Systems and methods for dispensing product

• US 20060054614A1
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: W. Health L.P.
• Original Assignee: Moobella Acquisition Corp.
• Inventors: Kateman, Paul R., Baxter, James R., Lowe, Steven A., Brunner, Charles S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,726,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/400
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/045 of slush-ice, e.g. semi-frozen beverage
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/163 with intermittent operation
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/20 the products being mixed with gas, e.g. soft-ice
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/228 Arrangement and mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/28 for portioning or dispensing
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/281 at the discharge end of freezing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/282 for dispensing multi-flavour ice-creams
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/283 for filling containers with material
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/46 Aerated, foamed, cellular or porous products
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/48 Composite products, e.g. layered , laminated, coated, filled
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 41/22 between evaporator and compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/145 from the inner walls of cooled bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0071 Food articles which need to be processed for dispensing in a cold condition, e.g. ice and ice cream

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and methods for producing and dispensing aerated and/or blended products, such as food products.

Claims

1. Apparatus for producing a food product, the apparatus comprising:

a frame;

a base-mix module coupled to the frame and operative to provide a base mix;

a flavor module coupled to the frame and operative to provide flavoring;

a flavor-selection assembly coupled to the frame and having an outlet and a plurality of flavoring inlets, each inlet operative to receive a flavoring, the flavor-selection assembly operative to allow passage of a flavoring from an inlet to the outlet;

a conduit assembly having a proximal end including a first opening coupled to the base-mix module and a second opening for receiving air, the conduit assembly having a distal end coupled to the outlet of the flavor-selection assembly, the conduit assembly operative to combine base mix, air and flavoring to produce a flavored, aerated mix;

a food-preparation assembly coupled to the frame and adapted to receive the flavored, aerated mix from the distal end of the conduit assembly and to prepare food from the flavored aerated mix;

a plurality of sub-controllers, each adapted to operate one or more of the following;

the base-mix module, the flavor module, the flavor-selection assembly, and the food-preparation assembly; and

an apparatus controller in communication with each sub-controller and operative to provide instructions to the sub-controllers so as to operate the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base-mix module comprises:

a base-mix holding bay suited for holding a base-mix container;

a pump coupled to the conduit assembly; and

a source of compressed air coupled to the conduit assembly, the source of compressed air having an air-control valve operative to control the amount of air provided to the conduit assembly;

wherein the plurality of sub-controllers includes a base-mix-module sub-controller coupled to the pump and operative to control the pump and the air-control valve so that when base mix is loaded into the base-mix holding bay the base-mix-module sub-controller controls the amount of base mix and the amount of air injected into the conduit assembly.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flavor module comprises:

a plurality of flavor-packet holding bays operative to hold flavor packets;

a plurality of positive-displacement pumps coupled to the plurality of holding bays and operative to receive flavoring from flavor packets held in the holding bays;

a plurality of electrical solenoids coupled to a slidable support plate, each solenoid operative to engage with an associated displacement pump to cause the displacement pump to dispense flavoring; and

a linear-drive motor, the linear drive coupled to the slidable support plate;

wherein the plurality of sub-controllers includes a flavor-module sub-controller in communication with each of the solenoids and with the linear-drive motor, the sub-controller being operative to control each of the solenoids and the linear-drive motor so as to select and energize a solenoid and to operate the linear-drive motor to drive the slidable support plate moving the solenoids relative to the displacement pumps such that the energized solenoid causes an associated displacement pump to dispense flavoring.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a mix-ins/dried-goods module comprising:

a plurality of mix-in assemblies, each assembly comprising;

a) an auger block defining;

i) a storage container orifice adapted to receive a mix-in storage container;

ii) an auger passage connected to the container orifice; and

iii) a dispensing orifice connected to the auger passage; and

b) an auger adapted to sit in the auger passage of the auger block, the auger having an engagable end;

a plurality of drive assemblies coupled to the engagable ends of the augers and operative to drive the augers;

a trough assembly having a collection slot and a dispensing opening, the collection slot being coupled to the dispensing orifices of the plurality of mix-in assemblies, the trough assembly operative to receive mix-ins from the mix-in assemblies and to dispense the mix-ins;

wherein the plurality of sub-controllers includes a mix-ins-module sub-controller in communication with each of the drive assemblies, the sub-controller operative to control the drive assemblies so that, when mix-ins containers are loaded into the mix-ins module, the sub-controller drives the engagable ends to turn the augers to dispense mix-ins.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a food-zone apparatus comprising:

a food-surface assembly having a flat surface mounted for rotation about an axis;

a cover positioned to substantially enclose at least a portion of the flat rotary surface to create a food zone;

a final mixing conduit interface coupled to the cover and configured to receive base mix from the base-mix module and flavoring from the flavor module via a final mixing conduit and to deposit the mix on the flat surface while the flat surface is rotating;

a scraper coupled to the cover and supported above the flat surface, the scraper having a working edge positionable to engage the rotary surface while said rotary surface is rotating so as to be able to scrape the deposited mix into a ridge row on the rotary;

a level coupled to the cover and spaced above the rotary surface to establish a gap, the level being positioned ahead of the scraper so as to be able to level the mix to a specified height on the rotary surface while the rotary surface is rotating.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising

a rack and pinion structure coupled to the cover, the rack and pinion structure having a rack and pinion;

a plow coupled to the rack and pinion structure and operative to scrape the ridge row from the rotary surface as food product;

a forming cylinder coupled to the cover and operative to receive the food product from the plow;

a diaphragm resting inside the forming cylinder operative to form the food product into a scoop;

a packing/cleaning plate rotatably coupled to the food cover via a packing plate shaft, the packing plate positioned under the forming cylinder to provide a food product-packing surface and to clean the forming cylinder between cleanings;

a level pneumatic piston interface coupled to the level and operative to interface with at least one pneumatic piston to allow control of the level;

a pinion pneumatic piston interface coupled to the cover and to the pinion drive and operative to interface with a pneumatic piston, the piston rotated by a motor to cause rotation of the pinion;

a diaphragm pneumatic piston interface coupled to the diaphragm and operative to interface with a pneumatic piston to allow control of the diaphragm to form the food product;

a packing plate pneumatic piston interface coupled to packing plate shaft and operative to interface with a pneumatic piston, the piston rotated by a motor to allow positioning of the packing plate; and

a plurality of features in the cover operative to interface with pneumatic pistons to hold the cover against the rotating surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the level is a squeegee.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the specified height is between about 5/1000ths and 30/1000ths of an inch.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a process box including:

an electrically operated pneumatic solenoid bank having an air input and a plurality of air outputs;

a plurality of pneumatically driven piston assemblies, each assembly having a piston coupled to a pneumatic cylinder, each pneumatic cylinder coupled to an air output of the solenoid bank, the solenoid bank operative to control air pressure in each pneumatic cylinder, each piston adapted to interact with an associated piston interface on a food zone cover; and

an air compressor coupled to the air input of the solenoid bank and operative to provide compressed air to the air input of the solenoid bank so that the solenoid bank can manage operation of the piston assemblies to control interaction of the pistons with associated piston interfaces on the cover.

10. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the food-surface assembly has a central axis and a periphery,

and wherein the food-surface assembly comprises:

a) an upper freeze plate of which the flat surface is one face, the freeze plate also having a second face, the flat surface forming a non-stick rotary freezing surface that can readily releases food products at low temperatures, the second face defining a portion of a refrigerant channel operative to pass refrigerant;

b) a gasket adapted to couple to the second face of the freeze plate and operative to contain the refrigerant within the refrigerant channel;

c) a lower freeze plate adapted to couple to the upper freeze plate and having a first face and a second face, the first face operative to seal the refrigerant channel leaving the refrigerant channel with an entrance orifice and an exit orifice; and

d) an insulation plate adapted to couple to the lower freeze plate and operative to provide insulation to the food-surface assembly;

and wherein the apparatus further comprises;

a) a drive shaft coupled to the food-surface assembly; and

b) a drive motor coupled to the drive shaft and operative to rotate the drive shaft causing rotation of the rotary surface about the central axis;

and wherein the plurality of sub-controllers includes a sub-controller coupled to the drive motor and operative to control the drive motor to control the rate of rotation of the food-surface assembly.

11. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a refrigeration system, wherein the flat surface is a freeze surface and the food-surface assembly includes an inlet and an outlet coupled with the refrigeration system, the refrigeration system including:

a compressor having an inlet and an outlet, the outlet providing compressed refrigerant;

a compressor discharge line attached to the compressor outlet;

a condenser having an inlet coupled to the discharge line;

a liquid-gas separator having first and second inlets and first and second outlets, the first inlet adapted to receive liquid refrigerant from the condenser, the first outlet coupled to the inlet of the compressor;

a liquid stepper having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet coupled to the second outlet of the liquid-gas separator and the outlet coupled to the inlet of the food-surface assembly;

a food-surface-assembly discharge line attached to the food-surface-assembly outlet and to the second inlet of the liquid-gas separator;

a pressure sensor coupled to the food-surface-assembly discharge line and operative to provide a pressure signal representative of the pressure in the food-surface-assembly discharge line;

a thermistor coupled to the food-surface-assembly discharge line and operative to provide a temperature signal representative of the thermistor'"'"'s temperature; and

a hot-gas stepper valve coupled to the food-surface-assembly discharge line and to the compressor discharge line;

wherein the plurality of sub-controllers includes a refrigeration-system sub-controller in communication with the liquid stepper, the pressure transducer, the thermistor, and the hot-gas stepper valve, the refrigeration-system sub-controller being operative to receive a pressure signal from the pressure sensor and a temperature signal from the thermistor and to control at least one of the liquid stepper and the hot-gas stepper valve.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further includes a detector for reading a product-indicator label, and wherein at least one of the apparatus controller and the sub-controllers includes a processor coupled with a computer-readable storage medium storing software code that provides instructions for identifying a base mix or a flavoring based on a reading of the product-indicator label and for controlling operation of the apparatus based on the identification.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a display screen, wherein at least one of the apparatus controller and the sub-controllers includes a processor coupled with a computer-readable storage medium storing software code that provides instructions as to which options to display for available base mixes and flavorings on the display screen; and

an input mechanism that a user can operate to select from the options that are displayed on the display screen.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable storage medium further stores software code that determines which options are to be displayed based on the readings of a plurality of product-label indicators on containers for base mixes or flavorings.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the software code includes instructions that will cause an option to be removed from the display screen if the remaining supply of a base mix or flavoring is determined to be below a minimum threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a detector for detecting whether the remaining supply of one or more base mixes or flavorings is below a minimum threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the software code includes instructions for removing an option from the display screen when a base mix or a flavoring in the apparatus fails to meet a freshness criterion based on a reading of the product-indicator label.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the software code instructions for determining whether a base mix or flavoring meets the freshness criterion based on a manufactured-on date or an expiration date incorporated into the product-indicator label.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the software code includes instructions for determining whether a base mix or flavoring meets the freshness criterion by tracking the time since the product-indicator label was first detected.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the software code includes instructions for 5 recognizing when a plurality of product-indicator labels refer to the same base mix or flavoring and for displaying a single option for that base mix or flavoring on the display screen.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, where the software code includes instructions for comparing the freshness of the base mix or flavoring associated with each of the identical product-indicator labels and dispensing from the base mix or flavoring that is nearest its expiration.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer-readable storage medium also stores a database including data used in formulating processing instructions associated with information found in the product-indicator labels.

23. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer-readable storage medium also stores software code for halting operation of the apparatus upon detection of an event or absence of an event.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the event is unauthorized physical or electronic tampering with the apparatus.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the event is removal of apparatus components for cleaning within a specified time period.

26. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer-readable storage medium also stores software code for generating an advertisement for a product or service on the display screen while the apparatus is producing the food product.

27. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer-readable storage medium also stores software code for generating trivia relating to the food product on the display screen while the apparatus is producing the food product.

28. An automated method for producing a food product, the method comprising:

providing a vending machine in a facility, the vending machine including;

a display screen;

a base-mix module including a container containing base mix;

a flavor module including a container containing flavoring;

a flavor-selection assembly having an outlet and a plurality of flavoring inlets, each inlet operative to receive a flavoring, the flavor-selection assembly operative to allow passage of a flavoring from an inlet to the outlet;

a food-preparation assembly adapted to receive the flavored, aerated mix from the distal end of the conduit assembly and to prepare food from the flavored aerated mix;

a plurality of sub-controllers, each adapted to operate one or more of the following;

the base-mix module, the flavor module, the flavor-selection assembly, and the food-preparation assembly;

an apparatus controller in communication with each sub-controller and operative to provide instructions to the sub-controllers so as to operate the apparatus; and

an input mechanism that a user can operate to select from base-mix and flavoring options that are displayed on the display screen;

presenting selectable options for ice-cream ingredients on the display screen and enabling a user to operate the input mechanism to select desired options;

in response to selected options for the base mix and flavoring from the user, producing ice cream having ingredients corresponding to the selected options;

issuing local instructions for operating the base-mix module, the flavor module, the flavor-selection assembly, and the food-preparation assembly from the sub-controllers; and

governing the sub-controllers using the apparatus controller.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising automatically communicating information between the vending machine and a remote controller apart from the facility in which the vending machine is provided.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising automatically detecting errors in the operation of the vending machine and communicating information about detected errors to the remote controller and trouble-shooting the errors using the remote controller and sending instruction from the remote controller back to the vending machine to a) stop production of the food product and generate a signal requesting on-site service, b) ignoring the error and continuing production of the food product, or c) performing a repair function inside the vending machine and then resuming production of the food product.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising generating new instructions for operating the vending machine to produce a new or modified food product and downloading those instructions from the remote controller to the vending machine.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising testing the base-mix module, the flavor module, the flavor-selection assembly, and the food-preparation assembly using the sub-controllers before assembly inside the vending machine.