초록 ▼

A confectionary fountain assembly enables user to self-serve confectionary liquid, such as liquid chocolate. The fountain assembly comprises a base assembly, a conduit assembly, a functional sculpture, and an annular basin. The base assembly supports a bowl-shaped receptacle and houses a heating ele

A confectionary fountain assembly enables user to self-serve confectionary liquid, such as liquid chocolate. The fountain assembly comprises a base assembly, a conduit assembly, a functional sculpture, and an annular basin. The base assembly supports a bowl-shaped receptacle and houses a heating element and a motor assembly for respectively providing chocolate-liquefying thermal energy and rotational movement. The conduit assembly is coupled to the motor assembly and the receptacle and comprises a liquid chocolate lifting auger. The sculpture assembly receives the lifted chocolate and imparts pressure thereto for further directing the chocolate to a sculpture outlet. The chocolate, upon exiting the outlet, covers an outer decorative surface of the sculpture and returns to the receptacle. The outer basin is supported in concentric relation about the receptacle and provides a second pooled confectionary liquid source, the pooled confectionary liquid sources and the outlet confectionary liquid enabling the user to self-serve confectionary liquid.

대표청구항 ▼

I claim: 1. A confectionary liquid fountain assembly, the confectionary liquid fountain assembly enabling a user to self serve confectionary liquid, the confectionary liquid fountain assembly comprising, in combination: a base assembly, the base assembly comprising a circular bowl assembly, a housi

I claim: 1. A confectionary liquid fountain assembly, the confectionary liquid fountain assembly enabling a user to self serve confectionary liquid, the confectionary liquid fountain assembly comprising, in combination: a base assembly, the base assembly comprising a circular bowl assembly, a housing assembly, heat-generating means, and a motor assembly, the circular bowl assembly comprising a bowl-shaped receptacle and conduit-retaining means, the bowl-shaped receptacle comprising heat-conductive material, an outer rim, a bowl diameter, and a central shaft-receiving aperture, the housing assembly containing the heat-generating means and the motor assembly and comprising heat-controlling means, motor-controlling means, and electrical circuitry, the motor assembly comprising a drive shalt and shalt-rotating means, the electrical circuitry being communicable with a power source and communicating the power source with the heat-generating means and the motor assembly, the motor-controlling means enabling a user to selectively control the shaft-rotating means, the shalt-rotating means for rotating the drive shalt, the drive shaft thus having an axis of rotation extending therethrough; a liquid elevation assembly, the liquid elevation assembly comprising a conduit assembly and an auger, the conduit assembly comprising a conduit member and bowl-attachment means, the conduit member comprising a first conduit end, a second conduit end, and a substantially uniform inner conduit diameter, the auger comprising a first auger end, a second auger end, and a substantially uniform dynamic auger diameter, the housing assembly supporting the bowl-shaped receptacle, the drive shaft extending through the shaft-receiving aperture, the first auger end being coupled to the drive shaft, the auger being received within the conduit member, the dynamic auger diameter being rotatable about the axis of rotation in inward adjacency to the inner conduit diameter, the bowl-attachment means attaching the first conduit end to the conduit-retaining means thereby defining a confectionery liquid inlet at the first auger end, a first quantity of heat-liquefiable confectionery matter being received in the bowl-shaped receptacle, the heat-controlling means enabling the user to selectively generate thermal energy, the thermal energy being transferred into the first quantity of heat-liquefiable confectionery matter via the heat conductive material of the bowl-shaped receptacle thus forming a first pooled confectionery liquid source, the auger for raising confectionery liquid from the first pooled confectionary liquid source via the conduit member to the second conduit and auger ends; a functional sculpture assembly, the functional sculpture assembly comprising a first sculpture end, a second sculpture end, an outer decorative surface, an inner liquid-diverting junction, and baffle means, the liquid-diverting junction being located intermediate the first and second sculpture ends and comprising a junction inlet, at least two liquid channels, and at least two liquid outlets at the second sculpture end, the junction inlet having an inlet area and being tightly coupled to the second conduit end for creating hydraulic pressure within the rising confectionary liquid, the liquid channels extending from the junction inlet to the liquid outlets and having a substantially uniform transverse cross-sectional channel area, the sum of the channel areas being lesser in magnitude than the inlet area, the hydraulic pressure thus forcing rising confectionary liquid from the junction inlet to the liquid outlets, the outlet confectionary liquid thereby flowing under gravitational force for coating the outer decorative surface, the baffle means being positioned at the second sculpture end adjacent the liquid outlets for directing the flowing confectionary liquid to coat the entire outer decorative surface, the flowing confectionary liquid returning to the circular bowl; and an annular basin, the annular basin comprising a heat-conductive material, an inner basin diameter, an outer basin diameter, and an annular flange, the annular flange extending radially inward from the inner basin diameter, the annular flange having an inner flange diameter, the inner basin diameter being greater in magnitude than the bowl diameter, the inner flange diameter being lesser in magnitude than the bowl diameter, the annular basin thus being supportable upon the bowl-shaped receptacle via the annular flange and the outer rim, a second quantity of heat-liquefiable confectionary matter being received in the annular basin, the thermal energy being transferred into the second quantity of heat-liquefiable confectionary matter via the heat conductive material of the annular basin thus fanning a second pooled confectionary liquid source, the flowing confectionary liquid and the first and second pooled confectionary liquid sources enabling the user to coat morsels with confectionery liquid. 2. The confectionary liquid fountain assembly of claim 1 wherein the first pooled confectionery liquid source has a first coloration and the second pooled confectionery liquid source has a second coloration, the first coloration differing from the second coloration for providing a dual-colored confectionery liquid serving assembly. 3. The confectionary liquid fountain assembly of claim 1 wherein the outer decorative surfaces resembles a heart, the heart comprising first and second superior heart lobes at the second sculpture end, a pointed inferior heart portion at the first sculpture end, an anterior sculpture face, and a posterior sculpture face, the first and second heart lobes each comprising an article-receiving aperture, the article-receiving apertures extending from the anterior face to the posterior face for enabling the user to self-serve confectionary liquid without contacting the outer decorative surface or the first pooled confectionary liquid source. 4. The confectionary liquid fountain assembly of claim 3 wherein the pointed inferior heart end directs flowing confectionery liquid into the bowl-shaped receptacle. 5. The confectionary liquid fountain assembly of claim 4 wherein the baffle means are located medially adjacent the liquid outlets at the second sculpture end for directing the flowing confectionery liquid to flow over the first and second heart lobes and the article-receiving apertures. 6. The confectionery liquid fountain assembly of claim 5 wherein the liquid-diverting junction receives the second conduit end intermediate the anterior and posterior sculpture faces and the article-receiving apertures and wherein the liquid outlets are located at the superior most portions of the first and second lobes for providing obstacle-free internal confectionary liquid pathways. 7. A liquid fountain assembly, the liquid fountain assembly enabling a user to self-serve consumable liquid, the liquid fountain assembly comprising: a base assembly, the base assembly comprising a bowl assembly, a housing assembly, heat-generating means, and a motor assembly, the bowl assembly comprising a bowl-shaped receptacle, the bowl-shaped receptacle comprising heat-conductive material, an outer rim, and a central shaft-receiving aperture, the housing assembly comprising electrical circuitry, the motor assembly comprising a drive shaft and shaft-rotating means, the electrical circuitry being communicable with a power source and communicating the power source with the heat-generating means and the motor assembly for enabling a user to selectively control the heat-generating means and the motor assembly; a liquid elevation assembly, the liquid elevation assembly comprising a conduit assembly and an auger, the conduit assembly comprising a conduit member, the conduit member comprising a first conduit end, a second conduit end, and a substantially uniform inner conduit diameter, the auger comprising a first auger end, a second auger end, and a substantially uniform dynamic auger diameter, the housing assembly supporting the bowl-shaped receptacle, the drive shalt extending through the shaft-receiving aperture, the first auger end being coupled to the drive shaft, the auger being received within the conduit member, the dynamic auger diameter being rotatable in inward adjacency to the inner conduit diameter, the first conduit end being attachable in superior adjacency to the bowl-shaped receptacle thereby defining a liquid inlet at the first auger end, an initial quantity of heat-liquefiable consumable matter being received in the bowl-shaped receptacle, the heat-generating means enabling the user to selectively generate thermal energy, the thermal energy being transferred into the first quantity of heat-liquefiable consumable matter via the heat conductive material of the bowl-shaped receptacle thus forming a first pooled consumable liquid source, the motor assembly and the auger for raising consumable liquid from the first pooled consumable liquid source via the conduit member to the second conduit and auger ends; and a functional sculpture assembly, the functional sculpture assembly comprising a first sculpture end, a second sculpture end, an outer decorative surface, and an inner liquid-diverting junction, the liquid-diverting junction being located intermediate the first and second sculpture ends and comprising a junction inlet, at least one liquid channel, and at least one liquid outlet, the junction inlet having an inlet area and being tightly coupled to the second conduit end for creating hydraulic pressure within the rising consumable liquid, the liquid channel extending from the junction inlet to the liquid outlet and having a liquid-receiving channel area, the channel area being lesser in magnitude than the inlet area, the hydraulic pressure thus forcing rising consumable liquid from the junction inlet to the liquid outlet, the outlet consumable liquid thereby flowing under gravitational force for coating the outer decorative surface, the flowing consumable liquid returning to the bowl-shaped receptacle, the flowing consumable liquid and the pooled consumable liquid source enabling the user to self-serve consumable liquid. 8. The liquid fountain assembly of claim 7 comprising an outer basin, the outer basin comprising a heat-conductive material and an inner support flange, the inner support flange extending inwardly and supporting the outer basin upon the bowl-shaped receptacle, a second quantity of heat-liquefiable consumable matter being received in the outer basin, the thermal energy being transferred into the second quantity of heat-liquefiable consumable matter via the heat conductive material of the outer basin thus forming a second pooled consumable liquid source, the flowing consumable liquid and the pooled consumable liquid sources enabling the user to self-serve consumable liquid. 9. The liquid fountain assembly of claim 7 wherein the outer decorative surface comprises a plurality of article-receiving apertures, the article-receiving apertures extending into the outer decorative surface for enabling the user to self-serve consumable liquid without contacting the outer decorative surface or the pooled consumable liquid source. 10. The liquid fountain assembly of claim 9 wherein baffle means are positioned adjacent the liquid outlet for directing the flowing consumable liquid to flow over the article-receiving apertures. 11. The liquid fountain assembly of claim 7 wherein the outer decorative surface comprises a pointed inferior sculpture end, the pointed inferior sculpture end for directing flowing consumable liquid into the bowl-shaped receptacle.