoop according to one of claims 9 to 11, wherein a connector for a detachable or screw fastened interrogation unit is disposed in said handle.

13. Food-serving scoop according to one of claims 1 to 12, wherein a scoop washer sprays said spoon when it is laid thereupon.

14. Food-serving scoop according to claim 13, wherein a rest button which can be moved in a vertical direction, is disposed which opens a valve when said spoon is laid thereupon, and impinges nozzles which are located in close proximity to said rest button and are directed towards said spoon.

15. Food-serving scoop according to claim 13 or 14, wherein at the edge of said scoop washer a knock rim is disposed which consists of an elastic material.