Self Contained Popcorn Popper
AssigneeGold Medal Products Co.
InventorTimothy Allan Rhome
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved popcorn popper (10) has effluent filtration structure to treat the oil laden vapor and steam effluent from popping popcorn within the popper and with discharge of effluent having less than 5 milligrams of particulates per cubic meter of effluent discharged directly into the area in which the popper (10) is located. There is no need for external hoods or for external ducting of effluent to outside the area and facility in which the popcorn is popped. The filtering is carried out within the popper (10). A fire suppression system is provided to handle fires even within the kettle (14). Methods are disclosed.
Claims25
A self-contained popcorn popper for use in an area, comprising:
- a cabinet including a popcorn receiving chamber having a top wall;
- a popcorn popping kettle assembly including a kettle and a kettle top located entirely within the popcorn receiving chamber and spaced from the top wall thereof;
- a popped popcorn bin in the popcorn receiving chamber for receiving popped popcorn from the kettle;
- a filter passage having an inlet located below the top wall of the popcorn receiving chamber so as to be located inside the popcorn receiving chamber of the cabinet, said inlet being in fluid communication with said kettle assembly;
- a plurality of filtration stations within the filter passage for removing particulates from a vapor effluent issuing from the popping of popcorn in said kettle;
- and
- a blower for sucking vapor effluent into said inlet and through said passage so as to discharge filtered effluent into said area located outside of said cabinet.
A popcorn popper for use in an area, comprising:
- a cabinet including a popcorn receiving chamber having a top wall;
- a popcorn popping kettle assembly including a kettle and a kettle top located entirely within said popcorn receiving chamber and spaced from the top wall thereof;
- a filter passage with an inlet located in an upper portion of said popcorn receiving chamber below the top wall, said inlet being in fluid communication with said kettle assembly;
- a plurality of filtration stations in said passage;
- and
- a blower operably coupled to said passage for sucking vapor effluent from said kettle into said inlet and through said filtration stations;
- said blower having a discharge outlet for discharging filtered vapor effluent into said area located outside of said cabinet.
A popcorn pass-through popcorn popper for use in an area, comprising:
- a cabinet having two opposite open sides providing access to a popcorn receiving chamber having a top wall;
- a popcorn popping assembly including a kettle and a kettle top located entirely within said popcorn receiving chamber and spaced from the top wall thereof;
- a vapor effluent treating passage for filtering vapors issuing from the popping of popcorn in said kettle assembly during a popping operation and for discharging filtered effluent into the environment in which said popper is located;
- an inlet of said vapor effluent treating passage being disposed in an upper portion of said popcorn receiving chamber and below the top wall, said inlet being in fluid communication with said kettle assembly;
- a plurality of filtration stations in said passage;
- and
- a blower for sucking effluent into said inlet and through said passage so as to discharge filtered effluent into said area located outside of said cabinet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.