Self-contained popcorn popper

Abstract

A self-contained popcorn popper has an open side provided with an air-flow curtain extending at least partially across the open side and directed inwardly. Effluent from popping flows upwardly into a “U”-shaped vent, through an effluent filter and flows into said air flow curtains to reduce particulate-bearing effluent emitted from the popper cabinet. Heated air is recirculated in a lower warming bin to maintain heat in popped corn dumped from a popping kettle and that air is recirculated in the bin, also to reduce emission of particulars into the environment surrounding the popper.

Claims

1. A method of popping popcorn in a popcorn popper including a cabinet having at least one open side and an elongated air curtain projector located proximate said at least one open side, wherein said air curtain projector has a vertically oriented longitudinal axis, comprising the steps of: popping popcorn in said cabinet and producing effluent from said popping; establishing, with said air curtain projector, an air curtain across at least a portion of said at least one open side and obstructing escape of effluent therethrough; and recirculating effluent from said popping through a filter and into said air curtain.

2. A method as in claim 1 including passing said effluent into a vent disposed at an upper portion of said cabinet, filtering said effluent and passing filtered effluent to said air curtain and then into said intake vent.

3. A method as in claim 1 including establishing said air curtain in a direction inclined inwardly across said portion of said at least one open side.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the invention;

(2) FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the invention of FIG. 1;

(3) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 1; and

(6) FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 2, illustrating further detail of the invention of the Figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) Turning now to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a popper cabinet 10 according to the invention having a front or operator side 12 and an opposed parallel optionally open rear side 14, and two opposed closed ends 16 and 18. A popped popcorn receiving open-top bin or chamber 20 is disposed in a lower portion of cabinet 10.

(8) A tiltable popcorn popping kettle 22 of any suitable construction as is well-known, is operably disposed within an upper portion of cabinet 10 for popping popcorn and tilting to deposit popped popcorn into open-topped bin 20.

(9) It will be appreciated that the sides 12, 14 of the cabinet are open from end 16 to end 18 in the upper portion of the cabinet 10 above bin 10 so the kettle 22 and open top 24 of bin 20 (within cabinet 10) are easily accessible to an operator through at least side 12 and optionally through an optionally open side 14.

(10) Popped corn from kettle 22 is dumped into bin 20 for continued warming and ultimate service therefrom by an operator through at least open side 12.

(11) It will be appreciated that while only one kettle 22 is shown, in an alternate embodiment, another popping kettle can be oriented near end 16 of cabinet 10 to provide higher capacity production, and in which case the effluent containment construction to be described nearer cabinet end 18 would preferably be duplicated near end 16. Such a second popping kettle and effluent containment construction is not shown herein for purposes of clarity.

(12) For further definition, the reference to the upper position of the cabinet 10 refers to that portion of the cabinet above the top 24 of bin 20, while the reference to the lower portion of cabinet 10 refers to that portion of the cabinet 10 below the top 24 of bin 20.

(13) Turning now to the effluent containment apparatus and function of the invention, there is shown in respective FIGS. a blower 30, a primary distribution duct 32, vertical curtain projectors 34, 36, intake vents 38-40 (FIG. 4) an filter enclosure 42 housing any suitable air and particular filters 44 and any suitable baffle filters 46.

(14) Intake vents 38-40 are formed generally in a “U”-shaped configuration about an upper portion of cabinet 10 and at a level preferably above the level of kettle 22 and proximate a top wall 27. These vents operably communicate through a plenum 48 (FIG. 6) with filter housing 42, such that air and effluent from the popping operation flows into vents 38-40, through plenum 48, filters 46, 44, blower 30 and distribution duct 32 to vertical air curtain projectors 34, 36. One or more filters can be used as needed or desired, several being shown in FIG. 6 for exemplary illustrating. Projectors 34, 36 are preferably perforated or are fitted with nozzles, in combination producing an air or effluent curtain across the open side 12 (and side 14) of cabinet 10. Preferably the respective air curtains so produced are angled from the respective projectors 34, 36 slightly inward toward the inside of cabinet 10, thus are preferably not parallel but respectively inclined inwardly toward each other. Arrows A in FIG. 6 illustrate the flow of one curtain from vertical projector 34. It will be appreciated that effluent from kettle 22 naturally rises toward the top of cabinet 10, but is further pulled into intakes 38-40.

(15) Filter access cover 45 (FIG. 4) provides access to filters 44, 46 for cleaning or replacement.

(16) Air flow from projectors 34, 36 travels first across, then upwardly into vents 38-40 to complete the flow circuit.

(17) Effluent from the popping of popcorn in kettle 22 tends also to rise for capture within vents 38-40.

(18) A flower divider in plenum 32 separates the flow of now filtered air into two streams, respectively, toward projectors 34, 36.

(19) As previously stated, the velocity of the air flow projected from projectors 34, 36 is effectively produced in cabinet 10 from any further suitable blower 30 having an output capacity as required to draw in effluent from kettle 22 and blow it eventually through projectors 34, 36 to create the desired air curtains. A blower of any suitable capacity is used to provide this air flow. This has at least two beneficial effects; it allows the use of small filters (relative to those used in prior poppers where flows are higher) and it maintains the air curtain velocities at relatively low speeds which do not produce unnecessary turbulence leading to escape of particulate containing effluent. The overall effect is to provide a high percent of particulate capture and to retain air flow within the cabinet 10 so no measurable effluent particulates are projected into the environment around the cabinet 10.

(20) Thus, there is no need for hoods or venting ductwork outside or above cabinet 10, even in a large capacity commercial popping operation.

(21) It will be appreciated that it is not believed necessary to define the popping chamber about kettle 22 with wholly confining air curtains, it only being desirable to create air curtains across the open sides 12, 14 of the upper portion of cabinet 10, and to capture effluent flow within the “U”-shaped vents 38-40. This construction and flow efficiently captures particulate-bearing effluent from the popping operation and filters it with a recirculating flow, without escape outside cabinet 10.

(22) If desired, an additional curtain projector could be placed across the center of the cabinet between sides 12 and 14 and directed upwardly toward parallel vent 39, but such additional air curtain is not believed necessary to the objective of efficiently containing and recirculating particulate-bearing effluent.

(23) In another aspect of the invention, warm, heated air is circulated through popped popcorn in bin 20 and recirculated therethrough without escape of such air to the outside of cabinet 10. Bin 20 is an enclosed bin having an open top 24 within cabinet 10. A warmer plenum or housing 60 houses a suitable heating element, such as a 750 watt tubular heater, and a blower, such as a 107 CFM blower, neither being shown. Warm air is projected from plenum 60 into bin 20 and popped corn therein in the direction of arrows B and C. Such warm air flows upwardly then back toward intake duct 62 and downwardly toward the blower and heater operably connected to distribution duct 60 (arrows D).

(24) Such heated air is recirculated through bin 20 and popcorn therein and does not escape from cabinet 10.

(25) It will be appreciated that even though the entire side 12 of the upper portion cabinet 10 is open, and even though side 14 may be likewise open, the invention captures and recirculates effluent from a popcorn popping process, and filters it so few effluent-bearing process-generating particulates escape from the cabinet. Thus, the poppers according to this invention can be installed and retrofitted into theaters and other concerns without the need for additional hoods, venting ductwork or associated costs; no measurable particulate-bearing effluent being released from the cabinet.

(26) The invention thus includes a popcorn popper including a cabinet with at least one open side, an air curtain extending across at least a portion of said open side, air intake vents disposed at a level above a level of a popping kettle within the cabinet and an effluent recirculating flow path from said air curtain, to the air intake vents, filter, blower and back to the air curtain. Warm air is recirculated through a warmer bin in a lower portion of the cabinet.

(27) Vent hoods and ductwork are thus eliminated along with measurable particulate-bearing effluent from a popper cabinet.

(28) As used herein, the term kettle includes a heatable popcorn popping kettle as in U.S. Pat. No. 7,874,244, or any device for popping popcorn and however constructed for applying heat to unpopped popcorn, including by convection, conduction or otherwise.

(29) As used herein, the phrase “air curtain projector” includes any device or structure for establishing a curtain or a flow of air across an open portion or side of a cabinet containing a popcorn popping kettle. Such a projector includes, but is not limited to, a perforated duct, a plurality of nozzles operably extending from or mounted on an air plenum in combination producing an air curtain, a slotted plenum, an air knife or any other suitable structure for establishing a flow of air across an open cabinet side. The projector is a component of an air recirculation system including an intake vent, filters and distribution duct for directing filtered effluent to said projector.

(30) As used herein, the term “effluent” includes steam, vapor, oil vapor and particulates emitted from a popcorn popping operation and including air. As described herein, particulates in the effluent from a popcorn popping operation are progressively filtered from the effluent and any air constituent thereof as the effluent is passed through filters in a recirculation loop.

(31) It will be appreciated that operation of the popper herein without actually popping popcorn results in a recirculating air flow from the blower into and through a distribution ductwork, through an air curtain projector and into intake vents and through a filter system back to the blower substantially without emission of the air from the cabinet defining the popper. When popcorn is popped in the kettle, effluent from the popping operation is entrained in such air flow and is recirculated therewith.

(32) It will further be appreciated that alternatively to the above description, the invention contemplates a popcorn popper wherein the air curtain flow is produced by a blower and an air flow of fresh, non-effluent air.

(33) In such a system, an air intake would be ducted to the air curtain projectors to create the curtains, preventing escape of popping effluent, while popping effluent would be sucked into intake vents such as at 38, 39 and 40, recirculated through filters such as shown in these drawings and directed back into the cabinet at any suitable location for recirculation but captured within the cabinet without discharge therefrom. Other intake vents could be located to receive and recirculate, or to discharge, the fresh air from the air curtain flow, again without significant effluent escape.

(34) Thus, the air curtain would comprise unfiltered, but fresh air, while effluent containing air would be recirculated within the cabinet.

(35) In a slight variation, air within the cabinet, and containing effluent, could be introduced into the air curtain without prior filtration with splitting of air flow to a filtration path for recirculation and to an unfiltered path for air curtain production, all while capturing the benefits of the preferred embodiment described above.

(36) It will also be appreciated that any air or mixed effluent which might be incidentally emitted or separated from the cabinet or the recirculating flow contains less than the regulatory permitted content of particulates now defined as less than 5 milligrams or particulate per cubic meter of air; while preferably no effluent escapes from the cabinet. Thus, as used herein, terms like substantial and significant are used to descriptively to refer relatively to ranges of effluent or particulates discharge according to the invention below such amounts as would be regulatorily prohibited.