Rapid-agitation mixer for food products

• US 10,076,124 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2015
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Steak 'n Shake Enterprises, Inc. (Biglari Capital LLC)
• Original Assignee: Steak 'n Shake Enterprises, Inc. (Biglari Capital LLC)
• Inventors: Biglari, Sardar, Milton, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Halpern, Mark
• Application Number:
  US14/657,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20160262573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 366144
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/045 of slush-ice, e.g. semi-frozen beverage
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/12 using means for stirring the contents in a non-moving container
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/224 Agitators or scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/13 Mixing of ice-cream ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/10 with a mixing receptacle rotating alternately in opposite directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/23 by pivoting the containers about an axis
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/24 the containers being submitted to a rectilinear movement
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/25 the containers being submitted to a combination of movements other than within a horizontal plane, e.g. rectilinear and pivoting movement with a receptacle submitted to a combination of movements, i.e. at least one movement being vibratory or oscillatory B01F31/50
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2115 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2117 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/212 of the driving system data, e.g. torque, speed or power data
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2202 Controlling the mixing process by feed-back, i.e. a measured parameter of the mixture is measured, compared with the set-value and the feed values are corrected
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2207 Use of data, i.e. barcodes, 3D codes or similar type of tagging information, as instruction or identification codes for controlling the computer programs, e.g. for manipulation, handling, production or compounding in mixing plants B01F33/848 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/421 having a cup-shaped or cage-type form
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/422 having a jaw-type or finger-type shape
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/531 with baffles, plates or bars on the wall or the bottom
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/94 using radiation, e.g. microwaves or electromagnetic radiation

Abstract

The techniques described herein provide, in one embodiment, a rapid-agitation mixer for food products that comprises a product holder configured to hold a sealed product cup containing a food product to be mixed, and a drive shaft along an agitation axis, the drive shaft configured to secure the product holder and product cup in place. The illustrative mixer also comprises a drive motor configured to reciprocate the drive shaft in opposing directions, where the product holder correspondingly reciprocates the product cup to churn the food product within the product cup.

Claims

1. A method for dual-axis mixing of food products in a dual axis mixing apparatus, the method comprising:

holding a sealed product cup containing a food product to be mixed in a product holder;

sealing, via a cup cover moveably attached to the dual axis mixing apparatus, the sealed product cup to provide a secondary seal to the sealed product cup;

securing the product holder and product cup in place by moving the cup cover vertically on a drive shaft along an agitation axis; and

reciprocating the drive shaft in opposing directions by a drive motor,

wherein the product holder correspondingly reciprocates the product cup to churn the food product within the product cup.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the food product is an ice cream product.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein sealing further comprising:

sealing the product holder around the product cup.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the agitation axis is linear along the drive shaft.

5. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

rotating the drive shaft.

6. The method as in claim 5, wherein the drive shaft is rotated in a continuous circular motion.

7. The method as in claim 5, wherein the drive shaft is rotated in an oscillating back-and-forth motion.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the product cup comprises one or more internal agitation components within the product cup and further comprises:

rotating the one or more internal agitation components and the drive shaft simultaneously.

9. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

while reciprocating the drive shaft, heating, by a heat source attached to the dual mixing apparatus, the product cup to heat to the food product to a point where the food product can be mixed.

10. The method as in claim 1, wherein reciprocating further comprises:

adjusting, by the dual axis mixing apparatus, a throw distance of the drive shaft based a particular agitation speed used to mix the food product.

11. The method as in claim 1, wherein the product holder includes a cup holder, wherein the cup holder and the cup cover join together to form the secondary seal.

12. The method as in claim 1, wherein a counter-balancing system is substantially 180 degrees out-of-phase from the reciprocating product holder and product cup.