COMMERCIAL FROZEN FOOD PREPARATION APPARATUS ELECTRONICS

• US 20110088568A1
• Filed: 10/12/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: F'Real Foods LLC (Rich Products Corporation)
• Original Assignee: F'Real Foods LLC (Rich Products Corporation)
• Inventors: Farrell, James J., Voges, Jens Peter
• Application Number:
  US12/902,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20110088568A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 99/460
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/045 of slush-ice, e.g. semi-frozen beverage
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/20 the products being mixed with gas, e.g. soft-ice
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/28 for portioning or dispensing
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/044 with tools driven from the top side
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/13 Mixing of ice-cream ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/80 with stirrers rotating about a substantially vertical axis
• 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: B08B 3/02 Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/00 Cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto B08B6/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/816 into which liquid is added and the resulting preparation is retained, e.g. cups preloaded with powder or dehydrated food

Abstract

A machine prepares semi frozen food products and/or beverages from pre-prepared (e.g. frozen) cups. A user chooses the desired frozen cup, inserts it into the machine, chooses how they would like it prepared from a range of thickness options, and the machine then opens a sealed chamber door and inserts the product upward into the chamber and prepares the product by blending it in the cup. Upon removal of the product and resealing of the chamber door, the cleaning mechanisms provide thorough cleaning of all food contact surfaces and the chamber interior. Automatic high temperature steam sanitation takes place in the chamber if the machine is not used for an extended period of time, thus greatly reducing or eliminating the need for manual cleansing and sanitation by an attendant and ensuring healthy food preparation at all times.

Claims

1. A food preparation apparatus, comprising:

an enclosed food preparation chamber;

a carriage comprising a cup holder;

a motor that elevates the carriage and a cup within the cup holder into the preparation chamber from a starting position and returns the carriage and cup to the starting position; and

a cup sensing beam utilized to detect the presence of the cup within the cup holder, the apparatus configured to elevate the carriage and cup only if a cup is detected by the cup sensing beam.

2. The food preparation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a receiver to detect the beam or interruption thereof, the receiver shielded, at least partially, from ambient light.

3. The food preparation apparatus of claim 2, wherein the receiver is located above the cup.

4. A food preparation apparatus, comprising:

a food preparation chamber;

a carriage comprising a cup holder;

a motor that elevates the carriage and a cup within the cup holder into the preparation chamber from a starting position and returns the carriage and cup to the starting position, the apparatus configured to maintain the carriage at the starting position outside of the chamber when awaiting a cup to be placed in the cup holder by a user of the apparatus; and

a system that senses the size of a cup that is placed within the cup holder by the user, the system comprising;

a position encoder, and one or more cup size sensors, wherein the cup size is determined by referencing the position of the motor to determine a corresponding position of the carriage, and wherein the carriage position is referenced in conjunction with the time when a cup size sensor is tripped to determine the cup size.

5. The food preparation apparatus of claim 4, wherein the system comprises a transmitting cup size sensor and a receiving cup size sensor, and wherein the presence of an upper portion of the cup is sensed when a beam travelling from the transmitting cup size sensor to the receiving cup size sensor is interrupted.

6. The food preparation apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus is configured to select a blade boring time and a water quantity for food preparation based upon the determined cup size.

7. The food preparation apparatus of claim 6, wherein the apparatus is configured to select a blade boring speed based upon the determined cup size.

8. The food preparation apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus is configured to receive a desired food consistency from a user and to select the blade boring time and/or water quantity based upon the cup size and the desired food consistency.

9. The food preparation apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus is configured to redundantly verify the position of the carriage as it translates up and down with one or more carriage position sensors.

10. The food preparation apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus is configured to abort a product preparation cycle if the cup size does not match a predetermined authorized size.

11. The food preparation apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus is configured to notify a user if the cup size does not match a predetermined authorized size.

12. The food preparation apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus is configured to notify a remote computing device over a network connection if the cup size does not match a predetermined authorized size.

13. A food preparation apparatus, comprising:

a food preparation chamber;

a carriage comprising a cup holder;

a motor that elevates the carriage and a cup within the cup holder into the chamber from a starting position and returns the carriage and cup to the starting position;

a mechanism that opens the door of the chamber as the carriage is elevated and the cup is placed within the chamber and closes the door as the carriage is lowered to the starting position;

a microprocessor; and

a telecommunications transceiver, the apparatus configured to transmit information regarding operation of the apparatus to a remote entity via the telecommunications transceiver.

14. The food preparation apparatus of claim 13, wherein the telecommunications transceiver comprises a cellular modem.

15. The food preparation apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is configured to detect errors indicative of potential malfunction and report the errors to the remote entity.

16. The food preparation apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is configured to detect if a belt coupled to the carriage has slipped and to report it to the remote entity.

17. The food preparation apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is configured to detect if there is difficulty achieving a desired temperature or pressure and report it to the remote entity.

18. The food preparation apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is configured to detect if one or more performance parameters is not met.

19. The food preparation apparatus of claim 18, wherein one or more of the performance parameters indicates an excessively cold freezer is making product preparation more difficult and time consuming for the apparatus

20. The food preparation apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is configured to track the products made with the apparatus by type and sales volume and to report relevant information to the remote entity.

21. The food preparation apparatus of claim 20, wherein sales volume and sales type, when compared to prior sales history, is utilized to indicate a probable product type out-of-stock condition in a freezer of a retail location.

22. The food preparation apparatus of claim 20, wherein the food preparation apparatus is configured to allow the remote entity to disable the apparatus if certain product parameters or quantities are outside of expected or contracted ranges.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the apparatus is further configured to dispense a precise amount based upon the amount measured by the flow meter.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the apparatus is configured to measure and dispense a first amount into the cup when the cup in an elevated position, the first amount selected to vary based upon cup size.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the apparatus is configured to measure and dispense a first amount into the cup when the cup in an elevated position, the first amount selected to vary based upon a selected consistency for a product within the cup.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the apparatus is configured to measure and dispense a second amount sprayed by one or more rotary nozzles, the second amount sufficient to clean walls of the chamber.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the apparatus is configured to measure and dispense a third amount sprayed by one or more scour nozzles, the third amount sufficient to remove food from a boring blade of the apparatus.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the flow meter is utilized to identify a problem with the operation of the water delivery system, including an insufficient flow volume or flow rate.

22-1. A food preparation apparatus, comprising:

a chamber comprising a door at a lower portion of the chamber, the door sealing the door to the chamber when the door is in a closed position;

a carriage comprising a cup holder;

a motor that elevates the carriage and a cup within the cup holder into the chamber from a starting position and returns the carriage and cup to the starting position; and

a flow meter coupled to a pump, the apparatus configured to measure an amount of liquid passed through the flow meter.