Fountain that flows with fluidic material

Abstract

A fountain for heating and distributing fluidic material is manufactured using various processes and materials. In one embodiment, the fountain includes a heating element encased in an enclosure. A basin containing a medium, such as chocolate, is removably mounted to the enclosure so that the basin is heated by contact with the enclosure. Additionally, an auger having a spiral flight rotates and lifts the melted chocolate upward to a top end of a cylinder that houses the auger. One or more tiers may be mounted, using various locking mechanisms, onto the cylinder to divert flow of the medium. A smaller chocolate fountain that may advantageously be more suitable for home use is also described herein.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a basin having a bottom surface, an outer side surrounding the bottom surface, and a threaded member extending below the bottom surface of the basin, the basin being configured to contain a fluidic material;   an enclosure substantially encasing a heating element, wherein the enclosure is in contact with the bottom surface of the basin and is configured to heat the bottom surface of the basin, the enclosure further comprising a support reservoir configured to support the bottom surface of the basin and a threaded aperture configured to threadedly mate with the threaded member of the basin so that the basin is removably attached to the enclosure;   a cylinder having a top end and a bottom end, wherein the bottom end is attached to the bottom surface of the basin so that the cylinder extends upwardly substantially perpendicular from the bottom surface;   an auger having a spiral flight comprising a plurality of revolutions protruding along a length of the auger, wherein the auger is disposed within the cylinder;   a tier removably attached to the cylinder and having an upper surface and a lower surface; and   a source of rotation coupled to the auger and configured to rotate the auger inside the cylinder, wherein the spiral flight supports the fluidic material as the auger rotates, moving the fluidic material upwardly to the top end of the cylinder.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the auger comprises a handle at an upper end of the auger, wherein the handle is shaped to be grasped by a human hand. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprise a plurality of tiers, each of the plurality of tiers comprising an aperture with a different diameter, wherein the cylinder is step tapered so that each of the plurality of tiers engages with one of the step-tapers when the tiers are lowered around the cylinder. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein an inner circumference of the tier surrounding an aperture in the tier is angled to substantially match in a mating relationship with an outer surface of the cylinder at a predetermined location along the length of the cylinder. 
   
   
       5 . A method of assembling an apparatus for circulating a fluidic medium, the method comprising:
 mounting a cylinder to a basin so that the cylinder extends upwardly substantially perpendicular to a bottom surface of the basin;   mounting the basin to a housing via a threaded engagement of the basin with the housing, such that the basin is removable from the basin;   placing a tier having a circular aperture on the cylinder in a position such that a top end of the cylinder is inside the bounds defined by the circular aperture; and   moving the tier towards a bottom end of the cylinder until a locking mechanism stabilizes the tier at a predetermined location and the tier becomes securely coupled to the cylinder.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the cylinder comprises a step taper configured to engage the tier as the tier is lowered around the cylinder. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the cylinder comprises a plurality of step tapers, each configured to engage one of a plurality of tiers as the tiers are lowered around the cylinder. 
   
   
       8 . A system for circulating a fluidic medium, the system comprising:
 means for mounting a cylinder to a basin;   means for removably mounting the basin to a housing by threadedly engaging a threaded member of the basin with a threaded aperture of the basin;   a tier having a circular aperture, wherein a diameter of the circular aperture is substantially identical to a diameter of cylinder, and   means for locking the tier at a predetermined location on the cylinder.   
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising means for supporting the fluidic medium in the cylinder so that the fluidic medium is moved upward inside the cylinder. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the means for supporting comprises a means for grasping the means for supporting.