FR2744596A1 - Ice cream scoop - Google Patents

Abstract

The scoop (1) consists of a hollow body with a cavity (2)having a curved wall (3) and a handle (4). The interior of the scoop is filled with a solution of a salt such as disodium hydrogen phosphate in an undercooled state, and a metal cap (8) on the end of the handle is depressed to cause the salt to solidify and create and exothermic reaction which heats the scoop while it is being used. Prior to its first use the scoop is placed in hot water or a dishwasher with a temperature of at least 65 deg C, after which pressure on the deformable metal cap creates a friction in the solution and initiates the exothermic reaction.

Description

ICE SPOON
The present invention relates to an improved ice cream scoop.

 Known ice cream scoops comprise a cavity with a curved wall, generally substantially hemispherical, carried by a handle.

 The generally circular edge of this cavity is sharp, to facilitate the penetration of the spoon into the ice.

 To allow the sharp edge of the cavity to more easily slice the ice, the spoon is usually immersed in hot water. Therefore, the cutting edge of the cavity superficially melts the ice in contact with it, which facilitates the penetration of this cutting edge in the ice.

 In addition, since the spoon is hot, the portion of ice removed, is more easily removed from the cavity.

 However, the fact of having to heat water and having to immerse the ice cream scoop for a few minutes in this water, before its use, constitute constraints for the users.

 The object of the present invention is to remedy these constraints.

 The invention thus relates to an ice cream scoop comprising a cavity with a curved wall carried by a handle, the cavity having a sharp edge.

 According to the invention, this ice cream scoop is characterized in that it comprises a hollow volume contiguous with the curved wall of said cavity, this hollow volume being filled with a solution of a salt maintained in the supercooled state, the wall delimiting the hollow volume comprising a device accessible from the outside, to trigger the solidification of the salt and an exothermic reaction.

 The exothermic reaction initiated by the trigger device heats the wall of the cavity which is in contact with the salt solution. Therefore, the cutting edge of the cavity is brought to a temperature sufficient to obtain, on contact, a superficial melting of the ice facilitating the slicing of the latter.

 According to an advantageous version of the invention the handle is hollow and is completely filled with the salt solution, its end adjacent to the cavity opening into a compartment whose wall is at least partly formed by the curved wall of said cavity.

 Thus, the entire interior volume of the spoon is filled with supercooled salt solution, which allows a rapid rise in temperature after tripping.

 According to a preferred version of the invention, the triggering device is located at the end of the handle opposite the cavity.

 This position of the trigger device makes it easily accessible to the user.

 Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the description below.

In the accompanying drawings given by way of nonlimiting examples
FIG. 1 is a view in longitudinal section of an ice cream scoop according to the invention,
FIG. 2A is a plan view of the triggering device,
FIG. 2B is a sectional view of the above triggering device,
- Figures 3A and 3B and Figures 4A and 4B are views similar to Figures 2A and 2B concerning alternative embodiments of the trigger device.

 In the embodiment shown, the ice cream scoop has a cavity 2 with a curved wall 3 carried by a handle 4. This cavity 2 has a cutting edge 5.

 According to the invention, the spoon comprises a hollow volume 6 contiguous with the curved wall 3 of the cavity 2. This hollow volume 6 is filled with a solution of a salt maintained in the supercooled state. The wall which delimits the hollow volume 6 comprises a device 8 accessible from the outside, to trigger the solidification of the salt and an exothermic reaction.

 In the example shown, the handle 4 is hollow and is completely filled with the salt solution.

 The end of the handle 4 adjacent to the cavity 2 opens into a compartment 7, the wall of which is at least partly formed by the curved wall 3 of the cavity 2.

 In the example shown, the trigger device 8 is located at the end of the handle 4 opposite the cavity 2. This trigger device 8 is constituted by a deformable metal pad, under manual pressure. Preferably, it is of the sudden reversal type, as indicated in FIGS. 2A and 2B.

 As shown in Figure 1, the handle 4 may be substantially cylindrical. One of its ends is connected to the compartment 7 which is flared towards the cavity 2 with a curved wall 3. The external wall 9 of the compartment 7 is connected with the external edge of the cavity 2 by a cutting edge 5.

Preferably, the salt maintained in the supercooled state is disodium phosphate (Na2 Ho4.12 H2O) diluted to 20k by weight in water. To use the spoon just described, we proceed as follows
The ice spoon is immersed in hot water to bring the salt solution contained in the spoon to the supercooled state.

 In the case where the salt is disodium phosphate, it suffices to heat beyond the melting point of this salt. For this purpose, simply place the ice cream scoop in a dishwasher in which a temperature equal to 65 "C prevails. Thus, the spoon is simultaneously cleaned and made operational after each use.

 When you want to use the ice cream scoop, just press the tablet 8 to initiate the crystallization of the salt. This crystallization reaction is exothermic and heats the entire spoon, in particular the cavity 2 and the cutting edge 5 thereof.

 This heating facilitates the penetration of the cutting edge of the cavity 2 into the frozen mass. It also facilitates demolding of the portion of ice from the cavity 2 due to the partial melting of the ice in contact with the hot wall of the cavity.

 In the variant shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the triggering device 8a has a diametrical slot 10.

 When this device 8a is pressed, the slot 10 creates friction which promotes the initiation of the exothermic reaction.

 In the example of FIGS. 4A, 4B, the triggering device 8b comprises several small radial slots 11 which also allow, by friction effect, to promote the triggering of the exothermic reaction.

Claims (6)

 1. Ice cream scoop comprising a cavity (2) with a curved wall (3) carried by a handle (4), the cavity (2) having a cutting edge (5), characterized in that it comprises a hollow volume (6 ) contiguous with the curved wall (3) of said cavity (2), this hollow volume being filled with a solution of a salt maintained in the supercooled state, the wall delimiting the hollow volume (6) comprising a device (8) accessible from the outside to trigger solidification of the salt and an exothermic reaction.  2.Ice spoon according to claim 1, characterized in that the handle (4) is hollow and is completely filled, by the salt solution, its end adjacent to the cavity (2) opening into a compartment (7) of which the wall is at least partially formed by the curved wall (3) of said cavity (2).  3. Ice cream scoop according to claim 2, characterized in that the triggering device (8) is located at the end of the handle (4) opposite the cavity (2)  4. Ice cream scoop according to claim 3, characterized in that the triggering device (8) consists of a deformable metal pellet.  5. Ice cream scoop according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that its handle (4) is substantially cylindrical, one of its ends being connected to a compartment (7) flared towards the cavity (2) curved wall (13), the outer wall (9) of said compartment (7) connecting with the outer edge of the cavity by a cutting edge (5)  6. Ice scoop according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the salt maintained in the supercooled state is disodium phosphate.