Method of preparing a multi-flavored comestible shake

• US 5,766,665 A
• Filed: 05/26/1995
• Issued: 06/16/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Archibald Bros Fine Beverages Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Archibald Bros Fine Beverages Incorporated
• Inventors: Miller, Eric R.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, LIEN THUY
• Application Number:
  US08/451,256
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 222/144.5, 366/347, 366/197, 366/198, 366/204, 426/565, 426/569, 426/590, 426/519, 99/516
• US Class Current: 426/565
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/045 of slush-ice, e.g. semi-frozen beverage
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/12 using means for stirring the contents in a non-moving container
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/28 for portioning or dispensing
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/503 products with an inedible support, e.g. a stick

Abstract

A flavored shake drink is prepared from a prepackaged neutral flavored mix stored within a container. A flavored syrup is selected and dispensed through a bar gun styled dispenser in fluid communication with bag-in-box stored packages containing a variety of flavored syrups. A protective sleeve is placed within various size containers typically representing a small, medium and large size, wherein the sleeve permits blending within a standard fountain mixer and prevents the contents of the container from splashing onto the surrounding counter or on the container outside walls. In this way, the container used to store the prepackaged neutral mix and used to blend added ingredients is again used as the container holding the shake for the customer. The method provides a cost effective and health code conscience method for providing multi-flavored shakes.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a comestible flavored shake comprising the steps of:

providing a container having an opening,

filling the container with a predetermined amount of a neutral flavored shake mix leaving exposed upper interior sidewall portions of the container;

inserting an open-ended tubular sleeve through the opening of the container, the open-ended tubular sleeve passing at least partially into the container so as to be positioned adjacent the exposed upper interior sidewall portions of the container thus extending walls of the container;

dispensing a flavored syrup into the container for blending with the mix;

blending the mix with the flavored syrup for forming a flavored shake, the blending causing splashing onto an interior of the tubular sleeve while the sleeve prevents the splashing onto the exposed upper interior sidewall portions of the container;

removing the open-ended tubular sleeve from within the container; and

serving the flavored shake within the container.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the container filling step further comprises the steps of:

sealing the mix within the container;

storing the container in a food freezer;

removing the container from the freezer; and

unsealing the container for accessing the mix.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mix is selected from the group consisting of vanilla ice cream, vanilla soft serve ice cream, unflavored shake mix, and prepackaged neutral flavored mix.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the container comprises a cup having a generally cylindrical side wall and the sleeve comprises a generally cylindrical tube having a tapered side wall, the tapered wall communicating with a cup mouth and side wall for limiting penetration of the sleeve into the cup, the sleeve further extending outward from the cup mouth a preset distance, the distance providing a height combination of cup and sleeve for communicating with a mixer used in the blending step.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the sleeve further comprises a stepped side wall for communicating with a container opening in one of a multiplicity of containers having varying preset capacities, each step of the sleeve wall dimensioned for positioning along a corresponding opening of one capacity container.

6. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the sealing step comprises removably attaching a flexible lid across an opening of the container for providing an airtight seal over the opening, the attaching sufficient for sealing the mix within the container yet sufficient for permitting full removal of the lid.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing a multiplicity of syrup packages, each package having a preselected flavored syrup;

providing conduit means for dispensing a selected syrup from its corresponding package to a dispenser; and

providing a bar gun styled dispenser for adding the preselected syrup into the container.

8. A method for preparing multiple flavored shakes comprising the steps of:

storing a multiplicity of varying flavored syrups within corresponding syrup packages;

dispensing the syrups from their corresponding packages to a bar gun styled syrup dispenser in response to selecting a desired flavored syrup;

providing a container for serving a shake to a customer;

filling the container with a predetermined amount of a neutral flavored shake mix;

selecting a desired flavored syrup for adding to the container;

dispensing the desired flavored syrup from the gun styled syrup dispenser to the container for mixing with the neutral flavored shake mix;

blending the selected syrup with the shake mix for forming a flavored shake; and

serving the container having the flavored shake to the customer.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

inserting an open-ended tubular sleeve partially into the container, the sleeve extending outward from the container thereby extending walls of the container for preventing contents of the container from splashing onto surrounding work surfaces; and

removing the open-ended tubular sleeve from within the container for serving the flavored shake within the container.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

sealing the container after the filling step for providing airtight storage of the mix therein;

freezing the mix by storing the container in a food freezer;

removing the container from the freezer for adding a desired flavor, the container having the frozen neutral flavored mix; and

unsealing the container for the flavor dispensing step.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the container providing step further comprises the step of providing a multiplicity of container sets, each set having a preset container capacity for holding a predetermined amount of shake mix.

12. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the syrup packages are further stored in a bag-in-box style at a location removed from a blending step location, the dispensing step providing sufficient fluid conduit for communicating between the removed syrup storage location and the blending location for completing the syrup adding step.

13. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the blending step comprises the step of holding the container for inserting a mixing blade thereon for sufficiently blending the dispensed flavor with the neutral flavored mix thus forming the flavored shake.

14. A method for preparing a flavored shake for serving a customer, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a container for serving a shake to a customer, the container having an opening for access into the container;

filling the container with a predetermined amount of a neutral flavored shake mix;

sealing the container opening for providing airtight storage of the mix therein;

storing the container in a food freezer;

removing the container from the freezer;

unsealing the container for accessing the shake mix;

inserting an open-ended tubular sleeve through the opening, the sleeve passing at least partially into the container, the open-ended tubular sleeve extending outward from the container thereby extending walls of the container for preventing contents of the container from splashing out of the container during mixing of the shake mix;

storing a multiplicity of flavored syrups within corresponding packages;

accessing the packages for dispensing a selected syrup from an appropriate package in response to a selected desired flavored syrup;

dispensing the selected syrup into the neutral flavored mix

for blending with the neutral flavored shake mix thus providing a flavored shake desired by the customer;

inserting a mixer blade into the container for blending the flavored syrup with the neutral flavored mix;

blending the flavored syrup with the neutral flavored shake mix for forming a flavored shake;

removing the mixer blade from the container;

removing the open-ended tubular sleeve from the container for serving the container including the flavored shake to a customer; and

serving the container having the flavored shake to the customer.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the container providing step further includes the step of providing a multiplicity of containers, the containers of varying sizes for holding preselected quantities of shake mix.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the sleeve is dimensioned for insertion into any one of the varying size containers, the sleeve further having a width dimension for limiting access into the container to a location wherein a height dimension of the container and sleeve in combination is constant for a combination of container and sleeve, the height dimension sufficient for communicating with a shake mixer dimensioned for receiving a container having the height dimension, the mixer for performing the blending step.

17. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the filling step comprises substantially filling the container such that a level of the neutral flavored mix is distant from the opening.

18. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the sealing step comprises attaching a removable flexible lid across the opening for providing an airtight seal with the opening, the attaching sufficient for sealing the mix within the container.

19. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the syrup storing step further comprises the step of storing the syrup packages at a location removed from a serving location.

20. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the dispensing step further comprises the steps of:

providing a flavor syrup gun for selecting a flavored syrup, the flavor syrup gun communicating with the flavored syrup packages for dispensing a selected syrup through a gun nozzle;

selecting a desired flavored syrup by depressing one of a multiplicity of triggers of the flavor syrup gun, each trigger corresponding to the flavor provided;

thus dispensing the selected flavored syrup from its stored position.