Patent · US Expired

Popcorn popper with floating stirring system

US5163357A · kind A · utility

21Cited by
23References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 17, 1991
Grant dateNov 17, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 17, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA23L7/187
  • WIPO fieldFood chemistry
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A popcorn popper (10) for more effectively popping popcorn by agitating the popcorn during the heating process with a floating stirring system, the floating stirring system being designed to avoid jamming while the popcorn is being agitated and popped and to draw unpopped kernels to the center of the popping surface, including those kernels which tend to remain about the periphery. The popcorn popper (10) includes a popcorn receptacle (12) into which unpopped kernels are placed for popping. The lid assembly (14) includes a pair of doors (54 and 56) attached to a spine (40), the spine (40) being releasably secured to the popcorn receptacle (12). A stirring assembly (16) is provided for agitating the popcorn in the popcorn receptacle (12) and includes a handle (80) for gripping the popper (10), a cooperating drive shaft (94) and stirring shaft (124), and a floating stirring rod (138) for engaging the popcorn kernels, the floating stirring rod (138) being driven by the cooperating shafts (94 and 124). The floating stirring rod (138) is designed to push unpopped kernels toward the center of the popcorn receptacle (12) and to prevent unpopped kernels from remaining about the periphery.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.