Methods and apparatus for chocolate dispensers

A portable chocolate dispenser comprising:

• a chamber having a first end and a second end, the chamber to receive chocolate at the first end;
• a heater adjacent the chamber to heat chocolate;
• a nozzle adjacent the second end of the chamber, the nozzle having an opening to allow chocolate to exit the portable chocolate dispenser;
• and,
• a squeeze bulb to apply pressure to chocolate to force it from the second end of the chamber through the opening in the nozzle, the squeeze bulb having a one-way air valve, the squeeze bulb coupled to the first end of the chamber to apply pressure to chocolate.

A portable chocolate dispenser comprising:

• a chamber having a first end and a second end, the chamber to receive chocolate at the first end;
• a heater adjacent the chamber to heat chocolate;
• a nozzle adjacent the second end of the chamber, the nozzle having an opening to allow chocolate to exit the portable chocolate dispenser;
• and,
• a flexible bladder to apply pressure to chocolate to force it from the second end of the chamber through the opening in the nozzle, the chamber having the flexible bladder and a fill tube cap, the fill tube cap to couple to the first end of the chamber.

A portable chocolate dispenser comprising:

• a fixed heating chamber coupled to a housing, the fixed heating chamber having a first end and a second end, the fixed heating chamber to receive chocolate at the first end;
• a low wattage heater adjacent the fixed heating chamber to heat chocolate;
• a nozzle adjacent the second end of the fixed heating chamber, the nozzle having an opening to allow chocolate to exit the portable chocolate dispenser;
• a plunger having a piston, the piston of the plunger to be inserted into the first end of the fixed heating chamber to apply pressure to chocolate, the plunger including a rack along an edge of the rod;
• and
• a ratchet to engage the rack of the plunger to apply pressure to dispense liquid chocolate from the fixed heating chamber.

A portable chocolate dispenser comprising:

• a chamber having a first end and a second end, the chamber to receive chocolate at the first end;
• a heater adjacent the chamber to heat chocolate;
• a nozzle adjacent the second end of the chamber, the nozzle having an opening to allow chocolate to exit the portable chocolate dispenser;
• a plunger having a piston, the piston of the plunger to be inserted into the first end of the chamber to apply pressure to chocolate, the plunger including a male thread along an outer surface of the rod and a handle at an end of the plunger;
• a female thread adjacent the end of the chamber to engage the male thread of the plunger;
• the handle to rotate the plunger to apply pressure to dispense liquid chocolate from the chamber.

A portable chocolate dispenser comprising:

• a chamber having a first end and a second end, the chamber to receive chocolate at the first end;
• a heater adjacent the chamber to heat chocolate;
• a nozzle adjacent the second end of the chamber, the nozzle having an opening to allow chocolate to exit the portable chocolate dispenser;
• a plunger having a piston, the piston of the plunger to be inserted into the first end of the chamber to apply pressure to chocolate, the plunger including a male thread along an outer surface of the rod and a first gear near an end;
• a female thread adjacent the end of the chamber to threadly engage the male thread of the plunger;
• and
• a motor having a second gear to engage the first gear and to rotate the plunger to thread it into the chamber and apply pressure to dispense liquid chocolate.

A method of extruding chocolate comprising:

• placing chocolate into a chamber;
• heating the chamber with a low watt electric heater to melt the chocolate therein into liquid chocolate without burning;
• and
• directly applying a force to an end of a manual plunger to manually dispense a portion of the liquid chocolate in the chamber through an opening in a nozzle.

A method of extruding chocolate comprising:

• placing chocolate into a chamber;
• heating the chamber with a low watt electric heater to melt the chocolate therein into liquid chocolate without burning;
• and
• applying gas pressure to the liquid chocolate in the chamber to dispense a portion of the liquid chocolate in the chamber through an opening in a nozzle.

A method of extruding chocolate comprising:

• placing chocolate into a chamber;
• heating the chamber with a low watt electric heater to melt the chocolate therein into liquid chocolate without burning;
• and
• manually applying mechanical pressure to the liquid chocolate in the chamber by squeezing a flexible bladder to dispense a portion of the liquid chocolate in the chamber through an opening in a nozzle.

A method of dispensing chocolate comprising:

• providing a portable chocolate dispenser including a heat chamber, a low wattage heater, a nozzle, and a direct manual means to apply pressure;
• positioning the portable chocolate dispenser in a support structure of a dispensing station over a dispensing area;
• placing chocolate into the heat chamber;
• closing the heat chamber;
• heating the heat chamber with the low wattage heater to a temperature slightly above a melting point of solid chocolate to melt the chocolate into liquid chocolate without burning;
• and
• directly applying pressure to the liquid chocolate using the direct manual means to apply pressure to force a portion of the liquid chocolate out through the nozzle of the portable chocolate dispenser over the dispensing area.

A portable chocolate dispenser comprising:

• a heating chamber to receive solid chocolate at a first end and allow liquid chocolate to exit a second end;
• a low wattage heater thermally coupled to the heating chamber, the low wattage heater to heat the heating chamber to a temperature above a melting point of solid chocolate to melt solid chocolate into liquid chocolate without burning;
• a nozzle coupled to the second end of the heating chamber to receive liquid chocolate, the nozzle having an orifice to dispense liquid chocolate;
• a plunger having a piston at a first end of a smooth rod, the piston of the plunger to be inserted into the first end of the heating chamber to apply pressure to liquid chocolate in the heating chamber;
• a first housing to hold the heating chamber, the heater, and the nozzle coupled together;
• and
• a second housing coupled to the first housing, the second housing slideningly coupled to the plunger to align the piston of the plunger with the heating chamber.

A chocolate dispenser for use by children as a toy, the chocolate dispenser comprising:

• a case including
• a chamber having a first end and a second end, the chamber to receive chocolate,
• a low wattage heater adjacent the chamber to heat solid chocolate of a solid state into liquid chocolate of a liquid state without burning, and,
• a nozzle adjacent the first end of the chamber, the nozzle having an opening to dispense liquid chocolate;
• and,
• a manual plunger having a handle at a first end of a smooth rod and a piston at a second end of the smooth rod opposite the first end, the piston of the manual plunger to be inserted into the second end of the chamber, the handle to manually apply pressure to liquid chocolate and dispense it from the chamber through the opening in the nozzle.

A portable chocolate dispenser comprising:

• a heating chamber to receive solid chocolate at a first end and allow liquid chocolate to exit a second end;
• a heater thermally coupled to the heating chamber, the heater to heat the heating chamber to a temperature to melt solid chocolate into liquid chocolate;
• a nozzle coupled to the second end of the heating chamber to receive liquid chocolate, the nozzle having an orifice to dispense liquid chocolate;
• and
• a squeeze bulb having a one-way air valve, the squeeze bulb coupled to the first end of the heating chamber to apply pressure to liquid chocolate in the heating chamber.

A portable chocolate dispenser comprising:

• a collapsible heating chamber to receive solid chocolate at a first end and allow liquid chocolate to exit a second end, the collapsible heating chamber including
• a flexible bladder on a side of the collapsible heating chamber, the flexible bladder to apply pressure to liquid chocolate in the collapsible heating chamber;
• a heater thermally coupled to the collapsible heating chamber, the heater to heat the collapsible heating chamber to a temperature to melt solid chocolate into liquid chocolate;
• a nozzle coupled to the second end of the collapsible heating chamber to receive liquid chocolate, the nozzle having an orifice to dispense liquid chocolate;
• and
• a stopper to couple to the first end of the collapsible heating chamber.

A playset for children comprising:

• a toy chocolate dispenser including
• a heating chamber to receive solid chocolate, and
• a heater thermally coupled to the heating chamber to melt solid chocolate into liquid chocolate;
• and
• a dispensing station to support and hold the toy chocolate dispenser over a dispensing area of the dispensing station to dispense liquid chocolate therein.

A chocolate dispensing station comprising:

• a portable chocolate dispenser including
• a heating chamber to receive solid chocolate, and
• a heater thermally coupled to the heating chamber to melt solid chocolate into liquid chocolate;
• and
• a support structure to hold the portable chocolate dispenser to dispense liquid chocolate in a dispensing area.