초록 ▼

A hard ice cream dispenser configured to dispense hard ice cream. The hard ice cream dispenser comprises a housing support structure; a drive assembly coupled to and supported by the housing, and having a plunger drive means configured to displace a plunger; a sleeve supportable within the housing a

A hard ice cream dispenser configured to dispense hard ice cream. The hard ice cream dispenser comprises a housing support structure; a drive assembly coupled to and supported by the housing, and having a plunger drive means configured to displace a plunger; a sleeve supportable within the housing and configured to receive an inverted container of hard ice cream therein, wherein the sleeve provides lateral and longitudinal support to the ice cream container as the plunger travels through the container; and a nozzle removably coupled to an end of the support sleeve so as to be in fluid communication with the container of ice cream, wherein the nozzle comprises a spout for controlling the volume and cross-sectional size of dispensed ice cream. The plunger is configured to be supported within the housing and removably coupled to the plunger drive means, wherein the plunger functions to displace the ice cream from the container, into and through the nozzle, and out the spout.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent: 1. A hard ice cream dispenser comprising: a housing support structure; a drive assembly supported by said housing, said drive assembly comprising a plunger drive means for displacing a plunger; a container retaining assembly supportable

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent: 1. A hard ice cream dispenser comprising: a housing support structure; a drive assembly supported by said housing, said drive assembly comprising a plunger drive means for displacing a plunger; a container retaining assembly supportable within said housing and comprising a sleeve configured to receive and support a container of hard ice cream therein, said sleeve providing lateral and longitudinal support to said container as said plunger travels through said container to dispense said hard ice cream contained therein; and a nozzle removably coupled to an end of said support sleeve so as to be in fluid communication with said container of said hard ice cream, said nozzle comprising a spout for controlling the cross-sectional area of said dispense said hard ice cream; and said plunger supported within said housing and removably coupled to said plunger drive means, said plunger drive means being configured to displace said plunger, said plunger comprising a dynamic seal that flexes from a relaxed, non-energized state to an extended, energized state at a pre-determined compression pressure, wherein in an energized state said dynamic seal contacts and seals against a wall of said container, said plunger displacing said hard ice cream from said container, into and through said nozzle, and out said spout. 2. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a pressure regulation system operable with said drive assembly for regulating the forward displacement and exerted compression pressure of said plunger and for providing semi-automatic dispensing of said hard ice cream. 3. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 1, further comprising an ice cream scoop pivotally and removably attached to said nozzle, said spout configured to align and interact with a scoop portion of said ice cream scoop such that said hard ice cream dispensed from said spout is captured by said scoop, wherein actuation of said ice cream scoop functions to dispense a spherical scoop of said hard ice cream. 4. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 1, wherein said drive assembly comprises: said plunger drive means in the form of first and second ball screws removably coupled to said plunger for driving said plunger; a motor; and a transfer assembly operably connected to said motor for transferring power from said motor to said first and second ball screws. 5. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 1, wherein said container of said hard ice cream is supported in an inverted orientation within said sleeve such that said plunger forces said hard ice cream out of the bottom portion of said container. 6. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 1, wherein said plunger comprises: a plunger support tube configured to removably couple to a plunger guide system, thus supporting said plunger within said housing; a dynamic lead supported on said plunger support tube and having a nose and a conical shoulder extending therefrom to a rim that has a diameter less than an inside diameter of said container, said dynamic lead being movable about said plunger support tube in response to a pre-determined compression pressure; and a base also supported on said plunger support tube, said base removably coupled to said plunger drive means and comprising a diameter less than said inside diameter of said container, said dynamic seal contained between said dynamic lead and said base such that said dynamic lead displaces towards said base under said pre-determined compression pressure, thus compressing and energizing said dynamic seal. 7. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 6, wherein said plunger guide system comprises: a casing coupled to the housing, said casing comprising an elongated tube coupled to said housing and having a pre-determined inside diameter; a stabilizer core supported coaxially within said casing, said stabilizer core having a pre-determined outside diameter that is less than said inside diameter of said casing so as to define an annular gap between said casing and said stabilizer core configured to receive said plunger support tube therein, said plunger support tube displacing within said casing about said stabilizer core during displacement of said plunger. 8. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 6, wherein said plunger comprises a scoop set formed within said nose, said scoop set having a pre-determined radius configured to mate with a semi-spherical scoop of an ice cream scoop during actuation of said scoop. 9. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a contents indicator for indicating the current amount of product existing within said container at a given time, said contents indicator comprising: a switch board supported in a fixed position relative to said plunger drive means; a plurality of switches strategically positioned about said switch board at pre-determined locations, each of said switches electrically coupled to a corresponding gauge, respectively, viewable by a user; and a trigger plate coupled to said plunger drive means, said trigger plate configured to consecutively trip said switches on contact as said plunger drive means advances, thus indicating to said user a specific position of said plunger within said container, which position corresponds to a remaining amount of said product. 10. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 1, wherein said retaining assembly is supported horizontally within said housing. 11. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a dorsal wall plate coupled to said housing for providing increased structural support to said housing and to the components supported by said housing. 12. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 9, wherein said contents indicator comprises a digital electronic device that monitors and indicates the remaining scoops available in said container. 13. A hard ice cream dispenser comprising: a housing support structure; a drive assembly supported by said housing, said drive assembly comprising a plunger drive means for displacing a plunger; a retaining assembly comprising: a compartment for receiving a hard ice cream container having an upper end portion with an upper rim, a lower end portion with a lower rim, and a wall extending therebetween; a sleeve surrounding said compartment and being supportable within said housing and configured to receive said container therein in an inverted manner, said sleeve comprising a thin-wall cylinder having a first end, a second end, and a support wall, said first end having a container rim support positioned about an interior surface of said wall that supports said upper rim of said container within said sleeve, said sleeve providing lateral and longitudinal support to said container as said plunger travels therethrough to dispense the hard ice cream contained within said container; a nozzle removably coupled to a second end of said support sleeve so as to be in fluid communication with said container, said nozzle comprising a spout for controlling the cross-sectional area of said dispense said hard ice cream; and said plunger supported within said housing and removably coupled to said plunger drive means to force said hard ice cream from said container, into said nozzle, and out of said spout. 14. The hard ice cream dispense of claim 13, further comprising a pressure regulation system operable with said drive assembly for regulating the forward displacement of said plunger and for providing automatic dispensing of said hard ice cream. 15. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 13, wherein said sleeve is comprised of an insulating material to assist in the maintenance of a pre-determined product temperature. 16. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 13, wherein said container rim support comprises an annular lip. 17. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 13, wherein said container rim support comprises a series of nubs strategically positioned about said interior surface. 18. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 13, wherein said container rim support is positioned a pre-determined distance from a first rim of said first end of said sleeve, such that a lower end of said container protrudes a distance above a second rim of said second end portion of said sleeve. 19. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 13, wherein said nozzle comprises a collar having a channel formed therein for receiving and supporting said lower rim of said lower end portion of said container as said nozzle is coupled to said sleeve, said channel of said nozzle and said container support of said sleeve functioning to provide longitudinal support to said container, thus allowing said plunger to move through said container without displacing it. 20. A hard ice cream dispenser comprising: a housing support structure; a drive assembly supported by said housing, said drive assembly comprising a plunger drive means for displacing a plunger; a retaining assembly supportable within said housing and comprising a sleeve configured to receive and support and a container of hard ice cream therein, said sleeve providing lateral and longitudinal support to said container as said plunger travels through said container to dispense the hard ice cream contained therein; a nozzle removably coupled to an end of said support sleeve so as to be in fluid communication with said container of hard ice cream, said nozzle removably coupled to said housing and comprising: a collar having a channel that engages and supports a rim of said hard ice cream container; a spout for controlling the cross-sectional area of said dispense said hard ice cream; a conical shoulder extending from said collar to said spout, said conical shoulder having an outer and inside surface, said inside surface comprising a plurality of integrally formed and varying surface areas designed to facilitate a pre-determined flow pattern of said hard ice cream through said spout; a spout for controlling the volume and cross-sectional size of said dispense said hard ice cream; and said plunger supported within said housing and removably coupled to said plunger drive means to force said ice cream from said container, into said nozzle, and out of said spout. 21. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 20, wherein said sleeve, said container, and said nozzle are supported horizontally within said housing. 22. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 21, wherein said spout of said horizontally supported nozzle is oriented downward a pre-determined angle from the vertical, and wherein said conical shoulder comprises a relatively flatted upper portion leading into said spout and a lower steeped portion also leading into said spout, such that flow of said ice cream along the upper portion of said nozzle is faster than along said lower portion. 23. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 20, wherein said nozzle further comprises an ice cream scoop support and a pivot mount opposite said ice cream scoop support, each of which are integrally formed within a rim portion of said spout for pivotally supporting an actuating ice cream scoop therein, said ice cream scoop closes off said spout to receive said ice cream as it is being forced out of said spout, wherein once full, said ice cream scoop is actuated, thus pivoting with respect to said spout to dispense a scoop of ice cream. 24. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 23, wherein said nozzle further comprises a cam contact extending from an outer surface of said conical shoulder and positioned to receive a cam of said ice cream scoop upon actuation, said cam contact actuating said cam upon actuation of said ice cream scoop, wherein actuation of said cam subsequently actuates a blade within said ice cream scoop that facilitates removal of said scoop of ice cream from said ice cream scoop. 25. A hard ice cream dispenser comprising: a housing support structure; a drive assembly supported by said housing, said drive assembly comprising a plunger drive means for displacing a plunger; a retaining assembly supportable within said housing and comprising a sleeve configured to receive and support a container of hard ice cream therein, said sleeve providing lateral and longitudinal support to said container as said plunger travels through said container; a nozzle removably coupled to an end of said support sleeve so as to be in fluid communication with said container of ice cream, said nozzle comprising a spout for controlling the cross-sectional area of dispensed ice cream; said plunger supported within said housing and removably coupled to said plunger drive means, said plunger functioning to displace said ice cream from said container, into and through said nozzle, and out said spout; and a pressure regulation system for controlling the movement of said plunger in response to the compression pressure exerted by and on said plunger, said pressure regulation system comprising: a movable compression plate operably coupled to said plunger drive means and supporting said drive assembly, said movable compression plate biased by at least one biasing element fixedly supported to said housing and that biases said movable compression plate, said plunger drive means, and subsequently said plunger in the forward direction, said biasing element pre-loaded to comprise an initial pre-determined threshold compression pressure existing when said movable compression plate is in a resting position, said movable compression plate is caused to displace backwards, thus compressing said biasing element, in response to an induced compression pressure on said plunger that measures above said initial threshold pre-load compression pressure, wherein said plunger ceases moving forward, said biasing element causes said movable compression plate to move forward as a result of a drop in said compression pressure from a current compression pressure, thus said movable compression plate moves back and forth within a range of compression pressures. 26. The hard ice cream of claim 25, wherein said pressure regulation system further comprises an automatic shut-off switch adjustably positioned rearward of said movable compression plate as dictated by the characteristics of the product loaded into said dispenser, said shut-off switch shutting off the motor of said drive means and halting movement of said plunger upon contact by said movable compression plate at a pre-determined shut-off compression pressure. 27. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 26, wherein said pressure regulation system further comprises a pressure scale for determining the proper position of said automatic shut-off switch. 28. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 25, wherein said threshold pre-load compression pressure is approximate the breakaway pressure of hard ice cream. 29. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 25, wherein said pre-determined shut-off compression pressure is dictated by the type of product loaded into said dispenser. 30. A hard ice cream dispenser comprising: a housing support structure; a drive assembly supported by said housing, said drive assembly comprising a plunger drive means for displacing a plunger; a retaining assembly supportable within said housing and comprising a sleeve configured to receive and support a container of hard ice cream therein, said sleeve providing lateral and longitudinal support to said container as said plunger travels through said container; a nozzle removably coupled to an end of said support sleeve so as to be in fluid communication with said container of ice cream, said nozzle comprising a spout for controlling the cross-sectional area of dispensed ice cream; said plunger supported within said housing and removably coupled to said plunger drive means, said plunger functioning to displace said ice cream from said container, into and through said nozzle, and out said spout; and an ice cream scoop removably and pivotally coupled to said nozzle so as to interact with said spout to form and dispense a scoop of said ice cream upon pivoting said ice cream scoop upward, said ice cream scoop comprising: a shaft having a handle portion formed thereon; a semi-spherical scoop portion coupled to said shaft and oriented to close said spout and receive said ice cream therein when said ice cream scoop is coupled to said nozzle and is in a resting position, said ice cream scoop pivoting about said spout to cut through said ice cream to form a spherical scoop of said ice cream and to further dispense said scoop of said ice cream. 31. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 30, wherein said ice cream scoop further comprises a support rod extending laterally from an end of said shaft opposite said handle portion, said support rod removably supported within a scoop support formed about said spout of said nozzle. 32. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 30, wherein said ice cream scoop further comprises a pivot pin extending from a perimeter portion of said scoop opposite and coaxial with said rod, said pivot pin insertable within a pivot mount formed on said spout, thus allowing said scoop to pivot about said spout to dispense said scoop of said ice cream. 33. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 30, wherein said ice cream scoop further comprises a removal system for facilitating the removal of said ice cream upon actuation of said ice cream scoop, said removal system comprising: a blade rotatably supported within said scoop and to an axle extending laterally through said shaft; a cam assembly for actuating said blade, said cam assembly comprising a biased cam rotatably coupled to said shaft and a gear rotatably coupled to said axle, said cam comprising a plurality of teeth formed thereon for engaging a plurality of complementary teeth formed on said gear, wherein pivoting of said ice cream scoop upward causes said cam to contact a cam stop formed on said nozzle, wherein further pivoting of said ice cream scoop causes said cam to rotate about its axis, which causes said gear to rotate, thus actuating said blade. 34. The hard ice cream dispenser of claim 30, wherein said ice cream scoop further comprises at least one air vent formed within said scoop portion to exhaust the air within said container and said nozzle as said plunger advances to dispense said ice cream. 35. A method for dispensing hard ice cream comprising: obtaining a container of hard ice cream; removing a lid and a bottom portion from said container to achieve an open-end cylinder of said ice cream; loading said container into a support sleeve in an inverted manner so that an upper portion of said container engages and rests upon a container support formed within a pressure end portion of said sleeve and a lower end extends a pre-determined distance above a rim of said sleeve; coupling a nozzle to said sleeve, said nozzle receiving said lower end portion of said container within a channel formed therein, said nozzle and said sleeve functioning to provide both lateral and longitudinal support to said container; supporting said coupled sleeve and said nozzle within a hard ice cream dispenser housing; activating a drive assembly to displace a plunger having a dynamic seal contained therein; displacing said plunger into said hard ice cream, thus energizing said dynamic seal of said plunger to contact and seal against a wall of said container; and dispensing a pre-determined amount of said hard ice cream from said spout of said nozzle by advancing said plunger a pre-determined distance. 36. The method of claim 35, further comprising coupling an ice cream scoop to said nozzle, wherein said ice cream scoop comprises a semispherical scoop oriented to close off said spout and receive said hard ice cream therein when in a resting position and to dispense said hard ice cream upon actuating said ice cream scoop. 37. The method of claim 36, further comprising actuating said ice cream scoop by pivoting said ice cream scoop about a pivot axis as coupled to said nozzle, said actuating causes said ice cream scoop to cut through said ice cream to form a spherical scoop of said hard ice cream. 38. The method of claim 37, wherein said actuating further comprises actuating a removal assembly for facilitating the removal of the ice cream from said scoop. 39. The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of forming one or more surface areas within an interior surface of said nozzle to control and regulate the flow of said ice cream therethrough and to obtain a pre-determined flow pattern. 40. The method of claim 35, further comprising regulating the compression pressure exerted by said plunger to control the movement of said plunger, said regulating comprises: setting a threshold pre-load compression pressure in response to the characteristics of the product to be dispensed; operating said drive assembly above said threshold pre-load pressure to move a movable compression plate within a pre-determined range of compression pressures; identifying a shut-off compression pressure; placing an automatic shut-off switch at a location corresponding to said shut-off compression pressure; and causing said movable compression plate to contact said shut-off switch. 41. The method of claim 40, wherein said dispensing causes a drop in compression pressure, thus causing said movable compression plate to displace forward until coming to rest in its resting position, or said plunger again experiencing a compression pressure great enough to cause said movable compression plate to again displace backwards.