Fountain that flows with fluidic material
A fountain for heating and distributing fluidic material is manufactured using various processes and materials so that the fountain is more easily cleaned and sanitized, has improved performance, and is easier to assemble. In one embodiment, the chocolate fountain includes a heating element encased in an aluminum enclosure. A basin containing chocolate is heated by contact with the aluminum enclosure. Because the aluminum enclosure has a relatively high thermal conductivity, the basin is heating substantially uniformly, thus reducing the occurrence of hot spots. Additionally, a plastic auger having a spiral flight rotates and lifts the melted chocolate upward to a top end of cylinder that houses the auger. The use of a plastic auger, advantageously eliminates welding artifacts on the auger, such as burrs and pits, on which melted chocolate may accumulate. Accordingly, the plastic auger is easy to clean. A smaller chocolate fountain that may advantageously be more suitable for home use is also described herein.
1 . An apparatus for uniformly heating a material, the apparatus comprising:
a basin configured to contain said material;
a cylinder attached substantially perpendicular to said basin and configured to contain said material; and
one or more flexible heating members, wherein said one or more flexible heating members are coupled to said basin so that a surface of said basin is substantially uniformly heated.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the heating members provides a heat source capable of transferring heat.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said one or more flexible heating members are encapsulated in a heat conductive material.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said one or more flexible heating members are substantially encapsulated in flexible heat conductive medium.
5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the flexible heat conductive medium comprises rubber.
6 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said heat conductive material is a carbon filled rubber.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the material comprises chocolate.
8 . An apparatus comprising:
a basin having a bottom surface and an outer wall surrounding the bottom surface, so that the basin is configured to contain a material;
a heating element comprising a plurality of heating members, the heating members being flexibly moveable with respect to one another, the heating element being coupled to the basin such that heat from the heating members is transferred to the basin and to the material within the basin.
9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the heating members are substantially circular and arranged concentrically so that each of the heating members share a comment center.
10 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the heating members are arranged in a grid pattern.
11 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the heating members are arranged in a web pattern.
12 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein each of the heating members comprises a heat source capable of transferring heat.
13 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the heating element comprises a heat conductive material substantial surrounding the plurality of heating members.
14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the heat conductive material is flexible.
15 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the heat conductive material comprises rubber.
16 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the heat conductive material comprise a carbon filled rubber.
17 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the material comprises chocolate.
18 . An apparatus for uniformly heating a material, the apparatus comprising:
a basin having a bottom surface configured such that a fluidic material moves towards a center of the bottom surface;
a cylinder attached substantially perpendicular to said basin and configured to contain said material; and
means for substantially evenly heating the bottom surface of the basin, the heating means being flexible so that the heating means is attachable to a non-planar surface of the bottom of the basin.
19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the heating means comprises one or more flexible heating members.
20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the flexible heating members are substantially encapsulated in flexible heat conductive medium.