Machine for mixing a frozen dessert

• US 20050249032A1
• Filed: 04/27/2005
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C&C Manufacturing LLC (Equivu Capital LLC)
• Original Assignee: Swirl Freeze Corporation
• Inventors: Savage, Don H., Heinhold, Duane H., Heinhold, Kenneth E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,503,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 366/289
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/045 of slush-ice, e.g. semi-frozen beverage
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/32 characterised by the composition containing organic or inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/13 Mixing of ice-cream ingredients
• 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 27/9212 with conical helices
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/9213 the helices having a diameter only slightly less than the diameter of the receptacle

Abstract

A frozen dessert mixing machine of the type including an auger and mixing cone which has an open top, wherein the mixing cone moves toward the auger and the auger mixes a frozen desert from material contained in the mixing cone. The mixing machine further comprises means for effectively closing the open top of the mixing cone during the mixing of the desert material so that a liquid material can be included in the mixing cone to be mixed with a frozen material in the mixing cone without the liquid material or resulting mixture being ejected from or otherwise escaping from the mixing cone. A valve mechanism is associated with an opening in the bottom of the mixing cone so that the resulting mixture in the mixing cone can be dispensed from the bottom of the mixing cone when the valve mechanism is opened.

Claims

1. In a frozen dessert mixing machine of the type including (a) a housing, (b) a motor driven drive shaft extending from said housing, (c) an auger attached to a distal end of said motor driven drive shaft, (d) a mixing cone having an open top and an open bottom with said mixing cone being in substantially coaxial alignment with said mixing auger and said motor driven drive shaft, and (e) drive means for moving the mixing cone in linear movement toward said auger, an improvement comprising:

means for effectively closing said open top of said mixing cone when said mixing auger is positioned within said mixing cone so that a liquid material can be mixed with a frozen material in said mixing cone by said auger to produce a liquid mixture without said liquid mixture being ejected from or otherwise escaping from said mixing cone during the mixing of said frozen material and said liquid material in said mixing cone; and

a valve mechanism associated with said open bottom of said mixing cone, said valve mechanism being kept closed when said liquid material and said frozen material are introduced into said mixing cone as well as during mixing of said liquid material and said frozen material in said mixing cone, with said valve mechanism then being opened to dispense said liquid mixture from said bottom of said mixing cone.

2. The improvement in a frozen dessert mixing machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein said means for closing said top end of said mixing cone comprises:

a seal plate having an opening through which said motor driven drive shaft extends, with said seal plate being positioned between said housing from which said motor driven drive shaft extends and said auger;

said opening in said seal plate forming a bearing surface through which said motor driven drive shaft can rotate; and

means for mounting said seal plate to said housing from which said motor driven drive shaft extends so that said seal plate is maintained in its position between said housing from which said motor driven drive shaft extends and said auger,

whereby when said mixing cone moves upwardly around said mixing auger so as to fully encompass and contain said mixing auger, said open top of said mixing cone makes contact with a lower sealing surface of said seal plate.

3. The improvement in a frozen desert mixing machine in accordance with claim 2, wherein said means for mounting said seal plate to said housing from which said motor driven drive shaft extends comprises a coil spring that is positioned coaxially about said motor driven drive shaft with an upper end of said spring being attached to said housing from which said motor driven drive shaft extends and with a lower end of said spring being attached to said seal plate.

4. The improvement in a frozen desert mixing machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein a cup holding mechanism is incorporated into said valve mechanism at the bottom of said mixing cone, said cup holding mechanism being adapted to hold a cup in proper position immediately beneath said valve mechanism so that said liquid mixture dispensed from said mixing cone through said valve mechanism is fed directly into said cup.