ICE CREAM TRAY MOLD

Abstract

An ice cream maker is provided for making filled flavored frozen confection and whose production follows specific steps, presenting for that purpose a simplified formal structure of easy fitting and handling, allowing the simultaneous production of a plurality of filled flavored frozen confection, specially designed for residential and family use, said ice cream maker being produced of thermoplastic material or other material of similar characteristics, presenting a laminar structure constituted essentially by three elements, namely at least one container, one mold internally and centrally positioned, supported at the surrounding end of the container, which creates a hollow area in the center of the flavored frozen confection mass, and finally a closing.

Claims

1. An ice cream maker for making filled flavored frozen confection, comprising an ice cream maker produced of thermoplastic material or other material with similar characteristics, comprising a laminar structure of basically three elements, namely at least one container, one mold internally and centrally positioned, supported at the surrounding end of the container, which creates of a hollow area in the center of the flavored frozen confection mass, and finally a closing cap comprising a transverse rod relative to said cap and longitudinal relative to the container, said rod passing transversally through its cap, wherein an internal portion is inserted into the hollow area created by the internal mold, and the other one, the external portion, conforms the handle.

2. The ice cream maker according to claim 1, wherein said ice cream maker set provides a device for the containment and positioning of the containers, defined by a laminar base provided with holes on its upper face, corresponding to the engagements at the ends of the containers.

3. The ice cream maker according to claim 1, and to an alternative construction, wherein the laminar base presents recesses corresponding to the containers containing the external flavored frozen confection mass.

4. The ice cream maker according to claim 1, wherein said ice cream maker presents, in each container, an engagement device between two or more containers, that is, said devices being arranged diametrically opposed to each other, and a side face which comprises the male portion of said device and the other side face which comprises the correspondent female portion.

5. The ice cream maker according to claim 1 and to an alternative construction, wherein the male portion comprises locks of extended length and the female portion comprises a wider gap.

6. The ice cream maker according to claim 1, wherein said container has the shape of a Mexican palette, that is, with a slightly reversed pyramidal trunk format, being elongated and provided with a free extreme portion of semicircular shape.

7. The ice cream maker according to claim 1, and to an alternative construction, wherein said container comprises, at its free extreme portion of semicircular shape, a gap of semispherical shape.

8. The ice cream maker according to claim 1, wherein each of the containers of the ice cream maker comprises, at its free end, a surrounding salience forming a step or cradle for supporting and positioning the free end of the internal mold, said mold being divided into two distinct portions, namely, a laminar body with a format similar to the main container although of smaller dimension, and an upper portion of rectangular shape, provided with a surrounding band capable of fitting in the also surrounding salience carried out at the free end of the container body.

9. The ice cream maker according to claim 1, and to an alternative construction, wherein said internal mold comprises two lateral tabs with a slightly longer length than the main container.

10. The ice cream maker according to claim 1, and to an alternative construction, wherein said rod of said cap comprises five equidistant central holes.

11. The ice cream maker according to claim 1, wherein the mass of the flavored frozen confection is inserted into said container and subsequently the mold is inserted, which can be removed after the outer mass of the flavored frozen confection freezes, subsequently the filling is added into the hollow mass area, and then the cap is inserted which holds the internal rod that incorporates the filling, and the external rod of the handle for the finishing of the product.

12. The ice cream maker according to claim 1, wherein the container of the ice cream maker set comprises two diametrically opposed laminar extensions carried out at its circular end.

13. A process of making filled ice creams through an ice cream maker, comprising the following steps: i. filling the container with the ice cream mass; ii. installation of the mold over the container filled with the ice cream mass; iii. cooling the container filled with the ice cream mass and assembled with the mold until its respective mass is frozen; iv. withdrawal of the mold; v. completing the frozen mass in the container with the desired filling; vi. sealing of the filling with an increase of ice cream mass; vii. mounting the cap over the container; and viii. cooling the container containing the frozen mass, the desired filling and the ice cream mass for sealing, assembled with the cap.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0011] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0012] FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of the ice cream maker;

[0013] FIG. 1.1 shows a lower perspective view of the ice cream maker;

[0014] FIG. 1.2 shows a rear perspective view of the assembly without the caps of the main container;

[0015] FIG. 1.3 shows a front view of the cap;

[0016] FIG. 1.4 shows a perspective view of the mold and the main container;

[0017] FIG. 2 shows an alternative construction, in a front perspective view of the ice cream maker;

[0018] FIG. 2.1 shows an alternative construction, in a lower perspective view of the ice cream maker;

[0019] FIG. 2.2 shows an alternative construction, in a rear perspective view, of the assembly without the caps of the main container;

[0020] FIG. 2.3 shows an alternative construction in a front view of the cap and;

[0021] FIG. 2.4 shows a detailed view of an alternative construction of the ice cream maker.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] According to the illustrations of the above mentioned figures, the following produced of thermoplastic material or other material with similar characteristics, comprises a laminar structure of basically four elements, namely at least one container (2) for containing the flavored frozen confection mass, one mold (3) internally and centrally positioned, supported at the surrounding end (4) of the container (2), which creates a hollow area in the center of the flavored frozen confection mass, and finally a closing cap (5) comprising a transverse rod relative to said cap (5) and longitudinal relative to the container (2), said rod passing transversally through its cap (5), wherein an internal portion (5a) is inserted into the hollow area created by the internal mold (3) to aggregate the mass of the filling, and the other one, the external portion (5b), conforms the handle.

[0023] In addition to these elements, the ice cream maker set (1) is likely to provide also a means for the containment and positioning of the containers (2) for the insertion of same into a freezing unit, defined by a laminar base (6) provided with holes (7) on its upper face, corresponding to the engagements at the ends of the containers (2).

[0024] Alternatively, said laminar base (6) replaces the holes (7) corresponding to the ends of the containers, by recesses corresponding to the containers (2) containing the outer mass of the flavored frozen confection.

[0025] An alternative means for the containment and positioning of the containers, said means foreseen on the ice cream maker set (1) now being claimed by the applicant, is represented by the presence of engagement means for the interconnection of two or more containers (2), that is, said devices being disposed diametrically opposed and specially designed for the interconnection of one or more container (2) units, allowing it to be more easily brought into a freezing unit, wherein one side face comprises the male portion (8) of said device and the other side face comprises the corresponding female portion (8a), for the engagement of two or more containers (2) in order to arrange them vertically before they are placed into a freezing unit.

[0026] The container (2) also provides an alternative constructive variation related to the interconnection system shown in FIG. 2.1, in which the male portion (12) comprises a format in which their side locks are extended relative to the male portion (8), and the female portion (12a) comprises a wider internal gap with respect to the female portion (8a) with the purpose of providing a better conformation to the male portion (12) and for providing greater stability to the united containers, as illustrated in FIG. 2.4.

[0027] The container (2) comprises the shape of a Mexican palette, that is, with a slightly reversed pyramidal trunk format, being elongated and provided with a free extreme portion of semicircular shape (9).

[0028] The container (2) of the ice cream maker (1a) also presents an alternative constructive variation, in which the free extreme portion of semicircular shape (9) contains a gap in its central portion of semispherical shape.

[0029] Each of the containers (2) of the ice cream maker (1) comprises, at its free end, a surrounding salience (4) forming a step or cradle for supporting and positioning the free end of the internal mold (3), said mold (3) being divided into two distinct portions, namely, a laminar body (3a) with a format similar to the main container (2) although of smaller dimension, and an upper portion (3b) of rectangular shape, provided with a surrounding band (11) capable of fitting in the also surrounding salience (4) carried out at the free end of the container body (2).

[0030] The internal mold (3) also presents an alternative constructive variation, where in its upper portion (3b) there are two tabs with a slightly longer length than the main container (2), which has the purpose to facilitate the withdrawal of the same without the need of greater efforts or defrosting of the mass, as illustrated in FIG. 2.2.

[0031] After being inserted into a freezing unit and the first portion of the flavored frozen confection is frozen, that is, the outer portion of the ice cream, the mold (3) can be removed and the liquid or pasty filling can be introduced into the central hole produced in the ice cream, and later on the cap (5) of the flavored frozen confection can be positioned, which holds the inner rod (5a) and which will be incorporated into the filling, and the rod (5b) of the handle, which is external, can again be taken back to a freezing unit for the finishing of the product.

[0032] Said cap (5) of the flavored frozen confection also comprises an alternative constructive variation, in which the internal rod (5a) presents five equidistant central holes, which provide increased stability to the flavored frozen confection, as the mass will also freeze through said internal rod (5a) and not only around it, as can be observed in FIG. 2.3.

[0033] As a further alternative construction, the container (2) of the ice cream maker set (1) comprises two diametrically opposed laminar extensions (10) carried out on its circular border, that help to maintain the verticality of each container (2).

[0034] The process of using said ice cream maker set (1) comprises the following steps: [0035] i. Filling the container (2) with the ice cream mass; [0036] ii. Installation of the mold (3) over the container (2) filled with the ice cream mass; [0037] iii. Cooling the container (2) filled with the ice cream mass and assembled with the mold (3) until its respective mass is frozen; [0038] iv. Withdrawal of the mold (3); [0039] v. Completing the frozen mass in the container (2) with the desired filling; [0040] vi. Sealing of the filling with an increase of ice cream mass; [0041] vii. Mounting the cap (5) over the container (2); [0042] viii. Cooling the container (2) containing the frozen mass, the desired filling and the ice cream mass for sealing, assembled with the cap (5).

[0043] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of preferred embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0044] For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of a or an throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and comprising does not exclude other steps or elements.