초록 ▼

A miniature, stand-alone, countertop freezer primarily for domestic use, and a soft-serve dispensing method, that allows extended storage of a food product at an optimum soft-serve sub-freezing temperature prior to dispensing. Its housing has a compact configuration for freezer-like insulated food p

A miniature, stand-alone, countertop freezer primarily for domestic use, and a soft-serve dispensing method, that allows extended storage of a food product at an optimum soft-serve sub-freezing temperature prior to dispensing. Its housing has a compact configuration for freezer-like insulated food product storage. However, when soft-serve dispensing is desired, the housing is vertically extended to expose a decorator pattern cap. A press plate in the upper portion of the housing is activated, either manually or otherwise, to push downwardly on the food product container, and thus force the food product through the pattern cap below the food product container and into a receiving vessel. The pattern cap may be a part of the dispenser or a part of the food product container. Although not limited thereto, use is contemplated with ice cream, sherbet, yogurt, sorbet, and other frozen dessert products. Alternative power supply sources are contemplated.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A freezer for maintaining a frozen food product at an optimum soft-serve temperature and dispensing such product into a receiving vessel, said freezer comprising:an insulated housing having an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper and lower portions interacting with one another to create

1. A freezer for maintaining a frozen food product at an optimum soft-serve temperature and dispensing such product into a receiving vessel, said freezer comprising:an insulated housing having an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper and lower portions interacting with one another to create a compact collapsed storage configuration and a vertically extended dispensing configuration;thermally conductive means positioned centrally from said insulated housing;temperature adjusting means adapted for raising and lowering the temperature of said thermally conductive means;power supply means adapted for operation of said temperature adjusting means;a dispensing chamber configured for containing a food product, said dispensing chamber also positioned so that it is in contact with and substantially surrounded by said thermally conductive means;temperature sensing means adapted for monitoring the current temperature of the food product within said dispensing chamber;pattern cap dispensing means positioned through the bottom end of said dispensing chamber; andpressure means adapted for moving varying amounts of food product through said pattern cap dispensing means and beyond said dispensing chamber. 2. The freezer of claim 1 wherein said housing is selected from a group consisting of manually extended housings and housings with automated extension and said pressure means is selected from a group consisting of manual pressure means and automated pressure means. 3. The freezer of claim 1 wherein said temperature adjusting means comprises heating and cooling means selected from a group consisting of thermoelectric means, microprocessor controlled thermoelectric means, and freezing means comprising a compressor. 4. The freezer of claim 1 wherein said pressure means comprises a press plate and geared motor. 5. The freezer of claim 4 wherein said press plate does not return to its original position after dispensing operation, but returns just enough to prevent pressure from being further applied to the food product. 6. The freezer of claim 1 wherein said power supply means is selected from a group consisting of batteries, alternating current power sources, direct current power sources, and photovoltaic means. 7. The freezer of claim 1 further comprising sleeve means adapted for use in said dispensing chamber and for holding a food product container, said sleeve means also substantially filling said dispensing chamber. 8. The freezer of claim 7 wherein said pattern cap dispensing means is selected from a group consisting of pattern caps attached to a liner, pattern caps attached to a sleeve, pattern caps attached to said dispensing chamber, and pattern caps attached to a food product container. 9. The freezer of claim 1 wherein the maximum capacity of said dispensing chamber is approximately two liters and the minimum capacity of said dispensing chamber is approximately one-half pint. 10. The freezer of claim 1 wherein said pressure means is further adapted so as not to allow ice crystals to develop in the food product while it waits in the dispensing chamber prior to dispensing. 11. The freezer of claim 1 wherein said pressure means further comprises at least one press device selected from a group consisting of press devices that push, squeeze, and roll a food product from a container. 12. A stand-alone miniature countertop freezer for domestic use that maintains a frozen food product at an optimum soft-serve temperature and dispenses such product from a container into a receiving vessel, said freezer comprising:a compact insulated housing having an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper and lower portions interacting with one another to create a compact collapsed storage configuration and a vertically extended dispensing configuration that reveals a dispensing opening sufficient for insertion of a receiving vessel for the dispensed product;thermally conductive means positioned centrally from said insulated housing;temperature adjusting means adapted for raising and lowering the temperature of said thermally conductive means;power supply means adapted for operation of said temperature adjusting means;a dispensing chamber configured for containing a food product, said dispensing chamber also positioned so that it is in contact with and substantially surrounded by said thermally conductive means;temperature sensing means adapted for monitoring the current temperature of the food product within said dispensing chamber;pattern cap dispensing means positioned through the bottom end of said dispensing chamber; andpressure means adapted for moving varying amounts of food product through said pattern cap dispensing means and beyond said dispensing chamber. 13. The freezer of claim 12 wherein said dispensing chamber is adapted to receive food product containers selected from a group consisting of push-packs, cylindrical containers, rectangular containers, and pre-packaged frozen food containers. 14. The freezer of claim 12 wherein said housing is selected from a group consisting of manually extended housings and housings with automated extension; said pressure means is selected from a group consisting of manual pressure means and automated pressure means and further comprises at least one press device selected from a group consisting of press devices that push, squeeze, and roll a food product from a container; said temperature adjusting means comprises heating and cooling means selected from a group consisting of thermoelectric means, microprocessor controlled thermoelectric means, and freezing means comprising a compressor; and said power supply means is selected from a group consisting of batteries, alternating current power sources, direct current power sources, and photovoltaic means. 15. The freezer of claim 12 wherein after dispensing use said pressure means returns sufficiently to prevent pressure from being further applied to the food product. 16. The freezer of claim 12 further comprising sleeve means adapted for use in said dispensing chamber and for holding a food product container, said sleeve means also substantially filling said dispensing chamber. 17. The freezer of claim 16 wherein said pattern cap dispensing means is selected from a group consisting of pattern caps attached to a liner, pattern caps attached to a sleeve, pattern caps attached to said dispensing chamber, and pattern caps attached to a food product container. 18. A method for freezing and dispensing a food product at an optimum soft-serve temperature, said method comprising the steps of:providing a freezer having an insulated housing with an upper portion and a lower portion movable relative to one another from a vertically extended configuration to a compact collapsed storage configuration, a thermally conductive medium, a temperature adjusting member, power supply means, a dispensing chamber, temperature sensing means, a pattern cap, a vertical press, and a frozen food product in a container;placing said upper and lower portions of said housing into said collapsed storage configuration;activating said power supply means;placing said container in said dispensing chamber;allowing said temperature adjusting member thorough said thermally conductive medium to warm said frozen food product in said container until said temperature sensing means detects the optimum temperature for soft-serve dispensing;vertically extending said upper portion of said housing above said lower portion until a dispensing opening is revealed and said pattern cap is exposed for dispensing use;activating said vertical press until the amount of food product desired has been dispensed through said pattern cap; andoptionally if some food product remains undispensed, lowering said upper portion of said housing until said housing is returned to said collapsed storage configuration so that said thermally conductive medium, said temperature adjusting member, said temperature sensing means, and said insulated ho using work together to maintain said undispensed food product at the optimum soft-serve temperature until dispensing occurs. 19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of providing sleeve means, and the steps of inserting said sleeve means into said dispensing chamber and placing said container within said sleeve means. 20. The method of claim 19 wherein said container of food product is a pre-packaged container with removable lid, and further comprising the steps of removing said lid, inverting said pre-packaged container, and placing said inverted prepackaged container within said sleeve means.