Apparatus and method for making frozen drinks

• US 5,803,377 A
• Filed: 02/05/1997
• Issued: 09/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: F'Real Foods LLC (Rich Products Corporation)
• Original Assignee: F'Real Foods LLC (Rich Products Corporation)
• Inventors: Farrell, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUSAR, JOHN
• Application Number:
  US08/794,859
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 241/33, 241/36, 241/38, 241/46.17, 241/57, 241/199.12, 241/292.1
• US Class Current: 241/36
• 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: A47J 2043/04472 with a mixing unit vertically movable relative to the support
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/082 for machines with tools driven from the upper side A47J43/087, A47J43/09 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention is a frozen drink machine and a method for making frozen drinks from a frozen substance which has been frozen into a cup. According to the method and the machine of the present invention, a cup containing a frozen substance is positioned in a cup support located in the frozen drink machine. A rotatable blade having features for grinding the frozen substance and for aerating the ground frozen substance is lowered into the cup, grinding the frozen substance while a liquid is simultaneously introduced into the cup. In an alternative embodiment, a second blade is provided which incorporates air into the liquid before the liquid is introduced into the cup.

Claims

1. An apparatus for making frozen drinks from a frozen substance frozen into a cup, comprising:

a housing;

a cup support mounted to the housing;

a liquid dispenser having an outlet positioned to direct liquid into a cup positioned in the cup support;

grinding means for, when a cup containing a frozen substance is positioned in the cup support, grinding the frozen substance to form a ground substance; and

aeration means for, when a cup containing a frozen substance is positioned in the cup support, causing air to be incorporated into a mixture of the ground substance formed by the grinding means and the liquid dispensed by the liquid dispenser.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the grinding and aeration means comprise a rotatable blade assembly mounted within the housing for extension into a cup positioned in the cup support.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the blade assembly includes a blade member mounted on a shaft, the blade member including first regions lying within a plane and spaced apart regions at least partially outside the plane such that during rotation of the blade member in a fluid, the aeration elements cause alternately high and low pressure zones in the fluid and thus create turbulent eddies which cause a whipping effect.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the blade assembly is moveable between upper and lower blade positions, the lower blade position being at a height such that when a cup is positioned in the cup support, the blade assembly is positioned within the cup and adjacent to the cup bottom, and wherein the apparatus further includes control means for causing the blade assembly to move between the upper and lower blade positions at least twice.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

a cup sensor for detecting the size of a cup in the cup support and for producing an output corresponding to the size of the cup; and

control means responsive to the output of the cup sensor for generating blade rotation speed and vertical blade positioning control signals which correspond to the size of the cup detected by the cup sensor, the blade assembly being responsive to the blade rotation speed and vertical blade positioning control signals.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

an initiation switch;

a cup sensor for detecting the presence of a cup in the cup support and for producing an output;

control means for generating up and down blade movement control signals and blade rotation control signals;

a slidable and rotatable shaft attached to the blade assembly and moveable between upper and lower positions corresponding to upper and lower blade positions;

first and second motors coupled to the shaft, the first motor responsive to the blade movement control signals to move the shaft between the upper and lower positions, the second motor responsive to the blade rotation control signals to rotate the blade assembly, the control means responsive to activation of the initiation switch and to output of the cup sensor to allow the blade assembly to rotate and to be lowered into a cup when a cup is detected in the cup support and when a user activates the initiation switch.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the apparatus is for making a frozen drink having a top surface and wherein:

the blade assembly is moveable between upper and lower blade positions; and

the control means is further for generating blade speed control signals to reduce the rotational speed of the blade assembly when the blade assembly is moved to a first level and to increase the rotational speed of the blade assembly when the blade assembly is moved to a second level, the first level corresponding to a level beneath the top surface of a frozen drink in a cup positioned in the cup support, and the second level corresponding to a level above said top surface.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the grinding means includes a first blade mounted within the housing for extension into a cup positioned in the cup support;

the liquid dispenser includes a vessel and the outlet is positioned to direct liquid from the vessel into a cup positioned in the cup support; and

the aeration means includes a second rotatable blade extending into the vessel.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a cup sensor for detecting a characteristic of a cup in the cup support and for producing an output corresponding to the characteristic of the cup; and

control means for generating liquid dispensing control signals which correspond to the characteristic of the cup detected by the cup sensor, the liquid dispenser being responsive to the liquid dispensing control signals to dispense liquid into the cup.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the characteristic is the size of the cup and wherein the liquid dispenser is responsive to the liquid dispensing control signals to dispense a volume of liquid which corresponds to size of the cup.

11. An apparatus for making frozen drinks from a frozen substance frozen into a cup, comprising:

a housing;

a cup support mounted to the housing;

a rotatable blade assembly mounted within the housing, the blade assembly including shaving elements and aeration elements, the blade assembly moveable between upper and lower blade positions, the lower blade position being at a height such that when a cup is positioned in the cup support, the blade assembly is positioned within the cup and adjacent to the cup bottom.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 characterized further in that the blade assembly includes at least one surface area shaped to pump fluid toward the bottom of the cup in response to rotation of the blade assembly.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the blade assembly shaving elements and aeration elements are in close vertical proximity to one another.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the aeration elements include first regions lying within a plane and spaced apart regions at least partially outside the plane such that during rotation of the blade assembly in a fluid the aeration elements cause alternately high and low pressure zones in the fluid, and thus create turbulent eddies which cause a whipping effect.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

a rod mounted with the housing;

a carriage slidable on the rod between upper and lower carriage positions corresponding to the upper and lower blade positions, the rotatable blade assembly being carried by the carriage;

a first motor coupled to the carriage for movement of the carriage between upper and lower positions corresponding to the upper and lower blade positions.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the grating elements include depressed edges formed adjacent openings in the blade assembly.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the blade assembly includes an upper surface and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for, when the blade assembly is immersed and rotated in a cup containing liquid, directing liquid from above the upper surface of the blade assembly to below the blade assembly.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the apparatus further includes control means for causing the blade assembly to move between the upper and lower blade positions at least twice.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 further including:

an initiation switch configured to produce an output when activated by a user;

a cup sensor for detecting the presence of a cup in the cup support and for producing an output;

control means responsive to activation of the initiation switch and to the output of the cup sensor to cause the blade assembly to rotate and to be lowered into a cup when a cup is positioned into the cup support when a cup is detected in the cup support and when a user activates the initiation switch.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

a threaded guide rod mounted within the housing;

a slidable and rotatable blade shaft having the blade assembly attached thereto, the blade shaft drivable between upper and lower positions by rotation of the threaded guide rod; and

a first motor coupled to the threaded rod for driving the slidable and rotatable blade shaft between upper and lower positions corresponding to the upper and lower blade positions.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein:

the apparatus further includes control means for generating slidable blade shaft movement control signals and blade rotation control signals, the first motor responsive to the slidable blade shaft movement control signals to move the slidable blade shaft between the upper and lower positions; and

a second motor responsive to the blade rotation control signals to rotate the blade assembly.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein:

the apparatus further comprises an initiation switch and a cup sensor for detecting the presence of a cup in the cup support and for producing an output; and

the control means is further for generating the blade movement control signals and the blade rotation control signals in response to activation of the initiation switch and the output of the cup sensor to allow the blade assembly to rotate and to be lowered into a cup when a cup is detected in the cup support and when a user activates the initiation switch.

23. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the apparatus is for making a frozen drink having a top surface and wherein the apparatus includes:

a cup sensor for detecting the presence of a cup in the cup support and for producing an output; and

control means for generating blade speed control signals to reduce the rotational speed of the blade assembly when the blade assembly is moved to a first level and to increase the rotational speed of the blade assembly when the blade assembly is moved to a second level, the first level corresponding to a level beneath the top surface of a frozen drink in a cup positioned in the cup support, and the second level corresponding to a level above said top surface.

24. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

a cup sensor for detecting the size of a cup in the cup support and for producing an output corresponding to the size of the cup; and

control means responsive to the output of the cup sensor for generating blade rotation speed and vertical blade positioning control signals which correspond to the size of the cup detected by the cup sensor, the blade assembly being responsive to the blade rotation speed and vertical blade positioning control signals.

25. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising

a cup sensor for detecting a characteritic of a cup in the cup support and for producing an output corresponding to the characteristic of the cup;

and

control means for generating liquid dispensing control signals which correspond to the characteristic of the cup detected by the cup sensor, the liquid dispensing being responsive to the liquid dispensing control signals.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the charateristic is the size of the cup and wherein the liquid dispenser is responsive to the liquid despensing control signals to dispense a predeterminded volume of liquid corresponding to the size of the cup.

27. An apparatus for making frozen drinks from a frozen substance frozen into a cup, comprising:

a housing;

a cup support mounted to the housing;

a liquid dispenser having an outlet positioned to direct a predetermined volume of liquid into a cup position in the cup support;

a shaft mounted to the housing the shaft carrying a rotatable blade having shaving elements and aeration elements formed thereon, the shaft moveable relative to the housing to carry the blade between an upper blade position remote from the cup support and a lower blade position adjacent to the cup support, the blade configured to, when it is lowered into a cup containing frozen substance, shave the frozen substance, mix the frozen substance with liquid dispensed by the liquid dispenser, and incorporate air into the formed mixture of frozen substance and liquid.