Rinseable splash shield and method of use

• US 20050201198A1
• Filed: 04/28/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F'Real Foods LLC (Rich Products Corporation)
• Original Assignee: F'Real Foods LLC (Rich Products Corporation)
• Inventors: Farrell, James J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,520,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 366/138
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 2043/04472 with a mixing unit vertically movable relative to the support
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/0705 for machines with tools driven from the upper side A47J43/0727 - A47J43/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/805 wherein the stirrers or the receptacles are moved in order to bring them into operative position; Means for fixing the receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/145 Washing or cleaning mixers not provided for in other groups in this subclass; Inhibiting build-up of material on machine parts using other means
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/1453 by means of jets of fluid, e.g. air

Abstract

The present application describes a method for rinsing a splash shield with water or a sanitizing solution. According to the disclosed method, a vessel containing contents to be mixed is positioned in a mixing machine, and a splash shield is positioned to shield the opening of the vessel. After the material within the vessel is mixed by a mixing element, the splash shield is separated from the vessel and rinsed by a nozzle on the mixing machine. In another embodiment, a vessel containing contents to be mixed is positioned in a holder on a mixing machine, and a splash shield (which may or may not be rinseable) is positioned over the opening of the vessel. The contents of the vessel are mixed using a mixing element. During and/or after mixing, opposed relative movement of the mixing element and vessel may occur, creating an upward lifting force on the vessel. The weight of the shield is sufficient to overcome this upward lifting force on the vessel and thereby causes the vessel to remain seated in the holder

Claims

1. A method for rinsing a splash shield on a mixing machine, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a vessel containing material to be mixed, the vessel including an opening;

further providing a mixing machine having a holder for receiving the vessel, a rotatable mixing element extendable into the vessel for mixing the material, a splash shield positionable to shield the opening of the vessel, and a nozzle oriented towards the splash shield;

after mixing the material using the mixing element and with the splash shield shielding the opening, unshielding the vessel opening and directing rinsing fluid onto the splash shield using the nozzle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the directing step is performed automatically after the separating step.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the holder is moveable in a first direction towards the splash shield and a second direction away from the splash shield and wherein the unshielding step includes the step of moving the holder in the second direction.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the mixing element is on a shaft;

the splash shield is engageable with a portion of the shaft, the splash shield disengageable from that portion of the shaft in response to upward force against the shield, and

mixing is carried out with the splash shield disengaged from that portion of the shaft;

the step of moving the holder in the second direction separates the vessel and splash shield and causes the splash shield to engage with the portion of the shaft; and

the method further includes the step of rotating the shaft to rotate the splash shield during the directing step.

5. The method of claim 1, further including the step of rotating the splash shield during the directing step.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the directing step directs warm rinse fluid.

7. The method of claim 1, further including the step of directing rinsing fluid onto the mixing element.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes the steps of:

with the mixing element in the material in the vessel, causing relative movement of the mixing element and vessel in opposite directions, and

causing the splash shield to retain the vessel within the holder during relative movement of the mixing element and vessel in opposite directions.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein in the causing step the mass of the splash shield retains the vessel within the holder.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the directing step directs a rinse solution comprising sanitizing solution.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the sanitizing solution includes a quaternary ammonium sanitizer solution.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the sanitizing solution is a heated sanitizing solution.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing step provides an upwardly directed first nozzle and a downwardly directed second nozzle, and wherein the directing step directs fluid from the first and second nozzles.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing step provides the splash shield to be positionable in contact with the vessel and covering the opening, and wherein the unshielding step includes separating the splash shield and the vessel.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing step provides the mixing machine to include a chamber, and wherein the directing step includes isolating the splash shield within the chamber.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the provide step provides a door moveable into a closed position covering the chamber, and wherein the isolating step includes moving the door to the closed position.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the door is positioned at a sloped angle, and wherein the directing step includes allowing rinse fluid flowing off of the splash shield to contact the door and then flow down the slope and off the door into a receiving channel and into a drain.

18. On a mixing machine for mixing material contained in a vessel having an opening, the mixing machine of a type including a holder for receiving the vessel and a rotatable mixing element extendable into the vessel for mixing the contents of the vessel, the improvement comprising:

a splash shield carried by the mixing machine, the splash shield positionable shielding the opening of the vessel, and at least one nozzle coupled to a source of rinse fluid and oriented to direct rinse fluid onto the splash shield.

19. The improvement of claim 18, wherein the mixing machine is further of the type wherein the mixing element is carried by a shaft, and wherein in the improvement the splash shield is carried by the shaft.

20. The improvement of claim 19, wherein the improvement further includes means for moving the holder in a first direction towards the splash shield to move the vessel into contact with the splash shield and in a second direction away from the splash shield to separate the vessel from the splash shield.

21. The improvement of claim 20, wherein the splash shield is engageable with a member on the shaft and is disengageable from the member in response to upward force by the vessel against the splash shield.

22. The improvement of claim 21, wherein the shaft is rotatable to rotate the splash shield as rinse fluid is directed onto the splash shield by the nozzle.

23. The improvement of claim 18, wherein the at least one nozzle is oriented to direct rinse fluid onto the mixing element.

24. The improvement of claim 20, wherein the splash shield is positionable in contact with the vessel covering the opening of the vessel, and is of sufficient mass to remain in position covering the opening of the vessel during movement of the holder in the second direction until it engages with the member.

25. The improvement of claim 18, wherein the splash shield is positionable in contact with the vessel covering the opening of the vessel and is of sufficient mass to retain the vessel within the holder during relative movement of the mixing element and vessel in opposite directions.

26. The improvement of claim 18, wherein the source of rinse fluid comprises sanitizing solution.

27. The improvement of claim 26, wherein the sanitizing solution includes a quaternary ammonium sanitizer solution.

28. The improvement of claim 27, wherein the sanitizing solution is heated sanitizing solution.

29. The improvement of claim 18, wherein the at least one nozzle includes an upwardly directed first nozzle and a downwardly directed second nozzle.

30. The improvement of claim 18, wherein the splash shield is positionable in contact with the vessel.

31. The improvement of claim 18, wherein the mixing machine is of a type including a fluid outlet for directing a liquid into the vessel for mixing with the material in vessel, and wherein the splash shield includes a passage extending through the shield, the passage oriented to allow fluid flowing from a fluid outlet to flow through the passage and into the vessel.

32. On a mixing machine for mixing a material contained in a vessel having an opening, the mixing machine of a type including a holder for receiving the vessel and a rotatable mixing element extendable into the vessel for mixing the contents of the vessel, the improvement comprising:

a splash shield carried by the mixing machine, the splash shield positionable shielding the opening of the vessel and having sufficient mass to retain the vessel within the holder during relative movement of the mixing element and vessel in opposite directions.

33. The improvement of claim 32, wherein the mixing element is carried on a shaft, and wherein the holder is moveable relative to the mixing element to move the vessel in a first direction towards the mixing element and in a second direction away from mixing element.

34. The improvement of claim 33, wherein the splash shield is carried by the shaft, and wherein the splash shield is engageable with a member on the shaft and is disengageable from the member in response to upward force by the vessel against the splash shield.

35. The improvement of claim 32, wherein the mixing machine is of a type including a fluid outlet for directing a liquid into the vessel for mixing with the material in vessel, and wherein the splash shield includes a passage extending through the shield, the passage oriented to allow fluid flowing from a fluid outlet to flow through the passage and into the vessel.

36. A method of mixing a drink, comprising the steps of:

providing an appliance having a cup holder and a mixing element;

positioning a cup containing drink material in the cup holder;

automatically moving the cup, causing the mixing element to contact the material within the cup; and

rotating the mixing element to mix the material.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein the moving step includes the step of reciprocating the cup multiple times during the rotating step.

38. The method according to claim 36, wherein the providing step provides the appliance to include a chamber, wherein the mixing element is positioned within the chamber;

and

wherein the moving step moves at least a portion of the cup into the chamber.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein the providing step provides the appliance to include a door moveable into a closed position covering the chamber, and wherein the method includes the steps of:

moving the cup out of the chamber;

moving the door into the closed position; and

directing a stream of rinse fluid into contact with the mixing element.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the door is positioned at a sloped angle, and wherein the directing step includes allowing rinse fluid flowing off of the splash shield to contact the door and then flow down the slope and off the door into a receiving channel and into a drain.

41. The method according to claim 38, wherein the providing step provides the appliance to include a chamber and a door moveable into a closed position covering the chamber, wherein the mixing element and splash shield are positioned within the chamber, wherein the moving step moves at least a portion of the cup into the chamber, and wherein the method includes the steps of:

moving the cup out of the chamber;

moving the door into the closed position; and

directing a stream of rinse fluid into contact with the splash shield.

42. The method according to claim 41, wherein the door is positioned at a sloped angle, and wherein the directing step includes allowing rinse fluid flowing off of the splash shield to contact the door and then flow down the slope and off the door into a receiving channel and into a drain.

43. The method according to claim 36, wherein the material is frozen drink material.

44. The method according to claim 36, wherein the method further includes the step of adding a liquid to the material after the positioning step.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein the liquid is added during the rotating step.

46. The method according to claim 36, wherein the appliance further includes a splash shield, and wherein the moving step moves the cup into contact with the splash shield.

47. The method according to claim 46, wherein the splash shield includes a passage, and wherein the method further includes the step of directing a liquid through the passage into contact with the material in the cup.