WO2008139424A1

WO2008139424A1 - Item of confectionary

Info

Publication number: WO2008139424A1
Application number: PCT/IB2008/051918
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jonathan Traub
Original assignee: Jonathan Traub
Priority date: 2007-05-16
Filing date: 2008-05-15
Publication date: 2008-11-20

Abstract

This invention relates to an item of confectionary, and more particularly to an item of confectionary which can be placed inside a wafer biscuit cone or ice cream held by the cone. The item of confectionary includes an edible housing suitable for holding a filling therein, the housing having an open end, and a seal for closing the open end thereby securing the filling inside the edible housing.

Description

ITEM OF CONFECTIONARY

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

THIS invention relates to an item of confectionary. In particular the invention is concerned with an item of confectionary which can be placed inside a wafer biscuit cone or ice cream held by the cone.

It is common practice to serve ice cream in a cone shaped wafer biscuit shell. Ice cream parlours also often sprinkle confectionary on an ice cream helping with a view to enhancing the taste of the ice cream. Another practice often employed for enhancing the taste of ice cream served in a wafer biscuit cone is to place a lump of chocolate, often of the type sold under the trade mark Flake®, inside an ice cream helping.

It is an object of the invention to provide an alternative item of confectionary which can be consumed with a wafer biscuit cone and ice cream.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an item of confectionary suitable for being placed inside an edible cone or a helping of ice cream held by the edible cone, the item of confectionary including an edible housing suitable for holding a filling therein, the housing having an open end, and a seal for closing the open end thereby securing the filling inside the edible housing.

Preferably the item includes an edible filling.

Advantageously the edible housing is made of a wafer biscuit. Preferably the seal is provided in the form of a wafer biscuit cap.

More preferably the cap is secured inside the open end of the edible housing by way of edible glue.

Alternatively the cap is secured inside the open end of the edible housing by way of an interference fit.

In a further embodiment of the invention the seal is provided in the form of a lump of chocolate.

In another embodiment of the invention an outer portion of the edible housing includes a layer of chocolate.

There is still further provided for the edible housing to have an at least partially irregular outer surface in order to provide at least some friction between the housing and ice cream, in use located inside the cone. Preferably the irregular outer surface is in the form of at least one spiral shaped ridge extending around the housing.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided an ice cream arrangement comprising an edible cone supporting a helping of ice cream, and an item of confectionary in accordance with the first aspect of the invention located at least partially inside the edible cone.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided an ice cream arrangement comprising an edible cone supporting a helping of ice cream, and an item of confectionary located at least partially inside the edible cone, the item of confectionary including an edible housing suitable for holding a filling therein, the housing having an open end which is sealed by a portion of the ice cream located on top of the open end. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an item of confectionary in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of an ice cream arrangement in accordance with the invention;

Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of an item of confectionary in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of an ice cream arrangement in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of an ice cream arrangement in accordance with yet a further embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1 shows an item of confectionary in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, generally indicated with the reference numeral 10. The item of confectionary 10 comprises an edible housing 12 which is produced form wafer biscuit. The edible housing 12 is substantially tubular, and has an open end 14 at its top and a tapering bottom end 16. A-

The edible housing 12 further holds a filling 18 which has been fed into the housing through the open end 14. In this embodiment of the invention the filling 18 is provided in the form of confectionary sold under the trade mark Smarties®. It will, however, be appreciated that the filling 18 need not necessarily be Smarties® but could be a range of edible substances.

In order to secure the filling 18 inside the edible housing 12, the item of confectionary includes a seal 20 for closing the open end 14. In this embodiment the seal 20 comprises a cap which is shaped as shown in order to be secured to the edible housing 12 with edible glue. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, not shown, the cap 20 is suitably dimensioned relative to the open end 14 of the edible housing 12 such that it can be held in position by way of a pressure or interference fit.

With a view to enhancing the taste of the item of confectionary 10, an outer bottom portion of the edible housing 12 includes a chocolate layer 22.

Figure 2 shows an ice cream arrangement 24 in accordance with a second aspect of the invention. The ice cream arrangement 24 comprises an edible cone 26, in this embodiment also produced from wafer biscuit, and a helping of ice cream 28 which secures the item of confectionary 10 in position. As shown, the tapering bottom end 16 of the item of confectionary 10 is complementary to the tapering shape of the edible cone 26 with the result that the item of confectionary 10 is wedged in position. However, there is also provided for the bottom end 16 of the item to be spaced apart from an inner surface of the cone 26, and for the item to be held in position by the ice cream without engaging the cone 26 itself.

Figure 3 shows an item of confectionary in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, generally indicated with the reference numeral 30. The item of confectionary 30 also includes an edible housing 12 of wafer biscuit but, unlike the housing of the item of confectionary 10, it does not include a tapering bottom end with the result that it is generally cylindrical in shape. The item of confectionary 30 also includes a filling 18 comprising Smarties® which is secured inside the edible housing 12 with a seal 20. However, unlike the seal 20 of the item of confectionary 10, the seal here is provided in the form of a lump of chocolate located inside the open end 14.

Figure 4 shows an alternative ice cream arrangement 32 wherein the item of confectionary 10 is covered with a helping of ice cream 28 such that it does not protrude from the helping of ice cream as is the case with the ice cream arrangement 24 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 shows a further embodiment of an ice cream arrangement in accordance with the invention, generally indicated with the reference numeral 34. The ice cream arrangement 34 includes an item of confectionary 36 comprising an edible housing 38 having an open end 40. The item of confectionary 36 also includes a filling 42. The ice cream arrangement 34 further includes a helping of ice cream 44 which is supported on an edible cone 46. The important aspect of this embodiment of the invention is that a portion 48 of the helping of ice cream 44 forms a seal for closing the open end of the housing 38 as shown.

It will be appreciated that the seal of the item of confectionary could be provided in the form of a range of edible substances.

It will also be appreciated that the edible housing could be provided in a range of shapes and sizes. In a preferred embodiment there is provided for the housing 12 to be of a tapered configuration along substantially its entire length (not shown) thus rendering the housing at least partially frusto- conical.

There is also provided for the outer surface of the housing to include at least one (preferably four) spiral shaped ridge extending therefrom,. The edible housing also need not necessarily be produced from wafer biscuit but could be made from a range of edible substances, for example sugar cone or multi-coloured wafer biscuit.

It is also envisaged that the item of confectionary need not necessarily be sold with a filling inside the edible housing, but that the housing could be filled at an ice cream parlour with an edible substance of a patron's choice whereafter it could be closed with the seal and place inside an ice cream cone. Alternatively the housing could be filled and placed inside an edible cone with its open end unsealed. The open end of the housing can now be sealed when a helping of ice cream is placed on top of the edible cone and a portion of the helping of ice cream is located inside the open end.

Dated this 16^th day of May 2008

Spoor & Fisher

Patent Attorneys for the Applicant

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An item of confectionary suitable for being placed inside an edible cone or a helping of ice cream held by the edible cone, the item of confectionary including: an edible housing suitable for holding a filling therein, the housing having an open end, and a seal for closing the open end thereby securing the filling inside the edible housing.

2. The item of confectionary of claim 1 wherein the housing contains an edible filling.

3. The item of confectionary of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the edible housing is made of a wafer biscuit.

4. The item of confectionary of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the seal is in the form of a wafer biscuit cap.

5. The item of confectionary of claim 4 wherein the cap is secured inside the open end of the edible housing by way of edible glue.

6. The item of confectionary of claim 4 wherein the cap is secured inside the open end of the edible housing by way of an interference fit.

7. The item of confectionary of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the seal is in the form of a lump of chocolate.

8. The item of confectionary of any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein a spiral shaped ridge extends from an outer surface of the housing.

9. The item of confectionary of claim 1 substantially as herein described and exemplified, and/or described with reference to the accompanying figures.

10. An ice cream arrangement including an edible cone supporting a helping of ice cream, and an item of confectionary in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 9 located at least partially inside the edible cone.

11. An ice cream arrangement including an edible cone supporting a helping of ice cream, and an item of confectionary located at least partially inside the edible cone, the ice cream arrangement characterized therein that the item of confectionary includes an edible housing suitable for holding a filling therein, the housing having an open end which is sealed by a portion of the ice cream located on top of the open end.

12. The ice cream arrangement of claim 10 or claim 11 substantially as herein described and exemplified, and/or described with reference to the accompanying figures.