A liquid food fountain comprises a center barrel having a top opening and a bottom opening and a plurality of stackable modules (16, 14, 12, 10) adapted for a slip fit on the center barrel (20). Each module has a tier (16) extending around the center barrel (10). A liquid collector (24) is adapted t
A liquid food fountain comprises a center barrel having a top opening and a bottom opening and a plurality of stackable modules (16, 14, 12, 10) adapted for a slip fit on the center barrel (20). Each module has a tier (16) extending around the center barrel (10). A liquid collector (24) is adapted to be placed below the modules. An auger (34) assembly is adapted to fit inside the center barrel to carry liquid entering the center barrel at the bottom opening to the top opening. A drive module is connectable to the auger assembly. The described parts can be assembled for use and disassembled for cleaning and storage.
대표청구항▼
1. A liquid food fountain comprising: a center barrel having a top opening and a bottom opening;a plurality of stackable modules adapted for a slip fit on the center barrel, each module having a tier extending around the center barrel;a liquid collector adapted to be placed below the modules;an auge
1. A liquid food fountain comprising: a center barrel having a top opening and a bottom opening;a plurality of stackable modules adapted for a slip fit on the center barrel, each module having a tier extending around the center barrel;a liquid collector adapted to be placed below the modules;an auger assembly adapted to fit inside the center barrel to carry liquid entering the center barrel at the bottom opening to the top opening;a drive module connectable to the auger assembly;a rotatable drive shaft housed in the drive module;a first set of one or more magnets attached to the drive shaft;a second set of one or more magnets attached to an end of the auger, the first set of magnets surrounding the second set of magnets so the auger is adapted to rotate with the drive shaft; anda stationary non-magnetic electrically conducting cup coupled to the liquid collector, the cup disposed between the first and second sets of magnets and surrounding the auger in closely spaced relationship so eddy currents generated in the cup heat the space between the cup and the magnets, and wherein the end of the auger is suspended in the cup. 2. The fountain of claim 1, in which the tiers are dome-shaped. 3. The fountain of claim 2, in which each module also has a sleeve adapted to fit around the center barrel. 4. The fountain of claim 3, in which the sleeve and the tier of each module are formed in a one piece construction. 5. The fountain of claim 4, in which the tiers have cavities and the sleeves lie in the cavities of the tiers. 6. The fountain of claim 5, additionally comprising a heating element adapted to fit between the collector and the drive module. 7. The fountain of claim 6, in which the auger assembly has a shaft connectable at one end to the drive module and the inside of the center barrel has a spider adapted to support the other end of the auger assembly shaft. 8. The fountain of claim 7, in which an inside of the collector has a plurality of rivets and the center barrel has a plurality of hooks adapted to engage the rivets and thereby attach the center barrel to the collector. 9. The fountain of claim 8, in which a well is formed in the collector and center barrel has windows adapted to lie in the well when the center barrel is attached to the collector. 10. The fountain of claim 9, in which a height of the windows is at least as large as a pitch of the auger assembly. 11. The fountain of claim 10, wherein the tiers include an uppermost tier located proximate the top opening of the center barrel, the uppermost tier adapted for spilling liquid away from the top opening without accumulation of the liquid at the top opening. 12. The fountain of claim 11, further comprising a heater assembly in the drive module, the heater assembly including a heating element for heating the liquid collector and springs for urging the heating element against underside of the liquid collector for facilitating thermal transfer from the heating element to the liquid collector. 13. The fountain of claim 12, in which an interface is formed between the tier and the sleeve of adjacent modules, one of the sleeve and the tier having a recess around its edge and the other of the sleeve and the tier having a boss around its edge to establish a seat at the interface. 14. The fountain of claim 13, in which the tiers or the liquid collector are manufactured of disposable materials that would facilitate cleaning process. 15. A liquid food fountain comprising: a plurality of center barrels each having a top opening and a bottom opening;a plurality of stackable modules adapted for mounting on the center barrels, each module having a tier extending around the center barrels;a plurality of dividers on the tiers equal in number to the center barrels, the dividers being alignable with each other to keep separate liquid that exits the openings at the top of the center barrels;a liquid collector adapted to be placed below the modules;a plurality of auger assemblies equal in number to the center barrels, the auger assemblies being adapted to fit inside the respective center barrels to carry liquid entering the respective center barrels at the bottom opening to the top opening; anda drive module connectable to the auger assembly. 16. The liquid food fountain of claim 15, wherein the center barrels are molded together into a single unit. 17. The liquid food fountain of claim 15, wherein the modules are adapted for a slip fit on the center barrels, each module having a sleeve extending around the corresponding center barrel. 18. A liquid food fountain comprising: a plurality of center barrels each having a top opening and a bottom opening;a plurality of stackable modules adapted for mounting on the center barrels, each module having a tier extending around the center barrels;a plurality of dividers on the tiers equal in number to the center barrels, the dividers being alignable with each other to keep separate liquid that exits the openings at the top of the center barrels;a liquid collector adapted to be placed below the modules, wherein the liquid collector includes a well located proximate center of the liquid collector, the well divided into sections, each section adapted for accumulating a respective portion of the liquid in the liquid collector;a plurality of auger assemblies equal in number to the center barrels, the auger assemblies being adapted to fit inside the respective center barrels to carry liquid entering the respective center barrels at the bottom opening to the top opening, and wherein each auger is adapted for carrying at least a portion of the liquid accumulated within the well; anda drive module connectable to the auger assembly 19. The liquid food fountain of claim 18 wherein the drive module is adapted for generating currents that spread across the well, and wherein the well is adapted for holding liquid such that the currents heat the liquid accumulated in the well. 20. The liquid food fountain of claim 15 wherein the liquid food collector includes a first section and a second section, and wherein the first section comprises aluminum and the second section comprises plastic. 21. The liquid food fountain of claim 15 further including a base for supporting the liquid collector. 22. The liquid food fountain of claim 21 further comprising a heater assembly in the base, the heater assembly including a heating element for heating the liquid collector and springs for substantially urging the heating element against underside of the liquid collector for facilitating thermal transfer from the heating element to the liquid collector. 23. The liquid food fountain of claim 15 wherein the drive module comprises a magnetic drive assembly for rotating the augers. 24. A liquid food fountain comprising: a center barrel having a top opening and a bottom opening;a plurality of stackable modules mounted on the center barrel, each module having a tier extending around the center barrel;a liquid collector adapted to be placed below the modules, the liquid food collector including a first portion comprising a conductor material and a second portion comprising an insulator material;a heating element contacting the first portion of the liquid collector;an auger adapted to fit inside the center barrel to carry liquid entering the center barrel at the bottom opening to the top opening; anda drive module connectable to the auger assembly;wherein the liquid collector includes a well located proximate center of the liquid collector, the well adapted for accumulating a portion of the liquid in the liquid collector, and wherein the auger is adapted for carrying at least a portion of the liquid accumulated within the well. 25. The liquid food fountain of claim 24 wherein the drive module is adapted for generating currents that spread across the well, and wherein the well is adapted for holding liquid such that the currents eat the liquid accumulated in the well. 26. The liquid food fountain of claim 24 wherein the center barrel includes a plurality of windows proximate the bottom opening, and wherein the windows are adapted for admitting at least a portion of the liquid accumulated within the well. 27. The liquid food fountain of claim 24 further including a base for supporting the liquid collector. 28. The liquid food fountain of claim 27 further comprising a heater assembly in the base, the heater assembly including the heating element for heating the liquid collector and springs for urging the heating element against underside of the liquid collector for facilitating thermal transfer from the heating element to the liquid collector. 29. The liquid food fountain of claim 24 wherein the drive module comprises a magnetic drive module, and wherein the magnetic drive module is coupled to the auger for rotating the auger such that the auger extends vertically upward from the liquid food collector during normal operation of the liquid food fountain. 30. The liquid food fountain of claim 24 wherein the tiers include an uppermost tier located proximate the top opening of the center barrel, the uppermost tier adapted for spilling liquid away from the top opening without accumulation of the liquid at the top opening. 31. The liquid food fountain of claim 24 wherein two or more of the modules are molded together as a single piece unit. 32. The liquid food fountain of claim 24 wherein the modules and tiers are disposable. 33. The liquid food fountain of claim 24 wherein the liquid collector is disposable. 34. The liquid food fountain of claim 24 comprising a plurality of augers and wherein the liquid collector is divided into a plurality of sections, each section in fluid communication with one of augers for enabling the fountain to display a plurality of flavors of liquid without substantially mixing the flavors. 35. The liquid food fountain of claim 34, further comprising one or more center barrels adapted for housing a respective one of the augers. 36. The fountain of claim 6, wherein the drive module includes a motor shaft with a drive magnet mounted on one end of the motor shaft, and wherein the auger assembly includes an anisotropic magnet at an auger assembly bottom end, the anisotropic magnet being magnetically coupled to the drive magnet for driving the auger assembly. 37. The fountain of claim 36, wherein the drive magnet is mounted in a magnet holder surrounding the auger assembly bottom end. 38. The fountain of claim 37, wherein the drive magnet includes a plurality of anisotropic magnets positioned radially around the magnet holder.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (23)
Banno Shinya,JPX ; Yamamoto Jiro,JPX, Auger type ice making machine.
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