The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 09, 2002
Filed:
Feb. 16, 2000
Kenneth J. Michlitsch, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Shaun Meredith, Natick, MA (US);
Daniel J. Keating, Somerville, MA (US);
Yaakov Weinstein, Brookline, MA (US);
Eugene Lee, Somerville, MA (US);
Michael D. Rees, New York, NY (US);
Darren Soetantyo, Providence, RI (US);
Sean Padgett, Grafton, MA (US);
Steven D. Eppinger, Lexington, MA (US);
Other;
Abstract
Methods and apparatus are provided for serving ice cream with a chemically-heated ice cream scoop. The scoop comprises a bowl and a handle with an interior cavity filled with a nontoxic, supercoolable salt solution. The salt solution may be selectively crystallized by triggering an activator in fluid communication with the solution. Crystallization evolves a significant amount of heat that is used to elevate the temperature of the scoop bowl, thereby decreasing the cutting force required to separate a serving of ice cream from a storage container and reducing adherence of the ice cream within the scoop bowl. After use, the scoop may be recharged by elevating the temperature of the crystallized solution above its crystallization temperature. The process of crystallization, melting, and supercooling may be repeated indefinitely.