US 7,378,619 B2
Confectionary liquid serving assembly
William Rogers, 4650 Whitehall La., Algonquin, Ill. 60102 (US)
Filed on Jan. 27, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/341,972.
Prior Publication US 2007/0175887 A1, Aug. 02, 2007
Int. Cl. F27D 11/00 (2006.01); E03B 9/20 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 219—438  [219/385; 219/386; 219/429; 219/432; 219/433; 239/16; 239/24; 239/28; 239/17; 392/442; 222/146.5] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
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.