SHIELD FOR MIXER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the food and beverage industry.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] It is well-known in the food and beverage industry to sell a soft serve product such as ice cream or frozen yogurt blended with additives in the form of cookie, candy and/or fruit bits. The blended product is typically served in a suitable cup and eaten with a spoon. The product sold by the Dairy Queen™ chain under the trade-mark BLIZZARD is exemplary in this regard. Normally, the vendor maintains an inventory of different additives, and blends into each serving, using a milkshake mixer or the like, additives as desired by each customer. The manner in which the taste and texture of soft serve is thus customized adds greatly to consumer appeal, but at the same time, complicates hygiene. A notable problem is associated with the desire to deliver to the customer a full cup. This, of course, is easily done in the context of liquid beverages or the like, but blending a cup full of soft serve and additives together invariably results in splattering. To guard against splatter, it is customary to use a cup extender, which is fitted into the open end of the cup during preparation and removed for presentation of the blend to the customer. One popular form of cup extender is a stainless steel annulus having a lower portion which is adapted to fit snugly into the upper volume of the cup and an upper portion dimensioned to capture/block splatter from the mixer in use. This form of cup extender is known to work well. To avoid the need for periodic cleaning of the stainless annulus form of cup extender, it is also known to utilize disposable cup extenders which are the equivalent of the sidewall portion of a disposable beverage cup, i.e. a disposable cup minus the disc-shaped bottom.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] A shield for use with a cup forms one aspect of the invention. The shield comprises a tubular member having first and second open ends, the first end, in use, being disposed in close-fitting relation within the open end of said cup and the second end, in use, projecting out of said cup.

[0004] According to another aspect invention, the tubular member can be constructed out of sheet material and have at least two axes for permitting said tubular member to fold into a flattened condition.

[0005] According to another aspect of the invention, the tubular member can be constructed out of a compostable material.

[0006] According to another aspect of the invention, the tubular member can be constructed solely out of sheet material secured upon itself.

[0007] According to another aspect of the invention, the tubular member can be constructed out of a recyclable plastic material.

[0008] According to another aspect of the invention, the tubular member can be constructed out of a biodegradable material.

[0009] According to another aspect of the invention, the tubular member can be constructed out of a die cut sheet having ends adapted to mechanically connect with one another to define said tubular member.

[0010] According to another aspect of the invention, the first and second open ends can be of unequal cross-sectional dimensions.

[0011] According to another aspect of the invention, the tubular member can De frustoconical and taper in width from its second to first open end.

[0012] According to another aspect of the invention, when the tubular member is disposed in a flattened condition, the edge of said tubular member which defines the second end opening can be convex and the edge of said tubular member which defines the first end opening can be concave.

[0013] According to another aspect of the invention, the tubular member can be constructed from food grade materials.

[0014] According to other aspects of the invention, the tubular member can be constructed from fibrous material, the fibrous material can comprise cellulosic material and the fibrous material can comprise fibers selected from the group consisting of cotton, hemp, straw, kenaf, sugar cane, corn stalk, flax, jute, coconut husk, coir, sisal and bagasse.

[0015] According to another aspect of the invention, the tubular member can be constructed from 12 pt. solid bleached sulfite.

[0016] According to another aspect of the invention, the tubular member can be coated on the inner surface with a water resistant agent.

[0017] According to another aspect of the invention, the tubular member can be coated on the outer surface with a water resistant agent.

[0018] According to another aspect of the invention, in use, the tubular member can project about 5 cm out of said cup.

[0019] According to other aspects of the invention, the tubular member can be dimensioned such that, in normal use, the portion thereof projecting out of the cup captures substantially all of the splatter produced in the creation of a blended product, and the blended product can be soft serve.

[0020] Use of the shield in the creation of blended products provides the splatter capture benefits of known cup extenders while avoiding the need for periodic cleaning associated with known stainless cup extenders and providing an advantageous combination of cost and environmental benefit in comparison with known disposable cup extenders. Other advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention, as well as methods of operation and functions of the related elements of the structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, the latter being briefly described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a shield constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

[0022] FIGURE 2 is top view of the shield of FIGURE 1 ;

[0023] FIGURE 3 is a side view of the shield of FIGURE 1 , in a flattened condition; and

[0024] FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the shield of FIGURE 1 , in use with a cup.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] With general reference to FIGURE 1 , an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a shield, is illustrated, and is designated by the general reference numeral 20..

[0026] The shield 20 illustrated is constructed from sheet material 22 secured upon itself to form a tubular member having first 24 and second 26 open ends and two axes A-A and B-B.

[0027] The tubular member is frustoconical and tapers in width from its second 26 to first 24 open end, such that the first 24 and second 26 open ends are of unequal cross- sectional dimensions.

[0028] The sheet material 22 is a compostable, biodegradable, food grade, cellulosic material, namely, 12 pt. solid bleached sulfite (SBS), secured to itself by a compostable, biodegradable, food grade adhesive, and coated on both sides with a compostable, biodegradable, food grade, water resistant agent such that the inner 28 and outer 30 surfaces of the tubular member are so coated,

[0029] The axes A-A and B-B permit the tubular member to fold into a flattened condition, as shown in FIGURE 3, where it is seen that the edge 32 of said tubular member which defines the second end 26 opening is convex and the edge 34 of said tubular member which defines the first end 24 opening is concave.

[0030] The shield 20 in shown in use with a cup 36 in FIGURE 4, wherein it will be seen that the first end 24 is disposed in close-fitting, snug, relation within the open end of said cup 36 and the second end 26 projects about 5cm out of said cup 36 such that, in normal use, the portion thereof projecting out of the cup 36 captures substantially all of the splatter produced in the creation of a blended soft serve product (blended in a conventional manner). Once the soft serve blend has been created, the shield can be disposed of, preferably for composting. In this specification, the word "cup" is used

consistently. However, it should be understood that "cup" need not refer to vessels sometimes used for containing liquids, but rather, throughout this description and amended claims, refers to an open-topped vessel which has the general appearance of a cup, even if such vessel is only used for containing non-liquid substances, such as soft serve.

[0031] Use of the shield 20 in the creation of blended products provides the splatter capture benefits of known cup extenders while avoiding the need for periodic cleaning associated with known stainless cup extenders and providing an advantageous combination of cost and environmental benefit in comparison with known disposable cup extenders.

[0032] The shield can be manufactured using the principles of the process described in United States Patent No. 6,863,644, which is incorporated herein by reference and basically describes a process whereby sheet material is die cut, folded and adhesively secured to form a tubular element.

[0033] While but a single embodiment of the shield has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that various changes can be made.

[0034] For example, materials other than SBS can be utilized for the construction of the tubular member, such as other sheet materials made from fibres including cotton, rice, hemp, straw, kenaf, sugar cane, corn stalk, flax, jute, coir, sisal and bagasse. As well, food grade plastics, including recyclable plastics, could be utilized. As well, materials of weight greater or lesser than 12pt. can be used, and indeed, the weight/thickness of the material used will vary depending upon the physical properties of the material actually employed in the creation of the shield. Indeed, the shield itself need not be constructed out of sheet material and could, for example, potentially be press-formed out of particulate matter, molded, etc.

[0035] As well, whereas the described shield is constructed out of biodegradable, compostable material, materials lacking such characteristics could be used, but would not be preferred.

[0036] Further, whereas the illustrated shield tapers, it will be understood that it need not, and will preferably be adapted to the shape of the cup with which it is to be used, so as to (i) fit snugly in the upper end of the cup so as to facilitate handling during preparation and blending; and (ii) project a sufficient distance above the upper end to effectively capture spatter without impeding blending.

[0037] Moreover, whereas in the exemplary embodiment adhesive is used to secure the sheet material to itself, it should be understood that the tubular member could also be constructed of a die cut sheet having ends adapted to mechanically connect with one another to define said tubular member. The mechanical engagement could be provided, for example, by (i) a single hook at one end of the die cut sheet adapted to engage a notch in the other end, in a manner analogous to the closures commonly found on cake boxes or the like; (ii) a hook formed at each end of the die cut sheet adapted to engage with one another; or (iii) other variations.

[0038] Yet further, whereas reference is made to a specific manufacturing process, it should be understood that the manner in which shields according to the present invention can be manufactured will be routine to persons of ordinary skill in the art and may vary widely.

[0039] As well, whereas the description makes specific reference to the blending of soft-serve products, it will be evident that the shield could be used for other products, such as frappucino. Depending upon the duration of mixing, and the type of product to be blended, the mechanical properties of the material from which the shield is constructed may need to be adjusted. Such adjustment would be a matter of routine pt persons of ordinary skill in the art and thus is not described herein.

[0040] Accordingly, the invention should be understood as limited only by the claims appended hereto, purposively construed.