METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ROTATIONALLY RESTRAINING A MIXING CONTAINER

• US 20100108696A1
• Filed: 11/05/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F'Real Foods LLC (Rich Products Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rich Products Corporation
• Inventors: Farrell, James, Gardner, Clayton
• Granted Patent: US 8,336,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/608
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/12 using means for stirring the contents in a non-moving container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/265 Drinking cups B65D81/3865 takes precedence, holders for plastic cups A47G23/0208
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2303/00 Orienting or positioning means for containers

Abstract

A container for containing food and/or beverage ingredients is described. The container is of a type which may be supported in a support while the ingredients inside the container are processed, such as by a rotating blade or other mechanism. The container includes anti-rotation elements positionable in anti-rotational contact with a corresponding protruding portion in a container support in a manner which restricts rotational movement of the vessel relative to the container support. The off-set between each of the anti-rotation elements is an angle other than 180°.

Claims

1. A container receivable by a container support, the container comprising:

a side wall and a bottom wall defining a vessel, the bottom wall including an anti-rotation pattern comprising at least one radially extending anti-rotation element positionable in anti-rotational contact with a corresponding protruding portion in a container support in a manner which restricts rotational movement of the vessel relative to the container support, wherein no two anti-rotation elements in the anti-rotation pattern are offset from one another by an angle of 180°

.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the anti-rotation pattern comprises only three radially extending anti-rotation elements.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the anti-rotation pattern comprises only five radially extending anti-rotation elements.

4. The container of claim 1, wherein the radially extending anti-rotation elements are angularly spaced at equal intervals.

5. The container of claim 1, wherein the anti-rotation pattern comprises only one radially extending anti-rotation element.

6. A method for rotationally restraining a vessel on a holder during processing of the contents of the vessel, comprising the steps of:

providing a vessel having a side wall and a bottom wall having at least one first anti-rotation feature laterally offset from the longitudinal axis of the vessel;

providing a support having a least one second anti-rotation element;

positioning the vessel on the support such that only one of the first anti-rotation elements and only one of the second anti-rotational features are in anti-rotational contact with one another; and

processing ingredients within the vessel using a rotating element, wherein contact between the first and second anti-rotation elements prevents rotation of the vessel relative to the support.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the support is provided to have only one second anti-rotation element.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the support is provided to have only two anti-rotation elements.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein positioning the vessel positions the vessel such that the second anti-rotation element is laterally offset from the longitudinal axis of the vessel.

10. The system according to claim 6, wherein the vessel is provided to have at least two first anti-rotation elements, wherein no two of the first anti-rotation elements are offset from one another by an angle of 180°

.

11. An anti-rotation system comprising:

a container support having a single anti-rotation element;

a container receivable by the support, the container having a side wall and a bottom wall defining a vessel, the bottom wall including an anti-rotation pattern comprising at least one radially extending anti-rotation element positionable in anti-rotational contact with the anti-rotation element on the support.

12. The anti-rotation system of claim 11, wherein the single anti-rotation element is laterally offset from the longitudinal axis of the container when the container is positioned on the support.

13. An anti-rotation system comprising:

a container support having at least one anti-rotation element;

a container receivable by the support, the container having a side wall and a bottom wall defining a vessel, the bottom wall including an anti-rotation pattern comprising at least one radially extending anti-rotation element positionable in anti-rotational contact with the anti-rotation element on the support, wherein no two of the anti-rotation elements are offset from one another by an angle of 180°

.

14. The anti-rotation system of claim 13, wherein the anti-rotation pattern includes an odd number of single anti-rotation elements.

15. The anti-rotation system of claim 14, wherein the anti-rotation pattern includes only three anti-rotation elements.

16. The anti-rotation system of claim 14, wherein the anti-rotation pattern includes only five anti-rotation elements.

17. The anti-rotation system of claim 14, wherein the anti-rotation pattern includes only one anti-rotation element.

18. The anti-rotation system of claim 14, wherein the support includes a pair of anti-rotation elements, each laterally offset from the longitudinal axis of the container when the container is positioned on the support.