Abstract
The disclosed invention is an insulating device to protect frozen confections and is supported by a receptacle, for example an ice cream cone. The device includes a dome portion, a clamp, and a clamp attachment. The dome portion comprises a concave portion that faces the frozen confection held in the receptacle, to which the insulating device is clamped. The clamp attachment attaches the clamp to the dome portion and comprises a ball-and-socket rotatable joint. The clamp holds the cone by attaching near the rim of the cone, and comprises sturdy, adjustable material such as metal. Embodiments contemplate varying the dome portion size, malleability of the clamp, or both from device to device, to accommodate various cone sizes and various volumes of frozen confection.
Claims
1. A frozen confection insulating device, comprising: a. a dome portion, wherein the dome portion is dome-shaped comprising a concave portion that faces the frozen confection held in a cone, to which the insulating device is clamped onto; b. a clamp attachment, wherein the clamp attachment attaches the clamp to the dome portion and comprises a rotatable ball-and-socket joint; c. a clamp, wherein the clamp holds the cone, and d. the dome portion is attached to the clamp attachment, and e. the clamp attachment is attached to the clamp.
2. The dome portion of claim 1 wherein the dome portion comprises a sturdy layer comprising, but not limited to, plastic or aluminum, an inner coating on the concave portion comprising lightweight insulating materials such as, but not limited to, polyisocyanurate and plant-based aerogel, and a final inner layer to protect the insulating material.
3. The dome portion of claim 1 wherein the dome-shaped portion comprises a circular base.
4. The dome portion of claim 1 wherein the dome-shaped portion may be symmetrical about a central axis extending from the crown or apex of the dome through the dome interior.
5. The dome portion of claim 4 wherein the dome-shaped portion has a surface at the crown or apex which extends radially and continues to the base of the dome of claim 3.
6. The clamp of claim 1 wherein the clamp comprises a sturdy, adjustable material such as, but not limited to, plastic or adjustable plastic-coated wire, such that the clamp may be deformed toward the receptacle by engagement with the clamp portion in use.
7. The clamp attachment of claim 1 wherein the clamp attachment provides a connection portion between the dome portion and the clamp portion.
8. The dome portion of claim 2 wherein the dome portion is not removable from the clamp attachment.
9. The clamp of claim 1 wherein the clamp is not removable from the clamp attachment.
10. The clamp of claim 1 spans 3 cm to 9 cm in diameter.
11. The dome portion of claim 1 spans 3 cm to 9 cm in diameter. The variable sizes of the dome portion may accommodate various volumes of frozen confection and various cone or receptacle sizes.
12. The insulating device of claim 1 wherein the insulating device is a multi-use device that may be washed, cleaned, and reused.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of the three functional components of the insulating device for frozen confections wherein the range of mobility of the ball and socket joint, as well as the different layers that make up the dome portion are shown.
[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates an isometric view of a single clamp portion on two different-sized cones depicting the flexibility and adaptiveness of the device to multiple types of receptacles for frozen confections.
[0016] FIG. 3 illustrates an orthographic view of the FIG. 1 insulated device mounted onto a cone-type receptacle containing a frozen confection.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
[0017] A representation of the present invention (FIG. 1 through 3) is described herein. This depiction of the invention's structure and configuration represents one alternative to the embodiments in which each part of the device may be expressed. The arrangement of the disclosed device may be similarly expressed or be expressed in an alternative way as to fit the needs of the user of the device. The present scale of the invention depicted in FIG. 1 through 3 was used to better visualise the functioning components of the device, but does not necessarily represent the true scale of said device. As such, all characteristics may have been rendered to a different comparable size as to better depict each functioning part or property of the invention. This does not limit the invention to the dimensions shown herein, as these dimensions are an example of the configuration in which the device may be constructed. In addition, the structural simplicity of the device, as depicted in the figures, is not a limiting factor regarding the structure of the invention. The insulating device for frozen confections may also have other applicable functions besides the ones disclosed.
[0018] Illustrated in FIG. 1 are the three components of the device: the clamp (1), the rotating joint clamp attachment (2) and the dome (3). The joint (2) consists of a full sphere, referred to as a ball, partially encapsulated with a similarly shaped structure that is larger at its base and gradually moves into a singular point at its maximum, referred to as a socket. The socket may be moved left and right in the horizontal x-axis (8), up and down in the vertical z-axis (7), as well as diagonally in the y-axis (9). This function enables the attached dome portion (3) to be moved out of the region where the frozen confection is being eaten. The socket is affixed to the dome portion (3) and the ball is affixed to the clamp (1), thereby linking the whole unit. The dome (3) is a partial hollow hemisphere that is wider at its base and gradually moves to a singular point at its maximum, referred to as the crown or apex of the dome portion. The dome (3) consists of three superimposed layers which may or may not be consumable. The outer layer (5) serves as the main protection from radiation and convection heat transfer. The middle layer (4) serves as the main protection from conduction heat transfer. The inner layer (6) serves as a protection for the middle layer (4) and separates it from the frozen confection. The clamp (1) is a ring-shaped structure that is sturdy, such that it maintains a stable grip on a frozen confection receptacle, but also malleable, such that it may be adjusted to variable sizes of common receptacles for frozen confections, which themselves may be consumable or not.
[0019] FIG. 2 shows the fitting of a single clamp (10, 11) on different size receptacles (12, 13). It is possible to observe a tighter fitting of the clamp (10) around a smaller (12), same cone-type receptacle as the larger receptacle (13), although the receptacle could be of different shape. The same clamp is shown in its expanded form (11) around the larger receptacle (13). The clamp (11) may be moved up or down along the receptacle (13) and may easily be adjusted by the user to accommodate the change in the receptacle size or perimeter (13), by applying pressure to the clamp to deform it, similarly to the tighter form (10) depicted in FIG. 2.
[0020] FIG. 3 shows the configuration of a complete insulating device (15, 16, 17) being mounted onto a receptacle containing a frozen confection (14). The dome portion (15) of the device may partially cover the frozen confection (14), or be moved closer to said confection (14) so that it may cover it completely. The dome (15) may be easily moved out of the vicinity of the frozen confection (14) that is being consumed, by way of the rotatable joint attachment (16) illustrated in FIG. 1, according to the consumer's preference. The entire device may also be easily moved down in the vertical z-axis direction as the receptacle is being consumed, in the case that the receptacle is edible, because the clamp (17) may easily be adjusted by applying deforming pressure to the malleable clamp (17) portion, to accommodate the size change of common receptacles.
[0021] With all this described, alterations to the preferred embodiment of the disclosed invention described herein may become evident to one skilled in the art. Any such modifications may be made without changing the scope of the general concept of the invention as defined by the disclosed claims.
