APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING REFRIGERATED PRODUCTS

Technical Field

The present invention concerns an apparatus for dispensing refrigerated products, such as water-ice, creamy ice-creams, sorbets and the like.

Background Art

Nowadays apparatuses which allow to prepare and dispense refrigerated products of the type of traditional water-based water ice or, alternatively, creamy products such as creamy ice-creams, sorbets, coffee creams and other frozen products are known.

Such known apparatuses generally comprise a tank suitable to contain the product to be dispensed, wherein a cooling device for cooling the product to the appropriate temperature and a mixing device which causes the continuous circulation of the product inside the tank are arranged. The circulation device, consisting for example of a screw member driven in rotation according to an axis longitudinal to the tank, is suitable to convey the cooled product towards a front zone, where a dispensing device for the product is arranged. The dispensing device is provided with an obturator element which can be operated by means of an external lever member.

The containment tank for the product is arranged above a base body of substantially prism-shaped profile, which is suitable to contain in its inside the actuation members of the apparatus, in particular the compressor of the cooling device and the motor member of the circulation device.

A problem existing in the specific field concerns the necessity of making the control of the different functions of the apparatus easier for the user, in particular in order to have the possibility to set in an easy and direct manner the numerous functional parameters which determine the different characteristics of the products. As a matter of facts, currently such apparatuses are generally managed through a keyboard which offers a pre-established and relatively limited choice of commands with respect to the functions to be controlled. Vice versa it is required by users a more direct interfacing between man and machine. Moreover it is often claimed that common keyboards, when frequently used, become soon dirty and consumed.

Disclosure

The task of the present invention is that of solving the aforementioned problems, devising an apparatus for dispensing refrigerated products which allows an easy control of different functions through an interface of intuitive use.

Within such task, a further scope of the present invention is that of providing an apparatus for dispensing refrigerated products having commands which are easily cleanable and have considerable endurance. Another scope of the present invention is that of providing an apparatus for dispensing refrigerated products having a simple conception, a securely reliable functioning and versatile use, as well as relatively economic costs.

The cited scopes are attained, according to the present invention, by the apparatus for dispensing refrigerated products according to claim 1 .

According to the present invention, the apparatus for preparing refrigerated products comprises a command keyboard with touch-sensitive capacitive keys for controlling the functions of the apparatus.

Description of Drawings

Details of the invention shall be more apparent from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus for dispensing refrigerated products according to the invention, illustrated for indicative purposes in the attached drawings, wherein:

figure 1 shows a perspective view of the apparatus for dispensing refrigerated products.

Best Mode

With particular reference to such figure, the apparatus for dispensing refrigerated products, such as for example water-ice, creamy ice-creams, sorbets and the like, is indicated in its entirety with 1 .

The apparatus 1 comprises at least a tank 2 for containing the product to be dispensed, made preferably of plastic transparent material, as disclosed for example in patent application no. MO2009A000259 in the name of the Applicant. In the illustrated embodiment, the apparatus is provided with two containment tanks, for dispensing different kinds of products. Anyway it is possible to provide the apparatus with a different number of tanks, for example one single or three.

Inside each containment tank 2 a mixing device is arranged, in known way, comprising for example a screw member driven in rotation according to an axis longitudinal to said tank, for performing the continuous circulation of the product inside the said tank. Moreover inside the tank 2 a cooling device is arranged for cooling the product to the suitable temperature, substantially comprising a coil evaporator, connected to a conventional refrigerating system.

Each containment tank 2 frontally has a dispensing device 3 provided with a tap 4 which can be operated by means of an external lever member 5.

The containment tanks 2 are mounted above a base body 6 of substantially prism-shaped profile. The base body 6 is suitable to contain in its inside the actuation members of the apparatus, such as in particular the compressor of the cooling device and the motor member of the circulation device, known per se and not described in more detail. The base body 6 comprises for example a sheet frame mounted on feet 7 and having on the lateral walls ventilation openings 8. At the base of the frame 6, at the front wall, a tub 9 is mounted for collecting the possible product dropping from the dispensing devices 3. The tub 9 is suitably removable for the periodic cleaning operations.

At a lateral side of the base body 6 a command keyboard 10 with touch-sensitive capacitive keys is mounted for controlling the functions of the apparatus. The capacitive keyboard 10 interfaces with an electronic card for controlling the apparatus.

The functioning of the apparatus for dispensing refrigerated products is easy to understand from the preceding description.

Once having introduced the product inside the containment tank 2, the user can easily set the type or the characteristics of the product to be dispensed, as well as the kind of functioning of the apparatus through the lateral capacitive keyboard 10. As a matter of facts, the graphic interface of the capacitive keyboard 10 enables the user to interact with electronic control means of the different functions of the apparatus, such as for example the cooling cycle, the temperatures of the products to be dispensed and the weekly management of the functioning of the apparatus.

The apparatus attains the scope of performing in an easy manner the control of a wide variety of functions, offering an interface between man and machine of simple and direct use.

In fact, the capacitive keyboard 10 can be operated through a simple touch or light glazing of the active zones which constitute the keys, which are displayed so as to be really simple to recognise. A micro-controller which can be programmed surveys the capacitive variation at said keys, when touching or when lightly grazing with one's fingers, activating the relative functions. Therefore the keyboard does not comprise mechanical parts in motion, with obvious advantages for resistance and endurance.

A feature of the cited keyboard is that of externally having a glass cover, made by a glass panel of suitable thickness which, on the one hand, is not subject in practice to the wearing out and thus keeps a long lasting agreeable look, and on the other hand, it allows an easy cleaning.

Another advantage offered by the cited capacitive keyboard is that of enabling a suitable backlighting, extended either to the whole surface of the keyboard or only to the keys zone. This allows to make the commands easy to see also in bright environments.

A further advantage offered by the cited capacitive keyboard is that of being easily customizable according to the exigencies of single users, for example by changing shape and size of keys as well as the functions to be controlled.

The apparatus described for indicative purpose is susceptible of numerous modifications and variants according to the different exigencies.

In practice, the embodiment of the invention, the materials used, as well as the shape and dimensions, may vary depending on the requirements.

Should the technical characteristics mentioned in each claim be followed by reference signs, such reference signs were included strictly with the aim of enhancing the understanding the claims and hence they shall not be deemed restrictive in any manner whatsoever on the scope of each element identified for exemplifying purposes by such reference signs.